This is just a quick update to tell you that we've now migrated our blog onto our main website over at : http://www.2020archery.co.uk/blog/
This means that you can now read about and buy course places, book events (online booking for events will be live in 2014), Have a Go's and vouchers for London Bridge indoor archery all in the one place.
We are updating the new blog but as we wanted to get everything consolidated in the one place we aren't duplicating things on this blogspot address anymore. We're going to leave this up for a little bit as we know that a few people still check it. If you are subscribed - you will need to resubscribe to the new blog in the new location. Again, just click through via this link : http://www.2020archery.co.uk/blog/
There have been some great books and online recourses written recently on learning archery. These can be a great tool to remind and reinforce the lessons you’ve already been taught during our beginners couse and you'll learn a whole host new skills to help you become a great archer.
The following books are recommended for someone who has just started in archery hopefully after doing a progressive beginners course (see our courses page for current availability of our great weekend, 3 week ‘Fast Track’ or regular 5 week beginers courses in London Bridge). The best books at this level help you to develop a solid, consistent form without going into deeply technical variations on the standard elements of the shot sequence. All three of the following books provide a clear guide to building a good shot sequence and will help a novice archer achieve good consistent form.
Archery (Steps to Success): Kathleen Haywood (Author), Catherine Lewis (Author)
This is a very good book for people looking for a structured way to become a solid archer.
Thorough - it's a very thorough book and doesn’t miss out anything that a novice archer needs to know.
Easy to follow - provides an easy to follow program of exercises and provides space to record how well you have done on each exercise. A fun and interesting way to learn.
Clear illustrations - good clear photos and drawings of each step to help you to conceptualise your body position.
Bow tuning - a great section on basic bow tuning so you can get your bow up to speed at the same time as you improve your form.
Other good beginner books to try are:
Archery Fundamentals: A Better Way to Learn the Basics by Douglas Engh (Author)
Less rigidly structured than Steps to success, so is good if you prefer to structure your own training/learning your way.
The Archery For Beginners Guidebook by Archery GB (only available through archery stores, e.g. Clickers, Aim 4 Sport, Merlin etc)
Has a very good guide on archery etiquette and protocols in competitions and in clubs.
A very popular UK archery forum, this can be a useful recourse for answering specific questions. Although do bear in mind that as it’s a forum there is often lots of arguing that can be distracting and confusing. The loudest voice is also not necessarily the most accurate!
These are the ones that I particularly favour but there are many more useful resources out there. Do let us know if you have any other recommendations that you've found useful on your archery journey!
Korea’s rein over archery has been apparent for many years. In 1984, Seo Hyang-Soon became the first Korean archer to win an Olympic gold in the ever-growing sport. Since then, Korea’s hold over the archery world has grown larger, with the country currently boasting 16 medals in half as many Olympic games. But how did Korea become such a formidable opponent in this ancient sport, that over here we tend to think of as historically British?
The history of Korean archery
Archery has been established in Korean since prehistoric times. Used in battle for centuries, the bow and arrow were a vital part of the Korean defence strategy throughout the 1800’s. Unable to keep up with modern firearms, Korea’s use of archery as a defence dropped in the 1900’s. However, with the reinstatement of archery to the Olympic games in 1972 (after its removal in 1920) Korea began training archers in Olympic-style archery and has now been dominating the competition since 1984.
Korea’s focus on archery
Korean children are introduced to archery at a young age and enjoy coaching in the sport throughout primary school. Throughout middle school, high school and university, the lower level archers fade away (but often continue recreational pursuit of the sport in the many ranges across the country) until the best young adults are hired for company teams run by large organisations and businesses.
Archery is so important in Korea that only 30 % of the sports funding is from the Korean Archery Association (KAA) with the rest coming from the countries 33 company teams who provide a wage, pension and career to the archers they hire to compete on behalf of their company. This level of investment ensures that Korea currently has 147 elite archers compared to the extremely small numbers found elsewhere.
To illustrate the level of devotion to the task at hand Korea is famous (at least in archery circles) for having built an exact replica of the Beijing 2008 Olympic archery venue, providing their archers with the opportunity to practice in “the venue” over a year in advance. Huge enthusiastic crowds voluntarily turned up for practice sessions to mimic the busy, pressured environment on the day. This dedication to the sport has clearly paid off, with Korea still proving to be the country to beat in international competitions.
