Everyone starts as a beginner. No one is perfect at something the first time they do it. Sure, there are prodigies and they find that they are a natural at a sport, activity, or subject. But even with these select few who are extremely talented, skill should still be taught. There are also rules to play by. If it is a sport, there are other athletes who are equally talented and are preparing their hardest for competitions. This means that everyone in the same playing field when they are first introduced to a sport. There may be other factors such as having sponsors or being loaded with money, but ultimately, when we talk about skill, the focus is on preparation and understanding of the basics.Take for instance the sport of archery. Here we are using a bow and an arrow, tools that we may be holding for the first time we decide to shoot a target. We may be a natural in holding it and aiming at a certain area but we do not know the parts of the equipment we are holding and we must develop skills to be good at it. The most talented and skilled archers take loads of time for training and preparing for competitions.
Archery is a sport that has long been there and has seen development since its inception. Because of this, the sport itself has gone through many changes and improvements. To be a skilled archer, it is necessary to train a set of fundamental skills. We list down that every archer wannabe must know.
1. Balance and Coordination
Through training, you will develop a distinct way of shooting an arrow. And like any other sport, you must be coordinated and balanced for each shot you will take. All steps in the process of shooting an arrow must be coordinated. This includes picking up your bow and then transferring your energy from your shoulders to the hands and then to the arrow before you go shoot.
2. Accuracy
The basic goal of an archer is to shoot the target. So it’s quite obvious that you must have a good sense of accuracy before you shoot your arrow to hit the target. Accuracy is basically the ability to make the arrow hit exactly what you want it to hit. When you nail this skill as an archer, expect to always have a podium finish.
3. Calm and Composure
You could achieve a lot of things when you are calm and composed. Even though you’re in a highly stressful situation, if you are able to stay composed under pressure, then you will be able to do things with flying colors. Archery is a sport that requires a meticulous mind. You could only spot the smallest of details when you are calm and composed. The perfect shot needs these qualities. Some people are not naturally calm so you may train your mind to be calm by taking deep breaths and training hard before a big competition. Preparation will help you be more confident with your skills.
4. Precision
Since we’re dealing with numerical targets, it is necessary for an archer to be precise. If the goal is to have a high score in a competition, then you must be precise. You might think this is the same with accuracy but it’s different. When you are precise, you as an archer are able to shoot arrows in a particular spot on a target consistently. So what it looks like is hitting the arrow to the same specific area one after another.
5. Perception of Depth
The more you train, the better you get in-depth perception. What is this? If you have this skill, you are able to judge the distance between yourself and the target. This is a very important skill in archery that is hard to master. Your mind must be able to process the physical distance that you are presented with. If you are bad at this at the moment, relax because you will get better through constant and consistent practice.
6. Arrow Drawing and Handling
One of the first steps in archery is to draw and then load your arrow with a bow. It might look easy and cool with Katniss Everdeen or esteemed archers that you have seen on television but it could actually be difficult for beginners. It’s important to nail this skill down because you would need it at every expertise level. According to Rookie Road, you must align your hands, elbow, shoulders, and neck with the bow and the target. You are close to shooting once you have drawn and loaded your arrow.
7. Arrow Nocking
Like the other skills in this list, it will take time and practice to nail nocking an arrow. People even take this skill for granted when they shouldn’t. What is it exactly? It is when the archer fastens the nock of arrow onto the bowstring. The archer must hold the arrow in a specific position while doing this. You must have proper upper body training in order to nail this step and do it easily.Congratulations on picking up a new sport! Archery can be really fun once you start exercising these skills with ease. Of course, like other sports, it takes commitment and discipline. It’s not enough that you are motivated because there are days that it will run low. What matters more is that you are highly disciplined so even if you are lacking in motivation on a bad day, you will still be able to practice your bow and arrow handling skills. Good luck and we wish you the best in your archery journey!
Take Care of Your Equipment
As you begin to advance and have your own archery equipment, you must have decent storage space for your bow and arrow. Make sure there is space in your garage by installing smart storage solutions such as overhead storage racks and wall shelves. You may use hooks from FlexiMounts where you could hang your bow and arrow.
