| Ok you asked for it. I don’t pretend to be an expert and after 3 years I’m still learning but I have had some success in the sport (shot a Tournament 590 Portsmouth in my first year and made MB in my first outdoor season). I don’t expect that everyone will agree with all of what I say; all I know is that it works for me.
Background- Shot target Rifle and pistol for a number of years. I firmly believe that there are certain basic rules that apply to all forms of shooting, as long as you have to hold it and aim it the same rules apply. I did Karate for a couple of years, this taught me the importance of correct stance and posture and how to use the whole not just part of the body for a given task (e.g. not just using the arms to pull back the string but also the back, shoulders etc).
In my opinion the two most important factors in shooting are Relaxation and Focus. Any muscle that is not relaxed has a tendency to move. It is absolutely vital that we try and relax every muscle in the body as much as possible while going through the shot sequence. We have all seen archers on the line whose arms are trembling with the sheer exertion of holding at full draw. This is caused by trying to pull too heavy a draw weight or incorrect stance and posture. It is impossible to shoot good consistent scores if any part of the body (other than the string fingers) is moving at the time of the shot. The legs, the body, the arms and hands are merely a support for the equipment and the more stable we can make this support the better.
I believe the single most important aspect of this support is the position of the feet in relation to the target. Think about it, everything and I mean everything else connects to the ground through the feet. If the foot position is not right then everything else suffers. Here’s a tip from my rifle shooting days. Using your normal foot position, at full draw try moving the bow to the far left of the boss so you are aiming at the left hand edge (don’t move your feet at this stage) then try moving the bow to the far right of the boss. You may find that you feel more comfortable and relaxed when aiming at the left side, if this is the case then move your back foot forward by an inch (opening your stance) and repeat the process. If you feel more comfortable and relaxed when aiming at the right side move your rear foot back (closing your stance). I shoot with a slightly closed stance (this works for me) and I am always very careful to check this before shooting. Next is how far apart to place the feet. I see people shooting with their feet almost together. Try standing with you feet together and ask someone to give you a gentle push from the side, you might not fall over but your upper body will move, then try it with your feet shoulder width apart- nuff said. Make sure that your hips are in line with your feet and personally I always have my shoulders very nearly in line too. Next thing to look at is posture. For Gods sake stand up straight and tall and confident. Don’t overdue it, remember we are trying to be as relaxed as possible but it is amazing how much easier it is to draw the bow when you are standing tall. Try to get your weight balanced evenly on your feet both left/right and front/back (not on the balls of the feet or on the heels). The most important part of the body to relax is the bow hand and arm/shoulder. It iswell worth spending a few club nights just practicing this alone.
Right, now we are feeling comfortable and relaxed we can go on to the next key factor which is focus/concentration. Now I assume you are reading this because you want (at the very least) to improve your scores. Silly question you may think but people go to club nights and tournaments for different reasons, to meet old friends, to have a social, to take their partner etc. Now I’m not knocking this and the social side of the sport is great but not repeat NOT on the shooting line. When you walk up to that line every atom of your being should be focused on the gold and nothing else. Imagine that your eyes are laser beams and that they are burning a hole in the middle of the gold. This intensity of concentration can be very tiring and I often finish an outdoor FITA feeling mentally drained but you really, really have to do it to achieve good consistent scores. The Japanese Kyudo masters practice a technique called sending their chi to the target, in other words they are concentrating their mental powers on the target. There are various tips to help you focus; I wear a visor at all times when I’m shooting, not because the light is in my eyes but to reduce my peripheral vision. You cannot concentrate for too long at a time so shoot each arrow as a separate entity not one of three or one of six. Look at the target, start to focus, draw, aim, release, then relax mentally and physically, when you’re ready repeat the process. With a bit of practice most people can hit the ten on a Portsmouth face fairly often but to do it fifty or more times out of sixty requires total concentration on each separate shot. I firmly believe that it is this mental strength that separates the worlds best from the rest of us. The good news is that this, like every other aspect of archery can be practiced. The more you practice concentrating on the gold the easier it becomes.
OK enough of this drivel, I hope some of you find some of this useful and if so I may be tempted to write some more on the shot sequence, tournament tips and some of the psychological aspects of the game.  |