When it comes to archery, shooting your bow is not all there is to it. In fact, there is a much more important aspect to archery than just shooting. So what can possibly be so much more important than how you shoot your bow you’re wondering? Your archery stance of course!
In fact, your archery stance is actually going to be an extremely important part of archery. This is because it's what keeps you stable while you shoot, as well as allows you to have correct alignment and rotation. Basically, when your archery stance doesn’t have the correct form, you will have a much harder time getting the power that you need while you are shooting.
Here is everything that you will need to know in order to have the best archery stance possible while you are shooting.
The Different Types of Archery Stances
When you are initially getting started with archery and shooting your bow, you are going to want to decide on just one stance and stick with it. This is actually very important as it allows you to not only perfect it, but to also perfect your entire archery posture as well. This is important because even the smallest change has the potential to have a huge effect on your shot.
Here are the different types of stances that you can try and how to decide on which one is the right one for you. This video does a great job of visualizing how each stance is performed:
The Square Stance
One of the most common types in all of archery, this is definitely the first one that you should master. That does not mean you will eventually want to evolve away from it, but it does mean that this particular stance is one of the basic fundamentals of shooting archery.
You are definitely able to evolve as an archer and learn new stances, but you should make sure you master this one before you move on to any others. To prove this point even further, you will find that many professionals will only take an archery shot while using this particular stance.
For the square stance, you will want to make sure that you are:
- Stand with your bow arm closest to your target.
- If you hold your bow in a left handed archery stance, you will need to make sure that your front foot is your left. If you hold your bow in a right handed stance, your right foot will be in front.
- Make sure that both of your feet are pointed towards your target in a perpendicular fashion and that your shoulders and hips are sideways towards it.
Once you have mastered the square stance, you should try out some of the other stances for shooting archery. The next one on your list should be what is referred to as 'open'.
The Open Stance
Considered to be similar to that of the square stance, the main difference is going to be that your front foot (the foot that is actually closest to the target you are shooting at) is pointing outwards towards your target. While the degree to which your foot is turned will vary from shooter to shooter, you can expect a 25-30 degree variance with this stance.
The main reason for this is to open up your hips and shoulders to your target. Essentially, if you are struggling with your shot when using the square stance (as in you have a tough time pulling back your shoulders), this open stance will typically make it much easier. This happens because your back muscles will be more involved with the pulling back of your bowstring.
This is also a very popular stance when it comes to shooting your bow, as many feel as though it is a much more ‘natural’ bow shooting position. On a side note, if you are planning on doing more outdoor shooting, this is the stance that you may want to consider as it helps boost your stability.
The Natural Stance
If you have discovered that the open stance is more comfortable for you but have found that you would prefer to be facing your target some more, the natural stance may be exactly what you are looking for.
Considered to be an evolved open stance, the natural stance has your back foot slightly turned towards your target as well.
When you make the minor movement of facing your back foot towards your target, you are naturally going to rotate your shoulders and hips. This will in turn widen the gap that is naturally between your arms and chest, meaning that your bow won’t be as close either.
The Closed Stance
The complete opposite of the open stance, your back foot will be positioned away from your target while your front foot will be side on towards your target. If you would like some more draw length, this is the stance that may be perfect for you.
This is due to the fact that both your hips and shoulders will be pointing away from the target you are trying to shoot. With the closed stance, you are basically providing an extra amount of tension on your bow as your arm is fully able to draw it back.
It is believed by some that the closed stance will increase the amount of strength on your shot, but since you will have your bow much closer to your arms and chest, you can also expect to have some additional bruising from the bowstring as well.
Which Archery Stance is Best for You?
Now that you know about the different types of stances that you can use, you may be wondering which one is the best for you and your individual style of archery? The answer to this question is ultimately up to you.
You simply need to figure out which one is the most comfortable for you and your archery style but allows you to have an uninterrupted shooting line as well. The best thing you can do is to get started with the square stance and master it. Once you have done this, you can move on to the next one and master that.
As soon as you have been able to get a good feeling for all the different stances, you can then make a much more informed decision on which one is the best for you and your style of shooting.
The Components of the Perfect Archery Stance
No matter what the different stances are in archery, none of them will be correct without the proper shooting posture. Once you master your shooting posture, you will not only be more efficient with your bow, but you will also boost your accuracy and consistency as well.
