Advanced Archery Tips and Techniques

Meet coach Lloyd Brown, who led the 1996 and 2000 US Olympic teams. He guides you through drills and skills in the advanced archery DVD to become a better archer.

Advance from the square stance to an open stance to improve stability and posture. Set the front toe midway on back foot and turn the front foot toward the line.

Master proper archer posture using a mirror and light bow, tucking the bottom, pulling the belly to the spine, and keeping the sternum down as you set up and draw.

Learn proper archery alignment to shoot from bone strength, not muscle, using a straight line from grip through shoulders from setup to full draw for better precision.

Develop perfect alignment at full draw with a tall posture, a proper t position, a shoulder dip, and elbow rotation, then master shot execution as the string leaves.

Set a relaxed bow hand with the thumb toward the target and knuckles at 45 degrees. On release, the bow jumps from the hand and is caught by the sling.

Master execution by maintaining tension toward the target before, during, and after the shot, through the clicker, into the follow-through, and avoiding release-based collapse.

Draw and load by setting the shoulder back and engaging the back muscles for proper alignment. Use a cord to feel the line and keep the head over the body.

Use the clicker to establish a consistent draw length and subconscious release for advanced recurve shooting, then draw to the click and finish the shot after it.

Master the final steps of the shot process by transferring energy to the back, loading back muscles, aiming, and expanding through the clicker to execute the shot and sustain follow-through.

Engage the back muscles to keep the shoulder down and back. Lock the front shoulder with the lats and tight triceps to shoot with the back.

Practice the full shot sequence from stance to follow-through, focusing on posture, pre-draw setup, alignment, draw and load, transfer, aim, release, and a smooth follow-through to improve rhythm and timing.

The clicker check drill teaches archers to shoot off the feel of the clicker, not the sound, by maintaining expansion and relaxing the fingers to improve accuracy.

Compound bows use wheels to provide let-off, reducing draw weight. Target bows have longer stabilizers and magnified, micro-adjustable sights; hunting bows use camouflage and fixed five pins.

Explore three compound bow releases: wrist strap finger trigger, thumb trigger, and back tension release, and learn to trigger with back tension rather than the finger.

Learn to anchor a compound bow with a consistent jaw anchor between the first two knuckles, hand on the side of the face, palm out, and peep sight alignment.

Learn to aim a compound bow with front and rear sights, peep sight, magnified sight options, and bubble level for accuracy at full draw; Olympic rules restrict some aids.

Practice these drills from the advanced dvd to build skills and become a better archer. Keep practicing these skills, these drills, and you'll become a much better archer.