Before we start a quick reminder

So we have looked at two sides of the archers triangle, that of the arrow and bow. Now let’s look at what many see as the hardest element to gain control of, the archer.

The archers triangle

Before we dive into this I want you to think for a moment about your mindset and how you approach these ideas. It’s good to be optimistic when it comes to combating target panic but you have to temper this…

Archery’s a very individual sport – and nothing shows that more than the variance in the personal techniques of different athletes. Gudmundur, from Iceland, shoots a left-handed bow with his right hand, turned upside down! Watch to find out why…

Here I'll talk you through how to shoot a recurve bow. Please use this guide only as a supplement/reminder in addition to personal instruction from an archery coach. Again, please join a club and take lessons; this will save you a lot of frustration and potentially injury.

The number one thing to remember when learning archery is:

RELAX (DON'T PANIC)

Stay calm and loose. I've seen lots of beginners get so uptight about everything, they contort themselves into strange shapes, they lean and twist about, and they throw everything out of balance. Relax. Simple, efficient motions are the key.

The second thing to remember is: TAKE YOUR TIME

You will only get a limited amount of shooting time per session. Make each arrow count by thinking carefully about each step in sequence. Over time, it will become natural and unconscious, but at first you should be very intentional about everything you do. There's no need to rush; work through each step consciously and carefully.

The steps of shooting!

1. Stance

Stand on the shooting line, facing perpendicular to the target; you should be facing the same side of the target as your dominant hand/eye. That is, if you're shooting right-handed, you should be facing to the right, and vice versa for shooting left-handed. You should stand with one foot on either side of the line, with your feet about shoulder-width apart and pointing forward. Stand comfortably and naturally; don't bend over or puff out your chest. Once you're in position, don't move again.

2. Hips and shoulders

Your feet, hips, and shoulders should all be in line, facing forward. Don't twist or lean to pull the bow during any part of shooting.

3. Nock an arrow

This is a good point to put an arrow on the string. Always make sure the arrow is nocked all the way (you should hear and feel a click), and that the odd-coloured fletch is towards you.

4. Hand position

Your grip on the bow is a very important part of your shooting technique. It determines the angle of your hand, arm, shoulder and body relative to the bow. Bad hand position is a major culprit in smacking your forearm with the bowstring.

To practice good hand position:

Make a two-finger gun with your bow hand, so your ring and pinkie fingers are folded in. The top of the riser should sit comfortably on top of your hand, on the joint between your thumb and hand.

Wrap your index and middle fingers gently around the grip, with your fingertips resting on the front of the riser and your thumb on the side of the grip. Keep your bottom two fingers tucked in alongside the grip.

This naturally moves your hand into a good hand position. Your first two knuckles should be at a 45-degree angle below horizontal. You should also have good contact between the riser and the palm of your hand, and the center of the grip should sit in the center of the base of your palm.

This position should feel comfortable and solid. You should not need to grip the bow tightly. When you draw, you should always have good contact between the grip and your palm, with the bow pressing into your hand (not the other way around!)

Hand position is very important. A lot of the injury, discomfort, and bad form in beginners is based in bad hand (and by extension, arm and shoulder) position. I highly recommend Performance Archery's guide to hand position and the thrilling sequel for a good (if overly detailed, at this point) explanation.

5. Position your front arm

Lift your front arm, holding the bow, as if I had asked you "Where is the gold?" and you point with the bow. Your arm should be straight from your shoulder, and your elbow joint turned horizontally. You should place the bow approximately where it will be when you shoot. Keep your shoulders relaxed. For help with front arm position, see this guide.

6. Draw

With your tab covering your fingers, grab onto the string. The string should sit in the first knuckles on your fingers, just above your fingertips. Most clubs will teach either three fingers below the arrow or one-above-two-below; in either case, keep your pinkie finger off the string. Align your drawing arm so that your forearm is parallel to the floor and in line with the arrow. There should be no bends in your arm at the fingers or wrists.

Using your back muscles, draw the string back. Think of it as if someone is pulling your arm back by the elbow; the rest of your arm should be relaxed. Pull straight back to your anchor point only by moving your drawing arm; never push forward with your bow arm. Again, guide here.

7. Anchor

It may take you some time to find an anchor point that works. Depending on your coach, you may be shooting with an anchor point on your face (barebow style) or under your jaw (recurve style). For both, don't be afraid to press your hand into your face. The more reference points the better!

For a face anchor, use some or all of the following points of reference:

Index finger knuckle under your cheekbone

Base of your thumb around the curve of your jaw

Fingertip at the corner of your mouth

String touching your face/nose

For a jaw anchor, use the following points of reference:

Top of your hand (between your index knuckle and the base of your thumb) in firm contact with the line of your jaw

String pressed into the front of your chin and the tip of your nose

Many beginners are hesitant about pulling the string all the way to their face, but a solid, consistent anchor point is absolutely critical to shooting well, so get as much contact with your face as you can. If you need some ideas, watch some experienced archers anchoring: Ladies Team Gold at Medellin and Gents Mixed Team Gold (Field). Of course, Performance Archery also has a guide here.

8. Aim

If you have a sight, look through it and put the pin/dot in the middle in the center of the gold. If you don't, look down the shaft of the arrow and put the point of the arrow in the center of the gold.

Aiming is much more, and much less, than this. As you're just starting, this is more than enough to worry about for now!

9. Release

Relax the fingers on your drawing hand. The key is to not let your hand come forward with the string, but rather let the string slip off your fingers while your hand continues the drawing motion backwards. A good release will end with your hand under your ear (face anchor) or on the side of your neck (jaw anchor).

10. Followthrough

Just like a tennis player following through on their swing, archers have followthrough as well. For archery, it involves:

the movement of the drawing hand backwards to complete the release movement (as described above)

keeping the bow arm still and allowing the bow to swing

keeping good form until after the arrow has hit the target

Maintain good form until after the shot is complete ensures that you are maintaining good form during the shot as well.

Some Important Things!!

This guide is not meant to teach you to shoot from scratch. It is intended to help remind you of the things to pay attention to in between sessions with a coach.

You will not get all of these things right the first time you shoot. Learning archery is like trying to put an octopus in a picnic basket; just when you think everything's in order, something slips out of place while you weren't paying attention. Don't worry about it too much, you're learning!

Observe. Watch archery finals and medal matches on YouTube. Watch the experienced archers in your club shoot. Look for the steps described above and try to do what they do. 

MOST IMPORTANT: Relax. Take your time. Do one step at a time. Archery is fun!

More Information:

Performance Archery's YouTube and website. These guides are aimed towards more advanced archers. If they confuse you, skip them and come back when you have a better feeling for archery.

Also try World Archery's YouTube for lots of good footage of professional archers on top form.