Traditional Archery is an ancient form of hunting and target shooting that utilizes a bow and arrow. This sport originated in Egypt and still thrives today.
Archery can be a challenging sport that requires patience and skill, but the rewards can be immense. Many people become expert archers within two years with consistent practice and dedication to improving their technique.
Before beginning traditional archery, there are a few essential things to know. These include the appearance of traditional bows, how to aim them correctly and the equipment needed for this sport.
1. Aiming Your Arrow
Traditional bows don’t feature sights, so you must use your eyes to aim. The most common method is instinctive shooting – where you look at the spot you wish to hit and draw your bow. This is an effective way of learning the trajectory of the arrow and improving accuracy.
2. Selecting Your Shaft
Arrow shafts come in a variety of materials, such as solid wood, bamboo, fiberglass, aluminium alloy, carbon fiber or composite options. Each has its own characteristics which affect how the arrow performs; some arrows feature narrower profiles to make them easier to shoot accurately.
3. Selecting Your Bow
Traditional archery uses two primary bow designs: recurves and longbows. Recurves have a shorter bow length and are more powerful than longbows, though they may take longer to draw.
Recurve bows are more commonly used for hunting and target shooting, while longbows offer a traditional style and are more versatile when other tasks call for it, though they may not be as fast or powerful as their recurve counterparts.
4. Loading the Bow
To load an arrow into a bow, it must be pointed slightly clockwise from vertical (for right-eye dominant shooters) and rested on an arrow rest or shelf. Attaching the back end of the arrow to its bowstring via nock is then completed.
5. Aiming Your Arrow
If you’re having difficulty aiming your arrow, try using the tip as a sight. This technique, also known as gap shooting, involves placing the arrow tip between your target and intended point of impact. Practicing with this technique allows for improved shooting skills without needing to purchase new arrows every time you practice.
6. Pulling Through the Shot
While most archers are drawn to the string, they must keep their head and shoulders down. Furthermore, they must find their anchor point by pointing their drawing arm elbow, wrist and shoulder at the target. Furthermore, archers should utilize back tension more than muscles in their arms when drawing the bow.
7. Straight-Line Theory
A few coaches have advocated that archers always point their arrow directly at the target when pulling back on the bow. However, this may cause tension in the wrist and hand.