Korea at the Olympics
Korea has held a number of Olympic archery titles for consecutive games. Since the introduction of the team archery event in 1988, the Korean women’s team has retained their team gold for all seven Olympic games. Meanwhile, the men’s team follows closely behind having held theirs for four out of the seven games.
Korea also has a tight hold of the gold in the women’s singles event; in all but the Beijing 2008 Olympic games, Korea has held the women’s gold since 1980, when the Soviet Union’s Keto Losaberidze won in Moscow. In fact, at the London 2012 Olympics, Korea medalled in every event and only missed out on gold in the men’s team competition when they won bronze.
Maybe we should think about forming company teams to try a novel method of giving British archery a bit of a boost? A great starting point (we think!) would probably be to book a 2020 archery corporate event and see how your company team gets on….
There are lots of benefits to joining Archery GB – membership is required in order to shoot with most other clubs (although not all) and is also needed to join leagues and enter competitions. If you provide your address you’ll receive the quarterly Archery GB magazine called Archery UK and you can also take part in the highly recommended 'Personal Performance Courses' at Lilleshall (details of prices etc are available on the Archery GB website). There are probably lots of other good things as well – have a click around on the Archery GB website for more.
So, there are 2 different ways of joining Archery GB – one is through your club (in our case 2020 Archery) in which case you MUST also affiliate to Region and County. In our case this is Southern County Archery Society (SCAS) and the County of London Archery Association (CLAA) - don’t worry about this step we’ll do this automatically for you if you affiliate through us. You can also join Archery GB as a direct member. The main advantages and disadvantages are that you’ll be responsible for renewing each year if you’re a direct member whereas if you join through the club we’ll just contact you and ask if you want to continue as a member through the club with a payment request. The other difference is that there is a price difference. Clubs are able to offer a pro rata payment system for joining at different times of the year but if you join directly there is one fixed price all year round. The fixed price for direct membership is £46 no matter when you join.
The Archery GB membership year runs from October to October. This makes the total cost for joining through our club
Oct-Dec = £47.50
Jan-March = £38
April-June = £28.50
July – Sept = £19
The fees breakdown of the Archery GB portion is available here http://www.archerygb.org/support/services/join/fees.php - on top of the Archery GB fee we need to charge CLAA fees of £3 to join (at any time of the year), SCAS costs £1.50 to join (at any time of the year) and we charge a £5 admin fee to cover the costs of banking and admin.
If you’d like to join directly please go to the Archery GB website (link below) where there is a link to download the direct membership form.
If you’d like to join through 2020 please send an email into the office (enquiries@2020archery.co.uk) with your full address. We will assume you're ok with us storing this data along with your email address so that we can contact you at renewal time (usually July / August). Once we’ve received your payment we’ll send it off to Archery GB pretty much immediately. Once it arrives with them they’ll process it and your card should arrive - directly from Archery GB - within 2-3 weeks.
If you are planning to shoot at another club or you’ve registered for a competition we provide a standard Archery GB receipt which we’ll email to you. This should work as evidence that you’ve paid club subs until your card arrives although we recommend that you alert people that you will be bringing a receipt of payment not an actual Archery GB card if you're pushed for time.
Finally, we’re happy to answer questions about the administering of how this all works but if you require more detailed information on Archery GB itself (why join, what to expect etc) please go to their website at www.archerygb.org
I finally bought a bow! My very own and very first so I thought I’d share the experience.
I first started shooting in October 2012. I contemplated buying a bow in December but just before I planned to go shopping I went on vacation. When I got back I felt a bit like I was starting all over again. After a couple more useful months of practice (in February 2013), I realised that I was still shooting the 18lb club traIning bow. As I’d been practicing for around 5 months at this point I felt that I could probably manage something a little heavier. So each week I pushed myself a little and in three sessions I moved from 18 to 26lb (still using 2020 Archery bows)!
At the same time as I was increasing the poundage of the bow I started to gather information about equipment to try and make myself look like a knowledgeable buyer and mask (at least some of) my ignorance. So, on a sunny Saturday in March I set off to my nearest archery shop.A number of people had suggested that I should try out different risers so this was my plan. However, once I got to the store I discovered that there were only two risers within my budget (having a budget makes life far simpler).
