Step Into a Perfect Stance (School of Nock 2025 | Week 2)

In archery, your stance is the foundation everything else builds upon. An unstable foundation leads to inconsistent shots, no matter how good your form might be otherwise.

Think of your feet as having a direct line of communication with your brain. If they’re not positioned correctly, that instability travels all the way up to your bow arm.

Today, I’m showing you how to build a rock-solid stance you can replicate shot after shot, whether at the range or in your hunting spot. I’ll share the exact method I teach to help my students eliminate variables and maximize consistency.

The Elements of a Perfect Stance

To build a proper archery stance, you must first understand the relationship between your feet, hips, and shoulders. Let’s break down the key components of a neutral stance that sets you up for success.

Your back foot is your anchor point. Imagine an arrow or line pointed directly at your target. Position the ball of your back foot on it, perpendicular to your target (not aiming toward or away from it).

Your front foot’s position is also crucial. It should be slightly behind your rear foot, angled slightly outward. This is what we call a neutral stance.

Many archers erroneously place their front foot ahead of their back foot, creating a closed stance that introduces tons of form problems I’ll address shortly.

Position your feet directly under your hips, creating a stable base that keeps your shoulders level. This natural alignment maintains a steady form throughout your shot sequence.

Making Your Stance Repeatable

Once you’re comfortable and properly aligned with your target, use chalk to trace a “batter’s box” around your feet. This eliminates guesswork and builds muscle memory for consistent foot placement on every shot.

This chalk outline becomes your reference point throughout your practice session. Whenever you reach for an arrow or adjust your position, quickly check your feet against these marks to make sure you haven’t shifted out of alignment.

It’s amazing how often archers unconsciously adjust their stance when reaching for arrows or between shots. These reference points eliminate that variable entirely.

Common Stance Mistakes and Solutions

The most common issue I see is the closed stance: when the front foot creeps ahead of the back foot. It triggers a domino effect of form problems that hurt your accuracy.

When that front foot moves forward, your hip follows, bringing your shoulder with it. You’ll notice your front shoulder creeping closer and more in line with the bowstring. This not only creates an unstable platform that becomes increasingly compromised as you draw your bow, but it also puts your arm in danger of contacting the string.

The shoulder alignment issue is particularly harmful. With a closed stance, the harder you pull, the more your shoulder will creep up and in — exactly what we don’t want.

To keep that front shoulder down, maintain a neutral to slightly open stance, allowing for proper tension and follow-through on your release.

Make It Stick

Every aspect of your shot builds upon your stance. I CAN’T STRESS THIS ENOUGH!

Get in the habit of looking at your feet every time you prepare to send an arrow. Your stance is your foundation — it’s the first brick you lay. Everything else you do for proper technique builds on that foundation. If it’s off, everything else follows!When your feet are positioned correctly (neutral stance, front foot slightly behind your rear foot, both under your hips), everything above falls into place.

Start your next practice session by creating that chalk outline, and check your position before every shot. Master this fundamental detail now, and watch how it elevates your shooting form.