To shoot, the archer holds the bow at its center with one hand and pulls back the arrow and the bowstring with the other. This flexes the two limbs of the bow rearwards, which perform the function of a pair of cantilever springs to store up elastic energy.

A bow is a long curved stick and a string that is tied to both ends. Ancient bows were made of natural materials like wood or bone and sinew, but today they are often made of plastic and similar materials. To shoot a bow, the arrow is put on the bow, with one end to the string, which is pulled back.