The first riser that I tried was pretty awesome, and felt much heavier than the wooden club bow. By the time I tried the second one I was super tired from practicing with the first so it seemed heavier - despite the sales girl insisting that it was in fact lighter than the previous one. Even with the extra weight I thought that the second bow was pretty awesome as well! I basically couldn’t tell the difference at all. Except that the more expensive one was prettier to look at. I thought for a bit… and then thought a bit more… and then decided to buy the pretty one!
So I ended up with a beautiful red Hoyt Horizon riser and 26lb SF Premium limbs to go with it. I did buy an entire kit, mostly going for the cheaper options where possible. In total I came out with the bow plus 8 Jazz arrows with red/white fletchings, a basic sight, bow-stand, quiver, arm guard, finger tab, arrow puller and bow-stringer. I also bought a backpack as I can't possibly carry it all without one. Most people told me that the whole thing would take about 3 hours, but I reckon that I did it in only about 30mins!
I was really eager to try it the next day, but as always seems to happen when I get very excited about something, bad luck followed and I woke up with flu. I had to wait an entire week before I could use my new kit. I turned up to the practice session at my usual time and found that It took me a good quarter of an hour just to fix everything together! I also made a good many mistakes as I did so and required a bit of help! Eventually I managed to get started and it then took me the next half of the session to nail down the sight marks. At this point I realised that shooting a club bow was a lot easier!
My second attempt was much better. I set up my kit in roughly 10 minutes - and managed to do it completely on my own without help. I also learnt that there is an upper limb and a lower limb and that they are not interchangeable! Ahem.
I’m now gradually getting to the point where I feel like the bow is right for me and its starting to feel like mine. Just as important as this is learning how to take care of it properly and - easier this one - learning to love it!
The tale of Robin Hood has been told in verse, story and film across the centuries. The legend is basically a collection of stories concerning a group of outlaws who risk life and limb to steal from the rich and give to the poor. Robin, a lovable rogue with a longbow and a quiver of arrows on his back, is always at the centre of the action with his band of Merry Men as the supporting cast. Love interest is provided by the beautiful Maid Marian often depicted as having a double life – a rebellious warrior chick in the forest choosing Robin and the outlaws whenever she can get away from the embroidery and dancing that, as a lady, she is supposed to be enjoying. The story centres around archery (Marian is often shown, especially in screen versions, as being a pretty accomplished archer herself) and epitomises for many of us how awesome skills with a longbow can get you out of trouble (and make you a hit with the ladies / is a good alternative to embroidery).
The story begins with Robin, a Saxon nobleman, living near the castle in the city of Nottingham. The city is ruled by Prince John, who has taken over while his brother, King Richard, is off fighting the Crusades. No-one seems to know whether Richard is alive or dead, his return is always hoped for but in his absence evil Prince John takes advantage of his new authority by teaming up with the equally nasty Sheriff of Nottingham. Between them they attempt to transfer as much money as possible from the people of Nottingham into their own coffers. As taxes keep rising and punitive laws are enacted to dissuade anyone from challenging them, the people of Nottingham are left with barely enough to feed themselves or keep a roof over their heads. As the story takes place following the Norman conquest of Britain the story also makes much of the evil (French) conquerors against the plucky British (Saxon) underdogs.
Robin, hungry and struggling to survive (in some versions Robin himself is newly returned from the Crusades to find the family home burnt down and his family dead), is caught hunting royal deer with his longbow and is outlawed from the city. With no home, money or possessions, he’s left to fend for himself in Sherwood Forest which lies just outside the city. Robin’s skill at hunting, and his personal charisma, helps him to befriend other outlaws. They eventually form a full camp with various roles and skills in the group. The stories of how Little John, later to be Robin’s right hand man, and Will Scarlet come to join him are amongst the most famous of the tales.
