Head Positioning and Posture Part II

Posture Part I focused on the role that the archer’s back and shoulders play in shooting accuracy and consistency. Another essential element of posture is head positioning. Even something as seemingly innocent as a slight tilt of the head will cause the bowstring to appear misaligned with the tip of the arrow, leading to inaccurate shots. The jaw should be turned so that the chin is pointed towards the target and is level. 

With a stretch band and a full length mirror as outlined in Posture Part I, focus your attention on the head position and angle when at full draw. If you notice that the stretch band (and imaginary bowstring) would not line up in front of your dominant eye, it may be that your head is “leaning in. This shift in perspective can deceive the archer’s aim and lead to incorrect assumptions about their accuracy and adjustments on future shots. 

A drill used in the Olympic training camps to remind archers of proper head positioning is to go through their shot cycle with a cup of ice water placed on top of their head. If the archer passes the test, the cup remains perfectly still, but stray just a little…and they get a refreshing reminder!