National Training System (N.T.S.) Archery:
"The American Style"
There are 10-12 major steps that N.T.S. focuses on (depending who you ask), and this form of archery is predominantly used by U.S.A.A. Instructors. This will focus on the 10 step method. A more in-depth description of this form that includes the 12-step method can be found on the KSL International Archery website here: http://www.kslinternationalarchery.com/Technique/KSLShotCycle/KSLShotCycle-USA.html
*The following NTS step descriptions are a summary of the above link, with additional editing from U.C. Merced Archery Team Instructors. The short poem attached to the step subtitles is by U.C. Berkeley Coach Dennis L. and is commonly taught to instructors in training. These steps are identical to the recurve shot process, with minor adjustments to cater to some barebow techniques and styles.
*The following NTS step descriptions are a summary of the above link, with additional editing from U.C. Merced Archery Team Instructors. The short poem attached to the step subtitles is by U.C. Berkeley Coach Dennis L. and is commonly taught to instructors in training. These steps are identical to the recurve shot process, with minor adjustments to cater to some barebow techniques and styles.
Steps:
1) Stance: ''A proper STANCE is how it's begun...''
The archer should create a straight line between them and the center of the target. They should begin by placing both feet on that imaginary line shoulder width apart. The back foot (farthest from the target) should be moved forward a little bit by a few inches to create an "open" stance. Rotate the front foot by a few degrees towards the target on the heels, and hips should be slightly open to the target. The archer should have good posture, and can imagine "squishing a dime between the rear cheeks and crushing an orange with your core". Finally, the archer's knees can be slightly rotated outwards in order to "lock them in place", to reduce movement through the shot process.
2) Nock: ''NOCK the arrow in front of you...''
Place the arrow on the string, under the nocking point. With the index fletching facing the archer.
3) Hook/Grip & Set: ''SET the hand to the proper degree...''
Depending on the archer's preference, the fingers can be placed in two different ways for barebow. The first way is called "split-finger method", which is primarily used by recurve archers, but can be adapted to barebow. For this method, place the index finger on the draw hand above the nocked arrow, and place the middle and ring finger below the arrow. The string should rest behind the first joint of the fingers. The second way is called "three fingers under", and is preferred by most barebow archers. For this method, all fingers are placed under the nocked arrow, and the string is placed the same way. This method allows for techniques like string walking and face walking, which barebow archers use to help aiming without a sight.
The bow hand should be positioned so that the thumb is pointing at the target once the bow is raised up fully. The grip should be fairly relaxed, and the use of a finger sling will help keep the bow from falling out of the hand after the shoot is done. The thumb and index finger should do most of the "gripping" of the riser, while the other fingers should be free and be at a downward angle from the bow. Ensure that the grip is comfortable and consistent for all shots before drawing the bow back.
To get in the "set" position, the archer holds the bow up a little and places a little tension on the string without pulling it back. Calm, steady breaths should be made. This position is where the archer should be before drawing the bow back, and should be when the archer readies both the body and mind for the shot.
4) Set Up: ''SET-UP some more, to peek through the 'door'...''
With about 60-70% of body weight on the balls of the feet, and about 30-40% on the heels, the archer will keep their hips open and the shoulders should be inline with the center of the target. The archer's sternum should be tucked in and abdominal muscles should be tightened. The hips should be rotated forward to squeeze the buttocks together slightly. (A common phrase among Californian U.S.A.A. instructors is to "imagine an orange on your abs and you want to crush it with your abs, and there's a dime in your a** and you want to squeeze it out"...) This should be done while the archer slowly raises the bow up to the proper level.
The string should not be "forcibly" drawn back, but in this process, the positioning of the shoulder and scapulae will bring it naturally back as you set up. This is sometimes called the "pre draw".
4) Set Up: ''SET-UP some more, to peek through the 'door'...''
With about 60-70% of body weight on the balls of the feet, and about 30-40% on the heels, the archer will keep their hips open and the shoulders should be inline with the center of the target. The archer's sternum should be tucked in and abdominal muscles should be tightened. The hips should be rotated forward to squeeze the buttocks together slightly. (A common phrase among Californian U.S.A.A. instructors is to "imagine an orange on your abs and you want to crush it with your abs, and there's a dime in your a** and you want to squeeze it out"...) This should be done while the archer slowly raises the bow up to the proper level.
