Honing Your Archery Skills: Practice Makes Perfect
“We ain't talkin’ about the game… We’re talking about practice.” Allen Iverson, circa 2002.
This week, we’re talking about practice. As anyone who’s spent any time with a bow in hand will tell you, practice is critical for finding success in the fall. Archery is a skill that takes some time to get a hang of, let alone master. Before you take your bow out this fall, here are a few ways to sharpen your skills.
Blind Bale Basics
Nailing the basics is essential for mastering most things. Professional basketball players spend hours shooting free throws so that, when it’s game time, they can apply the fundamentals they’ve nailed down to any situation.
For archers, blind shooting is a great way to instill strong fundamentals. Blind shooting is a technique that allows you to shut down your mind so you can focus solely on the sensations involved in a perfectly executed shot. You take away all the mental effort you typically would spend on aiming and focus it all on the shot itself.
Stand a few steps away from a large target or a bale of hay - close enough so we won’t miss it shooting with your eyes closed. Close your eyes and execute a fundamentally sound shot. Work through your shot sequence. Are your feet in the right position? How is your grip and your bow arm? Have you hit your anchor points and then pulled through the shot? Take this time to focus on what it feels like to execute a perfect shot.
Angles and Elevation
All too often archers settle for the typical backyard practice routine: pick a nice day, stand 20 yards away from a target that’s set-up on ground level and shoot away. While this is certainly worthwhile, it won’t prepare you for the different situations you’ll run into in the field. How often do you get a shot like this while you’re hunting? One of the best ways to prepare for the fall is to get familiar with how your bow shoots at different angles.
If you’re an eastern hunter who spends most of his or her time hunting whitetails out of a tree stand, set up a stand in your backyard and fling some arrows. If you’re a western hunter, find a mountainside or a steep hill and get shooting. After each round, move the target closer or further away. This will force you to adjust and to learn how to compensate for changes in angles and elevation at different distances.
Heart Pumpin’ Shots
If you’ve taken a shot at an animal in the field, you know that your heartbeat is a little different than it is when you’re shooting in your backyard by yourself. For most of us, when a big old buck steps out, our adrenaline starts pumping and executing an accurate shot can be tough. While it’s tricky to replicate everything that’s going on in your body at that moment, there are a few things that can help you prepare.
Before you shoot, do some burpees, run some sprints or kiss a pretty girl. Anything to get that ticker beating faster than normal. Then, while your heart’s still thumping hard, grab your bow and take a shot. This will help acclimate you to performing under some physical stress.
Another great way to practice performing when the stakes are high is through some good-old-fashioned competition. Head over to a local 3D course with some friends and compete. Even better, attend an event like the Total Archery Challenge and test your skills against some truly great shooters. Jared and I like to place some friendly wagers on shots to really ramp up the pressure.
Take time this summer to practice with your bow. Work on fundamentals, learn how your bow shoots at different angles and get used to shooting when the pressure is on. When the fall roles around and a buck of a lifetime steps out, you’ll be glad you did.