Physical Condition/Injury Recovery

Archery is a lot of fun and can be very addictive. From the time I picked up a bow, I was hooked. It is a great sport for improving concentration, hand-eye coordination, and mental fitness. Because of the strength needed to draw a bow, it is also an excellent way to tone the muscles. But you don't need to be strong to shoot a bow. Archery is more about stability, good posture, and flexibility. An added perk to shooting is the amount of walking you will do to collect your arrows.

Stepping up your fitness routine will help to boost your skills with a bow. Doing exercises that are geared toward archery will help you draw a bow more easily and build the stability and body control that is necessary for proper archery form. The world's best archers train on the range, in the gym and on the yoga mat for complete archery fitness. This extra fitness training gives them the edge they need to focus, steady their aim and outshoot the competition.

Whether you're a seasoned archer or a beginner, (these exercises) will help you gain strength, improve your technique, and increase your accuracy. These exercises can be done at home and take only minutes to complete.

Below are several excercise you can do:

• Exercises to build your core
• Exercises to build your shoulder
• Back Tension Exercise

Practice

Practicing archery can take many different forms. Aside from shooting, there is skill training which develops the foundation to a strong archery form. Skills training include:

• Stance: Address The Target Drill
• Grip: Grip Tape Drill
• Transfer to Hold: Scapula Wall Drill
• Transfer to Hold: Thumb to Scapula Drill
• Release: Slip Release With Bow Drill
• Shot Process: Cup on the Head Drill
• Set Up: Arm Raise Drill
• Draw: Static Strap Training Drill
• Hold: Structure SPT Drill
• Release: Grip Release Drill
• Shot Process: Scapular Retraction Drill

Practicing your shot includes taking the skill training and applying it to developing accurate shooting skills. Developing the shooting skills includes:

• Blank Bale Shooting for Stance/Setup, Draw to Load, Anchoring, Transfer to Hold, Expand/Aim, Follow Through
• Consistency Drills to develop muscle memory and a build a smooth, relaxed consistent shot process
• Aiming Drills to develop seeing the target and not the scope
• Outdoor vs Indoor Drills to develop the different skills necessary for different shooting formats.
• Shooting in tough conditions...weather, wind, shooting up/down hills

All serious athletes want to achieve the highest level of performance for which they are capable. As mentioned in the "In Sights" article, practice and training have a significant impact on an athlete's performance level. How do we train more efficiently to be able to shoot a greater quantity of arrows? In the great words of Allen Iverson, "we're going to talk about practice, not the game."

Here is how we get the most out of practice. Click this link.