and the exposed part of the arrow becomes shorter, the draw is refined, and the belly of the bow is even at the very end of the pull. The last joint at the base of his left thumb must be level with the top of his left shoulder, and he is to draw while maintaining that alignment, lowering neither his left hand nor raising it (1). Any further adjustment, whether to extend the draw or shorten it, is made with the fore-arm.

As for the length of the arrow itself, opinions among archers differ. The sound rule is that its measure should allow the archer to complete the draw until the head of the arrow reaches the first joint of the thumb. His right elbow should be parallel to his shoulder, and his grip held in a straight line; if he lengthens or shortens the arrow beyond this, his anchor will become unstable.

One of the principles of shooting is to press against the handle with the heel of the left palm and with the fleshy pad between the two thumb joints in one continuous squeeze until the arrow is fully drawn; in this way the grip is secured and speed is gained. When he wishes to let the arrow slip, he increases that pressure with a sharp impulse so that the strength of the palm’s heel is not diminished (2) from what it was; thus the grip, the speed, and the penetrating power are perfected.

The proper method of winding the serving (fatlah) is to bind it sixty-three turns, relying more on your thumb than on your forefinger. Do not lift the tip of your thumb from the knot until it covers the middle joint of your right forefinger, and the string should lie on the midpoint of that forefinger.

When you are ready to release, do so only after the draw is complete and the arrowhead has settled.