Archery Rediscovered!

Andyt23

Member
I normally shoot Olympic recurve and have had a tricky year after a forced change from left to right handed - as such I'm always up for a bit of distraction from what I'm suppose to be doing!
When a friend mentioned they were going for an nfas assessment at a local 3d course this week, I asked if I could go along for a laugh and some light relief from the grind of chasing perfect recurve form and ever tighter groups at 20 yards.

So off we went, on a glorious autumn day, me with my recurve barebow and my mate with his bodnik warrior, and had the most amazing day of archery I've ever experienced!

It was so great just to look at the target, draw and shoot, rather than worrying about technique (beyond the obvious) or getting through a clicker - simply fixing on the target and throwing an arrow at it, no more. The course was a wonderful place to be, our guide/instructor was a great bloke and put us at ease and made the whole experience thoroughly enjoyable and interesting. I had been struggling with my left eye dominance and string alignment at sighted recurve (I keep both eye open), but with the sight removed I just shot what I saw and it was magical, like I'd just had blinkers removed and could suddenly see a wider world.
I had expected the session to take an hour or so, not realising there would be 40 (!) targets, and taking our time, receiving advice and ground rules along the way, stopping for lunch, made it four hours of fresh air and fun.

I loved that every shot was different, even at the same target as we moved to the next peg on missing, so there was no getting hung up on repetition and the relative success or failure of every shot compared to the last. I loved the general chat and company we had along the way, I loved the huge satisfaction of hitting a kill or wound zone, even if it wasn't quite where I'd been aiming (but especially when it was!). I enjoyed the mud, shooting uphill, shooting down, the sun in my eyes, just... everything that made it feel less sterile and fussy than a normal shooting session. Even the occasional silence was enjoyable as the sounds of the stream and the trees took over (you'd think I don't get out much wouldn't you!). It was just so markedly different and I was gobsmacked by the whole thing.

The NFAS form went off the same day, and I can't wait to join the club properly and get back up to the woods and do it again (and again). I'll be getting a one piece recurve and wooden arrows to shoot there, for an even greater escape from everything target as I know it.

I started shooting 3 years ago with a longbow in a friend's field for some peace and fresh air. I think I lost sight of that simple pleasure as I became more of a perfectionist, although I have thoroughly enjoyed working my way up through classifications and achievements, but this week I have rediscovered my archery roots and then some.
 

Timid Toad

Moderator
Staff member
Supporter
Fonz Awardee
Ironman
Brilliant - glad you had a great time. I used to be right eye dominant and now am left eye dominant (don't ask), but still shoot right handed. I've tried lots of things but just squinting my left eye makes just the right amount of difference. It's just a question of practice. You'll get it!
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
The sheer pleasure of launching arrows is so easily lost. It is almost expected of us, that we will spend time aiming and working on details of our form. The fact that the execution is paramount tends to get buried in words about posture and muscles.
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Yup... that's what I've been banging on about for the last few years....! :)
Del
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Next step is get a wooden bow ... :)
and even try making one yourself...
Del
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Yup... that's what I've been banging on about for the last few years....!
Del,
Either there aren't enough of us banging on about it; or we are wrong!
I can't accept that you might be wrong; so we must be right.
Perhaps it is more attractive to be shooting in the style of the top archers, even though the essence has been lost;or never experienced.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Yup... that's what I've been banging on about for the last few years....!
Del,
Either there aren't enough of us banging on about it; or we are wrong!
I can't accept that you might be wrong; so we must be right.
Perhaps it is more attractive to be shooting in the style of the top archers, even though the essence has been lost;or never experienced.
 

Aleatorian

Member
Did something similar myself this year, took a dip into the field world to move from the, as you call it, sterility of the target world. Though some people will say, it's not real field, I prefer the WA Field shoots. I do plan to try 3Ds some day, but as a start WA field is brill. The difference from target to target is great, and good chats within a group as well as the sights and sounds of the woods/outdoors
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I suppose target archery, compared to field archery, is the equivalent of shooting the same animal after it has been killed.
 