The string should not be "forcibly" drawn back, but in this process, the positioning of the shoulder and scapulae will bring it naturally back as you set up. This is sometimes called the "pre draw".
5) Draw and Load: ''DRAW and LOAD, the back is alive...''
The string is drawn straight back to about 2-3 inches below the anchor point after setting up. Fingers of the draw hand and draw forearm should have a minimum amount of tension. They must be as relaxed as possible. The bow must remain above the horizontal center line of the target during the draw stage starting from the set up phase to reduce the amount of tension in the bow arm. Ensure that the archer does not naturally lean back to counter the weight of the bow and that they maintain good posture. It is recommended to inhale while drawing back to create the natural feeling of "gaining strength".
6) Anchor: ''All is aligned when the ANCHOR is fixed...''
Once at full draw, the arm and the hand come up to the anchor point as one unit. For barebow archers, the two most common anchor points are below the chin (similar to a recurve bow anchor), where the hand rests right under the jaw bone, and touching your mouth, where the index or middle finger of the draw hand is touching either the corner of the mouth where the lips meet, or a specific tooth, which is slightly more consistent. (For right handed archers, the anchor should be on the right side of the face, and the left side for left handed archers.) For archers using the three fingers under method, a constant anchor point on the mouth is recommended to assist with string walking. The archer should try to find a good anchor point that aligns the bow string with the center of the archer's aiming eye. (The aiming eye matches the hand that the archer is using to draw the bow.)
The archer's elbow should appear ''in-line'' with the arrow when viewed from the side in terms of height. This is crucial for the transfer and hold stage. The elbow should also appear in-line with the arrow when viewed from the top, or slightly behind that line. From a front view, the elbow should ''disappear'' behind the archer's head.
7) Transfer and Holding: ''TRANSFER and HOLD, the body's in heaven(?)...''
It is important to ensure that the archer is not yet focused on aiming until after this step. In this process, some of the draw load and tension in the draw hand, forearm, and bow hand, is transferred to the lower back muscles. This should take no longer than about half a second.
Once the critical holding position is reached, all focus should be on the back muscles. The scapulae is rotated down and more towards the spine, squeezing down as the body enters the aim and expansion phase. The deep, relaxed breath taken in during the draw is slowly exhaled until the lungs are somewhere between 70%-50% capacity, allowing the arrow to naturally settle in line with the target. From this point until the shot is complete, the breath must now be held. If the breath is held for too long after this stage, the archer should slowly ease the bow back down and prepare for another shot attempt.
Note that the idea of a "continuous external movement'' is flawed.
8) Aim and Expand: ''AIM and EXPAND to make it fly straight..."
Ideally, the archer should not take more than three seconds to make it from the holding to the release phase. All of the archer's focus should not divert to aiming and should still concentrate on proper technique. Aiming should be done more ''sub-consciously'' than consciously.
The expansion phase involves the draw arm scapula going down further and rotating inwards, towards the spine. This opens up the chest in a circular movement. This is especially useful when using a clicker (primarily for recurve archers) as it draws the arrow back further by a few millimeters. Expansion is more of a big circular movement that, ''involves the scapulae to back bone (small movement); the chest bones connecting with the chest joint (bigger movement) and the draw and bow arms (biggest movement)''. This is referred to as the "Ratio of Circular Movement". This expansion should go "both ways", meaning that there should be no apparent indication of the string moving. The bow hand should be relaxed and focus should still completely remain on mainly expansion and slightly less on aiming.
8.1 Instinctive Shooting:
For barebow archers, the lack of sight means aiming comes more naturally and instinctive. Some archers rely solely on feel and instinct to aim their bow, where it becomes more like throwing a ball or a dart to a small target. This takes a lot of practice and skill to use this style and is usually not as consistent as other styles. This can be done using any anchor point and draw hand positioning of the archer's choosing, as long as it is consistent for each shot. The archer should focus on the target rather than the arrow, and allow their body to naturally make the slight adjustments needed to bring each shot closer to the target. If accomplished correctly, muscle memory should automatically bring the bow where it needs to go depending on the distance between the archer and the target.
8.2 String Walking:
Another technique that barebow archers use to aim is called "string walking'', where the fingers of the draw hand are moved up and down the string depending on the calculated distance between the archer and the target. If done properly, the archer always uses the tip of the arrow to aim by putting it dead center on the target, and the hand is moved up and down the string, depending on the distance, to change the angle of the bow.
