Intro – Fundamentals Series #1

Each month in 2024, we will be posting a new article in our Fundamentals of Shooting Archery series. These articles are intended to supplement and further explain any instructions given or terminology used by the instructors and assistants.

Background:

USA Archery (USAA) is the National Governing Body for the Olympic Sport of Archery within the United States. Their mission is to provide resources for participation, competition, and training in the sport of archery. Enso Center Archery Instructors, Tim & Sheri, are both USAA level 2 certified instructors and have been practicing and teaching archery for years.

USAA Head Coach Kisik Lee created an 11 Step Checklist for Shooting Archery, also known as the National Training System (NTS). This system is based on Coach Lee’s analysis of the body control, muscular requirements and mental concentration needed to generate a good shot. Formerly referred to as BEST (Biomechanically Efficient Shooting Technique), the system relies heavily on the study of how to apply mechanical principles to human actions (biomechanics).

NTS Steps of Shooting:

Each step is performed for EVERY shot. Some steps are obvious and easily observed, others are little more than a micro-movement or thought. But each one is performed EVERY time. (I know, I’m repeating myself, but it is an important concept to realize.)

Stance – find your foot /lower body placement

Nock – put the arrow on the string

Hook & Grip – grip the bow for shooting, put the fingers of your draw hand on the string

Set – align your torso, shoulders, and head for shooting

Set Up – bring the bow hand up to shoulder height, preparatory to shooting

Draw to Load – draw the string back, introducing the potential energy into the system

Anchor – find your anchor position, usually hand to cheek bone or corner of the mouth

Transfer to Hold – settle the tension from the draw arm into the back muscles, final adjustments

Expand / Aim – focus on the arrow point & your target, expand your chest with a micro-movement of the draw elbow bringing it in line with your bowhand & shoulders

Release / Follow Through – relax the fingers of your draw hand, allow the string to roll out, slowly move the draw hand straight back over your shoulder

Feedback – think about the shot, are there improvements to make at any step, did the arrow go where we wanted

Comparison of Checklists:

A quick check through the web found a bunch of alternates to the NTS list (NASP, FITA, Coach Lee).  Some are matched up in the following table for reference, the steps are in the order set by each system. As you can see, there is not much difference between the systems, rather slight variations in technique and emphasis.

The KSL Int’l Archery site (2005) appears to pre-date Coach Lee’s work with USAA & the creation of the NTS checklist (post 2006). Coach Lee also has a newer website with again a slightly different checklist. Both are included in the table to encourage discussion regarding the different emphasis points, while showing that the primary checklist remains the same.

Each month in 2024, we will take an in depth look at one (1) step in the NTS list – what is it, how is it done, what are key points to watch for, is there a comparative step in one of the other systems & if so, how is it explained? By the end of the year, we should all have a better understanding of the mechanics of archery shooting.

Organization Acronyms:

In planning this series of articles, it became apparent that a number of organizational acronyms would find their way into some discussions. As a means to head off some of the confusion, I’ve included a list of the more likely ones to be mentioned.

USAA – US Archery Association

NTS – National Training System

JOAD – Junior Olympic Archery Development (a program within USAA)

KSL – Coach Ki Sik Lee (USAA Coach, author)

NASP – National Archery in the Schools Program

FITA – Fédération Internationale de Tir à l’Arc

WA – World Archery Federation (formerly FITA)

NTS	NASP	KSL International Archery	Kisik Lee Online
National Training System	National Archery in the Schools Program	Coaches Ki Sik Lee & Robert de Bondt	Coach Kisik Lee
Stance	Stance	Stance	Stance
Nock	Nock	Nock
Hook & Grip	Draw Hand Set	Hook & Grip	Hook & Grip
	Bow Hand Set
		Mindset
Set (Posture / Alignment)			Set
Set-up (Raise Bow)	Pre-Draw	Set-up	Set-Up
Draw to Load	Draw	Draw	Draw
			Load
Anchor	Anchor	Anchor	Anchor
Transfer to Hold		Load / Transfer to Hold	Transfer
			Hold
Expand / Aim	Aim	Aim & Expansion	Aim / Expand
	Shot Set-up (Transfer to Hold)
Release / Follow Through	Release	Release	Release
		Follow Through	Follow Through
Feedback	Follow Through / Reflection	Relaxation & Feedback	Relax

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