Archery is a simple sport to pick-up, but a hard one to master. No matter what archery tips you receive, if you do not practice, you will not be able to put them to good use, and you will not improve. Considering this, there are many mistakes that are common among beginners and sometimes even among more experienced archers. Correcting these mistakes will help you greatly improve your archery skills and accuracy.
· Poor stance is very common among beginners. One of the most important archery lessons should be concerning the foundation of form in archery, which is the T-shaped form stance. Stand perpendicular to the target with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your weight even on both legs. Raise your arms to form a T, turn your head to look at the target, and move your drawing hand to your face. That is the foundation of form.
· Gripping the bow handle tightly is another mistake. Your grip on the bow needs to be soft and relaxed; otherwise, the bow will move and rotate. This rotation will cause your arrows to have a kick to the sides, causing accuracy problems.
· Many beginners lack consistent anchor points. These are the positions on the face where the hand is placed consistently when the bowstring is at full draw. When these anchor points lack consistency, the draw lengths will change from shot to shot, leading to inconsistent results. It is recommended to have a minimum of 2 anchor points, one for your index finger, and another for the bowstring. A very popular anchor has the index finger under the chin with the nose touching or almost touching the bowstring. You should choose comfortable anchor points in such a way that your archery clothing will not interfere.
· A loose upper back is common as well. As you draw the bowstring, engage your upper back muscles and retract your scapula. This provides you with more power and more upper body stability, leading to better shots.
· Relaxation and concentration are important parts of archery. Those undertaking archery need to relax, breathe in, clear their mind, and concentrate on their target. If your mind is racing and your breathing is short or erratic, then your aim will be erratic as well.
· Many beginners do not follow-through with their shots. Most bring down their bow arm to and lose their form as soon as the arrow is propelled because they want to see where their arrow will land. What happens in this case is that the bow arm is brought down too early, causing the arrow trajectory to shift, which leads to missed shots. Keep the form mentioned in the first point until the arrow hits the target, and you will notice an increase in accuracy.
These are some of the most common mistakes seen with those who starting archery. Avoiding these mistakes and following the corresponding archery tips will surely help any beginner drastically improve their archery skills.