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Best Shooting Basics by Coach Jim White, Regional High Performance Coach |
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February 2007 Follwing is a series of training tips on the BEST method, written by Coach Jim White . He is a Regional High Performance Coach, Level 4 NAA Coach,and Chairman of the Georgia Archery Team. T he series will be initially directed to those that have already become fairly proficient at shooting, and are looking to adopt the BEST method. Training series will follow with "basic" tips for those getting starting in the sport. Below: Part 4 & 5 are found on the current March newsletter ------------------- BIOMECHANICALLY EFFICIENT SHOOTING TECHNIQUE (Better know as the BEST Method) USA Archery National Head Coach Kisik Lee developed the BEST Method for competitive archery while coaching the Korean National Team. The Korean Team has won most of gold medals at the Olympic Games as well as setting World and Olympic records in the process. Without a doubt, this method has proven to be the pinnacle in recurve archery form for high level competition. As a result, the National Archery Association has hired Coach Lee to train the USA Team using the BEST Method with the intention of winning at the international and Olympic levels. Coach Lee has identified coaches around the country as candidates to teach his method at the grass roots level in order to create a pool of archers to draw from in creating the US Team. As High Performance Coaches, we have trained on multiple occasions with Coach Lee and also had the opportunity to work with elite level and Olympic level archers at the Olympic Training Centers in Chula Vista CA and Colorado Springs, CO. In 2006, the Georgia Archery Association, started the Georgia Archery Team Program designed to help Georgia archers improve their skills and reach a higher level of competition. Recently, USA Archery announced its “ Champs Program ”. This program does the same thing only on a national scale. You can learn more about these programs on the GAA web site at www.gaarchery.org and the USA Archery web site at www.usarchery.org . I’ve been asked to comment on the BEST Method and to write tips on how to best (no pun intended) put it to use in your efforts to improve your shooting skill. I will explain each part of the Method and then I will try to give you some insight on how to make it work for you. Let me be very clear about a couple of things when you begin to use this method. It is easy to understand, but it is not easy do at first! If you don’t do it the right way in the beginning, you will find it almost impossible to do at all! Furthermore, you can actually hurt yourself if you try to shortcut the process, so don’t! Part one in series. (back to top) Having said that, let’s begin at the beginning. The very first thing you must do, (assuming you have all the correct equipment), is to get your mind right. You must understand and accept the fact that you will be starting over with everything you have learned about flinging an arrow with a bow. You also must accept that this will be a slow process at times and that it won’t happen overnight. If you can get to this point with your thinking, you’ve just taken a big step on the path to a new you! The next thing you need is a coach who understands and can teach the BEST Method. This is hard enough with a coach…nearly impossible without one. Fortunately, we have several in Georgia . You can find a listing on this web site. To explain the process of teaching and learning the BEST Method, I’ll write about how I go about the process with an archer: The first step is to just sit and have a conversation with the archer about what they hope to accomplish in archery.
The second step is to do an evaluation of the archer’s current equipment and shooting style. I want to see how well they are handling the current draw weight and if the equipment is setup properly. I will evaluate the current shooting form, noting areas that need the most attention. This is where we can make the most gains the fastest, although that may not necessarily be where we initially start. After the evaluation, I will give them a written (also with pictures) copy of the BEST Method and ask them to study this document until our next meeting. Before ending the session, we will read over the material together so I can answer any initial questions. Note that I said I wanted the archer to study the material. Yes, that is study , not just scan it and lay it aside. Read it, then re-read it again and again. I learn something new every time I read it. What I want the archer to do is to start to incorporate the BEST Method into his/her archery thinking on a regular basis, really begin to try and understand why this is the best way to shoot an arrow. Also at this first meeting, I will demonstrate the Method using a stretch band, (A Thera-band, surgical tubing, etc.). Then I will ask the archer to show me that they can perform the shot sequence with the stretch band. I will then ask them to practice with only the Thera-band one hour a day for the next week in front of a mirror at home while using the printed material as a reference. That will end our first session. If you want to follow along with this thread, I’ll post a new section each week on the process. If you don’t have a copy of the BEST Method, you can download one from our site as a word .doc http://www.kennesawarchery.org/documents/BESTHandOut.doc I will refer