My first local tournament-300 round

I participated yesterday in my first local tournament. I can honestly say, if it wasn't for a friend who was also competing i would not have made it all the way through.

It's been a difficult past 3 weeks and I am bone tired. Compound that with a tough back workout the day before, personal life issues flooding me, and rotten sleep....I was a real peace of work. I kept making excuses and telling people all sorts of weird things. But inside I was really mad at myself. Mad at not preparing better and mad that I was letting so many things effect my shooting. I had a conversation with my club president and i told him, 'I know I'm doing this for fun but I keep making excuses. But when you shoot you can't do that.' He said, 'You either shoot well or you don't.'

So although I walked away with a rotten score, I learned a very valuable lesson. It doesn't matter what is going on in your personal life, job hunting, and family issues. When you step up to the line you must be there to simply shoot and, to shoot well, your mind must be empty. I think I've heard every single major archer talk about this in one way or the other. This is the mental part of archery. And it's just as important as the physical preparation.

So my takeaway from this tournament-put on a good face away from the line, put on your game face and have an empty mind when stepping up to the line and have fun and be humble. These will make you shoot well. Thank you again to the friend who cheered for me and coached me between games and ends. I'm sorry I was so cranky.

And now to blank bale.

On a side note, I tried out my friends W&W winex carbon foam limbs and they were amazing. So smooth and fast. I currently have wood limbs and I don't like their snappiness. So another thing to put on my wish list. I definitely want carbon foam limbs in the future.

A Jaunt to Springfield

This past Friday I drove 2.5 hours to Springfield for my first lesson with Amy Francka. She's a Level 3 NTS coach and helped me quite a bit.

She let me warm up with shooting while watching my style and then she asked me to adjust a few things. She moved my feet so they are diagonal to the target with the left foot slightly forward. Then she had me rotate my hips so they are line with the target. She also told me to lock my knees as part of my shot sequence. This makes me a much more stable base and foundation in preparation for shooting outside in wind. Next up was upper body adjustment.  She changed the pressure point and pivot point on my bow hand and that made a world of difference. She helped me realize I didn't need to pull back and rotate my shoulder as much. She taught me "holding" which is basically lining up a spot on my tricep in line with my bow arm when fully pulled back. Holding strengthens the shot and makes you shoot off your bone structure versus muscle alone. While loading, my arrow slid through the last 1/4 inch of the clicker for each shot. Lastly she helped me with my left hand on my release. Before I wasn't completely pulling it back but she helped me figure out the motion to make it go farther behind me with each release. I have to work on keeping my release hand (left hand) flat and rearranging the pressure on my finger tips. That way the string can basically slip off my fingers even though I deliberately let go of it, and my arm will swing back behind my head, in a straight line.

I would shoot a bit and then she had me watch a bunch of videos of stations led by archery coaches who train archers at the OTC in Chula Vista. They helped clarify technique and Amy also demonstrated with bands different positions and helped me do them too.

By the end I was shooting much better and my bow swung forward easily. She took some videos of me on her ipad and on my phone for me too. It was super helpful to see myself shooting and analyze it. I passed one video on to a fellow archer and he even helped me see that I needed to raise my bow arm because it was tilting down. Amy even tried to get me to raise my bow arm but I think she gave up for that particular lesson, afraid she might overwhelm me.

After 2 hours I was shaking from fatigue. And I got back in my car and started to drive back. I was an 1,5 away when Amy let me know I had left my string and stringer behind! So I drove back to get it and turned around again for my 2nd attempt at driving home.

It was an extremely worthwhile experience. Amy is a very good and patient coach. She passes through my city occasionally so I'll try to meet up with her then for more coaching. I don't know how long my back can handle the long over 2 hour ride in the car to and from but it's definitely worth it for the lessons.

As a follow up to my lesson I had a personal training session the next day. I asked my trainer to show me how to relax and lower my shoulders and she showed me stretches and warm ups to do before I shoot. In addition to training I am eating smaller meals more frequently with higher protein. I have to admit I'm pretty bored with chicken breast but I'll figure out some new recipes to keep eating healthy. I still have chocolate and sugar cravings so although I'm happy to indulge them, I need to figure out what's missing from my meals so I don't crave them. Sweets=more belly fat for me, sadly. And sleep! I need so much more sleep now with my workouts and shooting. I get sooo tired.

