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The Foundation of the Shot
Success in archery depends on stability and consistency. The foundation of the shot is
the static alignment of the body and the equipment that leads to a stable shot platform.
When the body is stable, the archer’s shots will be more consistent.
Stance – The stance begins with the placement of the feet. The feet should be placed
about shoulder width apart with the weight evenly distributed on both feet with either a
square or slightly open foot position.
Body Position – The body position aligns the upper body with the lower body. For
stability, the center of gravity should be lowered, and shoulders, chest, and ribs relaxed.
The Bow Shoulder – The front, or bow shoulder, should be kept down throughout the
shot. Raise the bow into position by moving the arms upward without raising the
shoulders.
The Draw Shoulder – The rear, or draw shoulder, must be kept down also. Raise only
the bow arm and bow, not the shoulders when bringing the bow up into the set-up
position.
The Bow Arm – A good bow arm is strong and steady and does not move upon
execution of the shot until after the arrow has cleared the bow and hit the target.
The String Hand – As you grasp the string with your draw hand the string should be
positioned just behind the first joint of the middle finger. This string placement allows
the archer to form a solid, medium-deep hook with the draw hand. The string tension
will hold the position of the draw hand on the string and will set the bow handle into the
bow hand.
The Grip – The bow hand must be relaxed and placed deep/high into the grip, with the
thumb placed such that it will be pointing towards the target once the bow is raised.
From the beginning of the set-up the bow hand position on the grip must not change.
To summarize, the foundation of the shot focuses on arranging the body and its
component parts into the strongest and most stable configuration possible prior to the
application of internal and external forces. The foundation must be established
precisely the same every time to create consistency.
Success in archery depends on stability and consistency. The foundation of the shot is
the static alignment of the body and the equipment that leads to a stable shot platform.
When the body is stable, the archer’s shots will be more consistent.
Stance – The stance begins with the placement of the feet. The feet should be placed
about shoulder width apart with the weight evenly distributed on both feet with either a
square or slightly open foot position.
Body Position – The body position aligns the upper body with the lower body. For
stability, the center of gravity should be lowered, and shoulders, chest, and ribs relaxed.
The Bow Shoulder – The front, or bow shoulder, should be kept down throughout the
shot. Raise the bow into position by moving the arms upward without raising the
shoulders.
The Draw Shoulder – The rear, or draw shoulder, must be kept down also. Raise only
the bow arm and bow, not the shoulders when bringing the bow up into the set-up
position.
The Bow Arm – A good bow arm is strong and steady and does not move upon
execution of the shot until after the arrow has cleared the bow and hit the target.
The String Hand – As you grasp the string with your draw hand the string should be
positioned just behind the first joint of the middle finger. This string placement allows
the archer to form a solid, medium-deep hook with the draw hand. The string tension
will hold the position of the draw hand on the string and will set the bow handle into the
bow hand.
The Grip – The bow hand must be relaxed and placed deep/high into the grip, with the
thumb placed such that it will be pointing towards the target once the bow is raised.
From the beginning of the set-up the bow hand position on the grip must not change.
To summarize, the foundation of the shot focuses on arranging the body and its
component parts into the strongest and most stable configuration possible prior to the
application of internal and external forces. The foundation must be established
precisely the same every time to create consistency.
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