Whether you are a beginner or have been practicing archery for a long time, not hitting the right target can be tiresome. Some common archery mistakes that may lead to missing the target or hitting too right or left have found their way into this post. These are discussed below so that you can practice avoiding them and hit the bull eye with less hassle.
For starters, always use quality bows, arrows, and sights. In this way, you will be rest assured about the performance of the gear and focus more on improving your skill.
Most Common Archery Mistakes
Below are the 7 most common archer’s mistakes and how to overcome them.
Unreliable Aiming Techniques
The dilemma is that most archers consider that the proper aim is what it takes to hit right. This leads them to think a lot while aiming or, in other words aiming too hard. It may also lead to taking very tight aims. Though this may prove successful in many situations, it is not a reliable technique. A good shot is 99% body position, balance, and 1% aim. Therefore, it is important to maintain a rigid and accurate body posture before releasing the shot. Furthermore, the right aiming technique only comes through practice, and there is no shortcut. It is therefore futile to tire over it.
Improper Archery Draw Length
The bow draw length is the distance between the string and the bow handle when the string is fully drawn. It is also the length of the arrow in the case of the compound bow. Identifying the correct draw length plays an important role in producing a stable grip on the bow. An improper draw length robs you of accuracy and greatly decreases your chances of taking the proper aim. How to know your ideal draw length? Stand against the wall with arms stretched across and facing the wall to find the draw length suits your body style. Next, measure the distance between the middle fingers of the two hands, subtract 15 from the answer, and divide it by 2. While using this draw length, there are higher chances that you will take your aims accurately.
Improper Body Position
A wrong stance and body posture significantly hurts the accuracy. Therefore, a proper stance is crucial in archery. That is why it is one of the first things taught to a beginner to shoot arrows better. An accurate posture reduces the chances of injury and increases the shot’s chances of hitting the right target. Common stance mistakes may include:
- Dropping the elbow on the Bow arm.
- Facing the target head-on.
- Leaning or bending over the bow.
Wrong Finger position on the Bowstring
Beginners often find it difficult to adjust their fingers on the bow, and that is why the wrong position of the fingers on the bowstring is another commonly made mistake. The proper placement of the fingers is crucial to a firm archery grip, which is vital for an accurate aim. Too much tension in your fingers while hooking the bowstring leads to blisters and completely misses the target. On the contrary, when you hold the bow to your belly, you are less likely to touch the string with your fingers while shooting. Resultantly the shooting accuracy will increase four-fold. To further enhance the probability of success, ensure that your shoulders are square with the target and not resting too much at a complete drawback. Also, look down the arrow shaft by turning your head to one side while shooting.
Not Holding the Bow Right
One of the most obvious mistakes that may completely fail the aim is not holding the bow right. There can be many rights ways of holding the bow. The perfect one for you is that it allows you to stay steady and stationery while shooting.
The best way to achieve a firm position with your bow is to hold it in the dominant hand. Then, place the other hand at the end of the handle. It will allow it to serve as a support and balance the bow while aiming. Keep adjusting your hands a little around these positions until you feel comfortable. The idea is the force should come from the hand and not the arms.
Not Using the Right Bow
As a beginner, you may suffer at selecting the right bow. Bow selection may entirely depend on your style and shooting conditions. Different people like to have a bow with different weights and styles. On your part, make sure that you are using a bow suited to purpose and experience level. For beginners, a more forgiving and easy-go design will work well. They can find their best bow in recurve or compound bows. Many compound bows come with arrow rest and peep sights that add to your ease. Another thing that may help you select the right bow is the draw weight. A too heavy draw weight will make the bow challenging to handle and reduce the shot’s accuracy.
Taking too Long to Release
Taking too long to release or using a wrong releasing technique is also another one of the most common archery mistakes. The longer you take to release, the higher the chances of losing focus and concentration. Therefore, it is recommended to lock the aim and release it as soon as possible. For this reason, it has become an integral part of the training of beginner archers to teach them to shoot quickly, reducing the chances of missing the target.
It is important to produce a repeatable release. To do so, an archer must learn to use a trigger-style waiver rather than a hinge-style release. In addition to that, right-hand placement and pressure are also crucial to the right release. Trusting your style is the key to timely release and an increased success rate.
Conclusion
Practice makes an archer perfect. Making mistakes is no big deal but making the same mistakes again and again surely is. It is important to learn through the mistakes and gradually perfect your shooting style and stance. An archer who wants to excel in the field would work to eliminate these common archery mistakes. These mistakes, if made persistently, can become a permanent part of your shooting style and can lead to poor accuracy. This also increases the chance of injuries making archery an altogether worst experience. To avoid these, pay close attention to how you place your fingers on the bowstring, your releasing style, and the type of bow.