After months of futile fighting, with Robin and his men successfully stealing back taxes and storing food for the poor villagers, evil Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham are determined to arrest him. Knowing of Robin’s skill with the longbow and aware of his desire to fight for the rights of the Saxons, they stage an archery contest to trick him into coming back – illegally – into the city of Nottingham. Disguised as a peasant, Robin enters the city and enrols for the contest, determined to win the Silver Arrow prize. He easily makes it through to the final shoot-out, but his impressive skill alerts the Sheriff and his men who are on the look-out for Robin. With his Merry Men disguised amongst the crowd of Saxon peasants watching the contest, Robin’s first shot of the final hits gold. Little John, seeing that the Norman knights are moving in on Robin, tells the crowd that Robin is a fellow Saxon, and the best archer in the land. The crowd begins to cheer for him, distracting the knights and disrupting their movements. As Robin looses his final arrow, splitting the shaft of his previous ‘perfect 10’ and thereby winning the contest, Prince John signals to his knights to take him. Reacting quickly Little John shouts to the crowd to lift up the winner. A hooded Robin, is held aloft by the crowd. In the melee the outlaws manage to carry him straight through the Norman knights. As Robin is returned to the ground his bow is hidden once again and, with the help of his friends, he slips out of the city unnoticed. Robin and his men return to their camp deep in Sherwood Forest to celebrate their victory, as evil Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham are thwarted once again.
Modern day Robin Hood
The incredible visual appeal of archery has probably contributed to the ongoing ‘Rise of Robin’ with versions of him or the stories featuring in movies, games and on television (although we’re currently enjoying the tales of Merlin and Prince Arthur – another traditional English failsafe that also, happily, tends to feature archery practice). There have been countless depictions of the courageous Robin in the past 70 years, with the feature film, Robin Hood (2010) featuring Russell Crowe (“you’ve got dead ears mate. Bollocks.”) being the most recent. But not the best.
The story’s revival has done particularly well in the last ten years thanks to the most recent BBC series,which followed Robin and his Merry Men for 3 years. Your age probably determines which version of Robin you find the most recognisable – the glossy mulleted Michael Praed is sadly the one for me. Kevin Costner (also with a mullet, albeit shorter, and, err, more bleached) runs a close second.
One of the most loved depictions of the story is Disney’s animated feature, which used a cast of animals to tell the popular tale.
The music of Robin Hood
Even seeing this picture makes you start humming no?
And, if all that Robin Hood goodness has really got you in the mood here’s the Karaoke version :
I got my first traditional bow last year and I was happily hooked soon thereafter. Even if I am wielding something that is more usually found in the gloomier regions of the Amazon Rainforest in an indoor hall near London Bridge it’s still rather a lot of fun! I soon decided to look into buying something better. What followed were many weeks trawling through the internet looking at random bits of tree and talking to some spectacular beards, and as such I thought it might be worth passing on some useful little tips which I picked up.
Modern traditional bows are an oxymoron as they are normally made up of 2 or 3 layers of wood called laminates. This is because different parts of the bow require different technical properties, specifically the ability to withstand compression or tension, and it’s impossible for one type of wood to do both equally well. Laminate bows therefore utilise woods with different types of properties in different parts of the bow which makes them better but more expensive than single piece self-bows.
Your bowyer will be able to give you detailed expert advice on the best types of wood to use and different bowyers prefer different types of wood. The following however is a good starter for 10, regardless of whether you go for an off-the-shelf bow or a more tailored one.
Bellywood. The belly of the bow is the part of the bow which is closest to the archer, and requires a wood which is capable of withstanding compression. The most common bellywood is Lemonwood which is cheap to use and found in most traditional bows. It won’t last more than a couple of years though before it starts to have a bend in it called string-follow, but it is excellent for a first traditional bow. [NB according to many bowyers, string-follow actually improves the performance of a bow, so like wine your bow will improve with age!]
Other bellywoods include Ipe, Yew, Osage Orange and Putu Jumau. Each of these is excellent under compression making them ideal for the belly of a bow, if in doubt, go for the one whose colour you like best – a traditional bow can, and indeed should, be something beautiful.
Corewood. The core or middle of the bow is the foundation of the bow and is typically made of a very hard wood, indeed the harder the better. The most common are Purpleheart or Greenheart which are excellent corewoods and, because of their availability, they are cheap.
Other corewoods include Balau [“harder than the knockers of hell” as one chap colourfully described it], Ipe, Yew, Padauk, Bubinga, Snakewood and a whole host of other woods I have never heard of - as with bellywood if in doubt go with the one whose colour you like best.
You will note that Yew and Ipe, and indeed several others, can be used as both core and belly woods, in such a case you would end up with a bi- as opposed to a tri-laminate bow.
Backwood. The back of the bow is the part of the bow furthest from the archer and requires a wood which is capable of withstanding tension. By far the best backwood is Bamboo, which unfortunately is also the most expensive. If you are buying a tailored bow, it is worth sacrificing cost elsewhere in the bow to be able to have a Bamboo back. Hickory or Maple are also perfectly good choices for heavy (60lb’s or more) and lighter bows respectively.
