Archery is a great sport for people to get into. Practicing archery can help improve focus, concentration, hand-eye coordination, and patience. Residents of the big city might assume that there aren’t any places nearby that they can take part in the sport of archery. Thankfully, this is not the case. There are many places people can go to practice or take archery lessons in Los Angeles. Let’s go over some basic techniques to making a proper shot. Of course, a short list cannot teach everything you need to know. Take these tips and get out there and try it!
Shooting Stance
Straddle the shooting line with your bow hand side facing down range. Plant your feet about shoulder width apart. Stand up as straight as you can, and turn your head toward the target.
Nocking an Arrow
Pick up an arrow by the shaft, behind the fletchings. Place the end of the arrow on the arrow rest. Rotate the arrow so the index feather is facing out. Now, clip the arrow onto the bowstring underneath the nock set.
Get Set
Lightly grip the bow so it sits on the meaty part of your hand at the base of your thumb. Wrap the first three fingers of your draw hand around the bowstring. The first finger goes above the nock, and the next two go underneath the nock. Make sure not to hook your fingers around the string. Use just the tips of your fingers to hold the string.
Draw
First extend your bow arm out toward the target. Pull the string back to start drawing the bow. Keep the forearm and elbow on your drawing arm approximately in line with the arrow shaft, or slightly higher. When you get to your draw length, set your drawing hand at your anchor point. At this point your back muscles should engage and take most of the draw weight off of your arm muscles.
Aim and Release
The bowstring, the arrow shaft, and the center of your target should all line up. For the other axis, take note of where the target is lining up with your bow’s riser. This can be adjusted up or down depending on where your arrows are hitting on the target, and the distance you are shooting. Iron sights or lines on the riser can help with this. If anything about your form feels off, you can still let the bow down slowly any time up to this point. If you are ready to release, gently let the string come off your fingertips. Release the string in a quick, but controlled and reproducible way.
