Training Videos – Stretch Bands

St. Croix archery practice. Who would have thought we would ever be in a situation as chaotic as the one we find ourselves today. Below are some training/practice exercises that you can do at home, without a bow. We will be posting videos of these exercises on line. If you have any questions please feel free to email us at info@viarchery.org or call the boa hotline 340.643.6262

Shot Process – Is like an arrow hitting the target. It is linear, if a step is out of sequence or is left out the arrow will not make it to the target. Here are the “basic” steps

  1. Stance – Foot position and balance
  2. Nock Arrow – Yup, you know how to do this.
  3. Grip (bow) & Hook (string) – 3 fingers hook string (1 above, 2 below arrow), fingers are approximately 45 degrees from grip (NOT grabbing the grip).
  4. Mindset – Focus on shot concentrate on actions.
  5. Set Position – Head position is set. Bow is ready for set up.
  6. Set-up – Bow is raised in preparation for Loading, shoulders down.
  7. Load to anchor – String side scapula slides, drawing hand toward anchor
  8. Anchor – Draw arm and hand moves directly up to anchor.
  9. Transfer to Holding – Transfer tension to lower back muscles
  10. Expansion and aiming – Subconsciously aim, draw scapula will move down and in (very small movement)
  11. Release – Relax string fingers only!
  12. Follow through – part of the release, let muscle tension equalize, bow rocks down in grip.
  13. Feedback – relax muscles, evaluate the shot, relax brain.


All of these steps can be practiced with a stretch band and in front of a mirror.

St. Croix Archery Drills.

Grip – To achieve consistency in grip, shoulders, and relaxed string wrist.

  1. Place a small piece of tape on the palm of your hand (where the bow grip would be centered).
  2. Using a Stretch band go through the shot process:
    1. Stance
    2. Grip (place on stretch band) & Hook (stretch band)
    3. Mindset
    4. Set Position
    5. Set up – hold for 10 seconds
  3. Now evaluate – Look in mirror, is your:
    1. Bow hand to string elbow straight?
    2. Shoulders & Elbow down?
    3. Head straight?
    4. Stretch band on palm of hand?
    5. Bow hand relaxed and at 45 degrees?
    6. Stretch band on tape?
  4. Missing anything?
  5. Relax for 20 seconds.
  6. Do it again. 10 times. Remember we are looking for consistency.

Scapula (what back muscles?) – to identify the muscles used to transfer the bow draw weight from arm to back muscles.

  1. Stand with back against a flat wall.
  2. Using a Stretch band go through the shot process:
    1. Stance
    2. Grip (place hand on stretch band) & Hook (stretch band)
    3. Mindset
    4. Set Position –
    5. Set up –
    6. Load to anchor –
    7. >Anchor –
    8. Transfer to Holding
  3. Now evaluate – Feel the scapula contact and slide against the wall. You can now feel the muscles in your back required to get to this position.
  4. Relax.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

IIIA. Releasing the string (Stretch band)

  1. Step on the stretch band loop.
  2. Bend down and Hook the stretch band, the same way you hook the string.
  3. Stand up, keep your body straight and the string wrist loose.
  4. Raise your arm to the front, keep your wrist loose. Relax
  5. Raise your arm to the side, keep your wrist loose. Relax
  6. Raise your arm backwards, keep your wrist loose. Relax
  7. Relax fingers, release stretch band.
  8. Now evaluate – Feel the wrist roll backwards, sideways and frontwards as you move your arm around. Did you release the stretch band? Keep the same loose feeling in your wrist when you are drawing the bow string.
  9. Repeat 10 times

IIIB. Releasing the string (Recurve Bow)

  1. Place the tip of your bow on your toe
  2. Hold the bow limb at about chest high with your bow hand.
  3. Hook the bowstring with your string hand
  4. Pull the bowstring back, and hold it steady.
  5. Relax the string hand fingers. Watch the bowstring release.
  6. Now evaluate – Feel the fingers pushed out of the way as the string releases past them.
  7. Repeat 10 times

Shot Process (maintain posture and alignment) – (a wus would use a bean bag or hacky sack instead of the cup of syrup)

  1. Fill a plastic cup halfway with syrup.
  2. Go through the shot process.
    1. Stance
    2. Nock Arrow
    3. Grip (bow) & Hook (string)
    4. Mindset
    5. Set Position
    6. Set-up
  3. Now have someone put the cup on top of your head.
    1. Load to anchor
    2. Anchor
    3. Transfer to Holding
    4. Expansion and aiming
    5. Release
    6. Follow through
  4. Now evaluate – Does you head feel sticky? It shouldn’t. The cup should stay on the top of your head.
  5. Repeat 3 ends

Set up – Raise arm drill (build muscles in bow arm and shoulder)

  1. Go through the shot process.
    1. Stance
    2. Grip (bow or 1 gallon jug full of water and stretch band) & Hook (string or stretch band)
    3. Mindset
    4. Set Position
    5. Set-up – Hold for 15 seconds, keep shoulders down
  2. Relax for 30 seconds.
  3. Repeat 20 times

Draw – muscle development on Draw side.

  1. Go through the shot process.
    1. Stance
    2. Grip (stretch band) & Hook (stretch band)
    3. Mindset
    4. Set Position
    5. Set-up –
    6. Load (do not come up to anchor) – Hold for 10 seconds, keep shoulders down
  2. Relax for 30 seconds.
  3. Repeat 20 times

LAN2 Draw – scapula muscle strengthening.

  1. Go through the shot process.
    1. Stance
    2. Grip (stretch Strap) & Elbow
    3. Set Position
    4. Set-up –
    5. Load (do not come up to anchor) – String fingers and wrist should be completely relaxed and draped across strap. Hold for 10 seconds, keep shoulders down, return to set up.
  2. Repeat 20 times

Hold – simulate the feeling of holding (with light draw weight bow or stretch band)

  1. Go through the shot process.
    1. Stance
    2. Grip (bow or stretch band) & Hook (bow string or stretch band)
  2. Raise the bow or stretch band over your head.
  3. Draw the band or string behind the head until the little finger is touching the neck and the bowstring or band is touching the shoulder.

Grip release drill – maintain strong arm without gripping bow.

  1. Go through shot sequence (with a stretch band first)
    1. Stance – Foot position and balance
    2. Grip (bow) & Hook (string) – 3 fingers hook string (1 above, 2 below arrow), fingers are approximately 45 degrees from grip (NOT grabbing the grip).
    3. Mindset – Focus on shot concentrate on actions.
    4. Set Position – Head position is set. Bow is ready for set up.
    5. Set-up – Bow is raised in preparation for Loading, shoulders down.
    6. Load to anchor – String side scapula slides, drawing hand toward anchor
      Anchor – Draw arm and hand moves directly up to anchor.
    7. Transfer to Holding – Transfer tension to lower back muscles
    8. Expansion and aiming – Subconsciously aim, draw scapula will move down and in (very small movement)
    9. Release – Relax string fingers only!
    10. Follow through – release bow grip so that the bow hand index finger points directly to the ground.
  2. The bow grip release should eventually synchronize with the string hand relax.
  3. Once the grip release is mastered a bow can be used.
  4. Have a coach or other person catch the bow until the archer is comfortable with the process. A finger sling can then be used.