Are you a beginner in archery? Looking for the best chance of hitting your target.
If so then you need to know that there are two things an archer must constantly be on guard against. The first is keeping a full draw until it is time to release and the second is making sure your release consistently the right way each time.

What is Creeping?

Lets first talk about the draw in a little detail. In draw you will hear about the creeping.
The first term we will talk about is “Creeping,” it is used to describe forward movement of the
arrow just before you release it. You work on this constantly. Archery options for the beginner
You will want to watch the creeping and try your best not to do it. The tendency to let the drawing hand move forward to relieve and reduce your strain will be a temptation. What can cause this is an archer wanting to use a more powerful bow than they are really ready for and can currently draw easily.

One reason you dont want to do creeping is that it develops a loss of initial speed. This can be of varying amounts with every shot. So that ends up being less power that is used from the bow than what is available for you to use. This leave the only way to consistently allow for arrow travel over different distances is to consistently pull the bow to full stretch each time. That is if you don’t, your arrows will fall low on the target or even miss the target.

Another reason can be fatigue. This will often cause you to ease up on the tension when you initially pull the bow to full stretch. You may not have the energy needed to keep the tension correct. This is a common mistake for beginners because there is more to it than most beginners realize. You should always use a bow of pulling power that you really can draw and dont overdo it.

If you do over do it and dont keep the bow at full draw, this will cause the arrow will creep forward just before, or even during the release. Try your best to have each arrow be released the same way for each shot. You will also want to have the same draw position, so that you can hit your target every time.

The release

Now for the release. A lot of beginners find this difficult to learn. This is important to learn, because if the release is done incorrectly it is very difficult to hit your target. Although if you learn the proper procedure from the beginning, and dont create any bad habits you will do great in this your sport.

When looking at how to handle the arrow, keep it is loose by relaxing the tension your fingers joints of the hand you draw with. This will allow the bow string to slip smoothly out of your fingers.
Keep your bow straight because, if you let the bow string go at an angle, it cannot go where you pointed it. Also, what can happen is that you will hurt your fingers. Occasionally burning them, as you let go. In order for this to stop from happening is to pull your fingers out of the way, in a sideways motion, sending the arrow off in the wrong direction.

So, when the tension is released the drawing hand should move to the rear. This will be along the line of projection of the flight from the arrow. This movement should not be more than a couple of inches.


If you are a beginner and remember to do these basic steps your skills will improve. You can always purchase a release devise to help you. Remember if you are tired your aim will be off and you will be doing more harm than good practice. Take your time aim, shoot and watch your creeping.