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Aiming can be a tricky thing. You’ve got to remember to do it (we’ve all forgotten to aim on shots, right?), but you don’t want to be aiming for too long. This article sets out a few solutions for those having problems.

Not aiming at all

This is where an archer releases almost as soon as reaching full draw, and often gets called ‘target panic,’ or for recurve archers ‘gold rush’. This, unfortunately, affects most archers to some degree at some point, and is very frustrating. It also illustrates how large a role our subconscious mind has to play in a shot, as opposed to the rational, computing way we think we go about shooting.

While there are no hard and fast solutions for target panic, the following are a few pointers that I personally have found helpful.

• Forget scoring for a while; focus solely on correcting your technique.
• Move closer to the target – a lot closer if necessary. When shooting close to the target it becomes far easier to feel the shot because we focus more on what our bodies are doing – at long distance focus shifts to conscious aiming. Take some time out of your regular rounds to shoot up close to the target, not more than ten metres or so, and shoot with your eyes closed. Forget completely about where you are aiming and where your arrows are going, and focus only on your technique. Hopefully, you will find this strangely liberating, and you may be surprised by how your arrows group on the target. This is your subconscious aiming at work – your brain still aims even when your eyes are closed!
• Count to three at full draw. Very simple, but harder than you might think if you’re used to shooting very quickly.

Aiming too much

Aiming too much can actually paralyse your shot, leading you to over-analyse what you are doing. Remember, shooting should be a drawn out movement where you effectively aren’t still at any point – even at full draw you need to be maintaining back-tension. And unless this has become second nature to you, this is what you need to be focusing on. Over-aiming often leads to problems with your release, forward loosing and fatigue.

If this happens to you, again a possible answer is to move up-close to the target, and shoot with your eyes closed. It will force you to focus on your technique rather than worrying too much about where your arrows are going, and this is the mindset you need to then take back to your regular rounds.

In the earlier times and battles, it can be rightly said that archery was the major warfare which was used to fight between the enemies and the mention of archery and various renowned archers of the time have repeatedly been spoken of in the various epics and mythologies. Archery is more correctly explained as the art form, a skill or a talent which indicates the propelling of the arrows by a bow to our desired location. The use of bows and arrows were widely used in hunting and battles in the ancient era, but in the recent times, it is used mostly for recreational purposes.

There are two terms denoted to the users who use the bow and arrow. The individual practicing this art form is called as the ‘bowman’ or the ‘archer’. However, the person who has great experience at archery or who is genuinely interested in this art form is called ‘toxophilite’. This art form mainly consists of bows and arrows and it is surprising and astonishing to note that bows were first invented in the Paleolithic or Mesolithic age, which explains the extensive use of these objects in the ancient times.

However, there is no proof of the fact that bows could have been made and used before the Paleolithic or Mesolithic age. However, shafts are a part of the ancient civilization and were used before bows and arrows. With the several evidences found on the matter, the ancient arrows have been produced from the pine wood and we can also see that there is great evidence of the usage of bows and arrows in the predynastic origins of the Egyptian culture.

Evidence pertaining to the use of bows and arrows has been found in the various ancient civilizations of Indians, Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, etc. wherein the kings had armies with archers who had great expertise in the field of archery. As technology progressed, sharper and easier using equipments came into the picture and thus bows and arrows have been completely taken off from the modern face of battles and wars.

String of the bows is found in all kinds of bows in the modern and olden times and it is the part which connects the limb of the bow which is kind of the central part. The limb is mainly flexible or elastic in nature and usually two types of bow are present. One of the bows work by pulling the string and forcing the arrow to move forward while there are certain varieties of bows which even works by a mechanism which helps in pushing out the arrow.

In the present age, compound bows have become very famous and in fact they have been prepared by using the modern-day techniques wherein the emphasis is implied on making the archer apply reduced energy and thus there are other mechanisms which propel the arrow. The main advantage of compound bows is that the user can aim in a much better way and there are elliptical wheels or cams at the limb ends that help the archer to propel the arrow forward.

The design of the arrows is very simple and mostly they are shaped kind of a shaft. The shaft usually is equipped with an arrowhead which makes up the front side and at the other side we have the bird feathers which are the fletchings or the nock. The shaft can be made of various materials like wood, fiberglass, aluminium alloy and carbon fiber.

Archery is turning into a grand competitive sport and not only men but women are also becoming keenly interested in this art form and are devoting considerable time to master it.