Discover the Insider Tips and Instructions on How to Shoot a Bow to Become a Master Archer

By Tracy Wineberg

Robin Hood is known for his legendary shooting ability with the longbow. Many of us grew up pretending to be Robin Hood with our imaginary bow and arrows. But, while it may have been easy to shoot that pretend bow as a kid, a good archery shot takes practice and adherence to a fundamental set of instructions on how to shoot a bow.

Visualizing a line from you to the target is one of the basic instructions on how to shoot a bow. This is your shooting line. You should take an arrow and lay it on the ground of your shooting line.

Your shooting stance is another fundamental that must be mastered to successfully shoot a bow. The stance should consist of standing with your toes to the arrow shaft, shoulder width apart. Don't try to toe in or out, but stand squarely. The front foot should go back about 6-10 inches. The stance can be adjusted to what feels comfortable to you.

The next instruction on shooting a bow is to nock an arrow in the center of the bowstring. Nock means to put the bow on the string. The shaft of the arrow should rest on the bow, slightly above the hand grip. Then, hold the bowstring with your first three fingers, putting the nock of the arrow between the middle and index fingers. The bow should be held in the "V" that is formed by your index finger and thumb. The arm needs to stay locked straight.

Now, look and face the target. While looking at the target, raise the bow arm while still keeping it locked. Draw the string back until the thumb is touching your jawbone and the index finger is nearly at the corner of your mouth. Now, find your target, aim, and take a breath that you will hold until the arrow is released. It is best to wear a glove or finger tab while shooting. Let the string slide from your fingers. The shooting position should be held until the arrow hits the target.

And, that's it. Hopefully your shot hit the mark. With practice, these instructions on how to shoot a bow will become a natural, fluid motion that you will be able to do without consciously thinking through each step.

Remember however, archery is a dangerous activity that can result in serious injury or death. Professional instruction is always recommended before attempting to shoot.

Want to learn more about learning archer? Visit http://instructionsonhowtoshootabow.com for a FREE 5 part mini-ecourse on the fundamentals of archery.

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