Archery is a fun and rewarding sport. It takes patience and practice to achieve a high score. Keeping track of your progress is essential to your success. Keeping track of your sessions, shooting times, weather conditions and minor adjustments can help you improve more quickly. It’s also a great way to stay motivated when you’re shooting bad shots.

When starting out, it’s a good idea to take an introductory course at your local archery club or centre. Most courses will teach the basics of recurve and compound bows, as well as the different disciplines within archery. They will also allow you to try different draw weights and limb combinations until you find the one that feels right for you.

You’ll also learn proper shooting posture. Proper form demands erect posture, with your head directly over your spine. This will keep your sight picture steady and prevent you from introducing torque in the shot.

The position of your arms is another important factor. Most archers prefer to hold their bow arm out in front of them, and many choose to angle the elbow of this arm perpendicular to the ground, though this can vary by style. This will help to keep your forearm out of the path of the string as you draw back. It’s a good idea to wear an arm guard, especially if you’re still learning proper form.

Many beginners don’t realize that a successful shot requires precise focus for 8-10 seconds. This is a difficult feat for some people and can be the biggest challenge of all for archers. In order to increase accuracy and consistency, it’s a good idea to practice the shot over and over again. This will build the necessary muscle memory and help you to concentrate for longer periods of time.

You should also learn how to properly grip the bowstring. You can use either a split-finger or a three-finger grip, depending on your preference and the type of bow you shoot. In both cases, the bowstring should be held in the meaty part of your fingers, past the tips. You can also choose to hold the nocking point with the index finger above the nock or the nock in between your thumb and the middle finger, this is known as shooting two under.

It’s crucial to practice your stance in various situations, such as uphill and downhill shots. Practicing in these situations will give you the skills you’ll need to adjust your stance and still hit your target. It’s also a good idea to wear a bow sling when practicing on rough terrain. This will protect your hand from blisters and allow you to shoot comfortably while on the go. You’ll also want to find a padded quiver to carry your arrows in. These are available at most archery shops and can be found online.