Here is everything that you need to know about achieving the proper stance for archery so that you can master the different shooting stances.
Feet Positioning
The position of your feet is the foundation of your shooting posture. This means that you must make sure that they are in the correct positioning. While there are several different variations available for you to try (as was mentioned above), they all require you to have your feet about shoulder width apart and your knees bent slightly. No matter if you are shooting a bow and arrow with a right handed bow stance or left handed one, your feet will be in this stance.
All you need to do is try taking shots from all of the different stances with your feet shoulder width apart and knees bent slightly in order to figure out which one works best for you.
Torso Positioning
If you have any inconsistencies in the position of your torso while shooting, you will notice it will affect your entire archery posture. There are two main tings to keep in mind in regard to how your torso should be positioned for the proper archery posture while shooting.
- Your torso should be straight up (not bent or leaning in any direction)
- Your collar bone should be parallel to your arrow
Just remember that there should be absolutely no bending backwards or forwards, or away or into your bow. If you do notice that you are doing this, it can be the reason that your shots are inaccurate and inconsistent.
Head Positioning
Once you have found the archery stance that works best for you and have perfected keeping your torso positioned properly, you will need to be sure and hold your head up straight. Try to make it so that your chin is level to that of the ground. While you keep your head in this position, you are now ready to look towards your target with a properly positioned head.
Shoulder Positioning
If your lower arm and elbow are properly placed, your shoulder on your release arm is going to naturally fall into the correct position. The shoulder of your bow arm, however, is much more prone to various inconsistencies and manipulations.
To correct this and ensure you maintain the proper shoulder positioning, you must make sure that your shoulder remains in a natural position while you are shooting. Try not to shrug or overextend your shoulder, as this can put your shoulder into an incorrect posture.
Elbow and Lower Arm Positioning
The position of your elbow and lower arm are very important when you are shooting. Luckily, it is not very hard to get these in the correct positions.
For your release arm while at full draw:
- Your elbow is pointing straight away from the target
- Your forearm is completely parallel to the ground
For your bow arm while at full draw:
- Your elbow is pointing outwards and away from the target with a slightly downward angle (it should be pointing away from your bow)
- If you are positioning your elbow correctly, your bow hand will naturally position itself in the proper position, your thumb right around a 45-degree angle.
Your Archor Point
The anchor point is considered to be the very last component of having the perfect archery posture. While the anchor point will vary from archer to archer, the important thing to remember when finding your anchor point is to keep it as natural as possible and consistently use this spot as your anchor point. Just be sure that you choose an anchor point that does not interfere with your shooting line.
For example, some recurve shooters will have an anchor point for their bowstring in their mouth or underneath their chin. This is because these spots maintain the shooting line. At the very same time, there are some compound bow shooters that will use the back of their jawbone as their anchor point. Again, another location that does not interfere with your shooting line.
Again, the most important thing to finding the perfect anchor point is to keep it as natural as possible and continue to use that spot shot after shot.
Tips to Improve Your Archery Posture and Stance
Finding the correct posture and stance is essential to being able to draw your bow fully. It has a huge impact on the amount of power in your shots, as well as increase or decrease how accurate your shots are. Since this is such an important part of archery, here are some tips you can use in order to perfect your form.
1. Practice, Practice, and Practice
While this may seem like a no-brainer, you would be surprised how many people decide not to do this. Simply go out and spend some time practicing. After a couple of hours, you will notice that your muscle memory has kicked in and you no longer need to think about this part of archery.
2. Stay Focused
Even if it feels repetitive, do your best to stay focused and get each of the steps correct. If you decide to simply shoot and not focus on getting each step right, you will soon notice that your form is slipping and affecting your shot.
3. Try to Practice Outside the Range
You don’t always need to be on the range to practice how to stand with proper form. In fact, you can very easily do this at home with your bow. All you need is a stand-in shooting line and you can get some extra practice in. Start small and practice for just 5 minutes every day. You will be pleasantly surprised by how quickly you improve.
Final Thoughts
Finding the best archery stance for your particular style of archery is something that you will need to figure out on your own. Try them all and see which one feels the most natural. As soon as you have chosen the one you want, you can then start working on perfecting your posture. Just remember that finding the proper archery form for yourself will not happen overnight and takes time and practice. But stick with it and you will have proper archery form before you know it!