Traditional bows come in a whole host of different types, shapes and sizes from delicate flat bows to 140lb warbows, each of which however will incorporate the ideas discussed above. Go on give it a go, you won’t regret it!
Archery is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. Open to all, archery can be enjoyed by young and old, people with disabilities and whole families (2020 has a great junior club with Mums and Dads shooting alongside young people each weekend – www.juniorarchery.co.uk).
As a sport that can be practiced inside or outside throughout the year, socially or competitively, archery can really be said to cater for everyone. Over here at 2020 Archery we currently have 1 completely blind club member and 1 with significant visual impairment. We’ve also had a number of wheelchair users and people with mobility issues as members in the past.
Forms of archery
Target archery: this is the most popular form of archery in the UK and the style that is currently featured in the Olympic games (although the Olympic version is somewhat different than regular competitions). Target archery takes place on flat ground - indoor or outdoor - and involves shooting a specific number of arrows at particular sizes of target faces at
distances of up to 100 yards. This type of archery can also take place inside over shorter distances. Indoor archery – like we do at 2020 - typically sees us shooting 5x dozen arrows at 60cm target faces for a score out of 600 at 20 yards. You can see our club members scores on the club website here (http://www.2020archery.co.uk/club-6/)
Field archery: this form of archery takes place on a series of targets set out in outside locations, often in woodland. The shooting distances are usually unmarked so archers rely on their judgement and instinct, especially if they choose to use a traditional bow such as a longbow or flatbow. Saying that, I also know a number of compound archers who also enjoy this type of more ‘natural’ shooting.
Clout archery: this form of archery is similar to target archery but the archer must drop the arrows at a long range into a number of circular scoring zones on the ground. Arrows are shot at an angle of around 45 degrees up into the air. This type of archery probably emulates the kind of military training that used to take place when an enemy might be a known distance away (e.g. approx 150 yards) and accuracy at the specified distance could mean victory or defeat.
Flight archery: requiring a lot of space, flight archery is a sport in which the archer must shoot the arrow as far as possible. This is generally done in very specific categories for weights and types of arrows shot from specific bows. James Farrar of Fairbow holds a number of flight records using very heavy traditional bows known as warbows – he also sells great traditional archery gear which we like a lot over at 2020 (http://www.fairbowuk.com/).
Getting involved
There are a number of ways that you can get involved in archery but the best place to start is your local club. Most clubs are very welcoming to beginners (as long as you’ve made an appointment or booked a session) and many offer Have-a-Go sessions. This gives newcomers the opportunity to try out the sport before enrolling in a beginners course and - hopefully - becoming a member and starting to practice with the club.
Although clubs often welcome beginners, it is important to have a basic understanding of the sport before you try to join a club or start practicing. Most clubs will offer structured beginners courses to set up would-be archers with the basic skills and techniques required. The course can take place across a number of weeks or over a weekend and gives new archers the opportunity to join an archery club for further training and the chance to compete in tournaments if they want to.
You’d be forgiven for believing that archery on horseback was a thing of the past, a form of iron age hunting and fighting that has long since disappeared. But mounted archery has far from died out. It's unlikely that it still takes place in the traditional way for hunting or in aggressive situations, but instead it has become a popular sport, with competitions taking place in the UK and across the globe.
A little history
Although it was once a popular method of assault in fast attacking raids, mounted archery was an ineffective defence against massed foot archery in more formalised battle settings. Large numbers of foot archers were able to synchronise attacks on their large targets and achieve a longer range than their mounted enemies. In fact, mounted archery was such an ineffective defence that Mongol archers would often dismount and shoot from a sitting position!
Mounted archery began to disappear in the 17th century when modern firearms became common weapons. During the next century, bows were occasionally used in conjunction with firearms, providing archers with the benefits of both. However, as repeating firearms were developed, mounted archers were removed from battle completely.
After Mongolian independence in 1921, mounted archery enjoyed a resurgence as a cultural display at festivals showcasing Mongolian heritage. Its instant popularity - and huge visual appeal - sparked a worldwide interest and mounted archery began to be reintroduced across the world.