to this document for each part of the shot sequence as we get in to the details of how to do it. BEST Regards, Jim White RHP – Level 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Part 2 in Series: Setting goals and mapping out a training plan . Setting Goals and Mapping a Training Plan In the first session, I talked about the archer and coach’s first meeting. The coach should do an evaluation of the archer’s equipment and current shooting style. After demonstrating the BEST Method to the archer, the archer is to practice the BEST form with a stretch band for the next week, no shooting yet. In this session I’ll outline the beginning of a training plan and why it should be structured as it is. The first thing we learned as coaches of the BEST Method is that it’s very difficult to learn while using the bow the archer is currently shooting. It’s just too much weight to handle while in the learning process. The BEST Method will use muscles that normally haven’t been used in executing a proper shot and, if you have been shooting for a while, you will remember when you first started in archery you had difficulty in drawing the bow at your current draw weight until your muscles became accustomed to the weight. The same will be true in starting to use the BEST Method because, essentially, you will be starting from scratch just as if you were new to the sport. You will need to train new muscles to get to the proper form. I am finding it difficult to convince archers they must put away their bow for a period of time and just work with just a stretch band and a static strap to learn the proper elements of the BEST Method. Then, when I put a bow in their hand, they find it surprising it’s still not their own bow, but a 15 # “starter” bow instead! I guess they feel like they are going backwards, but this step is very necessary. If you don’t start this way, it’s practically impossible to learn the proper form. You must remember, this is not an instant cure-all for your form and it doesn’t happen overnight. If you take the time to do it right, it will improve your score and that’s the end goal. At this point, the coach should evaluate the archer’s form again after the week of practice at home with the stretch band to be absolutely sure the archer understands each component of the shot sequence and can satisfactorily demonstrate it with the stretch band. The coach should make any necessary adjustments to the archer’s form until it’s good enough to practice at home alone. Now comes the planning part. The old adage, “If you fail to plan, you surely plan to fail” fits this part perfectly. You must have a written plan. If it’s not on paper and reviewed on a regular basis, it probably won’t get done. Sorry, that’s just a fact. We’ve posted a Word document on Goal Setting on this site that explains what needs to be considered when setting goals. Please read it before you begin to set your goals. You will need to set short, medium and long-term goals. Short range goals should be no more than 90 days out. Medium range goals should be six months to a year away and long term goals should be one to three years. Here’s an example of how to set some short range goals: First, start with what your end goals will be 90 days out. It might be shooting a fixed number of arrows per day in practice. It could be reaching a FITA Round or Indoor Round score of __ ? __ points by then. It may be that you need to develop more physically and need to concentrate on things to do in the workout room with weights, treadmill or other equipment. Once you have the 90 day goal, then set goals for 30 and 60 days that will get you to the 90 day goals. Remember, take it slow and easy in the first ninety days to allow time for the muscles to develop. The physical training is important here as is proper diet. Take the time to develop a sensible approach to both. Consulting a physical trainer and a nutritionist is a good idea if time and money permits. The coach and archer should agree on what needs the most work, in what order, how much and how often. The goals should be specific rather than general. Instead of saying, “I’m going to work on my bow arm”, the goal should state “I will raise my bow arm from the starting position __?__ times per day using the latisimus dorsi muscle and flexing my bow arm triceps while concentrating on keeping my bow shoulder down in the socket”. Now, that’s specific! It spells out exactly what is to be done with an expected result. For the first week the archer should not shoot any arrows. You should work with a stretch band or a 15 # bow in front of a mirror to perfect getting into the proper BEST Method body position. Do this at least an hour a day. If you have a video camera, set it up and film yourself from all angles so you can see what you are doing. If you can, download the pictures to a computer and send them to your coach for evaluation between sessions. This will speed up the process. In order to get the muscles up to the task of handling the archer’s normal bow weight, it will be necessary to do increased bow weight training. The way to do it is by Specific Physical Training (SPT). Go to Coach Lee’s web site. There is a full explanation of how it is to be done. http://www.kslinternationalarchery.com/Training/SPTs/SPTs.html When I was at the Olympic Training Center in September, 2006, all the resident athletes, elite archers and the Olympic Team archers practiced these exercises every day for a minimum of 30 minutes. They hated doing