To do this, the archer first must be using the three fingers under technique, and a special barebow finger tab or a shooting glove is recommended. The archer then calculates the distance between them and the target (if the distance is not already known) and moves their hand up or down the string, depending on the distance. This changes the actual angle that the bow is tilted, and puts more strain on the lower limb. Ensure that the bow is capable of withstanding this offset from a regular draw and if possible, adjust the tiller accordingly. The closer the target is, then the lower the hand should be on the string. A good way to keep consistency is to count the number of strands on the center serving that are between the top finger on the string and the bottom of the arrow nock and to remember the number of strands that should separate the finger and nock at different distances. (Ex: If a target is 10m away, there may be 15 strands between the top finger and the arrow nock. If a target is 15m away, there may be 10 strands between the top finger and the arrow nock with the same equipment and consistent shot cycle.)
The archer should take multiple shots and use tight groupings on the target to determine how much they move up and down the string. The hand should be in the desired position on the string at the set phase, before bringing the bow up and drawing it back. Next, the anchor point should be a consistent place near the mouth, usually touching the archer's ''K-9'' tooth. The string should be perfectly centered in front of the archer's eye when fully drawn back. Finally, the tip of the arrow should be in line with the string, and should be centered on the target regardless of the distance, as the different hand positions compensate.
9) Release: "Release with no mind, the arrow is fine..."
To release the string, the archer should totally relax the fingers of their draw hand, allowing the string to smoothly flow out of the fingers. Rather than the archer physically opening their fingers, the string should be allowed to push the fingers out of the way on its own, ideally leaving the fingers in virtually the same place after the release. For archers without a clicker, the release should happen when a mental signal of "readiness" is achieved. In other words, the archer must feel when it is time to release rather than actively focusing on the release.
For traditional archers, a common mental image is to imagine the timing of the release as
''ripe fruit dropping from the vine - when it is ready it just releases''.
10) Follow Through: ''Follow through, then admire your ten...''
This step can be described as a continuation of the release rather than a separate step. After the release, back tension needs to be controlled for a few moments. The follow through should be a natural reaction to releasing the arrow rather than a forced movement, and it is recommended to have a nice, long flowing release rather than a short one. The movement should be completely natural and not exaggerated.
The draw hand will be very relaxed and run alongside the face as the arm naturally moves behind the archer. The archer should visualize the bow moving straight at target, still pointing directly at the center to ensure that the arrow's flight is not disturbed on its way out of the riser. It is natural for the bow to move slightly left (for right handed archers) or right (for left handed archers), due to rotational expansion.
- - - - -
Notes:
- When figuring out aiming it is important to maintain consistency between shots to create tight groupings. Especially for barebow archers, who do not use sights, it is important that the archer creates tight groupings, regardless of where on the target at first, before changing reference points for aiming. For example, if an archer shoots one arrow that is off center, it is unsure whether that arrow was off due to the wind, technique issues, or a bad reference point. If an archer shoots multiple arrows in the same area, then it is safer to assume that the only change required is a different reference point, which can be easily changed.
- KSL (NTS) training states that the archer must take responsibility for every shot they take, regardless of most outside factors. Distractions such as loud noises from spectators, actions of other archers, cameras, cell phones, etc. should not negatively affect the archer if proper focus is being achieved. Uncontrollable factors like wind speed and direction and distance should also not affect the shot too much and should be addressed if it troubles an archer too much.
- Breathing is important during the shot cycle and NTS has a method of doing it properly:
1) A deep diaphragmatic settling breath should be taken prior to raising the bow.
2) With the focus on the target a normal breath, using diaphragmatic breathing, is taken between Raising the Bow and Set-Up. This not only has a settling effect, but will also lower the center of gravity. Further, it will help the archer to increase their focus and aids in not rushing the draw.
3) Whilst drawing from Set-Up inhale as part of the drawing rhythm, which will create a natural feeling of gaining strength.
4) From the beginning of the Loading/Transfer to the Holding phase, when aiming should commence, approximately 30-50%the breath should be let out slowly and naturally, allowing the sight to naturally settle in the aiming area.
5) From this point the breath must be held till after the release and let out naturally during the follow-through.