Competitions today
Nowadays, mounted archery is a rapidly growing equestrian sport, popular in a large number of countries including the UK, the USA, Germany, China and Korea. The sport has come a long way from its origins and now uses a light weight (under 50 Ib) bow and a guided track to keep the horse straight.
There are a number of annual competitions held all over the world, with the largest held in Korea. In order to embrace the sport’s history, competitors often wear the traditional clothing and use traditional bow and arrows rather than those used in modern foot archery.
In general, the competitions are split into two groups: Korean style and Hungarian style. The Hungarian style involves one run on which the archer must hit three targets from three different angles, the reverse angle being the most difficult (obviously!). The Korean style involves three different runs that vary in difficulty, the hardest being the 5-shot serial run which requires the competitor to loose the arrows quickly between targets. All mounted competitions include time penalties and points for accuracy making it a difficult balance between completing the course in the allotted time - and actually hitting stuff.
The Korean style competitions also include a game called Mogu. In Mogu, the mounted archer must chase after a ball being dragged by another horse. They are required to shoot at the ball with ink-dipped arrows and the number of ink stains is counted to determine the score. This also requires a horse with nerves of steel (or good protection at the back - not sure I'd want to try this one myself unless I'd got a LOT of practice in)!
Getting in to mounted archery
Many mounted archery beginners start out as horse riders with an interest in picking up archery. If you have previous horse riding experience, a few beginners’ archery lessons may be all you need before you’re ready to start competition training with your local club.
For those with no previous horse riding experience, regular non-mounted archery is a great place to start. Taking part in a beginner’s course gives you the opportunity to try out the sport or archery in general while picking up the basic skills needed for mounted archery. For information about 2020 Archery’s Have A Go sessions where you can get started for only £20, click through to our main website here http://www.2020archery.co.uk/lessons-courses-1/Have-a-Go or call 0203 130 6797.
We get a steady trickle of requests about additional coaching to help you progress once the beginners course is finished. Often these requests come very soon after completing the beginners course and there are a few things that we’d recommend you try first. We do offer advanced coaching either as a 1 to 1 or if you can gather together 4 people that want a weekly group coaching session for 4x weeks we can arrange it (but we don’t put together the groups ourselves). http://www.2020archery.co.uk/club-3/Private-Tuition
Secondly, buy some books and magazines! We like Fundamentals of Recurve Archery, Steps to Success (a bit American) and The Art of Repetition by Simon Needham. The Art of Repetition is particularly good for bow tuning if you’ve just bought some kit (and has a DVD available as well). The best magazine out there is called Bow International – they have lots of features on coaching and improving your shooting.
Make friends! If two of you can team up you can observe each other’s performance and give very worthwhile feedback, even if you’re a novice. You might not spot everything but you can check the basics of drawing position, release and stance. Even for more experienced archers just having someone step back and look at you (even better film a few arrows of each other shooting and watch them back together) can be hugely helpful.
Get out and about! The Personal Performance course at Lilleshall is brilliant. You get to shoot from sun up til sun down with about 10 coaches on hand to help and advise. Lots of arrows and lots of feedback. Note that you must be a member of Archery GB (we can advise on how to join) http://www.archerygb.org/support/operations/coaches/personal_performance_courses.php
Get out and about cont’d. Aim4Sport do some great continued coaching. It costs about £30 for a 1 hr one to one or you can book 6 sessions for £150. You’ll probably be able to get some outdoor experience as well if you can get up there (Bedfordshire) and get some longer distances under your belt.http://www.aim4sport.com/archery-lessons/coaching/
Join Archery Interchange UK (AIUK) – it’s a web forum for archers and you can make some friends, get some advice (obviously not all advice will be useful) and perhaps join in some competitions / leagues. The more archery you do and see the better you’ll get. Sometimes you just have to launch into the wider community and get a bit immersed. Archery is all about developing muscle memory and making the commitment to practice – you’ll progress much faster by using the above resources and shooting 3 times/week, than by spending the money on 1 to 1’s every week for 6 months. http://www.archeryinterchange.com/forum
If you’ve done all this and you’d still like one of our instructors to work with you we can arrange 4x 1hr sessions for £250. We know this is expensive but our costs are really high compared to other clubs and this isn’t really something that we specialise in (i.e. we aren’t set up like the shops where they have people who’s time needs to be filled – we have to organise and book everything individually and people - including administrators - need realistic payment for this). You can ask for a particular instructor and as long as they aren’t working we’ll try and get you hooked up. The 4 lessons must be taken within a 6 month period and can’t be carried over. Sorry but we can’t offer discounts, ‘half a course’ or sharing with a mate etc. It’s important to us that we can really deliver something useful for you and this seems to be the best way for us to do that. We can also arrange an intermediate course if you have a group of 4 people who can agree on 4 dates to book. Intermediate courses cost £100pp.
