Archive for the ‘Archery’ Category


Common Errors In Archery Stance

When it comes to how you stand in archery, the best way to do is to position yourself side to the target, your feet being the width of your shoulder and pointing along that invisible shooting line. If you’d like, many shooters prefer to position their heels farther from the line than their target. Never have your knees or feet pointing directly towards the target. If you do any of the two it will dramatically effect your stance in a negative way.

When you properly align your feet with the target, your upper body is the next thing that needs attention. Your arms and your head are the only parts on your body that should be in motion when releasing that final time. Don’t even rotate your upper body at all. Keep your neck and head completely upright, staring directing straight towards the target. One good method of preventing any unwanted moving is to put a majority of your weight on to the back of your foot. It works great for purposes of accuracy and is used commonly in Asian countries.

When you reach the point of full draw, tension will build up in the string, drawing it to a specific direction. Upon release, all the tension is gone and the bow will aim wherever your hand guides it. Both the full draw and tensions after you release must be identical, or else it will completely alter the trajectory of the arrow and send everything flying around in the wrong direction. If you aren’t doing this correctly, then not only will the latter happen, but your arrow will indeed fishtail upon release and you’ll need to observe just what happens when you release the arrow from the bow so no mistakes are made.

One good thing to always have is a sling. That way you don’t have to worry about having to grip the bow. When a lot of people release, the bow tends to jump in the hand and send accuracy out the window. A sling quite simply stabilizes your grip and prevents that from happening. The finger sling is the most commonly used and highly recommended, however there is another type.

If this proves to be too difficult for you, then just try as best as you can to make sure your grip is as relaxed as possible. There is no need to squeeze down on the handle too hard. Your forefinger and the thumb will be sufficient as far as the grip goes.

It’s important to remember that above all, the mental aspect of archery stances is most important. The physical does play in, but ultimately it is what is in your mind that will decide what happens and which stances take you where.

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An Archery Glossary - The Terms You Need To Know As A Beginner

One important thing you will want to do when beginning the sport of archery is to remember to always wear an arm guard. It will protect your arm from the friction that is instigated upon release. One thing that will come in handy if you are in a competition or even just practicing, is a clicker. When you practice with it, it’s important to judge the quality of every three to six arrow release for purposes of accuracy.

When looking how to best protect your string fingers, you will want to use a finger tab. It’s also important to mind the condition of your arrows so your accuracy doesn’t begin to fall off. When you are in an official competition round, make sure to keep track of how you are doing with those one hundred and forty four arrows being shot at a target from a variety of distances, being the most common type in official archery competitions. The set of arrows, however, do not all go to same group.

Previous to engaging in an official archery competition, remember to check the quality of the limbs on your bow on both sides of the rise. All this is very important regarding the string being held. You will want to make sure to check the arrows nocks so as to confirm no cracks or other maladies that may mess with the quality of the string. Store your arrows in a quiver, keeping them nice and organized, so at the right moment you may reach in and draw one out. A majority of compound bow shooters are more experienced and do not rely on their fingertips but rather utilize the release aid on all opportunities. Choosing this method provides a better, more fluid release and holds the string steady. It’s important to make sure that you always have a loose, yet firm hold on the rise of the bow. The bottom of the rise is closest the string as well as the shooter. The back of it faces towards the target.

A sight is a good idea for those archers that start getting into the advanced stages of archery. It increases the quality of your vision as well as aim. When you release, the bow string will tend to give off some torque, distorting your form. To counter-act this, you should look into getting a weight to place on your bow, which is referred to as a vertical stabilizer. Something you might eventually be able to do, as most advanced archers already can, is can apart the shaft of a single arrow currently in a target with just one very accurate shot of a second arrow. After you achieve such a great accomplishment, it’s surely something you will enjoy displaying for others as well as bragging about to everyone you know.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about getting started in archery then make sure to visit our archery website for more information.


The 4 Archery Stances - The Foundation Of Great Bow Shooting

In archery, the four stances one can use each have their upsides and downsides. Having knowledge of each of these stances will let you figure out which one is most comfortable for you, as well as helping you to utilize each one under different circumstances.

For the beginner, we have the even stance. It is a position that you can take that will allow you to have consistence in your accuracy and also a stance that is easy to get in to. But as all the stances, there are some downsides to using it. You don’t have much support around you when you use it. It’s easy to be knocked off balance and it doesn’t offer much strength. Falling when in the even stance is also another concern to take into consideration when deciding which ones you will want to use the most. For those shooters that have a broad chest, it does tend to lower the string-clearance area. If you want a very stable, wide stance, you might want to go with the open stance. What it also does is reduces the tendency a lot of novice shooters have which is to lean your body away from the target. However, this stance does to effect your upper body’s tendency to twist in the direction of the target. When you are in this position, you also tend to draw from your arms instead of your back, which are the muscles you should be using when shooting.