Andyt23

Member
I may be slow on the uptake, but this week I've realised more than ever that target shooting is simply about perfecting a process, which when done correctly will result in a ten and when incorrect will show you what your error was by virtue of where the arrow ends up, and it's only by being ultra critical that you can improve. The target is only there to catch the arrows, and they in turn critique you on how consistent and close to perfect you were(n't). Incessantly.
The target doesn't move or change, you are the only variable so that's where all the pressure lies and every arrow will point out what went wrong wether you're scoring or not, there is no escape. Now that I can shoot 'properly', I find it's much more about mental strength a lot of the time, and the above may tell you more about my current state of mind than anything else...

It strikes me that 3D is more about actually nailing the target any way you can (if you can) - overcoming challenges like judging distance and trajectory, uneven ground, changing light, physical obstacles - all variables of which the archer is just another one. You have to be adaptable, find solutions and execute a shot the best you can under a different set of circumstances every time. I found it became less about a pure process and more about judging a unique situation as a whole, and so placed proportionally less pressure on the archer and the shot routine. As I found it, less pressure equals more fun and relaxation and more well executed shots. The shot routine becomes one of the constants rather than the only variable, and with it comes the affirmation that you know what you are doing and can have confidence and trust yourself to do well. If you hit a kill zone, then you judged the whole thing right and possibly got a bit lucky along the way, if you didn't then something went a bit wrong and it doesn't matter and you move on to the next shot. As the day went on I found myself on an upward spiral both in terms of results and enjoyment, rather than the downward one that I usually experience in the average target session.

I know I've only done it once, but the differences for me were remarkable and I came away thinking 'why wouldn't I want to feel like that every time'!
 

Mistake

New member
Ironman
I can get where you're coming from.

I had a very rough first half of the outdoor season in target, so I wrote it off and went field shooting for the second half. So much more fun to the point where I'm motivated to get up and train at 6am during the week so I can get up to scratch for next year
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
I can't help feeling that this thread should be in the general forum... it might get seen by more of those who would benefit from it!
Del
 

AndyW

Well-known member
Del,
Either there aren't enough of us banging on about it; or we are wrong!
I can't accept that you might be wrong; so we must be right.
Perhaps it is more attractive to be shooting in the style of the top archers, even though the essence has been lost;or never experienced.
The top olympic recurvers don't even figure in any top archers list I would recognise. Now - when you're talking about the gods of NFAS field - well, that's a whole nother thing. I've had the privilege of shooting round with some modern legends and consider myself lucky. Sometimes you only realise how very very good they are when you shoot the same course on the same peg and get your 280fps compound a**e kicked by a man with a stick. That's the day to sit back, smile and just admire.
 

vivilanco

Member
You can lead a horse to water...
Del
Then saddle it up and grab your horse bow?

Andy, I glad you've taken a liking to it. I can't lie, I much prefer 3D to Olympic (even though I'm only 8 months into the sport) as there is much more variation. Welcome to the woods.
 

AndyW

Well-known member
vivilanco, speaking of horse bows. If it's you who Hutch was holding onto it for then it's entirely your fault that I'm never converted to trad. I really do fancy that bow he was selling last week.
 

vivilanco

Member
vivilanco, speaking of horse bows. If it's you who Hutch was holding onto it for then it's entirely your fault that I'm never converted to trad. I really do fancy that bow he was selling last week.
Haha it was indeed but I told Hutch Friday to let the next man have it. It’s all yours (wife has put a blanket ban on new bows until next year... Bows that she knows about anyway).
 

vivilanco

Member
vivilanco, speaking of horse bows. If it's you who Hutch was holding onto it for then it's entirely your fault that I'm never converted to trad. I really do fancy that bow he was selling last week.
Haha it was indeed but I told Hutch Friday to let the next man have it. It?s all yours (wife has put a blanket ban on new bows until next year... Bows that she knows about anyway).
 
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