- NTS steps for barebow, recurve, and compound are all similar, with only minor adjustments like grip and anchor points to cater to the specific style.
The string is drawn straight back to about 2-3 inches below the anchor point after setting up. Fingers of the draw hand and draw forearm should have a minimum amount of tension. They must be as relaxed as possible. The bow must remain above the horizontal center line of the target during the draw stage starting from the set up phase to reduce the amount of tension in the bow arm. Ensure that the archer does not naturally lean back to counter the weight of the bow and that they maintain good posture. It is recommended to inhale while drawing back to create the natural feeling of "gaining strength".
6) Anchor: ''All is aligned when the ANCHOR is fixed...''
Once at full draw, the arm and the hand come up to the anchor point as one unit. For barebow archers, the two most common anchor points are below the chin (similar to a recurve bow anchor), where the hand rests right under the jaw bone, and touching your mouth, where the index or middle finger of the draw hand is touching either the corner of the mouth where the lips meet, or a specific tooth, which is slightly more consistent. (For right handed archers, the anchor should be on the right side of the face, and the left side for left handed archers.) For archers using the three fingers under method, a constant anchor point on the mouth is recommended to assist with string walking. The archer should try to find a good anchor point that aligns the bow string with the center of the archer's aiming eye. (The aiming eye matches the hand that the archer is using to draw the bow.)
The archer's elbow should appear ''in-line'' with the arrow when viewed from the side in terms of height. This is crucial for the transfer and hold stage. The elbow should also appear in-line with the arrow when viewed from the top, or slightly behind that line. From a front view, the elbow should ''disappear'' behind the archer's head.
7) Transfer and Holding: ''TRANSFER and HOLD, the body's in heaven(?)...''
It is important to ensure that the archer is not yet focused on aiming until after this step. In this process, some of the draw load and tension in the draw hand, forearm, and bow hand, is transferred to the lower back muscles. This should take no longer than about half a second.
Once the critical holding position is reached, all focus should be on the back muscles. The scapulae is rotated down and more towards the spine, squeezing down as the body enters the aim and expansion phase. The deep, relaxed breath taken in during the draw is slowly exhaled until the lungs are somewhere between 70%-50% capacity, allowing the arrow to naturally settle in line with the target. From this point until the shot is complete, the breath must now be held. If the breath is held for too long after this stage, the archer should slowly ease the bow back down and prepare for another shot attempt.
Note that the idea of a "continuous external movement'' is flawed.
8) Aim and Expand: ''AIM and EXPAND to make it fly straight..."
Ideally, the archer should not take more than three seconds to make it from the holding to the release phase. All of the archer's focus should not divert to aiming and should still concentrate on proper technique. Aiming should be done more ''sub-consciously'' than consciously.
The expansion phase involves the draw arm scapula going down further and rotating inwards, towards the spine. This opens up the chest in a circular movement. This is especially useful when using a clicker (primarily for recurve archers) as it draws the arrow back further by a few millimeters. Expansion is more of a big circular movement that, ''involves the scapulae to back bone (small movement); the chest bones connecting with the chest joint (bigger movement) and the draw and bow arms (biggest movement)''. This is referred to as the "Ratio of Circular Movement". This expansion should go "both ways", meaning that there should be no apparent indication of the string moving. The bow hand should be relaxed and focus should still completely remain on mainly expansion and slightly less on aiming.
8.1 Instinctive Shooting:
For barebow archers, the lack of sight means aiming comes more naturally and instinctive. Some archers rely solely on feel and instinct to aim their bow, where it becomes more like throwing a ball or a dart to a small target. This takes a lot of practice and skill to use this style and is usually not as consistent as other styles. This can be done using any anchor point and draw hand positioning of the archer's choosing, as long as it is consistent for each shot. The archer should focus on the target rather than the arrow, and allow their body to naturally make the slight adjustments needed to bring each shot closer to the target. If accomplished correctly, muscle memory should automatically bring the bow where it needs to go depending on the distance between the archer and the target.
8.2 String Walking:
Another technique that barebow archers use to aim is called "string walking'', where the fingers of the draw hand are moved up and down the string depending on the calculated distance between the archer and the target. If done properly, the archer always uses the tip of the arrow to aim by putting it dead center on the target, and the hand is moved up and down the string, depending on the distance, to change the angle of the bow.
