How to Shoot Uphill With My Longbow

The longbow is historically one of the oldest examples of the bow and arrow in large scale military combat. Most popular in medieval combat, archers would line up with their longbows at the onset of a battle and simultaneously fire their arrows into the air with a trajectory large enough to hit the opposing military from a great distance away. Considered a highly specialized skill, archery with a longbow requires proper muscle control and aiming, whether across a field or up a hill, to be effective.

Things You'll Need

  • Longbow
  • Arrows
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Instructions

    • 1

      Stand in an upright position with your feet shoulder width apart, one in front of the other.

    • 2

      Nock your arrow onto the bowstring, placing the nock between the nocking points. Hold the arrow shaft with the top finger of your steady, or bow, hand with which you hold the bow.

    • 3

      Place the index finger of your firing, or drawing, hand above the nock of the arrow. Place your second and third fingers below the nock. Curl your fingers around the longbow string, aligning the first joint of these three fingers on the bowstring. Tuck your thumb into your palm and keep your hand relaxed.

    • 4

      Place your bow hand into the grip of the bow with the area between the thumb and index finger in line with the center of the bow. When you draw, the pressure on the wrist should be absorbed by the thumb. Curl the tips of your fingers around the bow and keep your thumb and fingers relaxed.

    • 5

      Raise the longbow with both arms together. Do not fully extend your bow arm and keep your front shoulder in its normal position without rotating it. Keep your elbow back and high on your drawing arm. Align the string with the center of the bow and aim your arrow directly at a position uphill, with your bow arm between a 45 and 90 degree angle with the ground.

    • 6

      Pull your drawing elbow back to draw the bowstring. With one smooth motion, pull back all the way until your drawing hand is against your jaw. Your index finger should be placed firmly against your jaw and let the bowstring touch your chin.

    • 7

      Aim the arrow at the center of your uphill target. Let the tip of the arrow align with the center of your target.

    • 8

      Loose the arrow by allowing the bowstring to slip off the fingers of your bow hand. Release all three fingers at the same time. If done correctly, your bow hand will move backwards and your fingers will rest beside your neck.