How to shoot accurately in archery (II)

Key Archery Step 4: Bow Lift

1. Not Treating Bow Lifting as an Independent Technique. Some archers draw the bow immediately upon raising it, which is a mistake.

Correction: After raising the bow as required, allow it to stabilize for a period of time before drawing it. Otherwise, drawing the bow with a shaky motion will directly affect its stability after drawing.

2. Leaning Back and Rightward After Lifting the Bow

Correction: When raising the bow, pay particular attention to maintaining the neutral position of the body.

3. Raising Both Shoulders Simultaneously When Raising the Bow

Raising both shoulders simultaneously when raising the bow will cause tension in the entire movement, especially for archers using a horizontal bow lift.

Correction: After raising the bow, allow both shoulders to relax and sink.

4. Lowering the Elbow of the Drawing Arm When Raising the Bow

When raising the bow, the elbow of the drawing arm should be below the level of the arrow.

Correction: After raising the bow, keep the forearm of the drawing arm aligned with the arrow. 5. Adjusting the Bow Push and String Hands After Raising the Bow

Correction Method: Prepare the bow push and string hand movements before raising the bow, and do not adjust them after the bow is raised.

Key Archery Step 5: Bow Draw

1. Improper Bow Draw

Any mental concerns during the bow draw will affect the quality of the draw. Improper bow draw requires adjustment afterward, which not only prolongs the shot but also disrupts the overall rhythm of the movement. Even after the movement is adjusted, there is a possibility of the bow returning to its original position during aiming.

Correction Method: The key is to master the technique of drawing the bow along the shortest distance. The shortest distance refers to the shortest distance between the bow handle and the bowstring resting point (chin). To ensure the shortest distance, the string hand should be pulled back as close to the bow arm as possible during the draw. 2. Changes in Body Center Position: If your initial standing position changes during the bow draw, especially when the bow is almost fully drawn, it's easy to make mistakes like looking up, leaning back, looking away from the target, or leaning to the right. These mistakes may seem to save effort during the bow draw itself, but they can significantly impact your overall performance.

Correction Method: First, maintain your initial standing position during both bow raising and drawing. Keep your weight evenly distributed across your feet, and maintain symmetrical force between your forward support and backward pull. Second, ensure your head remains steady and your eyes are always facing forward.

Key Archery Step 6: String-to-String Action

1. Reaching for the bowstring or leaning back when the bowstring is almost in place

Reaching for the bowstring or leaning back at this point will cause a change in your overall posture.

Correction Method: Keep your neck relaxed and your head still as the bowstring draws closer to your head, like a boat docking. 2. The string-drawing movement isn't a one-step process.

Some archers perform the string-drawing movement in two steps, first drawing the bow into position and then adjusting it to the desired position. These extra steps add to the archery technique. The string-drawing movement should be completed in one step.

3. Leave as little space as possible between the string-drawing hand and the neck. Keep the string-drawing hand as close to the neck as possible. The elbow should be slightly higher than the shoulder joint, aligning the longitudinal axis of the forearm with the arrow's extension.

4. Excessive tension in the string-drawing hand (including the wrist).

This can lead to a series of incorrect movements and overall tension.

Correction methods: First, slightly rotate the string-drawing hand inward, keeping the string-drawing hand and forearm muscles as relaxed as possible. Second, remove the string-drawing hand from the bow and other work. 5. Not closing the mouth after the bowstring is in place. Correction: After the bowstring is in place, the mouth should close naturally, with the upper and lower teeth gently pressed together. Otherwise, the arrow's height will be affected.

Key Archery Step 7: Bow Arm

1. Shrugging: The shoulder joint rises during the takeoff.

2. Forward thrust: The shoulder joint pushes toward the arrow shaft during the takeoff.

3. Retraction: The shoulder joint retracts during the takeoff.

The above three incorrect movements disrupt the direction of the forward linear force applied by the bow arm. Forward linear force is based on a straight line connecting the shoulder, elbow, and hand. If this movement is correct, it will feel effortless, as if only the bones are supporting the bow, with no muscle activity. If the bow arm feels strained, it indicates that the force applied by the bow arm is incorrect.

The above three incorrect movements not only cause inward force, but also prevent the signal from firing within the expected time and cause instability in the bow arm. There are two key aspects of bow arm movement that require careful attention: internal rotation of the upper arm, or forward support. Second, shoulder collapse, as these two aspects complement and influence each other. Internal rotation of the upper arm increases the bow-lifting power of the deltoid muscles, while internal rotation and shoulder collapse increase tension in the anterior deltoid muscles, pectoralis minor, pectoralis major, and latissimus dorsi. These muscles attach to the humerus and scapula. Therefore, exerting force by internally rotating and collapsing the shoulder can tuck the scapula against the thorax and better anchor the humerus to the torso, providing greater stability. This helps connect the bow arm and torso as a single unit, thus enhancing bow arm stability.

Some archers have a problem with bent arms. If bow arm movement is not performed correctly, the bowstring can hit the arm. To prevent this, rotate the bow arm. Specifically, internally rotate the shoulder joint, externally rotate the radiocarpal joint, rotate the upper arm and forearm clockwise, and internally rotate the elbow joint one-quarter, moving the elbow out of the plane of the bowstring.