Archery: Posture Perfecting Sport?

Archery is a sport that requires a lot of technique, and one of the most important aspects is your form. This includes your posture, or how you stand while shooting your bow. Having the correct stance and posture is the foundation of your archery technique, and it's crucial for achieving consistent and accurate results.

So, does archery improve your posture? Well, it certainly requires you to have a good posture while you're doing it. Having the right posture in archery helps you shoot more accurately and prevents injuries and muscle strain. Good posture in archery involves correct alignment of your spine, shoulders, legs, and head. It also helps you maintain balance and improves your body position, so you don't end up with neck or back pain.

Now, whether or not regularly practising archery will directly improve your posture in other areas of your life is a different question. It's possible that by learning and maintaining good posture for archery, you may become more aware of your posture in general and carry yourself better in other activities. However, this is just speculation, and further research would be needed to determine if there is a direct link between archery and improved posture outside of the sport.

Square stance: feet either side of the shooting line, shoulder-width apart, with hips and shoulders aligned

The square stance is the optimal stance for most archers, including Olympic archers. It is easy to learn and maintain, and it helps archers stay consistent.

To achieve the square stance, place your feet either side of the shooting line, with a distance of approximately shoulder-width apart. The feet should be parallel to the shooting line, with the hips and shoulders aligned with the feet. This alignment of the hips and shoulders with the feet is what gives the square stance its name.

The square stance is simple and efficient. It requires minimal torso and abdomen rotation to achieve shoulder alignment, making it easier to learn and maintain correct vertical posture. The alignment of the shoulders, hips, and feet also means that the square stance can make achieving correct shoulder alignment easier for some people.

The square stance places less stress on the body than other stances. It is helpful for archers who lack flexibility in the back and torso, as there is a smaller amount of torso rotation needed. The reduced amount of torso rotation also means that the back and spine are under less load.

To make the square stance as stable as possible, ensure that you are using the correct width of stance for your body.

Feet positioning: feet parallel to the shooting line, with knees straight and legs relaxed

Feet positioning is crucial to achieving the correct archery form. To achieve the correct form, you should stand with your feet parallel to the shooting line, with knees straight and legs relaxed.

The "square stance" is the most common and recommended stance for archers, especially beginners. This is where your feet are placed either side of the shooting line, parallel to it, and shoulder-width apart. This stance helps you to keep your back in the right position and gives you great stability. It is also simple and easy to learn, helping archers to stay consistent.

When using the square stance, it is important to keep your knees straight and legs relaxed. Keep your knees straight but not locked, as locking your knees is bad for your joints and makes your stance less stable. Your legs should be relaxed, with your knees in a natural position. This will help to prevent any vibrations that could reduce the accuracy of your shot.

To improve your stance, you can practice in front of a mirror or film yourself and analyse your form. This will help you to identify any issues and make corrections.

Shoulder positioning: shoulders aligned with bow arm, pulled backward, with arms straight

The positioning of your shoulders is one of the most important aspects of archery. As you can't see your shoulders when you're shooting, it's something that many new archers get wrong. Fatigue can also cause issues with shoulder form.

Since your shoulders can influence your draw length, it's important to keep them in a consistent position. If your shoulders are not properly aligned, holding the bow at full draw will become extremely difficult.

To get your shoulders aligned with your bow arm, you should pull your shoulder blades together. This makes it easier to keep your bow at full draw because your shoulders are aligned with your bow arm. This also slightly increases your draw length and increases your overall consistency.

Throughout the shot, the shoulder should be at a neutral height—neither raised up nor depressed down. If you're not sure what this feels like, try standing or sitting upright and relaxing your shoulders. This is the height they should be at.

The humerus (the long bone in the upper arm between your elbow and your shoulder) should sit in a neutral position in the socket, and the shoulder should be in a neutral lateral position. The head of the humerus must not be rolled or protrude forwards, as this is a high injury risk and allows instability on execution.

To get your shoulders in the right position, stand with your feet parallel to the shooting line at shoulder width. While shooting your bow, keep your back and bow arm straight. Pull your shoulder blades together to get both shoulders in a straight line with your bow arm. Use a mirror to practice and regularly check your form.

Head positioning: head level, turned towards the target, with neck straight

Archery is a sport that requires a lot of repetition and consistency. The way you position your head is important for a multitude of reasons, including establishing a consistent draw length, reducing strain on the muscles, and loosing the string more cleanly.

• Keep your neck straight and relaxed. Avoid bending your neck forward if possible. A straight neck provides a consistent anchor point for your string, which is crucial for accuracy.
• Turn your head towards the target. Your head should be turned enough so that you can see the target, but not perfectly square on. Aiming slightly to the side and above the nose is a good guideline. This position helps to reduce tension in the neck and shoulders, allowing for a smoother shot.
• Keep your head level when drawing the bow. Any changes in the tilt of your head can affect your draw length and accuracy. Consistency is key in archery, so make sure your head remains level throughout your shot.
• Close your mouth. Keeping your mouth closed helps to maintain a consistent facial structure for anchoring. It may feel more natural to keep your mouth open, but closing it can improve your accuracy.
• Experiment to find a comfortable head position. Everyone's geometry is different, so you may need to adjust your head position slightly to find what works best for you. This is especially true if you have a unique head shape, jawline, or nose structure. Don't be afraid to experiment with a light bow until you find the right position.

Remember, the key to good archery form is repetition and consistency. Practice setting your head in the correct position, and soon it will become second nature, leading to improved accuracy and reduced muscle strain.

Spine positioning: spine straight, with chest lowered, and pelvis tucked under the backbone

To achieve the correct spine positioning, you must first place your feet in the correct stance. The 'square stance' is the most common and recommended stance for archers, where the feet are placed parallel to the shooting line, with a shoulder-width distance between them.

Next, you must rotate your hips so that they are tucked or rolled under your upper body, which will flatten your lower back. This is a vital step to achieving the correct spine positioning. You should then lower your chest and ribs towards your stomach and push your shoulders down.

To summarise, the correct spine positioning involves a straight spine, with the chest lowered, and the pelvis tucked under the backbone.

Frequently asked questions