Positive habits yield positive results. That basic concept holds true in much of life, including archery. You probably won’t become a great archer overnight, but if you focus on perfecting your habits, your skills will continually grow.
Pre-Shot Routines
If you watch baseball games, you know players rehearse their routines before stepping into the batter’s box. Likewise, archers need shooting routines to help focus on the subtle details of executing each shot.
First, make sure your arrow points are tight. Loose tips hinder the arrow’s in-flight spin, so tighten each one before nocking the arrow. Next, stand with your shoulders perpendicular to the target, and draw your bow by using your back muscles to squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold your sight-pin over the target and start pulling through your release. When the arrow launches, don’t drop your bow arm. Follow through on your shot until the arrow hits behind the pin. If you follow those steps consistently, your shooting routine eventually becomes a subconscious process for executing consistent shots.
Accountabila-buddy
To improve as an archer, you must shoot regularly. Find a partner and create a shooting schedule with specific drills to focus on. For example, you might spend an entire session perfecting the surprise release. Some drills might be more mundane than others, but shooting with a partner helps keep you both accountable. Shooting schedules also help you get more out of practice. Your skills will improve faster when you shoot without specific goals.
Shoot Indoors
Shooting daily at a range isn’t always feasible, but a quality bag target and makeshift range can keep you shooting daily. Closets, a basement, attached garage or spare bedrooms offer just enough space to shoot arrows indoors. Small spaces limit how far you can shoot, so focus on perfecting your form and follow-through rather than drilling bull’s-eyes. Before shooting indoors, make sure your target can stop every arrow. Even slight pass-throughs can damage walls and doors.
Visit a Pro Shop
You’ll find no better place for expert tips and advice than pro shops. Their experts make sure your bow is tuned and set up correctly. By visiting a pro shop regularly, you’ll a stay atop the latest products. In addition, most pro shops offer leagues, which are great for honing skills while making new friends.
Set Goals
Setting goals is vital to improving. Goals help identify weaknesses and chart plans for improvements, but they must be realistic. Achieving greatness requires time, but by setting reasonable milestones and reflecting on your steps for achieving them, you’ll enjoy archery more than ever.
