How to Practice Archery to Improve Accuracy

Shooting more arrows doesn't automatically make you more accurate. Shooting better arrows does. These drills work for compound, recurve and crossbow shooters.

1. Build the same shot every time. Accuracy comes from repeating the same stance, grip, anchor point and follow-through. Pick two or three reference points on your face, like the string touching your nose and the release hand tucked behind your jaw.

2. Relax your grip. A tight bow hand torques the riser and pushes arrows left or right. Let the bow settle into the meat of your thumb, with your knuckles at about 45 degrees.

3. Blank bale drill. Stand 3–5 yards from a large target, close your eyes and shoot. With no aiming to worry about, you can focus on a smooth, surprise release. Ten shots a session makes a difference.

4. Fewer arrows, more focus. Shoot 30–40 good arrows instead of 150 tired ones. When form starts to slip, stop.

5. Practice like you hunt. Before season, shoot from an elevated spot or your knees, wear your hunting jacket, and take one cold shot each morning. That first arrow is the one that counts.

6. Track your groups. Write down distance, group size and notes. Patterns show up fast. Gear that helps: a quality bag or foam block target from our targets section, and a release you trust. A buckle-style release like the TruFire Smoke stays out of the way in the stand.

Come see us. Book an hour on one of our indoor lanes in Delaware, rain or shine. If groups still won't tighten, a coach can watch your form in a private lesson, or we can check your bow's tune in the pro shop.