How To Start Out in Archery

For starters, you want to join a good archery club or group with a good reputation for coaching. It is very important that you are getting top of the line instruction right from the start. Every good archery club will have a good staff of people who can give you basic archery instruction. And there will be some "masters" there who can help take you to the next level when your basics are sound.

As a beginner, you might not want to buy anything. Why not rent your bow, your arrows, and so on and so forth. That way you don't make an investment in something that you aren't sure you are going to stick with (as wonderful as archery is, it's not for everyone). And by joining a club you often get to use their equipment or only a small fee. If you are required to provide your own equipment, then make sure you have selected the best that you can. Choose some archery equipment that is tailored to beginners to make sure that you are getting the correct basic, elemental stuff. You'll need a correctly sized bow with lighter poundage (at first) and arrows of the correct size for the size and style of bow that you are going to use.

Make sure that you become an absolute master of basic, elemental techniques. This is the foundation stone on which everything else is built. Know the basic steps for drawing and releasing, sighting, stance, following through, and all of it. In addition, you need to keep yourself in shape. There is a certain amount of strength and stamina of both mind and body that is needed to perform well with archery. You will especially want to train your upper body. Archery takes its toll on the arms and the back, and furthermore more upper body fitness means greater command over your shooting.

Have great patience with yourself in learning archery. Basic aiming and releasing with a fair degree of accuracy can be learned in merely a quarter of an hour, but to become an expert archer requires years of training, study, and assiduous practice.

Remember, that practice is what makes for perfection. There is no quick fix for truly mastering anything and that certainly goes for something like archery. Many hours of dedication and practice are required to become a competent archer. Measure your progress by periodically entering competitions.

Another way of measuring your progress is to keep notes on your performance. Keep records of your training sessions that include the details such as the weather, the number of arrows you shot, your scores, and any minor adjustments to your technique that you make. You can periodically go back over your notes and observe for yourself just how far you've come, and that will make you feel good about your progress and inspire you to continue.

You need to know when to call it quits for the day, however. Don't force yourself to keep practicing if you are feeling burned out or are starting to get frustrated. Don't quit too soon, but know when to say when.

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