Relax to Aim Better: Why Less Tension Creates More Accurate Archery

Most people assume that adding more tension into their shot makes them a steadier and more accurate archer. It feels logical to think that more muscle means more control. In reality, the archers who consistently place arrows in the middle are not the ones muscling through every shot. They are the ones who are the most relaxed.

This is archery, not bodybuilding. The bow is not heavy and the draw weight, even for competitive archers, is far lighter than what the body can produce. Many archers, especially strong athletes who lift weights, try to force stability by gripping harder, tightening the triceps, bracing the neck and shoulders, or locking the bow arm with far more intensity than the shot requires. They believe this creates a steadier sight picture, but the opposite is true.

When you add tension above the sternum, you increase central nervous system fatigue, shorten endurance, and create unnecessary shakiness in the sight picture. A tense system produces fast, erratic movement that raises anxiety and makes aiming feel frantic. In contrast, a relaxed system produces slow, gentle movement that is easier for the subconscious mind to accept. This allows the shot to unfold naturally instead of being forced.

Above the Sternum: Do Only the Minimum

Think of the sternum as a dividing line. Everything above it should remain calm with the lowest possible amount of muscle activity. The fingers, forearm, triceps, shoulders, neck, and upper back should perform only the minimal work required to hold the bow, hook the string, draw, anchor, and maintain draw length. Nothing more.

If you can close your hand with a two out of ten effort, there is no reason to squeeze it with a six or a ten. Extra tension does not add stability. It only steals precision.

Below the Sternum: Build a Foundation, Not a Fight

Below the sternum is where stability truly begins. The glutes, quads, core, and obliques help create a solid platform that connects your body to the ground. This is where controlled engagement is useful. However, even here the intensity should stay low, usually around a two or three out of ten. Enough to stabilize, but not enough to create strain.

Think of it as setting up a strong structure rather than powering up for a lift. You want firmness, not force.

The Result: A Steadier Sight Picture and Tighter Groups

When you reduce unnecessary tension, your sight picture smooths out. The pin drifts with gentle, predictable motion instead of jumping erratically. You feel calmer. Your mind can focus. The subconscious begins to handle the aim while you concentrate on clean execution.

This simple change often helps archers shoot tighter groups, especially toward the end of long practice sessions when fatigue would normally take over.

Try This in Your Next Practice Session

The next time you are on the range, start your shot with almost no upper body tension. Draw smoothly, anchor, and settle. If anything feels rigid above the sternum, soften it. Let the body relax. Let the sight picture move gently without fighting it. Between arrows, shake your arms out and reset.

You may be surprised at how steady you feel once you stop trying to force the bow to behave.

Learn More at Our Camps

If you want hands on help with this technique, Jake teaches form and shot execution at Kaminski Archery camps in Florida. Group sessions are the only way to train with him in person, and spaces fill quickly. You can find full details on our website at kaminskiarchery.com.

Relax, trust the process, and let your best shooting come from a calm and controlled system. In archery, less tension truly becomes more accuracy.