Beyond beginners course

To suit Longbow, Recurve and Compound archers to help them perfect their technique and understand the elements in shooting a bow accurately.

Coaching notes for use over 3 sessions

These are a collection of notes I use when helping intermediate Archers, these are followed up with one on one coaching for advanced techniques and assistance.

Session 1 - Stance

Session 2 - Draw

Session 3 - Setup for shot and release

Session 1

Stance and release

From Toes to Fingers

Consistent and
repeatable!

Stance and Core

Shoes

• Flat soled shoes - not running shoes, we need to be stable and solid throughout the shot

Feet

• Shoulder width apart, relaxed angle
• Same position each shot and end
• Square to target direction
• Open Stance needs more corrections in alignment and twisting - mot needed  and more room for
  errors

Weight Balance

• Ball of foot with weight on toes and heel
• Do not let toes or heel lift up
• Solid and stable stance

Knees

• Relax, do not force them to be locked back

Rotate Hips to flatten back

Keep chest forward and slightly down, down not lift chest up and arch back

• Chin over toes with core and stomach tight
• Leave room in front to use and work with string and bow

Shoulders down and out as lifting bow

• Lift bow to eye level even front and back
• Settle down and out with shoulders as bow is drawn

Core

• Solid Core as foundation of the shot
• Arms move from the solid body/core, the sternum is not to move through the process but be the centre of any pivots
• If there is even a 1mm wobble you will miss the Ten at 50+metres

Release - pre practice

Added here to let Archers get used to this before pt 3

Let the String Go - Do not Let Go of String

Ie. Do not open the fingers, relax the fingers and the string will push them out of the way

• Show Grip position
  • First joint not tips
• Show the relax
• No tension in back of hand
• No fingers straightening
• Relaxed fingers - tension - relax - String gone!
  • Practice with string, pen or even thumb or fingers on other hand.
  • Show with bow hung from fingers at side, instructor rotates out front and archer can feel the tension on string 2-3cm pull, let archer relax fingers and get the feel of relaxation.
• Do not look for the Arrow or where it has gone, wait till after shot finishes!

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Session 2

Prepare for the shot

Consistent and repeatable!

Core

•  Solid and stable - from pt1

Grip

• Thumb pad pressure point
• Wrist relaxed
• Not high in web of thumb hand
• Lifeline and below not on grip - to side
• Check angle of back of hand, this will help with elbow clearance
• Grips on bow can be moulded to suit hand
  • 5deg off angle (thumb side lower)

Draw fingers on string

• First joint of fingers
• Not on tips - if they hurt then you are letting string slip or setting up too far to end of fingers
• Curl the fingers to the palm
• Deep grip
• Relaxing fingers to let the string go not needing to open them, the string will push the fingers out
  of the road

TAB

• Size to suit the width across the 3 fingers and protect tips from string
• Backing may be cut to suit
• Check gap for arrow is not too tight, cut to suit
• Finger spacer
• No need for shelf in you use the top finger correctly under chin for anchor

Chest guard

• Use chest guard, if string drags on clothing arrow flight will be off

Draw

Hand positions and tension on string

• During initial setup of fingers and grip put a slight amount of tension in the string to maintain
  positions as you raise the bow

Raise bow smoothly

• Shoulder abduction not lift Check elbow
• Close front shoulder to string distance
• Shoulders and front bow hand in alignment

Alignment for shot

• Recurve/Longbow - move shoulder in line at beginning of draw cycle after for compound
• Close the distance between front shoulder and string
• From the side the archer should not be leaning in any direction, vertical and stable
• Front shoulder should be slightly lower than the rear shoulder, held down and out with Triceps and Latissimus Dorsi

Begin the draw

• Direction of draw, hand to move in opposite direction of arrow
• Draw with the elbow around and back not hand to face
• Elbow up and around with shoulder not at shoulder
• Elbow will be just above the arrow line
• Draw to anchor and release - see pt3

Shot cycle, rhythm

Use checkpoints in process to step through consistent process and timing

Use video delay software app on iPad to see what you are doing

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Session 3

Shot Execution

Consistent and repeatable!

Keep all movements to a minimum and make it simple

The Mental Game

Focus - In the space of now -each shot, shot by shot - not the result or score or what ifs - no changes to process - > keep these as deliberate training exercise not as a panic during scoring shoots.

Practice like a Competition and Compete like Practice - Stay relaxed!

Remember pt1 and pt2

Solid core smooth setup, close alignment shoulders in line with bow hand, clean release

Anchor

Come to Anchor slowly and in control

• Do not pull hand in - follow the elbow, keep wrist relaxed
• Hand in front of face and slide under jaw line, do not go too low and need to lift up
• Let the draw shoulder relax (Scapula retraction) and move out of the road, back around with the
  shoulder blade
  • Don't pivot at the shoulder

String to nose

• Same position each time
• Same pressure shot to shot
• Do not move head to string!

Top finger on draw hand under jaw bone

• Solid anchor against bone
• Do not let it slide up the side of the face

Fingers on string should not be slipping off

String alignment

• Find your easy consistent position
• Vary to cater for windage

No cant on bow

Push and Pull - 50/50

• Do not lean back
• Keep front shoulder down and out, push through shoulder not arm
  • Keep arm and wrist relaxed
• Draw elbow above line of arrow

Sighting

Let the sight float to the Gold, drop in from above to help in keeping the shoulders down

• Focus on the Target not sight
• Keep eyes/face relaxed if
  possible - two eyes open -  the
  second sight image may be behind the riser of bow.
• Maintain back tension
  throughout - string never stops
• Sternum never moves
• Let it settle on Gold and
  then go to expansion!
• Exception when aiming off for
  windy/gusty conditions

Expansion

Push and Pull - 50/50

Equal Push and Pull
from anchor through expansion to after release.

• String should not move across the body of the archer during expansion, sternum does not move
• Back tension to expand opposed to front reach, push thumb to target to stabilise front arm
• Draw hand back in opposite direction to where the arrow is going - do not introduce sideways forces
  or moves
• Check to see if bow moves forward during expansion

Clicker use

• Set Clicker so it goes off as an indication for release
• It should not be a fight to get it to go off
• Set it to  a little behind the consistent anchoring position
• It may be in a different position week to week
• Release arrow when clicker goes off! Do not hold to over aim!
  • Trust in the force! (the sub conscious brain does some amazing stuff if left to do it)

Release

Let the String Go - Do not Let Go of String

Ie. Do not open the fingers, just relax the fingers and the string will push them out of the way

• Grip position on string in first joint not tips of fingers
• Show the relaxation of fingers and getting pushed out of way
• No tension in back of hand
• No fingers straightening
• Relaxed fingers - tension - relax - String gone!
• Do not look for the Arrow or where it has gone, wait till after shot finishes!
• Nothing deliberately moves - movement is a result of the release of the tension as draw hand snaps
  back, should end up with hand behind ear or backwards - not waving
• The rear elbow will move down and around, more down than around back of archer
• The angle of the draw arm elbow normally will get smaller not open up

These steps are a major part of the rhythm of the shot or process

Follow Through

Let arms move through the power of the release in push and pull direction

• Wait till after the shot reaction to let down, it is not part of the release
• Relax
• Reset
• Repeat!

Find your shot process for ease of repeatability and consistency, checkpoints, steps, rythm or
count.

Bow Tuning, review your tune after technique changes and improvements.