The next stance in the closed stance. It provides you with complete shoulder and arm alignment when lining up with the target in front of you. But there are still some negatives to this stance as well. Acting against your body at times, this stance tends to reduce string clearance. Like stances discussed above, this one also causes you to lean away from the target at times.

The oblique stance is the next one. As far as string clearance goes, this would be the best stance to use for utilizing it. When in this stance, the target appears more clearly and your body is evened out better than in any other stance. But beware, this stance is indeed one of the more harder ones to use. Advanced archers are only recommended to use it.

Stand on the line from which you shoot when trying out all the stances. It is said by some that even if you are a few inches off, it will affect your aiming dramatically, so it’s better to safe not sorry.

The two stances that are most highly recommended are the oblique and the open. Both stances are used mostly by advanced archers. But when it comes to which stance is right for you, it all comes down to what feels right for you personally.

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Tips On Choosing The Best Archery Arrows For You

It is important to remember that when learning about the sport of archery, that your arrows are the most important things in your repertoire of archery equipment. You may find it hard to believe, but the bow is second most important to the arrows. The quality of the arrows you purchase correlate directly with your accuracy in shooting.

Take into consideration these factors when thinking about purchasing arrows. Many things effect the quality of the arrow. As your arrow hovers through the air, it is indeed important to note the sturdiness of the shaft on the arrow. Does it shake too much? It’s an important factor to consider because it does play into the effectiveness of the arrow.

As noted above, what an arrow is made out of directly effects the outcome of the arrow upon release. Most modern arrows are crafted from materials such as carbon and wood. When thinking about what material arrow to purchase, take into consideration how experienced you are and what exactly you’ll be doing with the arrow, that is what type of archery you will be participating in.

The weight of the arrow is of course another factor. A heavy arrow will naturally hit the target with greater force, yet because of its heaviness, the arrow will not travel nearly as far as a more light-weight one. It’s important to consider this when looking for the right arrows. If you need to, consult someone who is an advanced archer.

Another factor in choosing the right arrow is the tip. It is especially significant in bow hunting. Take into consideration what type of animals you will be hunting because this plays in directly to the type of tip you will need. The nock of the arrow is the next thing to consider. The nock keeps the arrow steady with a little slit on the very tip of it. Make sure it isn’t too tight resting on the string or else it could result in a stray release which is not smooth.

Fletching is the next factor in considering what type of arrow you need. It’s those feathers you see in arrows made long ago. Today they are made of fake, synthetic feathers, but way back when they were real. Make sure you allow yourself to try out both kinds, so you know which is right for you. Don’t go with the wrong type because you were too lazy to try out both of them.

By choosing the right arrows, you will notice a dramatic increase in your performance, as appose to choosing low-quality, cheap arrows. They play into the quality of your game more than you might think.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about choosing the correct archery arrows then please visit our archery website.


What To Look For When Choosing A Longbow

When acquiring a longbow, you will want to know what your draw strength and weight are. You can find out this information if you are unaware, by seeking out an experienced archer to help determine them conclusively. Longbows are very large. Most tournament longbows weight around sixty pounds and models from medieval times weighed up to as much as seventy-five pounds. Unless you have an incredible amount of strength in your arm, or are extremely experienced, you’ll want to begin with a longbow that weighs much less, for example one that weights anywhere from twenty to thirty pounds. They are also often custom made.

The media has played a huge part in contributing to the ignorance of people in their reasons for wanting to own a longbow. Much like in movies, people think they they will look cool simply holding or displaying a longbow without ever really knowing how to shoot it. If you purchase a longbow it should be for the right reasons. You should either be an already experienced shooter, or have some desire to become one. If you are truly serious about archery and longbows, you will want to start taking lessons to help you get on your way to becoming an expert archer and longbow operator.

Since there are many different kinds of bows one can use for the longbow, it can be difficult for the novice to decide. Before you decide on a certain bow, it is important to talk to archers who have more experience, as well as looking through catalogs that offer an assortment of them. Like with the longbow itself, it all comes down to how much you are willing to spend. The longbow as well as the arrows are only as good as they are expensive, which is an unfortunate yet necessary evil in archery. If you are willing to spend a good amount of money on arrows, you can get them specially designed for your unique sense of style and design. But remember that buying cheap arrows usually means inferior shooting to that of more pricey ones.

It is also imperative to treat your longbow with care, just as you would your own body. Mind its string, so as to prevent fraying. Always keep an extra string on hand, as well as remembering to change it annually, even if the condition of the string seems to be brand new, it still needs to be changed. When shooting in rainy weather, always remember to towel off your longbow and polish it regularly to give it that shiny new look.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about picking the right longbow for you, then please visit our archery website for more information.