So lots of good things happening! It's just going to take more practice and workouts and time to shoot better each day.

I am trying to arrange 32# Kaya K2 limbs because I've had it with my Samick Privilege limbs. Problem is they are around 200$. That's not really in my budget. I put it out there to my family that christmas and my birthday are coming up soon. Gift card to buy the limbs? Why how thoughtful of you sibs and padres!

At a crossroad

So...I figured out two days ago that my unofficial "coach" doesn't really have time to coach me. Not what I was expecting at all. Aside from the occasional tip while shooting together at the range, it won't be the arrangement I was picturing.

I'd rather have someone else coach me anyway (just saying) so no problem, not a big deal. He recommended I find a Level 3 NTS coach. The problem is, the one he recommended is in Springfield. That's over 3 hours away. I sent her an e-mail and am waiting to hear back. I'm wondering if I can meet with her once a month and shoot on my own the rest of the time? I'm basically doing 99% self coaching anyway, and that's what they want. I watch lots of videos of the top archers and although they each have their own unique style, I notice patterns in their form and it clues me into my own sloppy habits.

That being said, I did have an official lesson with the former coach. He had me shoot blank bale in my garage after some fine tuning on my bow. He clued me into yet another aspect of my form that I have to change-my head position. Before I turned my head to completely face the target. He told me to turn my head so really only my eyes are in line with my body and bow. My line of sight=head turned about 45 degrees to my left, eyes in line with the target but peered down, string to the front right side of my nose, string between inside right of the riser (and to the left of the sight aperture?).

My clicker is back on my bow and not near the struggle it use to be. Since changing my anchor point to farther back under my chin, I've increased my draw length to 28". So now my arrows are too short but I won't order more until I'm ready for a new set of limbs. I can make due for now with the current arrows because my budget dictates it.

My homework is to practice 3 times a week, 50 arrows very close to a blank bale. It's the only way to know what I'm doing wrong.

So today at the range I tried to apply everything that I had picked up in my lesson. I watched my arrow dance around that elusive bulls eye. I did manage to zero in on it a few times but for the most part, there was always something missing in my form. After an hour, and I'm pretty sure more than 50 shots, I called it in.

This is where it gets hard. I've sort of hurtled through this summer trying to accomplish goals all over the place as fast as I can. I'm constantly reminded to master each stage before moving up in draw weight or equipment. I'm constantly frustrated with seeing how I should be shooting and trying it for myself and not being able to shoot that way. 

I'm not even going to mention what my job situation has been lately. Fingers crossed I'm headed to a better company soon.

I've turned my hobby into something more than a hobby. Just like I'm trying to figure out my form, my release and how to make the dang arrow go where I want it to, I'm trying to juggle multiple things going on in other parts of my life. It's pretty exhausting and overwhelming to think about it all at once.

I simply don't want to lose the enjoyment and the fun part of this sport even if I don't see leaps and bounds every practice. Archery has filled my life and given me lots of joy and fulfillment where my marriage used to, but I am not married to this sport-yet. Sometimes the practices are draining, other times they are empowering and up lifting. Today I really had to trudge through the practice and motions seeing incremental progress, rather than the leaps and bounds I'd rather make. I'm definitely getting familiar with the daily grind that comes with learning any sport out there.

Trying to find a way through it all, with my sport and my life in general. All that being said, I will be competing in an indoor tournament on January 9. It will only be at 20 yards but apparently that's pretty far as my crazy arrows remind me. It will be good to get some concrete feedback with scores to measure my progress. I'm planning a tiny reward for myself after completing my first competition.

