Ascham Oaks Archery

In this post we will outline the 11 steps to archery success, also known as the shot sequence. The steps I use and recommend are from the National Archery In School (NASP) program. NASP has used these same steps to train over 13 million student archers since 2002, most of them having never held a bow before. As a certified NASP Basic Archery Instructor I have seen, firsthand the successful results of this process. It is a good, proven system that I believe in. Most archery organizations have a similar shot sequence. Some of the verbiage may change but the physical steps are mostly the same. And for good reason, they work!

Form Is Everything

In the world of archery form is everything! The process of shooting a bow is the use of a simple machine, a lever. Or in the case of a bow, a double lever. The archer pulls the bowstring to store energy in the limbs of the bow as potential energy. That energy is then transferred, as kinetic energy to the arrow, propelling it forward. Sounds simple enough, but the trick is to get the arrow to hit the target where we choose, every time. That is where form comes in. Proper form is achieved by using a shot sequence. A progression of specific steps that are performed the same way every time you shoot an arrow. This is what will lead you to archery success!

1. Stance

Standing at the shooting line, your body should be perpendicular to the target, with your bow in your bow hand and that hand closest to the target and your draw hand farthest from the target. Place your feet should be shoulder width apart with your toes level with each other. Now move your front foot(left foot if you shoot right handed or right foot if you shoot left handed) back so that your toe is now level with your instep, about 4″. Now turn the toe of the same foot toward the target slightly. If your toe was at a 12 o’clock position, it is now at a 10 o’clock position. Straighten you back and legs. Turn your hips so they line up with your feet. Turn your chin towards the target.

2. Nock Arrow

With your draw hand, grasp and arrow below the fletching with your thumb pointing down. Pull the arrow from your quiver. Keep the arrow pointing toward the target as you move it to the string. Place the arrow with the odd colored fletch(cock or index fletch) facing away from the bow. The nock should be below the nock point on the bow string or between them if you have two nock points. Push the nock into place on the bow string you should feel or hear a slight click to indicate the arrow is fully seated on the bow string.

3. Draw Hand Set

Hold the bow at arm’s length with the arrow pointing down. With your draw hand form a hook with your index, middle and ring fingers. Keep the back of the hand flat and your thumb folded in the palm and relaxed. Now place your hook immediately under the arrow nock. The string should be inside the first joint of your fingers. Put a very slight amount of tension on the string.

4. Bow Hand Set

Place your bow hand on the bow grip. The lifeline of your palm should line up with the the center of the bow grip. Your hand will be at a 30-45 degree angle to the bow. Curl your fingers so your fingertips lightly touch the back of the bow. This keeps you from gripping the bow too tight and pulling to the side on your release. At the same time you set your hand rotate your elbow down and away from the bow. This creates a slight bend in your arm and creates the clearance needed for the string to not contact the arm.

5. Pre-Draw

Hinging at the shoulder, raise bow to shoulder level. Maintain your bow hand and draw hand position during this process with the bow undrawn, but maintaining a slight tension on the bowstring. Your shoulders should be level. Your drawing arm will be slightly higher than your bow arm. Your chin should be turned to be over your forward shoulder.

6. Draw

Smoothly pull the bowstring toward the right side of your face if you are right handed or left side if you are left handed. This process is done using your back and shoulder muscles. It should feel more like pushing your elbow back than pulling your hand back. At the same time you are pushing your bow hand forward. Remember to maintain a slight bend in your bow arm and your elbow turned down and away from the bow.

7. Anchor

Anchor by placing the curved index finger of your bow hand at the corner of your mouth, touching your eye tooth with your hand tight to your face. Keep your muscles active while holding at full draw.

8. Aim

Your dominant eye is your rear sight and if your anchor is good, your eye will line up behind the bowstring. Aiming is the alignment of your dominant eye, bowstring, arrow point and the target. Your bow will move slightly, it’s natural. With all the elements in alignment, put the tip of your arrow on the spot you are aiming at. You may find that you need to aim lower or higher depending on your distance to the target, but for now aim at the center of the bulls eye. Be aware of the target and the sight alignment. Keep your muscles active during the aiming process.

9. Shot Set-Up

Once you are at anchor and have begun your aiming alignment and while keeping your muscles active, slowly start squeezing your drawing arm shoulder blade toward your opposite shoulder blade. Imagine trying to squeeze a tennis ball between your shoulder blades. The purpose of this is not to draw the bowstring further. It is to begin the release process while maintaining back tension.

10. Release

The release is a combination of relaxing the fingers and the back of your draw hand in a single instant. All your arm and back muscles will stay active during this process.

11. Follow Through and Reflect

Upon release your drawing hand will move rearward, dragging along your face(painting) and under your ear with your fingers relaxed and your thumb near or touching your shoulder. Your drawing elbow will relax/drop slightly. Your bow arm will move slightly forward and then to the side and down. After your follow through reflect on position of your draw hand and bow hand. If they are in the proper position it is a result of maintaining active muscles throughout the entire release process.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The shot sequence is the secret to establishing good form. And good form is the secret to sending your arrow where you want it. This precise, repeatable, step by step process requires focus, patience and practice and it takes only a few seconds from start to finish. You can begin practicing without a bow, mimicking the body movements and saying each step aloud. When you move to practicing with a bow, it should be with a bow that isn’t so strong that you have to struggle to perform your shot sequence. If you get tired and your form starts to falter, stop. It is better to shoot 6 arrows with great form than to shoot a dozen with poor form.

Don’t worry if you don’t hit the bullseye. At first the sequence is all that matters. This is the foundation that all else is built on. Focus on the “feel” of a well executed shot. Watch videos of Olympic or target archers. See what the sequence looks like when performed properly. Now that you know the steps, you will be able to pick them out. Remember, form is everything! The bullseyes will come and often, if you follow the 11 steps to archery success!

Archery Resources For Beginners

The following resources provide more information and support in your archery education:

• 5 Top Success Tips For A Beginning Archer
• Top Archery Programs For Kids
• Archery Lessons: How To Find The Best Instruction
• Why Archery is the Best Sport for Kids