Archery Lessons

Kathy and I recently decided to try our hand at archery and signed up for archery lessons. People have been using bows and arrows for a good ten or twenty thousand years, so we thought we should be able to figure it out. We scheduled a beginner’s lesson at Texas Archery in Spring, Texas and our visit exceeded our expectations. If you want to learn a new skill or take your frustrations out on a target, archery is a fun thing to do.

In the interest of full disclosure, Kathy and I both had archery classes in college. However, it has been so long, beginner’s lessons were appropriate. We went to an indoor range and had a private session with our teacher, Koko. As expected, he went over safety and the basics of using a beginner’s recurve bow. As we shot, Koko continued to help us with hand position. With his tips and proper hand adjustments, it was not long before we were hitting the center of the target consistently. Basically, we learned not to grip either the bow or the string too tightly. Also, your finger position on the string makes a huge difference to whether the arrow flies too high or too low. Also, don’t lock your arm because the string will come forward and hit the inside of it. Koko’s pointers were very helpful. We started shooting at ten yards, but we did so well thanks to our teacher, we moved to shooting at fifteen yards pretty quickly.

Special Considerations

Strength. The beginner’s recurve bow we used had a twenty pound draw weight, meaning how much effort is required to pull the string back. For us, it wasn’t hard at all to pull the string. However, if your arms aren’t strong enough, there are bows which need less draw weight.

Stability. We stood while shooting, but believe it or not, you can do archery seated or from a wheelchair. The range we went to, Texas Archery, has clients who are double amputees. In fact, they said they work with wounded warriors who have many different injuries. Everyone is able to shoot with proper adjustments.

Sight. Eyesight is not a huge factor in being a successful archer. You need to be able to know where the target is, obviously, but you don’t need to see it clearly. If you want inspiration, read about Im Dong-hyun. He is a South Korean Olympic archer who is legally blind. If he can win gold medals for archery in the Olympics, anyone with some vision can enjoy the sport too.

Age. There is no magic age cut off for archery. We learned about a man who started in his 80s and continued to do tournaments until he passed away at 85. Age is just a number and shouldn’t stop anyone from enjoying the sport.

Overall Recommendation

If you’re looking for something fun, interesting and challenging, schedule archery lessons. It was a fun day and would be a good experience whether you’re by yourself or you bring the entire family. Go have fun!