Chase McBroom, May – What is the stance in relation to archery? The dictionary defines it as the way in which someone stands, especially when deliberately adopted (as in sports); a person’s posture. Your stance is the foundation of shooting archery. An improved stance increases shooting accuracy and creates consistency.
What does a proper stance feel like? First, you are standing up straight and tall. Then, you have evenly distributed weight so that you are balanced. Finally, your knees are straight and slightly relaxed, not bent or locked).
How do I create a proper stance? Here are six steps to get you started:
- Walk up to the shooting line
- Straddle the line (right-handed archers will have their left foot in front and left-handed archers will have their right foot in front).
- Keep your feet shoulder width apart (making sure your foundation feels strong and does not sway one way or the other).
- Keep your front foot slightly open (about 45 degrees) while keeping the back foot parallel to the shooting line.
- Stand up tall and straight (knees relaxed slightly and back straight)
- Relax your muscles from the shoulders to the hips. Being tense while shooting can affect arrow flight and consistency.
Once you have found a good stance, consistently use it. Practicing will create muscle memory and before long, you won’t even have to think about it. Remember, this doesn’t happen quickly, and it could take months and months of practice to perfect it. It’s more difficult than it sounds to keep all body parts in the right position with the right amount of relaxation. Practice, practice, practice is the only way! The good part about this practice is that you can practice anywhere, and no equipment is needed to work on your stance.
