There are more and more people taking up sports all the time, but one of the sports that is gaining most from this rise in interest in keeping fit is archery. There are numerous reasons for this: a desire to spend more time outside; an urge to get back in touch with nature; a requirement to be or keep fit and, especially for men, a desire to hit a target.
Feminists may react to that last category, but it is simply true that boys throw stones more than girls. They like hand-eye co-ordination games more than girls; they hunt more than girls and always have done, for whatever reason.
There are two items that the greenhorn archer, male and female, have to get to grips with right from the outset. These are: a) to keep the draw string at full tension until release and 2) to always release the arrow in the same manner. Both of these requirements lead to consistency.
Consistency is vital so that you can judge what you are doing well and what you are doing badly and also whether your equipment is any good or not. Without consistency there are too many variables to make valid judgments. Let's take a closer look at these two basic tips.
If you are not strong enough to use your bow, if you are tired or if you lose concentration, you might let the arrow 'creep' forwards, which will mean that it does not fly with the full strength of the bow.
If you are used to shooting at 'full force', creep will make the arrow fall short. Upper-arm strength and concentration are the best safeguards against creep. The same is the case of not being able to draw the arrow to its maximum.
One way for the novice to concentrate on holding the arrow at full draw and to control creep, is to draw the arrow to your cheek. If you hold your draw hand in constant contact with your face, you will be soon aware if you are losing 'it'.
Releasing the arrow is equally vital, but the release is frequently harder for the greenhorn archer to master, because strength of arm may be obtained by weight training, but release is only perfected by concentration and practice.
The easiest way to describe the release is loosening the grip slowly in the joints of the drawing fingers. It is the equivalent of squeezing the trigger of a gun gently - the opposite in fact, but still gently. The tautness in the string will whip the arrow out of your grip automatically.
The beginner often gets sore fingers and so attempts to release the arrow quickly or even jerk the fingers out of the way so as to avoid 'rope burn'. It is better to toughen up the fingers gradually by beginning with a lighter bow or by embarking on a finger-toughening drill much like guitarists or karate fighters do. You could also buy a release mechanism.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on numerous subjects, but is currently concerned with practicing archery enthusiastically. If you are interested in enthusiasm, go to our web site Enthusiastically now.
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