Step 5 - Set-up

It is recommended that final finger pressure on the string at full draw be in the order of about 30% index finger, 50% middle finger and 20% ring finger. However, depending on hand and finger size, this could vary for the top and ring fingers. The middle finger should always take at least 50% to 60% of the draw weight. When drawing the bow to anchor, the individual finger pressure is not important.

The legs must be straight, though relaxed and pressure distribution on the feet should be 60-70% on the balls of the feet and 30-40% on the heels. Various stances in Tae Kwon Do use this same pressure distribution providing the best biomechanical and the most stable stance possible.

By rotating the upper body from the waist, the shoulders should now be aligned with the target. This will create a little tension in the body just below the ribs. The hips must not be consciously twisted to achieve proper shoulder alignment. The shoulders must lead the hips, rather than vice versa. There will be some natural rotation of the hips towards the target when using an open stance. However, be aware when using the open stance, consciously twisting the hips in line with the shoulders will create undesirable tension in the legs and must be avoided.

The sternum should be tucked in to give more clearance; tightening the abdominal muscles and imagining pushing the navel towards the spine will assist in this. It is important to keep the abdominal muscles tightened throughout the shot for greater stability. This will be further discussed in Chapter 6, "Important Technical Points".

When taking up the set-up position, there is a natural tendency to counteract the weight of the bow by leaning away from the target. This tendency worsens as the weight increases during the draw. For that reason, it is advisable to lean slightly forward to the target in the set-up position.

At the same time, the neck and face must be very relaxed. If there is too much tension in the neck it will form a rather unyielding connection with the shoulders, creating a greater tendency for the head to move backwards, away from the target, during the draw.

The hands must be relaxed and a feeling of synchronization, connection and balance between the hands should be felt.

Now, while looking at the target, another Zen breath is taken and all irrelevant thoughts emptied from the mind.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-19