archery hunting basics

Besides the basics, grab here, pull here… what are some archery tips (non-compound, non-hunting)?

It is rather ironic that when you have a sight on the bow you don’t aim so hard. Other than a compound bow, you still have the modern recurve. That is a recurve bow shot with sights. When you have a sight on a recurve, the key thing is to not pay too much attention to what part of the target you’re aiming at, but focus more on your form and shot execution.

Anchor is the number one key to success in archery. Find a good solid non moving part of your face and place a good solid non moving part of your hand on it, that’s the anchor. For most of us olympic style archer, this anchor is the string to the front of the chin and the top of the drawing hand snugly under the jaw bone. Finger bone against jaw bone, and string to the chin bone, nothing will move.

Traditional archers like to use a higher anchor with the tip of the drawing index finger touching a tooth or part of the cheek bone.

Once you get the anchor down, the next step is to get into a good alignment. Line up your bones such that it requires the least amount of energy to hold the bow at full draw. Do this exercise, get one of those stretchy bands, hold the band in front of you with both hands, now pull the band apart as your hands goes out to your sides, it’ll require more and more energy to pull it apart. But once your hands are at the furthest point from each other, once they’re exactly at opposite ends of your shoulders, you suddenly feel it easier to hold them there. This idea is the same with the archery form, you want to get in such alignment that you’re essentially “inside” the bow.

Then there are more tips, but those two will help you the most in the beginning.

Daddy Bear’s Basic Forward Cant for Huning