New Equipment...again

I randomly bought a Kaya riser on eBay. It's a K3 and she shoots so smoothly. She makes shots with my yellow infinitec (brand?) riser feel all clumsy and heavy. There's something about the Kaya riser, since it's all carbon, that makes it shoot very quietly with more of a dead feeling in your hand. The arrows seem to fly rather than act like a shotput throw. Honestly it's probably all in my technique and the "magical" feeling of new equipment but I had one of my best practices ever yesterday.

Let me back up. On Sunday my informal coach helped me tune the riser a bit and he moved everything that he had already tuned on my old riser. The only thing missing from the riser is the clicker. Shooting without it is a lot more fun. My coach says the clicker is really a mental thing and that I am drawing back as far as I need to without it. I'll take that with the clicker! But this wasn't the best practice though. I'm still missing a few of my arrows argh. 

I went back by myself yesterday to shoot. It was a picturesque fall day and windy (which didn't turn out to be a big problem.) The range is surrounded by trees turning colors and the weather was cool but not too cold to numb my fingers. I put together my new rig and walked over to the public targets for some more practice. Apart from a bit of sight adjustment since I was practicing so close to the targets, i was shooting better than I ever have. I really focused on keeping my bow arm up and keeping my grip light on the bow so I could let it fall forward. And it made a huge difference! Everything seemed to flow better. Before long, I had been shooting almost 2 hours and i wasn't shaking at all. I attribute this to using the right muscle groups and all the workouts I do with my trainer. We're already a month in but I feel stronger already. Perhaps having a chest workout the day before helped me pull back farther? I am worried that I really only shoot my best when I am alone. I love being alone at a range and focusing only on shooting but I also need to show improvement when I'm with my coach. And after my coach left on Sunday there was this other guy who wanted analyze every single freaking shot I made. I should've told him to shut up because he was sucking all the joy out of it for me but after awhile he stopped talking to me and i was so ready for it. I'm a chatty kathy but when it comes to shooting I am very selective with whom I listen to for advice.

So I am ready for more practices like that one. Here's looking forward to my next day off and at the range with my new riser.

The Clicker Struggles

Granted, I have only had the clicker on my bow for a few weeks and have not been able to practice every week, but every time I get out the bow to practice, I remember-dang this is hard.

I'm gauging the safest place downstairs in my basement to shoot. Then I need to build a target that I can stand at and shoot all winter. Because I won't get better until I shoot every day. It's a fine balance that needs to be controlled by strength and I simply don't have either yet.

I workout twice a week with my personal trainer and once on my own. I am not sure if it's really the right strength training program for my sport but maybe it's too early to tell? I want to add pilates to the  mix to build core strength and maintain lean muscle. I think my PT thinks I know more than I actually do, since I told her I am taking an online course to become a CPT. Nothing like heading to the range to practice after a back workout with aching chest muscles from a previous workout. I am so much hungrier than before. And it's fall and I want all the fall desserts-boo. I have to get a grip on my diet to build muscle and strength. It's very easy to simply build frustration but I tell myself take my time, be patient and it's okay to get a hooked nose from repeated string pressure during my anchor point ;)

Clicker Practice

I managed to get out on my own 3 times to practice at my local range. I am trying to remember and pull together all the technical aspects I learned at my last lesson with my coach. There's a lot to remember.

1.) My stance-open with 75% of my weight on my back foot and my weight more forward on the balls of my feet.
2.) My bow starting open and as I draw pulling more to a close.
3.) My grip-lightly holding the bow with my pointer finger and thumb with the rest of my hand relaxed. With my weight balanced right I should be able to "push" my thumb towards the target.
4.)My draw-extending the time for the last .25" of the arrow to pull through the clicker to about 3-4 seconds.
5.) keeping my arm steady and not rushing the shot.
6.) release and follow through.

It's a complete balancing act. And I mess up a lot.

The good news is that I can feel when I'm warmed up and my left shoulder suddenly moves the way I envision and my release is better and my shots are more consistent.

The bad news is that it's exhausting using the clicker and I constantly have to remember to conserve my energy.