the exercises, but they all said it was paying off and they all agreed it was a necessary part in getting to the form they wanted. Please don’t shortcut this step! The goals can be broken down into weekly goals for an even finer cut. The goals should be reviewed each week by the coach. If a goal was not met for that week or that month, it should be re-committed until it is reached. If it was good enough to have been made, it’s good enough not to skip it! After the first week, the archer should be ready to begin shooting some arrows in practice with a 15# bow. This should be done close-up (max.10 feet) to the target with no target face on the target butt. The number of arrows shot probably should not exceed 36 a day for this week. Then, increase the daily number by 12 each week until the archer is shooting at least 72 arrows a day. This should fill the first 30 days. Then move up the bow weight to what the archer can handle on an increasing basis until the archer can shoot 72 arrows a day at the normal bow weight. This will take 2-3 months, usually. Once comfortable at this level, then begin to slowly work up to a full FITA Round once per week mixed in with daily close up practice until the archer is averaging 200 – 250 arrows per day. This will probably take 6-9 months, depending on the archer. The coach should be available to evaluate the archer’s form and make adjustments. Once satisfied the archer can do it correctly, the archer should then practice every day at home under in close-up conditions while working on a specific portion of the BEST Method. Don’t try to work on the whole thing at once! It’s too much to think about at one time. Just pick one or two things in the Method and work on that until it’s perfect and then move on. Eat the elephant one bite at a time! One thing the archer should do without fail is to keep a daily training log . There is a copy posted on this web site. I can’t emphasize enough how important this can be. It is designed to collect information that will show trends over time and also identify areas that need more or less attention. This is a good tool for the archer, but it’s an even better tool for the coach. It’s a daily feedback that the coach can use in directing the course of training. It’s not that difficult to do, it only takes a couple of minutes each day, and it’s so important! As the archer increases strength and is able to handle more bow weight, the SPT exercises can be increased either in time spent or more bow weight by adding stretch bands to the bow around the string to increase draw weight. We’ll slowly work our way up to the archer’s normal bow weight over a couple of months. Then the longer distance practices can begin at actual target faces with the archer’s own bow while refining the use of the BEST Method. If the archer has followed a slow, steady, pace in ramping up to the normal bow weight, there should be no injuries and the archer’s confidence level will be very high. Then the honing of the archer’s shooting skills can be intensified to reach the archer’s ultimate goals. Again, this is not easy. But then, if it was, everybody would want to do it! If you are motivated to be a top flight archer and compete in the big tournaments, this is the only way to go. There are currently no recurve archers in the world shooting over 1350 FITA Rounds that aren’t using the BEST Method! It works. I n the next session: “The Foundation of the Shot” (with pictures!) BEST Regards,
Jim White RHP Coach – Level IV ---------------------------------------------- The Best Method (#3) back to top In my first two postings, I explained how to begin with the BEST Method as a coach’s first meeting with the archer and then how to set goals and make a training plan. This time we will get into the first stages of learning the proper form in detail. Over the course of these sessions, we will cover the BEST Method in the shot sequence steps and, hopefully, I can offer some tips on how to help you incorporate it into your shooting form. We will cover: I. The Foundation of the Shot Stance Body Position Center of Gravity & Stability The Bow Shoulder The Draw Shoulder The Bow arm The String Hand The Grip • The Shot Set-up Mindset Pre-draw Draw Anchor III. The Execution of the Shot Transfer/Loading and Holding Aiming and Expansion Release Follow-Through IV. The Recovery Relaxation and FeedbackFor illustrative purposes, I have copied portions of text from the BEST Method document so you will be able to see many of the form positions with explanations directly from Coach Lee’s book, “Total Archery”. I have used BOLD font letters where I want to emphasize material from the book and I have used italics to indicate my own words. Regular type indicates passages from Coach Lee’s book . As you can see, there are seventeen steps in the shot sequence, just a few more than the old “nine steps to the ten ring” we used to teach. Each step must be understood as to how it relates to all the others and none must be shortchanged in its execution. Let’s begin with the Foundation of the Shot: The Stance begins with the placement of the feet. Beginning archers should stand at the shooting line with a s quare or slightly open stance. The toes of the archer’s shoes should be on a line towards the target or with the target side foot no more than 2” or 3” behind that line. A more open stance is acceptable for higher level archers who have found that the resulting twist of the torso increases archer stability in windy conditions.
