Formulas for Determining Your Archery Stance
Archery is a sport that combines physical and mental skills. The stance is an archer that can takes a very important role in achieving the best shot. In this article, I will show you how to take the best archery stance for your game.
What is an “Archery Stance?”
The archery stance is a kind of position in archery where the archery bow and arrow are held. The bow is held with a hand on the outer part of the bow arm. The fingers will be facing down and thumb will be on top of the string.
The arrow will be held in a horizontal position and the nock will be pointing the ground. The archery stance is one of the most important skills in archery because it provides balance to an archer that will allows you for accuracy when shooting an arrows.
The Archery Stance
Square Stance
This is the most common stance among beginners and it is used for shooting at close range. It requires you to put your feet together and place your weight on your back foot. You should keep both hands on the bowstring with fingers pointing towards the target while you can draw back the bowstring with your front hand.
Open Stance
This stance is mostly used for shooting at a long range. It is common for hunters to shoot from this stance, as it allows them to move naturally and can be able to see the target clearly.
The open stance requires you to place your feet apart with your weight on your back foot. And the bowstring should be in rests outside of your legs. You should always keep your both hands on the bowstring with fingers pointing towards the target.
This stance helps reduce torque and stabilize your shooting position.
Close Stance
The close stance is mainly used for hunting smaller games. It is most effective with a lighter bows and shorter arrows. They offers a faster draw weight and better accuracy. The close stance involves placing one foot in front of the other, which creates a stronger foundation to support your shooting position.
You should always keep your both hands on the bowstring. Your fingers should be pointing towards the target while you draw back as if preparing to fire an arrow.
Natural Stance
The natural stance is mainly used for hunting larger game. It is most effective with a heavy bows and has a longer arrows. They offers a slower draw weight and can be better at wind resistance. The natural stance involves placing one foot behind the other, which creates a softer foundation to support your shooting position.
You should always keep your both hands on the bowstring. The fingers must be pointing away from the target while you draw back . The weight of your bow arm is resting on the opposite side of your body, which can take a toll on your elbow after prolonged use.
What Are the Best Archery Stances to Improve your Shooting Technique?
Archery stances are very important in improving your shooting technique. The square stance is the go-to stance for most novices. You can find a stance that is best suits for you. And then begin to work with your form and your posture.
While foot positioning is determined by your selected stance, there are still a great number of posture elements that you can achieve to have a solid shooting position.
Torso Position
The Torso position is arguably one of the most important elements of a successful archer. Maintaining a proper posture is the key to both your consistency and accuracy. To achieve proper posture, you will need to have a torso straight up, with your collar bone parallel with the arrow.
You should always make sure that your hips don’t bend forwards or backwards when taking your shot.
Head Position
The positioning of the head is very important in a bow setup. When you are being balanced, your head is in a neutral position. You should have your chin lowered and facing 45 degrees down from the target when shooting. This will allow you to maintain the control of your shot.
There are many more things that go into a good setup. The position of your feet, grip, and body will all affect your form. When you take your stance, it is important to keep the feet firmly planted and not moving them during a shot.
If your feet start to slide, you will be losing your contact with the ground and losing stability. When your feet are planted, this also prevents unnecessary flexion in the knees and hips.
Shoulder Position
The shoulder position is also very important in how to set up an archery stance. Many beginners are tend to pull their right shoulder forward, which puts a lot of strain on the left arm when shooting. The proper shoulder position is keeping your shoulders over the elbow joints, not pulled back or sideways. This will allow you to maintain proper balance and avoid muscle fatigue during long periods of shooting.
Elbow/Lower Arm Position
The elbow position is crucial for accuracy. One common mistake that beginners make is letting their elbows bend downwards during shooting. The proper way to shoot is to straight, locked elbows, and the lower arm should remain stationary during the draw phase.
This will allow the bowstring to be properly set in front of your arm, and will be ensure to have a consistency and accuracy every shot. A sign of correct positioning will be seeing a slight bend in your bow’s arm. When correctly positioned you will also notice a 45-degree angle on your thumb.
Anchor Point
The anchor point is located at the top of your deltoid muscle. This positional aspect helps you to maximized your archery capabilities. It is by using the correct anchor point. The anchor point depends on what type of bow you’re using.
For example, a compound-bow archer may choose to position their bow string that is release just behind their jawline. While a recurve archer may choose to select an aim closer to their nose, mouth or chin.
How to Adjust Your Archers Stance & Choose the Right One for You
Archery is a sport that requires a lot of physical strength, dexterity and accuracy. But it also requires a lot of patience, skills and time. The archers stance is the position in which the bowstring is held by an archer while aiming and shooting the arrow. The stance can be vary depending on what type of bow you are using. The type of target you are aiming at, and your personal preference.
The most common stances include:
- Archer’s left foot forward (AFLF)
- Archer’s right foot forward (ARFF)
- Archer’s left foot back (ALBF)
- Archer’s right foot back (ARBF)
The Archers Left Foot Forward, or AFLF for short, is a common stance used when using a longbow. This stance is slightly more difficult to pull because the archers left arm must be used for support.
The Archers Right Foot Forward, or ARFF for short, is a common stance used when using a recurve bow. This stance is slightly more difficult to pull because the archers right arm must be used for support.
The Archers Left Foot Back, or ALBF for short, is a common stance used when using a longbow. This stance is easier to pull because the archers left arm can be used for support and the archer’s body leans back slightly.
The Archers Right Foot Back, or ARBF for short, is a common stance used when using a recurve bow. This stance is easier to pull because the archers right arm can be used for support and the archer leans back slightly.