I am working out now with a personal trainer twice a week with the goal of gaining long and lean muscle. And to gain strength. I am also doing yoga inversion classes every other week because that will also help me get strong. And I am going to pay for archery lessons from now on. They are pretty cheap to begin with. I've nixed buying a better bow right now considering that I'm just beginning and have a lot of debt to pay off. It will come when I am ready and am in a better financial position. And to add to that I started a full time job this month and am taking an online course to become a certified personal trainer.

All I need now is some decent sleep and I'd be in good shape! I e-mail pictures to my coach after every practice and he says I'm making good progress. Just have to outweigh my fatigue with my enthusiasm ;)

The Ol' Clicker

I've received a few hand me downs from Rod White via my coach for my bow. One of the them included a Beiter clicker. I mentioned before that I bought new arrows, coach fletched them and put them together for me and that they were my correct draw length. Since all that is done I can now learn how to shoot with a clicker.

A clicker is a piece of metal that the arrow slides against during the draw. If the archer is at full draw the clicker blade will be at the point of the arrow at almost full draw. Once that happens, the archer needs to pull back about .25" more over a period of 4 seconds and then the clicker blade will snap off the arrow point. At that point the archer can release the arrow. It sounds easy right? I thought so too.

Using a clicker is actually pretty damn difficult. It's meant to help with consistency and help the archer achieve full draw every time. But it's hard enough to be pulling the arrow back. Add your coach adjusting your stance and your grip and your bow arm is already shaking before you are at full draw. At least I am. This is where quantity over quality really helps.

Using the clicker I could only get 2 or 3 decent shots off my bow. The rest would go all over the place. And my coach, having just fletched them all, looked a bit peeved when he had to get out the metal detector and dig one under the dirt, bless him. I'm trying to build a shot sequence now. It starts with looking at the direction of the wind, grounding myself through my feet in an open stance, with 75% of my bodyweight on my back foot. Then I raise my bow and pull my string back with my arrow at the same time. While trying to keep the bow steady, I try to remember the light grip and touch my coach demonstrated for me. Then there's the ol' clicker, sliding along my arrow till I'm at almost full draw. With a definite 'click' it snaps of my arrow point and I release the nock and string. It's important to remember not to anchor at my nose and chin until I've reached that almost full draw point. Also, I am trying to work on lining up my string with inside right side of my riser. Loading another arrow is the last step in the shot sequence. It's a lot of minute detail that you can't really see with the naked eye. Lots of adjustments and lining up and straightening. Lots of strength behind the scenes. Frankly, I need to be stronger so I joined a gym and am working on building long lean muscle for strength. My main machine is the rowing machine for my back. I am also doing some yoga classes that focus on core work.

My shoulders had spazzed out by the end of the lesson. They screamed at me all day long and well into the night. But wait! There's homework!

I have clicker drills to do. I'm supposed to stand 5 feet away from a target and practice using that dang ol' clicker. I have to develop technique and muscle memory and not fight the clicker. Lord help me, this is going to hurt for a little bit.

Last big piece of news. Due to a recent bad experience, I asked the guy whom I refer to as 'my coach' to let me pay him for the 2 sessions we shoot together a month. I want to continue it into the winter as we shoot indoors.

1 step forward and 2 backwards

Everything has come together for my first ILF rig. Today was the first day I shot it completely together (with all my own parts.) My arrows will come back to me with veins and knocks and pins and points in a couple days, hopefully.

I have noticed major progress:

Stabilizers make my shots much smoother. It's like the difference between shooting a handgun and a rifle. They do make the bow heavier but you can rest it on the long stabilizer before each shot which helps. If I move correctly and release the shot well it's as if I am shooting of a ledge and the arrow flies in a beautiful arc through the air. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing that followed by the thunk of the arrow in the target face. Only thing that could make it better would be hitting an X!

My new sight is a DREAM. It's built like a tank and doesn't move unless I crank the dials to turn it. Then it moves in tiny increments so it can adjust to the smallest change. Well worth the money and I can use it for 20 years.

My whole release has greatly improved. I still have to remind myself to use my shoulder but when I do, everything flows better. Hold straight, engage shoulder, pull to anchor point. My coach is helping me develop a checklist for each shot. It's a lot to remember!

