Form Vs Technique
11th September 2015Form Vs Technique
When discussing Form Vs Technique, I have been looking at some of the top archers shooting over the past few weeks on YouTube and was astounded at the way the archers were shooting. “Surely they have better technique than that” I was saying over and over again at the screen, yet the scores were consistently good. That got me thinking, do you really need to bother with all of that technical stuff if your arrows are going in the middle of the target? So I sat down and started to go over the pros and cons of both arguments to see if one came out on top.
Technique
Well all was put right on YouTube and my faith was restored when the Koreans stepped up with breath taking form, great posture, fantastic timing and the end result was a foregone conclusion. It was like watching a mini classical masterpiece from beginning to end. Being able 
to shoot to that high technical standard takes time, dedication and discipline.
Yes I know, I know, the Koreans have the drive and determination to reach these levels and they have incredible strength and depth, yet the archers just keep on coming. All of this said the archers still have to produce the goods when it matters. The down side for a lot of other countries is whether they have the drive and determination to achieve, and if they hungry enough to make it!!! A coach I know (who is a lot wiser than myself) once said “To be a top archer you need to be selfish.” I understand why when you see the training logs, amount of good technical arrows shot, weight training programs completed and sports psychology sessions attended, let alone the weekends away shooting in competitions.
Form
Here is one for you. I have a friend who was shooting recurve at the time and hadn’t shot for 6 months due to work and a whole host of other excuses. He was shooting a club league match (Short metric local comp between clubs in the county) and he needed some new arrows. “Got any Cartel triples?” He asked, “Yes” I said, “What length do you want them, and also what pile weight do you want?” “O, about this long.” Handing me a fatboy from indoor shooting. “And about 120 grain piles.”
I made up the arrows and he fletched them over night so only had the sighters to make sure they hit the target. Now this guy does not have the perfect technical style; however at the point of execution he can replicate the release of the arrow very, very consistently. How he gets there, let’s just say is not the most orthodox method. Oh yes, the short metric, he shot 666!!!
Then you have the question if you are a form shooter and you change your shot to seek ‘The Perfect Shot’ will you ever be able to shoot to your current standard again?
Bottom line is even if you tweak your current shooting style, or to take the plunge and try to seek the “Holy Grail” and pursue the perfect shot, you may be lucky enough to have the “X Factor” of raw talent, or you have work tirelessly at your shot to achieve your goals. It’s all about consistency at the end of the day. Keep shooting regularly, don’t over bow yourself, and most importantly enjoy your shooting. The more you shoot the better you will become.
If you have some thoughts on this please do drop us a line at info@aim4sport.com and title your email “Form Vs Technique”, and some of the replies will be posted on line. Please let us know your thoughts.
Shoot em strong and see you on the shooting line soon.
Author Archives: Dave Leader
Dave has been in and out of the sport for the best part of 40 years. Shooting with his family from 8 years old, Dave has seen many changes to the sport throughout the years. Dave mainly shoots Recurve, but has a secret passion for Compound.
Now having owned Aim4sport since August 2012, Dave has worked through his coaching and coaching training levels and has been an AGB Senior Coach since 2018 and AGB Coach Developer since 2016.
Still enjoys the opportunity to shoot and still have aspirations, however, time is the main issue :p
Dave has been in and out of the sport for the best part of 40 years. Shooting with his family from 8 years old, Dave has seen many changes to the sport throughout the years. Dave mainly shoots Recurve, but has a secret passion for Compound.
Now having owned Aim4sport since August 2012, Dave has worked through his coaching and coaching training levels and has been an AGB Senior Coach since 2018 and AGB Coach Developer since 2016.
Still enjoys the opportunity to shoot and still have aspirations, however, time is the main issue :p