Remember the thing that will help your shooting most of all is to practice! Practice a lot and I PROMISE you will improve.
Hi all, I'm on a slightly different tack this week and thought you might like to come along for the ride. I've been musing on concentration recently in an attempt to improve my shooting technique. In the course of my research I’ve come across this issue in many archery books and articles I’ve read. It may sound like something that won’t become relevant until later on, but believe me: it’s as important to the absolute beginner as the seasoned pro. Different people approach it in different ways. This is my take on it.
Attention in Archery
Attention moves around the visual field independent of the direction of gaze. This is the "attentional spotlight", utilising peripheral vision as almost a second set of eyes. We use this in everyday life all the time, in general totally unaware of the split connection. Even if we find ourselves looking directly at something we don't expect to see, we're no more likely to notice it than if it appears at the edge of our vision. Hence, attention roves across the field of vision like a spotlight, picking out points of interest that are not necessarily where our eyes are pointed. It also acts as a kind of built-in risk assessment, constantly scanning the environment and submitting information to the subconscious which informs motor function.
Attentional spotlight has a major role to play in target archery. Have you ever got to full draw, focused on the gold, held on just a second or so too long and found your arrow tip wanders away from the centre? Attention is critical for this. It also works the other way: taking too little time may allow your eyes to point the right way but is by no means a guarantee of attention.
It's why I find rhythm so important for shooting: I know, more-or-less, how long I can keep my attention fixed to my gaze and I know how long it takes me to get to full draw and do the necessary pre-flight checks. The tricky bit is marrying the two to create the perfect shooting conditions. Working to a rhythm or counting the draw can help you become more consistent. If you try this then remember also to develop a breathing pattern that is the same every time you draw. (While we’re on that tangent, try to avoid taking a deep breath while drawing, especially when at full draw; it causes too much upper body movement and it’s harder to hold position when the lungs are either completely full or completely empty. Try various breathing patterns and see what works for you.)
Attention can take up to half a second to divert, which is a long time in psychological terms. On some days you may find your attention just won't stay. This can make shooting extremely difficult and frustrating. It’s up to you whether you stick with it on that day. There are mental techniques that are said to be able to help with this which take time and training to master (I’ll be coming back to this another time). Despite how long it may take I believe it's not only worthwhile but crucial if you wish to discover how good an archer you can be.
It is possible to shoot fairly well without getting to grips with attention-mapping, just don't expect top-quality scores! If you are willing to invest the time it will add an extra facet to your ability that will be useful in everyday life too.
There's another side to the same coin known as 'ironic processes of control'. Sometimes too much attention is just as detrimental as too little. Imagine you've just shot two 10s. You're on course for an excellent score and mentally rehearsing the final shot as you prepare to draw. Concentrate, release and - it's a 6. Been there? I have. This is a prime example of the ironic processes of control. You over-think the shot in anticipation, moving what would usually be a subconscious process into the conscious mind. The conscious mind cannot treat the process in a likewise fashion and makes subtle alterations, enough to throw the shot off completely. There are ways of dealing with this, though none are foolproof. The best way I've found is to gain control over your conscious mind, push its focus to one side and let the subconscious regain control of the shot. For example, focus your attention somewhere closer to home: focus on your grip on the bow, keeping your bow shoulder down, what you're planning to do after the session or what's for dinner. Don't expect miracles, but you'll improve your chances of a great shot.
I took some advice from a friend about focus. He shoots high-powered rifles over long distance at targets the size of a 50p piece so focus is a major factor. He told me that when he shoots he gets into position, sights, then drifts his eyes and his attention away from the target for just a moment before snapping them both back to the target and squeezing the trigger. This overcomes the split-attention issue by refreshing the mind just enough (and releasing any built-up tension at the same time). I've tried this myself at the club with good results so I'd recommend trying it. Just don't try shifting attention too far or the conscious mind will move your arm. I drift my focus down to the border between black and white on the target face. Down works best for me as I find it doesn’t lead me to move my physical position. Make sure you drift your eyes only, don’t move your head.
