The Perfect Archery Practice: A Three-Point Process

Practice makes perfect. This is something we had our parents drum into us
as we were growing up being it practice for the dance recital or ballerina
practice. With time we learned the 10,000 rule that’s 10,000 hours of
repeatedly doing the same thing makes you an expert?

When it comes to archery and you want to take your archery skill to the
next level of perfection, then you need the perfect level of practice.

When it comes to archery especially for the bow hunters, your technique
might become slightly sloppy in between hunting season so you will need to
practice during the off hunting season

Your Mindset

When it comes to archery, be it bow hunting or practice target, you need to
work your mind first and your attitude as well.

You will need to learn perseverance. The ability to enjoy or endure doing
long boring sits and some rather gruesome stalks. If you do not hold out
then you set yourself up for second rate success and I mean, who wants that
anyway?

The other part is the actual moment of truth-the shooting.

I Know I can

When it comes to archery, you need to have a working knowledge or at least
some working bow shooting fundaments. With that comes with the
responsibility to ensure that you are. The key fundamental being accuracy,
concentration and also confidence. You will need to be sure of yourself in
any situation and also avoid being careless. You need to have the “I can do
this” kind of attitude.

Practice Techniques

  • Blind Shooting

This kind of techniques allows you to feel how an actual shot should feel
by calming down your mind.

How can you do this technique? Stand about two or three yards away from
your target. This target needs to be big enough that you won’t miss it.
Take a good shoulder-width stance, close your eyes and draw your bow very
smoothly. Focus all your sensations and mind on the shot and slowly squeeze
your release. By closing your eyes to reduce the temptation to punch the
release.

  • Shot Angles/High Rise Angle Shots

Many are the time’s archers shot the same shot all the time during
practice. This is just pitting up some targets, put it on a flat lawn and
call that practice. This does not actually help you prepare at all for the
actual fieldwork. Try to switch it up a little bit.

Try shooting from a relatively raised position such as a tree stand level,
a deck or even a gently sloping rooftop. This will give you a feel for the
actual tree stand shot. This helps you improve your form from the various
angles you can take and also help you tweak a feel of your shots before the
hunting season kicks off.

  • The On Knee Shooting Technique

Depending on the location of your hunting during the hunting season, the
trees which are your best friends might not be there. So, you need to learn
how to shoot from your knees. Possibly also learn how to crawl for long
distances as you stalk your target.

Your body will ache of course and your hands will be pinching with pain but
if you want your kill, you will need to know that when it comes to taking
that shot, you will not stand up otherwise, your prized kill will be gone.

This will need you to make a smooth and a silent draw cycle and once you
align your pin to the target, let your arrow fly before your target notices
you.

  • Take a Seat Shot

This is as difficult as it sounds. This is because there are various
variables that you need to consider that might deter your shot. This might
include the bottom cam kicking dirt, or bumping your kneecap might cause
your arrow to go off course. Therefore seating against a tree and using it
as a blind is not such a bad idea so as to take shot and hit your target.
Hence practice in this practice as well.

  • Change the Distance

Shooting from the same distance every time you doing practice will not help
you improve your shooting form. Even out there in the field, your target
will not be exactly the 20 yard or 30-yard distance that you been
practicing. In as much as there is technology such as range finders can
help you out when it comes distance but not all the time you will have the
luxury to use it in the field, hence you will need to have a good judgment
when it comes to distance.

Using your rangefinder during target practice, try to shot from different
distances and also angles the estimate the distance between your distance
between you and your target and practice on those as well.

Let’s go out there and achieve the perfect practice