Square Stance
Slightly Open Stance
A more open stance is acceptable for higher level archers When standing at the shooting line, allow the feet to spread out both longer and wider. The archer should feel a sensation of sinking into the ground or spreading roots. The leg position has the knees relaxed but not bent. Archers should work on building leg strength and core strength. Strong legs and torso muscles are the foundations of stability. Strengthening the legs should be a major focus in an archer’s physical training program. An archer’s weight distribution on the feet should be about 70% on the balls of the feet where the body’s balance receptors are located. Keeping your weight forward improves your balance and can reduce the tendency of the body to rock while standing at the line. It may be helpful to wear a shoe with a slightly raised heel to help shift the weight forward. Avoid shoes with soft or rounded soles such as those found on typical running and cross-training shoes. These types of shoes separate the archer’s foot from the ground and reduce the stability of the shot platform. Tip: Flat bottomed shoes such as sandals or flip flops also work well. Some archers have used snowboard boots because of the perfectly flat bottoms. Find a shoe that gives you good stability and go with that. Note that I have highlighted the different stances to be used for beginners vs. advanced archers. Beginners will find it easier to keep a square stance so they can get into the proper alignment with their shoulders and drawing arm without having to twist their upper body. This alignment is critical! We’ll talk more about this later. Body Position
The body position aligns the u pper body with lower body. The shoulders, chest & ribs should be relaxed and moved down. The positioning of the ribs and shoulders should be straight down, with no “hunching” or slouching. The pelvis is rotated vertically with the lower part of the pelvis forward to tuck under the body. The goal is to create a “flat back” and avoid the deep curvature of the back that has been common in older US shooting technique. The head is held in a natural vertical position and is turned toward the target without tilting. The neck and shoulder muscles are relaxed Tip: It’s very important to work with a knowledgeable coach on this part to insure you get it right. The correct stance and body position is the true foundation of the shot. Without this, your form will not be consistent and will fall apart in competition! Center of Gravity and Stability:
For stability, the center of gravity (COG) of the archer must be as low as possible. When you stand on the line, allow the body to relax downward. It is especially important to keep the ribs and shoulders down at all times during the shot. Chest compression (or keeping the ribs down) provides several biomechanical advantages to the archer. It prevents arching of the back and allows the back to relax. Chest compression aids body stability and improves the clearance between the chest and the string. Lowering the ribs improves the alignment and stability of the shoulders and promotes good overall balance . Tip: A good way to achieve the correct position here is to “bow”, only slightly, (as it is done in Asia when greeting someone), and hold that position before raising the bow.
The Draw Shoulder: The draw (rear) shoulder must be kept down as low as possible during the pre-draw, draw and throughout the shot. Raise the bow into position by moving the arms upward without raising the shoulders (extremely important!) . The drawing hand and forearm should lie on a line even with or slightly below the line of the anchor point and should come to full draw as one unit. The alignment of the forces that hold the bow and string is very important. Avoid positioning the hands, elbows and shoulders in such a way as to create angles, rather than straight lines. The tip of the drawing elbow should (must!) be in line with the arrow at full draw when viewed both from the side and when viewed from behind. The Bow Shoulder:
The bow (front) shoulder must be kept down also . Raise only the bow arm and bow, not the shoulder when bringing the bow up into pre-draw position. As you raise and extend the bow arm, feel as if you are reaching for the target. “Feel” as though you are raising the arm from underneath by activating the latisimus dorsi muscles seen in the illustration. Keep in mind that the elevation of the arm is performed by the deltoid muscle on top of the shoulder region, but when raising the bow arm the archer should focus less on the deltoid and more on engaging the muscles underneath the arm to promote stability and to help keep the shoulder low. As you reach for the target look for the acromial notch (dip or groove) in the shoulder as a sign that you have found correct position and extension, as seen in the photo below.
The Bow Shoulder The key components of the shoulder are shown in the illustration on the downloaded Word .doc. The acromion is a bony extension of the scapula that rises above the shoulder joint. The coracoid process is another bony extension of the scapula that comes towards the front of the body. The articular cartilage is a protective and lubricative material on the top end of the humerus or upper arm bone. The glenoid fossa acts as a cushioning and lubricative material attached to the shoulder socket portion of the scapula. The scapula are attached to the rib cage with muscles that allow it to move up and down, left and right, as well as rotating clockwise and counterclockwise. The BEST method places a lot of attention on correct scapula position both during the draw and while at anchor . The Bow Arm: A good bow arm is strong and steady and does not move upon execution of the shot until after the arrow has cleared. The head of the humerus or upper arm bone must be rotated internally (clockwise for a right-handed archer) into position for proper alignment, stability and strength. This will also cause the bow elbow to rotate out (away form the arrow).
