THE ARCHERY WHISPERER

THE ARCHERY WHISPERER

There are a LOT of things to remember when shooting a bow. There are a lot
MORE things to remember if we want to hit what we are aiming at. As an
archery instructor, I’m always looking for ways to break the lessons down
into very basic components that are easy to remember. But sometimes even
experienced archers need a reminder of good shooting fundamentals. They
don’t need a long drawn out explanation of each and every step but just a
little “nudge” to keep them on track.

A GENTLE REMINDER

After thinking through all of the steps necessary for good shooting, I’ve
come up with three simple catch words that we all can use as a reminder of
the need to maintain good shooting habits. They are Form, Focus, and
Follow-through.

FORM

There are a lot of steps within this element but when you see or think of
the word “form”, it should remind you of posture, stance, bow arm, grip,
anchor point, and sight picture. Achieving good form prior to even putting
the arrow on your string and maintaining good form throughout the shot
process is vital for accurate shooting.

FOCUS

It may seem kind of silly that we need a reminder to focus but so much of
being able to put the arrow where we want it hinges on focusing on that
single tiny spot. We need to be able to shut out everything else when we
are at full draw and lining up our pin. This element should serve as a
means to keep our focus on aiming.

FOLLOW-THROUGH

Yeah…it’s hyphenated but it still counts. This is an often neglected aspect
of archery that can really affect accuracy. If we don’t maintain good
follow through and keep our eyes on that single tiny spot until arrow
impact, we open up the potential for BIG misses. Don’t peek.

CONCLUSION

Our equipment aside, everything for accurate archery shooting falls under
Form, Focus, or Follow-through. A little sticker with these elements on the
inside of your top bow limb will be a quiet whisper for you to pay
attention to your shooting procedures each and every time you pick up your
bow.



Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com

BOOK REVIEW - "Bowhunter's Guide to Accurate Shooting"

TITLE, AUTHOR, AND PUBLICATION INFO
“BOWHUNTER’S GUIDE TO ACCURATE SHOOTING”
by Lon E. Lauber (www.lonlauber.com)
Copyright 2005 by Creative Publishing International, Inc
(www.creativepub.com)
127 pages



SUMMARY
As the title of the book implies, this publication focuses on fine tuning
your archery equipment and skills to achieve the most accurate shot
possible when the moment of truth arrives during your hunt. However, many
of the tips and suggestions in this book can also be applied to target and
3D archery shooters. While most of this book talks about compound bows and compound bow shooting, the author sprinkles in a little traditional archery
information as well.

BREAKING IT DOWN
There are three primary areas that the author deals with..
Equipment – with a chapter dedicated to achieving consistent arrow flight
Shooting Form – includes a chapter on yardage estimation
Field Application – including a chapter on shooting in adverse conditions

LIKES
· Mr. Lauber writes from experience. He shares his successful (and
sometimes not-so successful) hunting stories and imparts to us what
he has learned from those adventures.
· There are many photographs, illustrations, charts, and drawings
throughout the book that offer informative and supporting visual
aids.
· While this is a somewhat technical book, I like that Mr. Lauber also
wades into the mental aspect of archery shooting. Oftentimes, this
side of archery is overlooked in other how-to books.
· LOTS of useful information! This book will make an excellent
reference guide.

DISLIKES
· This really isn’t a dislike but there is a LOT of information in this
book and I would like to have seen the author spend more time on each
subject.
· The contents page at the front of the book does not do justice to
what is between the covers.
· Speaking of the covers…the front cover really turned me off! The
ancient camo pattern the hunter is wearing almost made me NOT pick
this book up. It made me think the content of the book was not
up-to-date.

IN MY SIGHTS