Archery education - posture

I hope these tips will be helping you along if you do choose to pursue archery or bowhunting (you little Katniss, you). Leave me some comments below and let me know if you are new to the sport and find these tips helpful, or if you are a seasoned pro and have some other good tips to share.

Another thing you will learn right away when you begin shooting is about posture. I say you will learn this right away because if you don’t have correct posture you will have a wicked bruise to prove it. There is nothing like the sting of a string scraping your arm to call attention to the problem. I have had many a badass bruise on my inner forearm from twisting my elbow just slightly inward when holding my bow. 

When you shoot you need to focus on straight lines and slightly bent joints. James’ dad taught me to hold my bow as if I were standing and leaning on a wall. My arm that holds the bow out is straight, with my elbow turned out. If you get tired that elbow has a tendency to twist in and that’s when you get the blood-drawing bruise of string slap right on the tenderest part of your inner arm. If you aren’t comfortable shooting like this right away I suggest an arm guard. I am a glutton for punishment and only use one when I need to avoid looking like a drug addict at work, so that I distinctly know when my posture isn’t correct. 

Eventually this will become a mechanical motion. when you practice over and over it is learned and your muscles will adapt. When you stand with your bow your shoulders should be back and your chest should be opened up. Ladies, I know this can lead to a problem for some of you. Unfortunately I don’t have an issue with anything getting in the way, but I have seen women archers wear chest guards if they have something to protect.

There are some tips on posture that I have picked up so far! I’ll be sharing some more tips throughout the next few weeks, and there will definitely be more posts about archery around spring time when Turkey season is in full effect and the bows come back out.