WHAT IS NTS?
All of the coaches and Instructors of Pioneer JOAD teach the NTS Method.
But what is it?
The NTS or National Training System Method is the official method of shooting form that coaches and instructors are required to learn in order to be certified by USA Archery. The NTS method was created by USA Archery Head Coach Kisik Lee, and is based on his analysis of body control, muscular requirements, and mental concentration needed to generate a good shot.
Formerly called the BEST or Biomechanically Efficient Shooting Technique, the NTS is a new and more advanced shooting form that relies heavily on Biomechanics, the study of how best to apply mechanical principles to human physiological actions.
It is broken down into the following 11 steps:
1. Stance
2. Nocking the arrow
3. Hook and Grip
4. Set
5. Set-up
6. Drawing (Loading)
7. Anchoring
8. Transfer to holding
9. Aiming and expansion
10. Release and Follow Through
11. Relaxation and feedback
By following these steps, Coaches and Instructors have the ability to repeatedly teach a scientifically-based method that can be shared easily and implemented consistently on a nationwide basis.
An archer’s form affects their performance, and sometimes their performance affects their form. Some things that can change an archer’s form (and thus their performance) includes:
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Changes in form due to coaching or instruction
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Growth spurts
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Equipment changes
Since learning the NTS form is based on successfully repeating the process correctly until it is ingrained in muscles memory, it is quite often the case that the archer’s performance will temporarily dip, and then improve to a higher level over time with continued practice of the NTS.