11 June 2021

In the past weeks that we have been learning archery, I, for one, feel like we have learnt a lot. Before Mary (our instructor) had begun training us, most couldn’t tell between the tip of the bow from the end!In these few weeks, we have learnt not only how to shoot an arrow, but now we don’t even miss the target much anymore!Mary single-handedly taught the whole archery class the correct method on how to shoot an arrow. These are the steps:

01

On one whistle blow, everyone is to approach the shooting line, arrows facing down and bows not dragging on the ground, and we must straddle, one foot on either side of the line, facing to the side, the right side if right-handed, and to the left if left-handed.

02

On two whistle blows, we must knock the arrows in, locking them in position, and make sure they are not falling out. If they are, its most likely because you are pinching the arrow, so you must make more room for the arrow.

03

The stance is very important. A good stance will ensure you hit the target if your aim is correct. Feet apart and balanced, straddled correctly, elbow high up as you pull the arrow, and pull the arrow back until your hand touches your mouth, then release your fingers. Remember to make sure that your hand does not move backwards when you release, or else I guarantee you will not be plucking your arrow from the target.

04

On three whistle blows, we go up to the targets and remove our arrows, which are hopefully on the target, or else we go search for elsewhere, wherever that may
be. One thing to remember as you go up to remove your arrow is to always approach it from the side, and never walk up to it forwards. Arrows are straight lines, and as with straight lines, you can not really appreciate how long they really are unless you look from the side, or unless it pokes you in the chest.

05

One very important thing to remember is to never dryfire. Dryfiring is when you
are shooting a bow without the arrow inside. The vibrations from the drawstring will eventually damage the bow, and, therefore, there is no point to doing so.

06

Never volunteer to be a moving target, it would be seriously unwise to do so. So, if you follow these instructions, you’re basically going to be a pro (like me).
Happy shooting!

Iman Shurie, Year 9B