To do this, the archer first must be using the three fingers under technique, and a special barebow finger tab or a shooting glove is recommended. The archer then calculates the distance between them and the target (if the distance is not already known) and moves their hand up or down the string, depending on the distance. This changes the actual angle that the bow is tilted, and puts more strain on the lower limb. Ensure that the bow is capable of withstanding this offset from a regular draw and if possible, adjust the tiller accordingly. The closer the target is, then the lower the hand should be on the string. A good way to keep consistency is to count the number of strands on the center serving that are between the top finger on the string and the bottom of the arrow nock and to remember the number of strands that should separate the finger and nock at different distances. (Ex: If a target is 10m away, there may be 15 strands between the top finger and the arrow nock. If a target is 15m away, there may be 10 strands between the top finger and the arrow nock with the same equipment and consistent shot cycle.)
The archer should take multiple shots and use tight groupings on the target to determine how much they move up and down the string. The hand should be in the desired position on the string at the set phase, before bringing the bow up and drawing it back. Next, the anchor point should be a consistent place near the mouth, usually touching the archer's ''K-9'' tooth. The string should be perfectly centered in front of the archer's eye when fully drawn back. Finally, the tip of the arrow should be in line with the string, and should be centered on the target regardless of the distance, as the different hand positions compensate.
9) Release: "Release with no mind, the arrow is fine..."
To release the string, the archer should totally relax the fingers of their draw hand, allowing the string to smoothly flow out of the fingers. Rather than the archer physically opening their fingers, the string should be allowed to push the fingers out of the way on its own, ideally leaving the fingers in virtually the same place after the release. For archers without a clicker, the release should happen when a mental signal of "readiness" is achieved. In other words, the archer must feel when it is time to release rather than actively focusing on the release.
For traditional archers, a common mental image is to imagine the timing of the release as
''ripe fruit dropping from the vine - when it is ready it just releases''.
10) Follow Through: ''Follow through, then admire your ten...''
This step can be described as a continuation of the release rather than a separate step. After the release, back tension needs to be controlled for a few moments. The follow through should be a natural reaction to releasing the arrow rather than a forced movement, and it is recommended to have a nice, long flowing release rather than a short one. The movement should be completely natural and not exaggerated.
The draw hand will be very relaxed and run alongside the face as the arm naturally moves behind the archer. The archer should visualize the bow moving straight at target, still pointing directly at the center to ensure that the arrow's flight is not disturbed on its way out of the riser. It is natural for the bow to move slightly left (for right handed archers) or right (for left handed archers), due to rotational expansion.
- - - - -
Notes:
- When figuring out aiming it is important to maintain consistency between shots to create tight groupings. Especially for barebow archers, who do not use sights, it is important that the archer creates tight groupings, regardless of where on the target at first, before changing reference points for aiming. For example, if an archer shoots one arrow that is off center, it is unsure whether that arrow was off due to the wind, technique issues, or a bad reference point. If an archer shoots multiple arrows in the same area, then it is safer to assume that the only change required is a different reference point, which can be easily changed.
- KSL (NTS) training states that the archer must take responsibility for every shot they take, regardless of most outside factors. Distractions such as loud noises from spectators, actions of other archers, cameras, cell phones, etc. should not negatively affect the archer if proper focus is being achieved. Uncontrollable factors like wind speed and direction and distance should also not affect the shot too much and should be addressed if it troubles an archer too much.
- Breathing is important during the shot cycle and NTS has a method of doing it properly:
1) A deep diaphragmatic settling breath should be taken prior to raising the bow.
2) With the focus on the target a normal breath, using diaphragmatic breathing, is taken between Raising the Bow and Set-Up. This not only has a settling effect, but will also lower the center of gravity. Further, it will help the archer to increase their focus and aids in not rushing the draw.
3) Whilst drawing from Set-Up inhale as part of the drawing rhythm, which will create a natural feeling of gaining strength.
4) From the beginning of the Loading/Transfer to the Holding phase, when aiming should commence, approximately 30-50%the breath should be let out slowly and naturally, allowing the sight to naturally settle in the aiming area.
5) From this point the breath must be held till after the release and let out naturally during the follow-through.
- NTS steps for barebow, recurve, and compound are all similar, with only minor adjustments like grip and anchor points to cater to the specific style.
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