Fred,
I had the same questions as you and got many of the same answers.
Fortunately, I found a couple of patient souls who have given me the following:
There are six basic things to work on:
1) bow hand - be sure that it is consistent and torque free and the same every time
2) fingers on the release - be sure that you hold the string exactly the same way every time.
3) anchors - everyone has a little different anchor, try to develop one that is bone on bone and hit it exactly the same every time.
4) balance & alignment - the level of alignment is different for everyone due to body type and condition. Check Terry Green's posts for good alignment and develop alignment that you can hit the same every time.
5) release execution - release is a bad word for what we are doing since you don't actively do anything, you just quit holding the string. try to have the curl of your fingers almost the same before and after the release. the hand will have reacted to the loss of tension and moved back, but if you just quit holding it will be more consistent than if you actively straighten your fingers. Video of one of the Olympic gold medalists looks almost like the string went through the fingers, not around them.
6) follow through - there are a lot of good ways to end a shot. Pick one that works for you. The goal is to anticipate the follow through rather than the shot. the follow through can be anything that lets you hold your form until the arrow is clear of the bow. some use a touch on their shoulder, others use the sight or sound of the arrow hitting the target. there are many things that you can use, just be sure that it lasts until the arrow is clear of the bow so that anticipation of the shot doesn't turn into target panic.
Practice - work on only one of these at a time. try to shoot good shots, but focus on just one thing during each shot. don't worry about where your arrow hits, just focus on that one part of your form to get it right. during each practice session, work on all parts of your form. It may only be 3 or 4 arrows for something that you are already doing well, but work on everything each session.
You probably noticed that I kept saying "do it the same every time". That is the key to accurate archery, regardless of the style of archery that you shoot.
Some techniques are better than others. This is discussed here and on other forums all the time. One technique may work better for you but another will be better for me. Use your time on line to learn about the techniques and use your practice sessions to figure out which works the best for you. However, be sure to try only one change at a time.
Hope this helps,
Allen
Topic: Perfecting Form and Accuracy - When Will I Be Ready? (Read 1971 times)