Note the position of the bow arm elbow rotated away from the arrow . Tip: The bow arm is the last thing that can affect the impact of the arrow into the target. If you think about it, even if you are aimed dead center on the ten ring at the moment of release and you move your bow arm just one eighth of an inch before the arrow leaves the string, you just moved your sight aperture one eighth of an inch! Now look at your sight settings and see what distance that represents on your sight bar. That accounts for the distance you missed the ten ring. Nuff said? The more stable your bow arm, the tighter the groups. (That should be an archery law, written down somewhere!) The String Hand:
This string placement allows the archer to form a solid, deep hook with the draw hand. The deep hook enables the draw hand to relax and minimizes muscle stress. Keep back of string hand flat and vertical. As part of your shot routine, visually check the draw hand position on every shot for consistency. It is also important to verify the position of the draw fingers and the finger tab with respect to the nocking point. Even a small variation in finger position along the string can have a big impact on consistency.
The tab should fit the middle finger rather snugly, with no movement upon release. Tabs should be modified to the individual’s fit. Length, thickness and material should all be examined and changed until it feels so good the archer doesn’t have to give it a thought during the shot process. The Bow Hand:
The bow hand placement can be facilitated by putting a modest amount of tension on the string as the bow hand is relaxed and placed into position. This string tension will hold the position of the draw hand on the string and will set the bow handle into the bow hand.
The bow hand should fit snugly into the upper portion of the throat of the grip. The knuckles of the bow hand should be relaxed and positioned at a 45 degree angle to the bow riser. The thumb should be pointed toward target. A wrist or finger sling should be used to restrain the bow from flying forward out of the hand during the release. At no time should the bow handle be grasped. The Grip & Grip Pressure: The direction, distribution and amount of pressure on the bow hand must be consistent and “natural.” At no time should the bow handle contact the bow hand to the outside of the “life line’.
A moderately low wrist position is stronger and more forgiving when shooting lots of arrows. This wrist position also directs the force of the bow directly through the bones and minimizes the fatigue of holding the wrist in an unnatural position. However, it is common for elite archers to customize their bow grip, often making it moderately high. A customized grip that aides in getting consistent hand placement can be very valuable and if properly designed can compensate for the normally weaker low wrist position. The grip modification shown below will benefit the biomechanics of the bow arm, improve bow hand stability and compensate for bow hand torque. Properly designed, the modified grip will help the archer develop the correct hand position and consistent “feel.” The bow hand position must be natural and never forced. The grip can be modified by adding epoxy putty to the plastic grip and shaping it with a rasp. Tip: If the grip doesn’t allow the hand to feel completely relaxed, change it! You must have 100% confidence in your equipment setup. Being in a competition with the nagging thought in the back of your brain that you should have fixed this earlier is a sure score buster!
To summarize, t he foundation of the shot focuses on arranging the body and its component parts into the strongest and most stable configuration possible prior to the application of internal and external forces. This is accomplished by proper “load bearing” alignment that reduces fatigue and the potential for injury. Establishing stability will reduce movement during the shot and increase the archer’s sense of confidence. The foundation must, in every instance, be established precisely the same way every time to create consistency. The foundation also sets the tone for the shot and supports the shot, making it easier to execute and thus easier to duplicate. The design of this set of foundation positions is supported by carefully observed biomechanical and physical principles. It is the most efficient and effective way to perform an archery shot. These basics take time to perfect and can’t be shortcut. Without these in place you won’t be able move on to the rest of the shot sequence with any kind of success. Remember when I said you need to get your mind right about what it will take to do this? It starts right here with these steps first. Get them right and you’re on your way and it will make the rest a lot easier. Without them, you’ll struggle, become frustrated, and quit. Be patient, it will pay off big time when you really need it. Next time we’ll explore the shot setup. We’ll refine the physical and mental steps that will get you ready to fire arrows at the ten ring on an accurate and consistent basis. Until then, go back and read these steps until you are really comfortable in understanding them. That’s the easy part. Then, work with your coach to perfect them in practice. That’s the hard part. If you have questions, email me at KACArcher@aol.com BEST Regards, Jim White – RHP Coach – Level IV
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It is important to have consistent string hand placement and confirmation
. As you grasp the string with your draw hand the s tring should be
positioned just behind the first joint of the middle finger. 
Tip:
Use a tab with no ledge. The top of the index finger should be used
as the contact point with your jawbone. This allows the hand to get
closer to the side of the neck and puts it in a better position for
the release path. More on that later. 
