Savannah Tovar, February – Cupid is ready to shoot, but will he strike? Well, if you find Cupid flying around with his bow and arrows, that sounds dangerous enough to me, and I would take cover. The reality of the situation, though, is that there is no way Cupid could hit you. Try searching “Cupid shooting arrow” and look at some pictures. Pay attention to his form: his anchor spot, how he is holding the bow, and especially his eyes. Some pictures of Cupid show him closing his dominant eye! The overarching idea here is that consistent form makes a difference.
When shooting, maintaining a consistent form simply means not constantly changing up your technique. This can be as easy as anchoring in the same spot, gripping the bow the same way, and even standing on the line in the same manner. Of course, adjustments need to be made from time to time, and that is okay. When making adjustments, be sure not to change more than one thing at a time. A general rule of thumb is to shoot the same way for five arrows, then reevaluate the situation and proceed to make adjustments. By making slow, incremental changes, you ensure a more accurate and reliable understanding of your progress and what further adjustments may need to be made.
From the time the single whistle blows to the time after you release, do you pay attention to your own form? Monitoring your form is very important every time you are on the line. Let’s say you anchor at the corner of your lip for one arrow, but on the next shot, you find yourself aiming back at your ear. You adjust back to your lip and end up shooting a nine. Great job, you deserve a gold star! I tested this out by aiming at the corner of my lip, then aiming back by my ear. Look at the two photos here—see how much my group moved! Even just the few inches from your lip to your ear could drastically change where your arrow lands on the target. Don’t worry, though, that is why you have a whole two minutes to shoot. Take your time and make sure to maintain a consistent form.
Now that you have examined Cupid’s form and learned about maintaining consistency, you will really rock your next tournament. Make sure that however your form looks, even if it differs from your friend’s, it is consistent. As for Cupid, he is going to have some bad luck shooting. His form is always changing, and with that, his arrows will never be accurate. Maybe, though, if you see Cupid, you should run—just in case. Good luck in your next tournament!
