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.