Tag Archives: archery tips

Archery Mental Focus: 7 Techniques for Better Shooting

Archer holding mental focus at full draw

Quick Answer: Archery mental focus is the trained ability to hold your attention on one aiming point and run your shot process without letting doubt, adrenaline, or the score interrupt it. You build it the same way you build draw strength — with deliberate reps: a fixed shot routine, controlled breathing, a single visual focus […]

Archery Etiquette: Range Rules Every Archer Should Know

Two archers aiming recurve bows on an outdoor archery range

Quick Answer: Archery etiquette is the set of safety habits and courtesies that keep a shooting range running smoothly. The core rules: obey the whistle commands (two blasts to the line, one to shoot, three to collect arrows, five or more to stop), never draw a bow when anyone is downrange, wait behind the shooting […]

How to Remove Arrows From a Target: 5 Easy Steps

Arrows stuck in an archery target face before removal

Quick Answer: To remove arrows from a target, grip the shaft as close to the target face as you can with one hand, brace your other hand flat against the target, and pull straight back with a slow quarter-turn twist. Never yank with two hands or lever the arrow sideways — that is how shafts […]

Back Tension in Archery: How to Shoot With Your Back

Recurve archer at full draw using back tension in archery

Quick Answer: Back tension is the act of holding and finishing a shot with the large muscles between your shoulder blades instead of your hand, arm, or bicep. You draw with your shoulder, transfer the load to your rhomboids and lower trapezius at anchor, then let that continued squeeze pull your drawing elbow around until […]

Archery Clicker: 7 Steps to Master Your Draw

Recurve archers at full draw using an archery clicker to check draw length

Quick Answer: An archery clicker is a thin metal or carbon blade mounted on the recurve riser that snaps against the arrow rest the instant you reach full draw. That audible click confirms your draw length is identical on every shot, which is the single biggest factor in tight groups. To use one, set it […]

3D Archery for Beginners: 7 Essential Basics

3D archery for beginners: archers shooting foam deer targets on a wooded course

3D archery for beginners: how foam-target courses work, ASA vs IBO scoring, the gear you need, and why to start in a known-distance division.

Brace Height Explained: 5 Proven Ways to Tune It

Archer at full draw with a braced recurve bow at an outdoor range

Quick Answer: Brace height is the distance from the deepest part of your bow’s grip to the string when the bow is strung but not drawn. A lower brace height gives you a faster arrow but punishes bad form; a higher one is slower, quieter, and more forgiving. You measure it with a bow square […]

Beginner Draw Weight: 7 Rules to Pick the Right Poundage

Beginner draw weight recurve archer at full draw

Beginner draw weight decoded: how to pick the right recurve or compound poundage, avoid getting over-bowed, and know when to move up.

Dry Fire a Bow: 6 Costly Risks & How to Avoid Them

Compound bow release aid attached to a D-loop at full draw

Quick Answer: To dry fire a bow means to draw it back and release the string with no arrow nocked. Without an arrow to absorb the stored energy, that force slams back into the bow itself, and it can crack limbs, twist cams, snap the string, and send shrapnel toward your face. A single dry […]

Instinctive Archery: 7 Steps to Aim Without Sights

Instinctive archery hunters shooting traditional bows without sights

Learn instinctive archery the right way: how to aim a bow without sights, the 7-step shot sequence, the best bows, and drills that build accuracy fast.