TO THE TEN RING
1. STANCE Place one foot on each side of the shooting line.
Find a comfortable balanced stance with your feet shoulder width apart.
Toes are touching an imaginary line to the center of target.
Stand straight and tall, with your head up and your shoulders down.
2. NOCK Place the arrow on the arrow rest, holding the arrow close to the nock.
Set the index (single colored) fletching pointing away from the bow.
Snap the nock of the arrow onto the bowstring under the nock locator.
3. EXTEND Set your bow hand on the handle, centered in the Y formed be the web and the meaty part of your thumb.
Your bow hand should stay relaxed throughout the entire shot.
Set the first groove of your first three (3) fingers around the bowstring creating a hook, one finger above the arrow and two below.
through the sight and lining up the string with the center of the bow.
Set your bow shoulder down and rotate your elbow out away from the path of the string with shoulders level.
The elbow of your drawing arm should be near the level of your nose.
4. DRAW Draw the string back by rotating your draw arm shoulder around until your elbow is directly behind the arrow and moves parallel to ground.
Continue looking at the target through the sight and keep the string lined up with the center of the bow as you draw.
Maintain a continuous drawing motion throughout the shot.
5. ANCHOR Draw the string to the front of your chin, placing the knuckle of your index finger directly under the side of your jaw.
The string and string hand should be felt firmly against your jaw bone.
Lightly touch the string with the center of your nose.
Continue to draw the string.
6. TIGHTEN/ Muscles between shoulder blades are tightened.
HOLD Drawing arm, elbow and shoulder are held in parallel to ground.
7. AIM Focus and concentrate on the center of the target, looking through the sight.
Keep the string lined up with the center of the limbs of the bow.
Continue your smooth gradual draw.
8. RELEASE Tighten back muscles and Simply release all of the tension in your fingers, all at once, while continuing to draw the string without stopping.
Continue extending the bow arm towards the target as you release.
Continue focusing on the target.
The drawing hand will move backward along the neck.
9. FOLLOW
THROUGH The drawing hand continues back beside the neck with the fingers relaxed, ending up near the shoulder.
The bow arm remains extended toward the target.
Continue focusing on the target.
Maintain your follow through until the arrow hits the target.
See examples under Pictures.
Mt. Ararat Archery Club, Topsham, Maine
