If you are in school or college, you may be able to find an archery class or club within your school. School programs are a great way to get started. When you are researching, you may find archery organizations that meet and compete. You may also find stores/shooting ranges that sell equipment, offer lessons, and have shooting facilities. If you can’t find a club near you, there’s most likely someone in your area who has archery experience. Ask people you know if they know anyone who would be willing to teach you the basics and possibly loan you some equipment to get started.
Rather than showing up at the club without warning, it’s helpful if you let them know ahead of of time you are a beginner and want to learn. They may want you to bring ID of some kind, or they can tell you about any fees they may have. Some clubs may require you to pay for a membership, and if you are unsure about how invested you want to be, you may want to look for other archery clubs.
If you have a friend or family member who has been shooting for a while, talk to them and ask if they could give you some beginner lessons. Archery clubs often have classes for beginners, which is the best way to learn when you have no experience.
Archery has specific techniques like how your feet should be placed, how far to pull the string back, and how to aim. Taking a course will teach you these, plus give you the time to focus on them in a supportive setting. If you find a club near you that does not offer courses, look for another one that you could take a course at, even if it’s a little farther away. Once you get the basics, you could then practice at your local club.
Form a triangle by putting your thumbs together and forefingers together. Choose an object that’s about 15 feet away and situate it in the middle of the triangle. Close your left eye and determine if the object stays centered or shifts. Test with the right eye as well. The eye that keeps the object centered is your dominant eye. This is important because bows are designed specifically to be held with either the right or left hand, so it’s important to know which is best for you.
You can also find a friend or acquaintance that will let you use their equipment while you learn. If you can’t find any rental options at clubs near you, find out what kind of return policy they have if you use the equipment for a while and decide that archery is not a good fit for you.
For example, a child starting out would want a draw weight between 10-20 lbs, depending on their size. A large man would want at the highest 35 lbs. Choosing a draw weight that is too high for you will make shooting too difficult, but it can also cause injury in your arms because you’ll strain at pulling the string back. You also don’t want it to be too easy to pull the string back, as this will cause you to over-pull the string.
Besides the safety aspects, these are also good for accuracy and smooth shots. The armguard keeps your clothes from catching on the string. The glove aids a smooth release of the string. There is no shame in using help and taking extra precaution when you first start out. When you get comfortable, you can decide to stop using safety equipment if you want. A chest guard is another recommended piece of safety equipment. It goes across the shoulder of the arm that holds the bow. It serves to flatten your clothing so the string doesn’t snag on them. If you are shooting in the woods, or around other shooters, it’s important to wear bright clothing, usually orange, to make yourself highly visible to reduce shooting accidents.
Another test is to standing perpendicular to a wall, and stick your arm out straight allow the knuckles of your closed fist to rest against the wall. Then turn toward the wall and measure from the wall to the corner of your mouth. Add 1–2 inches (2. 5–5. 1 cm) and this is a good length for arrows.
Another test is to standing perpendicular to a wall, and stick your arm out straight allow the knuckles of your closed fist to rest against the wall. Then turn toward the wall and measure from the wall to the corner of your mouth. Add 1–2 inches (2. 5–5. 1 cm) and this is a good length for arrows.
Once you have learned the basics, you will probably practice without a teacher most of the time, but it’s good to check back in with an instructor after you’ve been shooting a while. They can watch you shoot and make sure you are maintaining proper form. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t start hitting bullseyes right at the beginning. Archery is a discipline and it can take years to become an expert shooter.
Since archery is a calm sport, maintaining even breathing will keep you calm from start to finish of the shot. A good practice is to exhale as you release the string, so that your breath and the arrow are in unison.
Never shoot toward your house, or toward any area where people may be. It may be wise to find out if any home or life insurance policy you have has stipulations about shooting. For home practice, you can construct homemade targets from bales of hay or cardboard boxes. You can purchase targets at most sporting goods stores, hunting stores, or farm stores.
Especially at the beginning, your muscles may get sore from the new strain of archery, so make sure you don’t overdo it. Give yourself time to rest in between shooting sessions. If you can practice consistently for at least the first month or so after you learn, you’ll have a better chance of getting the form down. Then your practice could slow down a little.
If you are going to hunt some day, get in a tree stand and shoot downward at the target, as this is likely how you’ll be hunting. If you typically shoot at 15 feet, take shots from 20, 30, and 40 feet to increase your accuracy from longer range. Don’t do all of your practice with a single target in an open field. Set some targets up in the woods if you can, or set up 2-3 targets and practice hitting each of them while you stand in one spot.