Slippery new things to learn:

Since I shoot southpaw style I need to bring the string to my nose at the same time my anchor reaches my chin. Then I need to keep the blur of the string in my peripheral on the right side of my riser handle. And the aperture on the far right. So it goes riser+blurry string+sight aperture on my target=baddabaddabing a nicer shot. It's a lot harder than it sounds because I am trying to manage the limb weight and line everything up. By the time I get everything on line I'm already shaking. This is where slowing down and thinking through each shot before I shoot is really helpful.

Keep my elbow down, stay up right. And I'm sure there will be another slew of things to remember once I start using my clicker. I'm hoping to have my arrows back within a couple days. Then everything will change again. I've been warned not to fight the clicker. If we measured the draw length correctly and if I move correctly, then hopefully that won't happen.

Workouts are going well. I just need to keep doing them and follow up with eating right. I can already tell I'm stronger than 2 weeks ago when I started intense workouts. I was sorta letting my cardio go because I was focusing so much on my arms and core. But really I need to do that too, not only for keeping in shape and getting stronger, leaner legs, but also for the mental discipline. Lordy oh lordy...am I going to need it.

I had to stop shooting today, due to fatigue, much sooner than I wanted to stop. But I was only training bad habits and shooting very shaky shots, so there was no point in continuing. It's so hard to stop when I look forward to it each day of the week. But now since I have my own equipment I can shoot every week on my own. It's good to receive instruction but it's also good to shoot on your own with a quiet mind and without interference.

Maybe if I can get in enough practice, I can compete in the club tournament at the end of the season.

My first ILF rig

Well, I've been shooting with a borrowed ILF rig from a friend/coach for a couple months now. The first time I shot with it, I knew I wanted to head into olympic recurve style for sure. It was always my main goal and I was happy to confirm it.

Wading through the best traditional recurve bows seemed tough, but this is a whole new world!

Do I stick with ILF or try out Formula limbs? Do I go all out on a sight or save money on a cheaper one? Which riser geometry do I like better? Compound that with the fact that it's very hard to try left handed equipment before you buy it, meaning the riser and the sight, and I felt completely overwhelmed!

But then I took a step back and more experienced archers encouraged me to start cheap which determined an ILF rig. Then it was a matter of SF forged plus riser or something else available sooner. Luck would have it, there was an Infinitec riser for sale on eBay and it was LH! Said friend said it would last me 1 or 2 years and since the price was right plus I bargained, I took the plunge and bought it. My very own lovely, erm, mustard yellow lefty riser.

Next, I had to answer the limb question; do I keep borrowing or buy my own? I really want to go shoot every week, not every 2 weeks so I bit the bullet and decided to buy my own limbs. The same friend came through again and found a pair of used limbs comparable in performance and cheaper than the ones I was looking at brand new. It's such a significant price reduction that I'll buy them on Sunday. This same friend also got lucky in his own major haul from Rod White and has a intermediate clicker and plunger to lend me. Did I mention that he's also making me a string? This is guy is a archer girl on a beer budget's true pal.

I also need to shout out to the person who lent me his riser and limbs for so long. Without you I would have progressed at a snail's pace and had a much longer and harder road to plough. You've put me leap years ahead of that and I am truly grateful. I'm looking forward to many more club days of shooting with you.

Now-arrows! Since I want to eventually be shooting a very thin spine for optimal flight and apparently, the arrow's spine size will change according to the poundage, it was best to start cheap yet again. (I know, I know-I'm still researching all this scattered information that seems passed down from teacher to student rather than in a good ol' book. Thank goodness for the www!) Friend making the bow string recommended two types to choose from: carbon express medallion xrs or easton apollos. Xrs are over $8 an arrow while apollos are under $6 an arrow, so I picked the latter. The next step is truly, accurately measuring my draw length, which I will do, again, this Sunday at the archery club. Then I can type in a number, press ship-and I will have new arrows and corresponding points (the arrow tip), nocks and pins. Again...I will be lent blue fletchings. But whether they are still passable after I'm ready to move on to a different spine, I don't know.

