Archery is a game in which players have to shoot arrows at the target to earn points. Three athletes in each team have to shoot one arrow at a time and six in total.

Positions

There are three positions and three athletes have to take these positions at a time. We will discuss these positions here.

Position 1

The first position is known as Opener and this athlete has the responsibility to shoot the first arrow and help the rest of the team to set a great momentum for the team. If the shot is not good, it can create a problem for the rest of the team.

Position 2

The athlete in this position is called Middle. This position is called the heart of the team and is considered as weakest and consistent. If the middle archer is good, he may lead his team to win the match.

Position 3

The athlete in this position is called Anchor and has the option of shooting the sixth or the last arrow. The anchor has to shoot the arrow whether he can reach the target score or not. Archers at this position have the best records for shooting arrows.

Archery Stances

Archers have to set their stances properly so that they can shoot the arrows and earn more and more points. The stance refers to the position of the body which helps in shooting the arrow accurately. If the stance is not correct, it can be difficult to shoot the arrow at the target. Many things have to be considered to make an ideal stance placement. Some of these things are as follows −

Players have to stand straight and upright so that every part of the body can be easily controlled.
The foot should be placed in an ideal position to maintain the balance.
Knees should be kept straight and relaxed.

There are many stance options and players can adopt the one which is suitable for them to shoot the arrow. We will discuss different stance positions here.

The Square Stance

The square stance is considered as one of the most popular stances as it is very simple and can be used by beginners as well as expert archers. A square stance helps the players to create a solid base so that the target can be aimed accurately.

For this stance, an archer has to keep his feet parallel to each other and they should be on either side of the shooting line. If a player is a right-hander, his left foot will be in front and his right foot will be at the back. The opposite has to be done by the left-hander.

The Open Stance

This is a type of stance in which the archer has to keep his legs on the opposite sides of the shooting line. The difference between the open stance and the square stance is that the front leg has to be kept slightly back in the open stance. In order to use this stance, the angle of the feet has to be set to a 45 degree so that the face of the feet is towards the target along with the hips.

The Closed Stance

The Closed Stance is the opposite of the open stance. This is a stance in which the front foot is kept at front. Archers have the option of putting their front feet away from the target but the angle should be less than the angle of the front foot in the open stance.

How to Practice Archery Stance?

There are different ways which you can use to practice your stance. Some of them are discussed below −

Straddling the Line

This is a way which depends on whether you are a right-handed or left-handed archer. If you are right-handed, your left foot should be kept forward and the opposite should be followed if you are left-handed.

Width of feet and shoulder

The width of the feet and shoulder should be kept apart when you are standing on the shooting line. If you feel problems while targeting the target and shooting the arrow, it is because your feet may be too close or too far apart.

Consistency should be maintained

Choose the stance and be consistent on it. Practice it as much as possible so that muscle strength can be developed. This will also improve your shooting experience.

Posture maintenance

You always need to stand straight and tall. If you always maintain such a posture, you will be able to improve your shooting accuracy. The back should be kept straight while the knees can be bent a little.

Relaxation

The chest, hips, and torso should be relaxed which will help in the reduction of the muscle strain. Shoulders should be relaxed at regular intervals because if this will not be done, you may not be able to shoot accurately.

The head should be kept straight

The head should be kept straight for accurate shooting.

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