On Target: Part 3

Poor archery technique and safety practices can result in serious injury and/or death. It is up to all individuals to be responsible for their own actions. The author, editor, Renaissance-Central.com and the distributors of this publication disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the practices or advice expressed herein.

You have just released an arrow. Let's see where it landed: above the target? below the target? to the left or right? or in the ground in front of the straw?

If it went over the bale and into the next county, you probably forgot to hold your head, bow hand, arrow hand, body, feet, or something, correctly. You could have jerked the string at the last second instead of letting it roll off your fingers. Maybe you held your breath through the whole process and got too tense. Remember: It should be one relaxing motion.

Let's take it one shot at a time: If your arrow went high into the straw, but well above the target, and if you were doing everything correctly, you need to aim closer to you in line with the target. Find a small rock and place it on the ground in front of the target about five feet toward you, directly in line with the target on the staw. Go back to your position, observe where the rock is and pull your second arrow aiming the tip on the rock. If you have released everything correctly, your arrow should hit lower toward, or on, the target. If the arrow is still too high, move the rock closer to you. If your arrow is going too far right or left, but is in line with the target, move the rock to the left or right a few inches and see if that improves the hit.

If the arrow plowed into the dirt, after the first shot, and if you did everything else correctly, you need to aim half way up from where the arrow landed in line with the target. By the fourth or fifth arrow, you should be hitting the straw bales. Stop after the sixth arrow.

Before you shoot again, you need to adjust your arm guard. If you haven't snapped the side of your inner arm with the string, you will. You usually only let this happen once or twice and you remember to rotate your left elbow slightly away from the string line. If you do snap your arm, go get an ice pack; you'll need it!

By adjusting your aim you are learning to "sight yourself in". Since you are just beginning, you probably won't be too accurate yet. However, you should be able to keep the arrows somewhere on the straw. The goal is to begin to tighten where your group of six arrows land. The closer they come to the target, the happier you will be. Make sure that you are concentrating on releasing correctly. As long as you are hitting the straw, it's not as important that you hit the center of the target, as that you are grouping all six arrows tightly. If that is happening, but you are still off the center of the target, adjust your rock (your the point of aim) and be sure that you are doing everything else consistently. Make sure that, when you release the arrow, your right hand slides back along the side of your right cheek.

After the first six arrows, your fingers should be ready to drop off at the first joint. It's time for you to use your tab. This tab will protect your first joints from bowstring pull. Since you pulled without it, you should be able to "feel" the string though the tab material. This will help you remember where the string should be when you pull. The arrow nock fits between the finger slot and should feel much more comfortable.

Tab Rests between your fingers and the string.

You are now ready to shoot your second flight of six arrows. Don't get discouraged if you don't hit the center of the target. Keep aiming at your corrected point of aim. Remember: the goal is to get a tight grouping. If the arrow hits the paper of the target, congratulate yourself. See if your second arrow hits close to your first. Are your shoulders and feet still in line? Are you pulling to your chin with the bowstring touching your chin and nose? Shoot the third arrow. Did it land near the first two? Don't worry about the center of the target yet. See if you can make the fourth arrow land in the middle of the other three. Keep aiming at your point of aim; not at the center of the target. Shoot arrows five and six. How close did they come to the center of your group of arrows? If you hit the straw, don't change your point of aim yet. Just see if the last two arrows come close to each other.

From here on, it is a matter of practice. Like a golfer, or shooting a target rifle, the important thing is to be consistent in each of your positions. Don't worry so much about whether or not you are hitting the center of the target as to whether you are shooting a tighter and tighter grouping of arrows. As the group gets tighter, adjust your point of aim so that you are hitting the center of the target. When you can hit all six arrows inside the Dixie cup , you will be ready to move back to thirty yards. Adjust your point of aim and practice some more.