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(26) comments
Great information! You are encouraging me to get up and go to my closest archery field ( I think they call it that), and shoot some arrows! Very entertaining , thank you 🙂
Hagop
Hi Hagop.
Yes, it is usually called archery field or archery range.
Go and give it a try. It is a lot of fun and there are even many health benefits of archery.
Have a great day!
Moritz
This a great post with awesome content. The visuals are great : ) I had a go at archery once during a random stop at a farm where a man made them. I was soo accurate I amazed myself and surprised my husband 🙂 now I can read your site to improve my skills : )
ReplyHi Sarah,
maybe you are a female Robin Hood? 😉
You definitely should pick up archery. It seems that you have got talent for it.
Check out my getting started guide and come back regularly to my site.
This article here was just the beginning of my training about how to shoot with a bow.
Cheers
Moritz
That is really great stuff!
I practiced archery for a few years and it was awesome.
But in my understanding it takes several years to become any good at it. Is that right?
Lucky
Hi Lucky.
It is correct that you need a few years to become a consistently good archer.
But the good news is, that you will see improvements very quickly, if you shoot regularly.
You don’t need years to hit bulls eye now and then. You can do this after a few weeks.
It might take years to hit bulls eye EVERY TIME, though. 😉
If you want to pick up archery again, check out my getting started guide and continue with the training with the proper archery stance.
Moritz
This was a great post on how to shoot a bow I have never shot a bow before but after reading this I think that I might actually have a chance of doing it properly.
I never realised how much had to go into shooting a bow I thought you just kind of pointed and shot but I guess not
Thanks for posting
Hi.
Yes, there is actually a lot you have to know and consider when you want to become an advanced archer.
It should always be fun, of course, but I love to be a perfectionist and encourage everybody to really follow all the archery steps I show in my training.
Keep reading here and take a look at a recurve bow I recommend to beginners.
Have a great time here on my site.
Moritz
ReplyI had learned quite a few years ago to shoot a bow. but have not done it for awhile. I like the steps, especially the one where you gave the correct way to use your arms before you shoot. I was always afraid of hurting myself because I was not doing it right. You did teach me about transferring your weight and using the back muscles. Never knew that. Thanks!
ReplyThank you Liz.
I have noticed that some instructors don’t really teach all the important steps to their new archers.
That’s why it is good to know a place where you can check the facts first and then ask the instructors about it.
If they don’t know about the things I talk about here, it might be time to change to another archery range.
Transferring the load/weight to your back muscles is a very important technique, I will talk about in detail soon.
Hope you’re enjoying your time here, and when you decide to pick up archery again, let me know.
I will be happy to help and discuss about it with you.
Cheers
Moritz
ReplyWell i just learnt a few things that i thought i already knew. Nice, well explained. I did have some trouble with the dominant eye however, i tried several times and my thumb jumped one way then the other. After several tries i did get it to work but i think the object needs to be quite far away ? Maybe i have two dominant eyes or just two lazy ones !
ReplyHello,
I am glad you found my post helpful!
Maybe I will edit my explanation of how to find your dominant eye a bit.
The object doesn’t need to be that far away. Between 1,5 to 2 meters is enough.
Then do as I said above.
A nice trick here is to open/close your both in turns quickly so that always only one eye is open.
That way you can find out easier when the thumb is still covering the object and when not.
Your dominant eye is the open one when the thumb is covering the object.
Cheers.
Moritz
ReplyOhh man, I remember when I first tried to shoot with a bow.. Must have been middle school and it wasn’t pretty, lol. I would love to give it another try though. There are some amazing looking bows out there today and these could make for an awesome hunting/outdoors experience. This post makes archery look like a lot of fun. Thanks for providing these awesome tips. I am sure they are well needed by many!
ReplyHello Pete.
I wouldn’t want to miss archery! It is an awesome sport!
The first time is always special. 😉
While you can hunt with recurve bows easily, many archers prefer compound bows like the PSE Stinger Compound bow for hunting.
Check it out and when you need further help, don’t hesitate to ask me.
Cheers
Moritz
ReplyAmazing blog on basic archery techniques.
I found the first part very interesting about finding your dominate eye to find out if you need a right hand or lift hand bow. I would have never known this. I took archery in high school and they told us about finding the eye.
This website sounds like a good place for the beginner to learn archery.
ReplyThanks David!
I am really happy that you like my website.
Yes, most people who don’t have much experience with archery, don’t know about the dominant eye!
They usually think that, if they are right-handed they need a right hand bow.
While this is often true, it can be the other way around as well.
That’s why it is so important to check which of your eyes is the dominant one.
I hope to see you around.
Cheers
Moritz
ReplyHi! I have trouble with my dominant eye – my thumb is not moving at all! Is it possible that I have two dominant eyes? I can’t say that I have any experience with archery but I love the way you explained everything. Your site is very clean and readable to me.
Thank you!
Branka
Hello Branka,
everybody has only one dominant eye, but in some cases it is possible that people can force the non dominant eye to take over for a while.
So it’s either that, or the test was not the right one for you.
You can try another test:
Hold out both of your hands in front of your face (on full arm’s length) and form a triangle with the index fingers and thumbs. Both of your eyes have to be open and stay open the whole time.
Then focus on an object and look at it through the triangle.
Then move your hands slowly towards your face and make sure that you never lose sight of the object.
You will bring the triangle automatically back over your dominant eye.
If your hand is blocking the object during this process, then you were moving the triangle towards the wrong eye.
I hope that helped you to find your dominant eye.
I am very happy that you like my site.
Really appreciate it!
All the best.
Moritz
ReplyHi Moritz! 🙂
Thank you for this clarifying article! 🙂
I’m living a really active life with a tiring job. Sometimes I feel like I need some active recreation, not just laying in the bed.
Do you think taking up archery as a hobby would be a great way of relaxation after work?
Thank you for your answer in advance! 🙂
Adam
ReplyHi Adam.
I think archery would be perfect for you.
Relaxation is only one of many health benefits of achery.
I wouldn’t want to live without it.
All the best.
Moritz
ReplyI always thought archery was cool. I tried to do it in boy scout camp many years ago, and needless to say, I wasn’t very good. You give some great pointers. I wish I had known this back them. Maybe I’ll try archery again someday. Just a matter of having the time to do it. Your website looks great!
ReplyThanks Kevin,
Feel free to look around more. 🙂
You will find many interesting and helpful things on my site.
Moritz
I appreciate the information and tips on the basics of archery shooting and techniques.
I agree that one of the best things you can do in archery is to learn to put the draw weight into your back muscles.
I would imagine that archery can get pretty tiring if you are putting it all in your arms.
My brother is looking at getting into bowfishing, but the principles are the same I am sure.
Hi Ben.
That’s absolutely correct. Knowing the right technique is really important when shooting with a bow.
It is not only tiring but also dangerous if someone is doing it wrong.
The techniques in bowfishing are pretty much the same.
I have written a bit about bowfishing, too. Check out my bowfishing guide and a fantastic compound bow for bowfishing.
All the best.
Moritz