That being said, a new sight will be under way too, the shibuya ultima, so it's one I'll never have to replace. And while I'm at it-why not buy a new case to haul all this stuff around? I'm looking at the Easton Club XT Recurve Pack in blue. It's cheaper than Hoyt and will do the job well. I guess I'll have to get over the fact that it looks like it has a diagram of CNS on the outside. Sorry Easton, design team, I guess you thought it looked like a dynamic arrow?

The riser and limbs will eventually be replaced. So will the clicker and plunger. I have others that are pricier on my wish list, but they can wait.

Wait-there's more!

On the workout front-I really have to get stronger. Shooting itself is a good workout but I'm rounding it out with core and ab workouts 3 additional times a week. I also plan on leg workouts with cardio and the occasional SUP on a lake nearby. I am consciously reaching for protein, veggies, healthy fats and whole grains over sweets and empty calories in chips and I can really tell the difference already. I increased my free weights mostly from 5lbs in each hand to 10 lbs in each hand. I am going to price out gyms in my area so I can get access to weight machines that will strengthen my back. This is all for improving my shooting and maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. (I do have the occasional treat-I'm human ;)

So, it's been a long time researching and weighing and finally I can make some purchases. I can't imagine not shooting right now-I'm simply not very happy when I can't shoot my bow frequently. Along with my kids and the support of my family, archery is really a lifeline for me and giving me a much needed direction for my life.

I will post pics as soon as I can upload them!

Equipment Decisions

Part of the fun of archery is picking out equipment!

I have so many questions....what's the difference between Hoyt grand prix gpx risers and gmx risers? Are they ILF or formula? Often the answer I get is personal preference. But I don't have a preference until I can try it out. Too bad I don't live in Lancaster PA-or taking a trip there soon-hah!

So until then, I am scouring the internet for sales, information and insight. A riser that will click with me when I pick it up and try it out-and won't break the bank.

I know it is well worth it, because it's one of the few things that make me happy these days. Nothing better than kicking my personal life and legal world to the curb right now and shooting in a sunny field with the blue sky and soft clouds above me. I can't wait for the day when I can merely pick up my equipment and go to the range.

Workouts keep happening. I keep working on my core and arms and shoulders. I consciously have to remind myself how to move my shoulder for the correct release. One day it will come, the muscle memory will kick in. Until then I'm a newbie working to get better every day.

Back to the drawing board...

Later

strand count? string length? strand number in my string? What's the difference between 1/4# and 1/8#? what do I need?

More Practice

I got to the range for the first time in 2 weeks. I am borrowing equipment from another recurve archer and he's coaching me a lot too. I've decreased my poundage so I can concentrate on my form, incorporating my shoulder mechanics into each shot instead of only using my arms. I switched from a 30# draw to 18# and then back up to 24#. It is so nice shooting an ILF rig instead of a traditional bow. The traditional bow has lots of pros and is great for beginners but I am somewhere between beginner and intermediate and an ILF better suits my style right now. I usually start with fairly tight groups and get frustrated when they loosen up to the size of a basketball. I got frustrated because it seemed to happen pretty fast today and I still wanted to shoot. I shot more for over an hour. It's amazing how tired I get considering how short a time it is. I've been doing quite a few arm exercises but I am going to increase them and make sure I eat enough protein to build more muscle. I also need to slooow down. I tend to shoot my arrows pretty fast and my fellow archer pointed out how much weight I am holding. He said, 'Give your muscle time to rest and take a deep breath and then shoot.' I really need to work on that.

These days I've been reading as much as I can and watching as many archery videos as I can to learn better technique. And I just may be drooling over my archery equipment wish lists online. But that will come when I have the funds. I have to get a few other ducks in a row before I can splurge on some equipment.

I also met some other recurve archers today and one who actually competes. It was great to talk more with another archer and get some more perspective, ogle her equipment and talk about how hard it is to test equipment physically yourself before investing in it.

