Interested in trying out a new sport? One that’s easy to learn yet provides tons of benefits? If you answered “yes” to both questions, archery might be the perfect option for you.
Archery is worth learning because it offers several health benefits. This sport helps improve your focus, hand-eye coordination, and upper strength. Archery also benefits your mental health as it helps boost your confidence and enables you to gain new friends.
Archery is an exciting sport that is great for beginners to learn. It requires skill and precision, and can be a great way to stay in shape and build confidence. When it comes to sports marketing, archery can be a great way to create interest in the sport and bring in new participants. Here’s everything you need to know when starting out in archery:
- Enroll in a Club with Experienced Coaches
The internet can provide information on archery: the techniques, equipment used, and strategies you can use. However, experience is still the best teacher, which is why it’s important to experience holding a bow and arrow when you’re still new.
Look for archery clubs in your area and enroll in one ASAP. These clubs have experienced coaches who can teach you the basics of archery and even teach you tricks once you decide to take archery more seriously. Plus, coaches are great sources of motivation when you find yourself overwhelmed as you learn archery.
- Rent Equipment First
Before you buy arm guards, arrows, bows, chest guards, and other archery equipment, consider renting them first. Most archery clubs offer equipment for free or have it rented out to you for a small fee. It’s always best to rent equipment first rather than spending money on something that you don’t have any idea how to use.
Besides, archery equipment comes in different varieties. For instance, there are over five types of bows available today. By renting them out first, you’ll know which type of equipment to choose once you decide to buy. This will save you from experiencing buyer’s remorse.
- Start with the Basic Techniques
Are you a fan of archery? Do you look up to Hiroshi Yamamoto, Lee Sung Jin, or Michele Frangilli? And while it can be tempting to try out the techniques of these world-famous archers, start by learning and mastering the basic techniques of archery first. It’ll be challenging to copy your idols’ moves if you don’t even know how to aim and release your arrow.
Aside from asking for help from coaches in your area, do your own homework by looking into instructional videos and books on the basic steps in shooting arrows, hand placements, and finger placements. It’s also essential to master drawing, anchoring, releasing, and following through.
- Work on Your Physical Condition
Although your physical strength isn’t the main concern in archery, having a strong upper body helps. Archery relies on your upper body strength, which is why you need to work on your physical condition first. This is vital, especially if you have plans to compete in the future.
You can try several exercises to improve your upper body strength. You can do overhead presses, trap bar deadlifts, chin-ups, and pull-ups. The dumbbell shoulder press is also an excellent option as it improves your range of motion and upper body stability.
- Prioritize Emotional and Mental Conditioning
As a beginner, it’s common to feel nervous whenever you’re holding a bow and arrow. You’ll also feel frustrated whenever you miss the target. Having these emotions is perfectly normal, but you must have the proper emotional and mental conditions as you go along. You don’t want your nervousness and frustration to get the best of you, right?
Your emotional and mental conditioning impacts your performance as an archer, so stay calm when drawing arrows. This simple tip can help you in ways you can’t imagine!
Additionally, remain comfortable with your body stance and never overthink. If possible, give yourself sufficient time to de-stress before playing archery, so you can mentally focus during your training.
- Learn the Art of Concentration
When it comes to archery, timing is everything. This is why learning the art of concentration is vital in every archery game. You need to concentrate on determining the speed and precision of your arrow before you decide to release it.
To improve your concentration skills, eliminate distractions and choose to focus on the moment. This might seem counterintuitive, but taking breaks also helps. Studies show that refocusing your attention can improve your concentration afterward.
- Remain Patient with Training
Shooting a bow and arrow might look easy when others do it, but in reality, it’s not. Learning this process alone requires weeks or even months, so don’t get frustrated when you can’t properly shoot a bow and arrow after countless tries.
Always remain patient when training archery. Ask for help from your coaches and assess how you can improve your current strategies. As the maxim says, “Every master was once a beginner,” so take your time with training, and it won’t be long before you’ll become an expert in archery!
- Invest in the Right Equipment
Once you get the gist of archery, it’s time to invest in your equipment. Since you’re still a novice, always choose equipment designed for your skillset. This means you should purchase a properly-sized bow that pulls without requiring too much effort and arrows that are two inches longer than your draw length.
It’s also important to choose the right sportswear. Your comfort impacts your performance in archery. Brands spend time and effort into sportswear branding, so make sure to check how the public’s impression on a particular sportswear brand before buying. It’s also important to inspect the fabric used — spandex is your best bet because it’s stretchable and wicks moisture.
- Monitor Your Accomplishments and Progress
You’ll eventually lose the motivation to continue archery if you can’t tell if you’re making any progress. Were you able to hit more bull’s eyes after a month of training? Which specific areas do you need to improve? The answers to these questions will fuel you to continue learning archery, no matter how challenging it gets.
When learning archery, always monitor your accomplishments and progress.Use a notebook and pen or utilize an app to record what you did during your practice sessions.
To determine whether you’re improving or not, use the metrics below:
- The date and location of your practice sessions.
- A complete list of your daily accomplishments (including overall score, your coach’s feedback on your performance, and the techniques you used).
- The total number of arrows drawn and used.
- Any changes you did for the day (such as stance, technique, and anchor points).
- Specific areas that you did well and areas you need to work on.
Recording your accomplishments and progress might seem old-fashioned, but it’s necessary when you’re new to archery. Knowing your progress will also prevent you from feeling hopeless because you have a better sense of what you’re doing right and which areas need improvement.
- Have Fun
Concentration is necessary when learning archery, but this doesn’t mean that you should be serious all the time. Where’s the fun when you’re too focused on hitting the bull’s eye or making sure that your stance is perfect every single time?
Learning archery will become a breeze when you allow yourself to have fun. Never let your mistakes distract, define, or get the best of you. Instead, assess what went wrong and have the right attitude to make archery more enjoyable.
It’s All Worth It
Similar to other things in life, learning archery will require time and effort. It will even require you to change your schedule to accommodate practices. And while going through all of these is challenging, the results will be worth it. Besides, you might become one of the best archers in your area once you get the hang of the sport!
