STL All Sports

The shooting position, above all, should be comfortable. One cannot do good shooting in an awkward and uncomfortable position. When a good stance has been attained do not change the position until shooting is finished. Better results will be obtained if this advice is followed. Be sure not to let any idiosyncrasies, such as leaning forward or backward, creep in to spoil your shots. This can be easily remedied if one will always remember to keep his weight equally distributed on both feet.

The Grip.--The bow is grasped in the left hand by right-handed archers and vice versa by those who are left-handed. The grip is taken at the handle so that the top of the handle is nearly level with the top of the grasping hand, with the top limb of the bow uppermost. A firm but not too tight a grip is taken, being loose enough so that the handle will adjust itself properly in the hand when the draw begins.

There should be a feeling that the hand is pushing against the bow instead of holding it tightly. The bow should be held against the ball of the thumb, passing diagonally across the hand from the heel to between the thumb and forefinger. The hand is rotated about a 45-degree angle with the wrist. As the hand is rotated the elbow swings outward, pulling the forearm away from the bow string. This produces a slightly bent elbow which is firmly braced against the shoulder and prevents the bow string from whipping the wrist. The wrist and forearm are held nearly straight in this operation and the shoulder is low. It is particularly necessary to remember to keep the shoulder low, because any great tendency to hunch the shoulder will cause the arrow to go to the left.