"Archery is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing recreational activities among today’s youth".
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| Coach Satish Dubey, at drona archery academy |
- Archers will usually draw the bow string with their right hand, . If you use your right hand to draw, your right eye will be the one you keep open to look at the target, and vice versa for the left.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, weight even on both feet and your body at a 90-degree angle to the target.
- Once you are in position, you can draw your arrow from the quiver. Place it on the bow and slide it backwards to 'nock' the arrow - this is where you clip the back of the arrow (the nock) on to the bow string.
- Curl your index finger around the string above the arrow and your middle and ring fingers beneath it. The string should rest just past the first joint of your fingers.
- Lift your bow and pull back the string until your index finger is under your chin and the string is touching your nose. This is called your anchor point. Close one eye and get the sight on your bow to line up with the centre of your target.
- Take a deep breath and then let out half of it. Clear your mind of everything except the target, and relax. Allow the string fall out of your fingers, rather than opening them to release it. Let the rest of your breath out and hold your position until you see the arrow hit the target.
- The key to success in archery is doing the same thing every single time - from the way you stand and how far you pull back the string to how far you let out your breath.
- It is very hard to work on the muscles you need for archery in the gym. The best exercise you can perform is to get into a shooting position with your bow, pull the string back and hold for 30 seconds, relax for 30 seconds and then repeat as many times as you can.
- Archery is a great family sport, so you can take everyone from your six-year-old to your grandma. It's also a great sport for people with disabilities (they often compete directly against able-bodied competitors in tournaments)
- Staying cool and precise under pressure can enable you to apply those skills in other, more stressful areas of your life
- The focus and mental clarity needed for archery will boost your ability to concentrate
- Repeatedly lifting the bow and drawing the string strengthens the muscles in your arms and shoulders
- The majority of the work in archery is done by the scapula muscles in your back, which take the strain when you draw the bow string
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| Mreenal Chakrborty,Mental toughness trainer at drona archery academy |
Archery
has been a vital part of civilization for millenniums. This popular activity continues to provide today’s youth with both fun
and valuable learning. Archery is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing
recreational activities among today’s youth.
1.
DISCIPLINE: Archery may be considered a sport to most, but to those involved it
is a series of precise movements learned by discipline. Archery teaches
discipline by demanding proper stance, draw, anchor and release. The archer
will quickly learn that with each shot there must be consistency and control.
These are required basic fundamentals to make accurate shots. More than just
another sport, the bow and arrow will teach the shooter that being disciplined
in small things always leads to greater success downrange.
2. MENTAL FOCUS: Much like golf, archery requires mental focus.
Learning to block out all other distractions is a must for accuracy. Good
archers focus on making each shot count. This requires a mind set on making sure
of proper form and correct shot execution every time. In a world full of
distractions, archery assists in establishing a laser like focus of the mind.
3. ATTENTION TO DETAIL: Archery is about
repeating the same mechanics time-after-time. These small details can make all
the difference between expertise and mediocrity. Repeatability of your anchor
point, sight picture and release are key elements of archery. These may sound
simple, but as every archer knows, they require practice.
4.
PERSISTENCE: Archers understand that in order to improve, they must be
persistent. The muscle memory required to excel will require regular practice.
Not every arrow will always be right on target but there’s never room to quit.
5.
PATIENCE: Rushing the shot will usually result in a lack of accuracy. Learning
to patiently shoot one arrow at a time is a lesson that will provide great
value for your kids in years to come.
6.
CONFIDENCE: This confidence is strengthened when children can visualize their
own personal skills. Archery provides visual stimulation to the child, making
it possible for them to see the progression, development and possession of
various skills. Few activities can give your child confidence like archery can.
7.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: Although archery can be leveraged as a team sport, it
is very dependent upon the actions of the individual. The shooter will soon
realize that any mistake or error is his or her own fault. In archery there is
no one to blame if an arrow fails to hit its mark. Personal responsibility
8. SOCIAL SKILLS: Although each arrow is
dependent upon a single shooter, archery is a social activity. Standing side by
side with other archers will help to develop knowledge sharing skills. Few
things can compare to watching your child sit down and help another child
through a problem they are having. This is the result of spending time within
the archery community. When your child begins to help another shooter with
their shooting, you recognize these skills far exceed putting an arrow in a
target.
A
LIFELONG SPORT: recreational specialist recently wrote, “Archery is the only
sport I’ve seen that is his structured. archers learn to wait their turn, follow
directions, set goals and challenge themselves..” Archery isn’t just another
hobby, with time and encouragement your archer will develop skills that will
last a lifetime.
As with any sport, hobby, or goal, the only
way to get better is constant practice and learning. You may have heard this a
lot, but still aren't quite sure how to really improve and get past those
little obstacles and walls that stand in your way. Here are few steps to
improve
your archery skills and become a better archer.
- By visualizing, you are actively focusing all of your concentration on the task immediately at hand. Picture the target in your mind and imagine the arrow flying into a perfect centre of target. By concentrating like this, every minuscule action and muscle change becomes apparent, allowing you to fire with better form and improved technique.
- When pull a bowstring back, they tend to focus primarily on the arm doing the pulling, and forget about the arm holding the bow. For proper form and balance, you need to apply equal tension in both arms, which evens out the skeletal structure and gets rid of that tiny jerk or stutter that can throw the shot wide. When both arms are applying equal force, the body is perfectly positioned and you'll be able to release the arrow much more smoothly and accurately.
- Your bow was specifically built to take a lot of stress and punishment. Once your attention starts to wander and your muscles begin to burn, you need to call it quits for the day. Practice, especially in archery, is only beneficial if you are practicing with the right form, because only then will you be able to keep replicating that perfect shot over and over again.
- A common mindset when beginning training is to imagine that you are in a dangerous situation, a life or death scenario. When you imagine this you'll be fully committed to each shot, because it could be your last! In a more literal sense, this trains you to fire every shot with your fullest ability.
- Training should always be done in an environment similar to the competition. Archery is a very mental sport, and training in a different mindset than the one you compete with is the worst thing you can do. Always imagine that you are in competition while training, and use all your equipment that you would be using at a competition. This will normalize your emotions so that you don't get nervous on the day of the competition
