Throughout history many different civilizations have developed bows and perfected different aiming techniques for their traditional bows. One technique making a comeback is called stringwalking

[caption id="attachment_5825" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Stringwalking is one aiming technique for a traditional bow many archers prefer.[/caption] Shooting a traditional bow offers a lot of freedom to shooters in how they execute each shot. Previous posts have covered instinctive shooting and the gap aiming method, both of which have been perfected by professional archers. A final aiming technique for a traditional bow we'll take a look at is stringwalking.

Stringwalking

Stringwalking is a method of shooting similar to gap shooting where knowing the distance to your target is essential. In gap shooting the shooter determines the yardage then floats the point of their arrow below their target to hit the desired spot. In contrast, the basic idea of stringwalking is to always float the point of the arrow over the exact point you want to hit. To make this adjustment stringwalkers change the position they grab the string. By changing the place they grab the string, and keeping their anchor point consistent, they can always shoot "point on." Similar to gap shooting, stringwalkers move down the string until reaching a certain yardage at which they must start working back up the string. Stringwalkers can be extremely accurate since they always place the point of the arrow on the exact place they want to hit. One challenge of this aiming technique is to determine where you grab the string. Most stringwalkers use a shooting tab, rather than shooting with fingers. On the inside of their tab they record markers for different shot distances. For example, they will have a mark showing where to grab the string at 10, 15, 20 yards, and so on. Before the shot they set the tab against the arrow nock, place their thumb on the yardage marker, adjust their hand, and then grab the string and shoot. Determining where to mark your tab for each yardage takes some trial and error, but once you have them dialed in you can always confidently shoot point on. Watch this video for a stringwalking demonstration. https://youtu.be/H1vNBgAn_go In conclusion, shooting a traditional bow takes practice no matter what aiming technique you choose to use. Instinctive shooters, gap shooters, and stringwalkers all must spend countless hours practicing in order to hone their skills and become competent with their preferred aiming technique. So if you're new to traditional archery, or are looking to possibly try a new aiming technique, hopefully you can use one of these techniques to help you get started. PREVIOUS: AIMING TECHNIQUE FOR A TRADITIONAL BOW; GAP SHOOTING