Lessons from Archery

What can a governor learn from an archer?

Jack Kruf | April 2009

What can the world of public governance learn from archery? Archery is a mature sport that has developed dramatically since its inception. Because of this, the sport itself has undergone many changes and improvements.

In governance and public administration, we may learn from the archery world to select and curate the basic skills perceived as essential by professional archers. After all, governance is a form of archery, metaphorically spoken.

There are parallels:  a good governor has the skills of a good archer in effectively reaching the target. After all, both professions are about precision. Here, we focus on the archer. I collected some skills from the archery world. I leave it to the reader to find similarities with the governance world.

A summary of skills

Archery is a broad set of fundamental skills necessary to be an experienced archer. Among the skills and abilities archers need are mental strength, aerobic endurance, balance and coordination, reaction time, motivation & self-confidence, skill/technique, agility, flexibility, strength & power.

The most obvious is the need for a high level of upper body strength and flexibility. An archer needs to be able to shoot arrows accurately and repeat that action without suffering fatigue. We elaborate on some of the skills.

1. Balance and Coordination

Through training, you will develop a distinct way of shooting an arrow. And like any other sport, you must be coordinated and balanced for each shot you will take. All steps in the process of shooting an arrow must be coordinated. This includes picking up your bow and transferring your energy from your shoulders to the hands and then to the arrow before you shoot.

2. Accuracy

The primary goal of an archer is to shoot the target. So, it’s pretty apparent that you must have a good sense of accuracy before you shoot your arrow to hit the target. Accuracy is making the arrow precisely what you want it to hit. When you nail this skill as an archer, expect always to have a podium finish.

3. Calm and Composure

You can achieve a lot of things when you are calm and composed. Even though you’re in a highly stressful situation, if you can stay composed under pressure, you can do things with flying colours. Archery is a sport that requires a meticulous mind. You can only spot the most minor details when calm and composed. The perfect shot needs these qualities. Some people are not naturally quiet, so you may train your mind to be calm by taking deep breaths and training hard before a big competition. Preparation will help you be more confident with your skills.

4. Precision

Since we’re dealing with numerical targets, an archer must be precise. If the goal is to score high in a competition, then you must be precise. You might think this is the same with accuracy, but it’s different. When you are precise, you, as an archer, can consistently shoot arrows in a particular spot on a target. So it looks like hitting the arrow to the same specific area one after another.

5. Perception of Depth

The more you train, the better you get an in-depth perception. What is this? If you have this skill, you can judge the distance between yourself and the target. This is an essential skill in archery that is hard to master. Your mind must be able to process the physical distance you are presented with. If you are bad at this now, relax because you will get better through constant and consistent practice.

6. Arrow Drawing and Handling

One of the first steps in archery is to draw and load your arrow with a bow. It might look easy and relaxed with the esteemed archers you have seen on television, but it could be difficult for beginners. It’s essential to nail this skill down because you need it at every expertise level. You must align your hands, elbows, shoulders, and neck with the bow and the target. You are close to shooting once you have drawn and loaded your arrow.

7. Arrow Nocking

Like the other skills in this list, nail-nocking an arrow will take time and practice. People even take this skill for granted when they shouldn’t. What is it exactly? It is when the archer fastens the arrow’s nock onto the bowstring. The archer must hold the arrow in a specific position while doing this. You must have proper upper body training to nail this step and do it efficiently.

8. Take Care of Your Equipment

As you advance and have your own archery equipment, you must have decent storage space for your bow and arrow. Maintain it with care and prudence.

9. Sensing the environment

As an archer, you have to have a sense of the environmental circumstances. Knowing how the wind blows – its force and direction – impacts the arrow’s path. The light and dark modes between you and the target can influence the clearness and sharpness of vision. Not to speak about rain and snow and their impact on the arrow. Becoming familiar with the gods of weather is a must.