Archery is a physical sport which demands perfect precision and consistency each time the bow is drawn and an arrow released.
Any instability in the archer’s stance, the set of the shoulders, neck or spine will have a cost in accuracy. Many archers benefit from strength training, but standard strength training routines will do little to fine tune the proprioceptive skills and the postural body awareness which can lead to the high level of consistency, strength and endurance this sport demands.
Pilates teachers refer to a set of six basic principles upon which the method is built. As an archer, do these concepts resonate with you?
CENTERING. Focus on the center of your body: the powerhouse (or core.) All movement and balance come from the center of the body.
CONCENTRATION. Joseph Pilates taught us about the “Mind / Body Connection.” Concentrating the mind fully on the actions of your body, you make the most of each movement.
CONTROL. With centering and concentration, you achieve control of your movements. Your goal is to move with complete muscular control of your body.
PRECISION. Centering, concentration and control will enable you to achieve precision. Your movements become exactly as you visualize them.
BREATH. Movement and breathing become coordinated. Each breath supports and drives your movement. Emptying the lungs is as important as filling them.
FLOW.Your goal is to flow smoothly, with little apparent effort from one movement through to the next. As in sport, or life in general, flow is a sign of mastery.
As a young man I took up archery. It was all in the family. My stepfather was an expert who enjoyed routinely “twentying” all the stations at the field archery courses he frequented in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania. When I look at the benefits of Pilates, and think back to my own experience shooting a bow and arrow, and of observing accomplished archers practicing their sport, I see a perfect fit.
Much like my primary sport of climbing, archery is a very mental activity. There is a joke among climbers, “climbing is 90% mental and 90% physical.” I think the same is true in archery.
Pilates is a method which builds a strong body at the same time we nurture and develop the mental aspects of movement, visualization and action. Keep in mind that Joseph Pilates was not a lightweight type of guy. He was a professional fighter, and the core of his work is about being strong, in control and aware.