I should point out that even if you follow this to the letter there's no guarantee that every shot will be perfect. There are so many factors to consider and I don't even know them all yet!
As I travel around London, buses and tube stations alike are adorned with huge posters of the much awaited younger Lara Croft holding a fully drawn bow with the tagline 'a survivor is born'. As I look at all these images I think to myself, is it just because I picked up archery recently or is it really all around us nowadays!
Archery also features heavily in almost every medieval fantasy world - Legolas in The Lord of Rings, The Hobbit and almost everyone in the TV series The Game of Thrones portray archery as a weapon of precision and talent. However, it’s also interesting to see archery feature in modern day comics. I didn't even know there was a character called the Hawkeye before I watched Marvel's Avengers! In all fairness, that’s my shortcoming since Hawkeye has been part of the Avengers since the 60s. Of course I was glad to find that there is an archer in the midst of the expensive-gadgeted billionaires and born-with-powers gods, etc. For whatever reason, there he is!
There is also a new TV series Arrow based an old DC comics hero Green Arrow. Apparently he survived 5 years on an island and is a billionaire in Starling City, much like Gotham's Batman except Batman never thought of getting a bow. The survivor theme seems to be key. Katniss Everdeen survived The Hunger Games with more help from her bow than from Haymitch her mentor. The Hunger Games movie apparently brought many people into archery, so much so that a lot of people have asked me if that was my reason. Funnily enough though the movie never actually seems to focus on the shooting itself - unlike Merida in Brave. Even though it's only a couple of scenes, Brave does make a good go of portraying archery accurately. Even the fletchings on the arrow are correctly aligned (unlike Avatar where the technique is so horrible archery looks to be somewhat risky for both hunter and hunted alike). Brave also portrays archery as having a lovely rebellious edge.
So, to conclude, although archery is an ancient skill it is also definitely the newest fashionable sport in town! You simply can't have fantasy fiction without an archer! And actually.. I’ve just spotted another theme. Green Arrow and Hawkeye are old comics but the newer archery heroes are all women! Ha! Now I am definitely trying to pull a fast one!
So, I attended and completed the beginner’s course with 2020 Archery, and by the end I felt pretty confident that I could at least do alright for a beginner. I wasn’t brilliant but I wasn’t constantly missing and I hadn’t injured anyone.
I joined the Club pretty much straight away (only £30 annually to be a member) and got my login. I had already booked my first shoot over email but I used my login to book my second shoot. It was really easy and simple to use and I worked out when the best times to book would be.
I was twinned with a club member called Sarah who was able to tell me a little about what usually happens when you attend a club practice session. After helping to set everything up we got shooting straight away. I ended up using the same bow as the last two sessions I attended which I was happy about, and due to the weather it was quite quiet and I had a target to myself.
Now, I’d love to tell you I was awesome and hit the centre of the target all the time, I’d love to tell you that because the reality was quite different! My first few ends were literally hit and miss (unless you count hitting the curtain, in which case they were all hits) and I got smacked in the arm a couple of times with the bow string (entirely my own fault). At one point, a couple of club members pointed out I was trying to shoot at a slight angle as I wasn’t directly in the line of a target. I started to get a bit tired and a bit annoyed with myself, not to mention my arm hurting from the twanging.
This is not a photo of Louise!
Luckily I was surrounded by many awesome club members, some of whom had been there a while, and some who were only in their 3rd or 4th session of shooting post-course. They reminded me that this was only my first shoot and I was probably a bit nervous and to just relax and enjoy it. So, I pulled myself together, sorted out my arm guard so it was tighter and in a more sensible place, moved along the line a bit so I was in front of the target properly and tried to relax. My first shot after all this hit red, and then the second hit yellow. The third hit outside the target but we won’t talk about that one.
I think the important thing to remember is that even though you’ve just completed the course you’re still a beginner and you’re constantly learning, altering your technique, getting used to the surroundings and just doing what you feel comfortable with.
Even though it didn’t go entirely to plan, I really enjoyed my first session, especially because I met such lovely people like Sarah, plus Tony and Laura who helped me settle in. Alright I came out with a little bruise or two and I didn’t get nearly as many points overall as I did previously, but I’m so glad I was able to do the course and so glad I’ve joined the club.
2020 Archery Website
Junior Archery Website
