Torque is archery accuracy’s worst enemy. You can line up everything precisely while aiming, but twist the shot off axis at the moment of release and everything turns to garbage. Seventy-five percent of torque is created by the bow hand, the only point of contact with the bow following release. The remainder is caused by improper bow balance, a type of torque mitigated with balancing stabilizers. A bow should sit upright in the hand evenly and effortlessly while at rest and pointed at the target, and especially at full draw. If it doesn’t, work to make it so by adding long or short stabilizers where needed.

Gripping the bow handle is where problems start, even if you consciously begin the shot with a loose grip of the bow. At the moment you release the string, the natural inclination is to grab the bow for fear of dropping or losing control as it comes to rest. This is why you should install a wrist sling while assembling your new bow. Combined with proper “grip,” a wrist sling adjusted to support the bow should alleviate such apprehension.

To help instill proper bow grip, let’s drop the moniker “grip” and replace it with “cradle.” While sliding your hand into the wrist sling, create a V of your fingers (held together nearly vertically) and thumb. This isn’t a rigid V, but a relaxed slot to slide over your bow grip. No real side pressure is necessary. The pressure of the draw weight against the heel of your hand keeps the bow in place while aiming and releasing, with the wrist sling catching it after. The idea is to allow the bow to find its own balance, with your hand relaxed at the moment any string pressure is applied. On release, nothing moves. Your hand should remain open and relaxed until the arrow strikes the target. The bow might even tip forward slightly. If you find you’re simply unable to make yourself do this, try encircling the riser handle with your thumb and pointing finger, lightly touching them to create a capturing ring, otherwise exerting no actual pressure on the grip itself.

To maximize accuracy and repeatability, use the stronger bone structure of the all-important bow arm, instead of muscle, to bring the bow to bear. For me, this means cocking my bow-arm elbow slightly downward, pushing the heel of my hand into the back of the grip, with my hand rotating slightly inward and allowing the weight of the draw to push straight down the radius of my arm’s skeletal frame. Attempting to hold a bow rigidly with only muscle power leads to fatigue and eventually shaking while at full draw. Using the skeletal structure of your arm will allow you to keep muscles relaxed and settle in more steadily for the shot.

Hang in there; we’ll be delving into anchoring dynamics next time.

Previously we discussed the basic gear you’ll need to start shooting and enjoying all archery has to offer. But before you get really serious about bowhunting live game you’ll need a quality laser rangefinder. In archery, small discrepancies in yardage – anything from three to five yards, depending on arrow speed – can lead to big misses. In the back yard you can easily step off distances, one step equaling about a yard, to get started. In hunting this obviously isn’t possible.

As you become more experienced you’ll no doubt discover your range-judging skills improving (unmarked-yardage 3-D archery tournaments are a fun and exciting way to hone these abilities), but in the beginning you’ll be hard-pressed to differentiate 25 yards from 35 – especially under pressure when faced with your first big-game animal. Modern laser rangefinders make this easy, correlating an aiming point in the viewfinder with the target, clicking a button and noting the distance on the LCD readout. Most modern units also automatically provide compensated range for sudden drops in elevation (such as shooting from an elevated treestand) to take the guesswork out of steep uphill and downhill shots, which normally require aiming low to compensate for geometric angles.

By now you should have started practicing to kill, setting up a treestand to simulate real-world hunting scenarios (climbing onto the roof of your house works in a pinch, so long as your neighbors won’t become alarmed), and even purchasing rubber blunts or Judo Points (small-game heads equipped with spring arms to keep arrows from burying in leaves or grass) the same weight as your field points/broadheads to practice shooting in the field. This is called stump shooting and is a great way to hone your shooting skills and range-judging in an atmosphere that’s more enjoyable than plunking arrows into a soulless foam target. I use these stump-shooting sessions as dress rehearsals, donning the standard camouflage clothing I will wear in the field, as well as packs, safety harnesses, binoculars and all the rest to assure nothing interferes with a smooth shot. 

There’s much more to learn, of course, and in my next series of blogs, we’ll begin addressing the finer points of basic shooting form needed to advance into the role of a deadly bowhunter. But learning new skills is also where all the fun in archery and bowhunting lays. The important thing to remember is bowhunting’s now accessible to all, young and old, big and small, thanks to modern technology and the efficient equipment it has spawned.