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.