On the exercise front, I've been waking up early to go running around my neighborhood. It keeps my weight down and is great for mental discipline. The actual shooting is a workout in itself. My arms are much more toned and have more muscle then they did 6 months ago. I can also notice more definition in my core muscles. Ideally I want to be doing daily weight lifting and programs like crossfit, barre workouts, yoga inversion classes to increase my strength and overall fitness. SUP is a great core workout and fun. I hope one day to complete an ironman triathlon. This is all in the hopes of improving my archery ability, remaining fit and taking care of myself.

I never want to take the joy out of archery that I feel now. I look forward to shooting so much and love the challenging process of each shot. I get super excited when I shoot a tight group and it's a plus when they are all in the gold. I must look like a 3 year old with how excited I get but honestly it's just sheer joy. And I haven't felt that in so long that I will never give up that feeling ever again. Here's hoping I can take it to the next level soon.

Little By little...

I've practiced a few more times since my last post. I am learning enough to make me realize I still have tons more to learn about archery. It is frustrating at first. Then I focus and work through each shot.

I am also learning that people mean to be helpful when they don't know a whole lot. And they jump on me after one shot when I haven't shot for a few days and need to warm up. You're doing this wrong and this wrong and you need to fix thissss....till I can't remember the beginning of what they said. If you have one bad shot they assume you don't know anything and that you need all  of their advice, which is honestly probably true. I am grateful to have the free coaching I am getting though, after I warm up after 15 minutes, 'mkay?

On a more concrete note, I got to shoot an ILF rig today for the first time! Another archer brought a Hoyt Excel riser for me to shoot with SF axiom limbs. It was difficult until he switched them out for lighter limbs. The lighter weight meant I could focus more on my form. I worked on sighting in the bow and moving my shoulder the right way. I saw progress. Just mentally tired from all the coaching and the shooting. It's pretty difficult to shoot from 9:15-12:30 as a newbie archer.

I guess I basically feel like I'm getting my hand slapped a lot, figuratively speaking.

Progress!

I met my fellow archers at our archery club this past Sunday and I ended up getting great tips from some recurve archers. they helped me improve my form and shoot a million times better. They actually brought my target very close and told me to ignore my score and just pay attention to my form. It made all the difference. Even up close my groups were still tight and by the end I knew I had made a breakthrough. One archer even filmed me in slow motion so I could see my draw and release. There are lots of things to learn, little things to tweak and I honestly still have a lot to learn. But now I have some pointers and a little muscle memory to recreate and practice on my own. I also learned of a new online shop called Alternative Sporting Services which has so much archery equipment to browse. Talk about being so glad I went between rain showers! Did I mention that one of the archers will bring equipment for me next week to try out? Not to buy, just to try out.

Off to shoot some more on my own :)

New Sights

I have a literal sight to talk about and a figurative one. The figurative one is simply this: I am going through a major personal life transition. Everything has changed and I am trying to figure out a more permanent set up. But I have not lost sight of what makes me happy and my own interests through it. Archery has been a lifeline for me. I have joined a local club, received a lesson or two from a good coach and some not so good advice from people who think they know things but really don't (thank the lord I can tell the difference.) Maybe I can't control my personal life right now but it's a great consolation to pick up my bow and know that if I nock an arrow, draw and aim it and let go-it will sink into the target or maybe the ground or the target stand. Such is life. But I am getting stronger through it.

I actually bought a physical sight and it has made a world of difference in my groups. I've only used it twice and it's a cheap beginner's sight but hey it works for me. My groups generally start fairly tight and I play around with my sight...a little more to the left there and a bit higher there, until my arrows are reaching the bullseye. As I get tired my arrows tend to loosen from the size of a baseball to the size of a basketball, just as my coach said would happen. Over time as I get stronger and more skilled it should take the groups longer to loosen up that much. Once the groups reach the size of a basketball I stop so I don't burn out. My right shoulder was protesting the movement towards the end of my shooting hour so I must remember to do some ballistic stretches next time. I also need to do some core work because I think that would help me.

It feels so good to be doing something for me and to see progress. It's coming at a glacial pace but I can see it. Looking forward to the shooting on the range again this Sunday.