Practical Techniques & Methods Used in Archery

Here we offer brief insight into the techniques adopted in archery, including such practical considerations as the stance, how bows should be held and of course the drawing and firing of arrows.

The hand holding the bow, known unsurprisingly as the bow hand (and the arm, the bow arm), is typically the opposite hand to the dominant eye. Some archers do however prefer to hold the bow in the dominant hand. The opposite hand to the bow hand is known as the drawing hand (or string hand), with again the drawing arm following the same naming convention. An archer stands with his or her bow arm side facing the target, with the feet a shoulder-width apart, and with a body position perpendicular to the target and shooting line. More advanced archers tend to adopt a more open stance.

When loaded with an arrow, the bow is always pointed towards the ground for safety reasons. Three fingers hold the arrow and bow string to the point of release. The most common technique is for the archer to raise the bow and draw in one fluid motion, though archers tend to adopt a shooting technique that feels most natural to them. The string hand rests at an anchor point beside the face, most commonly at the chin or side of the mouth. When the arrow is released, through simply relaxing the fingers, the drawing arm should remain rigid. One of two aiming methods can be adopted, which differ on account of whether the so-called sight picture is used or not. In the sight picture method, both the target and the bow are seen at the same time. This technique is regarded as the best method for producing the most accurate and consistent results.