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Practice for 3/31/2020 to 4/4/2020

This week we are going to focus on Posture and Stance. Posture and Stance is the foundation of the entire NTS Shot Cycle, without a correct Posture and Stance the NTS Shot Cycle cannot function properly. Posture refers to how we hold the entire body. Stance refers to how we hold the body from the hips down. The basics of Posture and Stance are:

• Put an arrow on the floor pointing toward the center of the target. The fletching should be on one side of the shooting line, and the point on the other side of the shooting line. The arrow on the floor makes a line straight to the center of the target. This is the Arrow Line.
• We use the Arrow Line to correctly place the feet. Put the big toe of the Bow Foot almost on the Arrow Line. Put the Draw Foot’s Ball of the Foot on the Arrow Line. Your body position about 30° off the Arrow Line, with our body slightly turned towards the target.
• Feet Shoulder width part
• Feet are slightly pointed outwards for comfort at the hips and the knees
• Equal weight on both feet. You are not leaning towards or away from the target.
• Hips are over the feet.
• Start with Shoulders over Hips
• Shoulders are open
• Hips are tucked under the body to flatten the lower back.
• Chest is down to flatten the upper back.
• Once the Hips are tucked under and the Chest is down the back is flat from the below the shoulder blades to the waist.
• There is a slight lean forward at the ankles. You have to move the nose forward by 1”. This puts about 60% to 70% of the weight on the Balls of the Feet.
• Once you complete the Barrel of the Gun, the back is still flat, the Hips are still over the Feet, and upper body is not leaning towards or away from the target.

Once we have completed the Posture and Stance, we are ready to continue the NTS Shot Cycle with the Hook and Grip. Remember, the shoulders will rotate while we Lift and Coil, but the way the spine is positioned at Posture and Stance does not change. The spine is straight up and down.

This week, it would be best to practice:

• 3 times to maintain your skills
• 4 times to slightly increase your skills
• 5 times to increase your skills
• 6 times really increase your skills

In our practice sessions for Monday, 3/31/2020, through Sunday, 4/4/2020, we should be doing this:

1. Warm-up with arm circles
2. Stretching
3. Stretch Band in front of the Mirror for 30 Shots
4. Light Bow in front of the Mirror for 30 Shot Cycles (Don’t Release the String)
5. Tournament Bow in front of the Mirror for 30 Shot Cycle (Don’t Release the String)
6. Tournament Bow @ 3 meters for 42 Shots
   1. Remember shooting at a 3-spot target or three spots with one arrow per spot
   2. Since Compound Archers do not use a Light Bow, Compound Archers should shot an additional 30 arrows at 3 meters.
7. Recurve: SPT2 – 2 sets of 10 reps – 5-minute rest between sets
8. Compound: SPT5 – Come to holding and stay there for 30 seconds to 1 minute – Rest twice as long as you held up the bow – 5-minute rest between sets – 2 sets of 10 Reps
9. Crunches – 2 sets of 10 Reps
10. Push-ups – 2 sets of 10 reps
11. Lunges Each Leg – 2 sets of 10 reps
12. Squats – 2 sets of 10 reps
13. Stretching
14. Cool Down with gentle Arm Circles

To summarize these practice sessions, remember we are focusing on Posture and Stance, we have slightly increased the shot count from 130 shots to 142 shots, we have increased Resistive Training. Remember:

1. The Magic Number is 120 Shots. Once you can get to 120 shots, including Stretch Band, Light Bow, Tournament Bow, and actual shot arrows, your skills really increase quickly.
2. You need to practice at least 4 times a week. We are looking to improve our skills, not maintain them.
3. Life is a Marathon, not a Sprint. Start slowly and build good habits over a few weeks for a strong flexible body with good endurance, that is highly skilled as an archer.

You Can Do It!