How to Start Archery

Finding an Archery Club

Look for archery clubs near you. Archery is not a sport that you should try to start on your own. Search online for an archery club near you and visit it. Meet the people who work there and tell them you are brand new to archery and would like some advice about getting started. 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.

Call and find out what services they offer. Many clubs might have meetings for beginners and more advanced shooters. You can ask if they have equipment you can test and possibly rent. A club near you might also sell equipment, which you can ask about. 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.

Learn from a live person. While you can watch videos and read about the proper techniques, nothing beats learning from an experienced archer. They can help you position yourself properly and check your form and tell you how to adjust. 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.

Take an introductory course. The benefit of this is that an intro course will be specifically designed for people with no archery knowledge. You’ll learn about common archery terms, how to stand and hold the bow, and what safety precautions to take when you shoot. 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.

Selecting Equipment

Test for eye dominance. Although your dominant hand may seem more important, the dominant eye will affect how you see the shot and therefore affect your aim. Performing an eye dominance test will help you figure out which side of your body to hold the bow on. 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.

Rent or borrow the equipment when you first start. Archery equipment is pricey and you don’t want to make that investment until you know for sure that you want to stick with it. Many archery clubs will loan or let you rent equipment. 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.

Choose a bow with the proper poundage. Poundage, also called draw weight, is a descriptor of how much weight it takes to pull the bow string back. Your size and strength will determine the poundage that will serve you best. This is one of the things an expert at an archery club can help you with. 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.

Use safety equipment. Even experienced archers often use arm guards and shooting gloves/finger tabs. An armguard will protect you from the snap of the string, while a shooting glove/tab will protect your fingers from the strain of pulling the string back. 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.

Choose arrows based on your draw length. Arrows are made of wood, aluminum, carbon, and fiberglass, each with their specific benefits. The material is less important than getting the proper arrow length. Measure your arm span and divide by 2.5. Then choose arrows that are 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) longer than that. 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.

Practicing for Improvement

Master the fundamentals. Archery has a diverse range of options, from hunting to riding on horseback shooting at moving targets. Before you get into advanced shooting, you need to perfect your stance, get comfortable with gripping and drawing the bow, and become accurate at aiming. Another good skill is learning to account for wind or other weather. 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.

Breathe steadily when you shoot. Holding your breath during a shot is a common mistake made by beginners. What this does is reduce oxygen to your brain and also can affect your vision. Take slow, normal breaths that keep you calm but don’t cut off your oxygen. 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.

Determine where you can practice. Practicing in your own backyard, or the woods near your house, is fine as long as you know any local restrictions and practice safely. Be sure that other people are not around, or that you specifically warn them before you begin shooting. 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.

Practice as often as you can. If you want to start archery as a casual hobby that you pick up once in awhile, that’s fine, but don’t expect to improve much. Becoming a proficient archer takes consistent practice. If you can’t practice everyday, set a goal to practice a few times a week. 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.

Vary your angles and distances when you practice. It’s easy to fall into the comfortable trap of setting up a target at the same distance every time and shooting straight on. However, if you want to increase your skill, you need to shoot from longer distances and different angles. 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.