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Even though competitive runners perform only a single action during competition (running) their training often contains a variety of different movements and exercises. While the athlete competes solely in running from point A to point B quickly, performing this action in practice, to the exclusion of all others is counter-productive. The same can be said in archery. While the competitive archer wins only when he shoots with greater accuracy and precision than his competition, simply shooting arrow after arrow alone will not allow him to win gold. In this installment of online archery lessons, you will learn a few drills to improve your skill and make training fun. Aiming Drill According to Olympic archery coach Kisik Lee, the aiming component of your shot is one of the most important, yet one of the most poorly understood. To aim properly, you must focus primarily on the muscles you are using to draw the bowstring. While most people believe aiming has everything to do with the eyes, the core back muscles are what actually aims the arrow. To perform the aiming drill, stand 20 yards away from your target, bow and arrow in hand. Keep 90% of your attention focused on your back muscles, allowing your bow and drawing arm to remain as relaxed as possible without releasing the arrow. Now, with the remaining 10% of your attention, focus your sight pin on the bull’s eye trying to see down to the smallest area of space where you want the arrow to hit. Keep the face, head, and neck relaxed and use a soft, meditative gaze to aim. Hold the aim for as long as you can, and rather than release the arrow, simple bring the bow down slowly and relax. Repeat 3-5 times, moving slightly further back each time. Bow Hand Check In archery, consistency is everything. You must maintain a consistent anchor point in order to correct your aiming and find out what you are doing wrong. Additionally, your bow hand must sit at the exact same place on the riser handle every time you shoot. The bow hand check drill helps with this. Simply place your hand on the riser the way that feels most comfortable. Place a piece of tape on the handle, and another on the back of your hand so that it matches up flush with the other piece of tape. Shoot two rounds of arrows, making sure the tape aligns properly each time. Mirror Drill The benefit of the mirror drill is that it can be performed anywhere, without even needing an arrow. Stand in front of a mirror and pick a point that is at a 45-degree angle to you and the mirror. Draw your bow and aim at this point. Shift your eyes without moving your head to check your form in the mirror. If everything looks good, take a mental note of how your body is aligned. If it does not, make corrections and make note of the difference. After checking your form, relax and repeat until you can consistently achieve good form without having to make too many corrections. These drills will help you train the various elements of your shot piecemeal. By working with a certified instructor to receive customized archery lessons and guidance as you work through these drills, you are guaranteed to become a better, more competitive archer in no time.
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