Perfect Practice

60X National Sales Manager, Todd Lambright, has 25 years’ experience in the archery industry and answers archery related questions on a daily basis. Over the years he’s compiled frequently asked questions regarding archery practice and knows these answers can help most archers. Read on to hear his suggestions.

Common Questions

I get many questions on practice, such as:

• What drills do you suggest?
• Should I use 3D or spot targets to prepare for the upcoming season?
• What tips would you give the average shooter to improve?

I’m going to address these questions in this blog post, but more often than not, “perfect practice” will be a part of each answer.

What is Perfect Practice?

The easiest way to define perfect practice is “The more imperfect shots you fire in practice, the more likely you are to fire an imperfect shot when it is not practice.” In all sports, we practice the skills required to correct any flaws we have. In archery, there is no reason to practice anything but the most perfect shots you are capable of. These are the shots you want to repeat every time the bow is drawn. Obviously, it’s impossible to never make a poor shot, but the point is that it’s better to make 10 good shots and quit, than to shoot 100 arrows with 10 good ones mixed in.

Muscle Memory

Archery is a sport of muscle memory, much like golf, where repetitive motion is necessary to be proficient. When practicing, I try to make every shot a perfect shot. If I’m aiming and something doesn’t feel right, I’ll let the bow down and start again. I do this because I do not want my muscles to get into anything but a perfect form.

Now that we’ve discussed the basics of perfect practice, let’s get back to the questions I posed at the beginning of this blog post.

Do you suggest any drills?

I doubt you’ll be surprised to hear my answer to this. I don’t suggest any specific drills; I suggest perfect practice.

Should I use 3D or spot targets to prepare for the upcoming season?

I believe practicing both 3D and spot targets is the best thing any archer can do. While 3Ds are important to become more proficient at judging yardage and picking your shot placement on animals, spot targets are great for practicing your form and shot execution. Spot targets are also a great way to work on perfect practice.

What tips would you give the average shooter to improve?

You already know my answer – perfect practice. Remember, if you practice poor shots, then you’re going to make more poor shots, whether that be during your big competition or during your big hunt. That having been said, don’t sit in your frustration, as it could lead to more poor shots. If things are not going well, don’t be afraid to ask someone for help.

Overall, the best advice I have is to practice, and practice only good shots.

Learn More

We hope this post will encourage you to shoot perfect practice. Make sure to check back for our next practice blog post when we hone in on practice for hunting. This is the 3rd post in a series about archery practice. Check out these other posts:

• Shooting a Bow that is Not Properly Fitted for the Archer
• Target Panic
• Hunting Practice

Are you trouble-shooting issues with your shooting? Here are more articles that may help you:

• 3D Archery: What It Is and Why You Should Be Doing It
• Indoor Archery: How it Absolutely Benefits Bowhunters
• Tips for Improving Your Archery Focus
• Skills to Practice at the Bow Range

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