Let It Fly.... Step Outside The Box

There are many ways to enjoy a nice day outdoors.  As the fall and winter approach, you may be looking for inspiration to get outside and stretch yourself a little….why not Archery? 

Recently, I had the opportunity to resume my interest in the ancient skill of archery. It had been some time since I last picked up the Bow and I was anxious to see if I could summon the steady hand and hawk eye of a few years ago.  As I began my rediscovery, I quickly remembered all the moving parts involved in shooting a bow.   I'll skip all the fine points here because archery is one of this things you have to get hands on with and it requires repetition.   However,  There  are few things that one should consider. Safety, sight picture, balance, breathing and release.  There is some satisfaction in guiding a arrow 50 yards down range and hitting a bulls eye.  Consider the following to see if you would like to take the challenge.  Don't forget to Subscribe.

Draw

This may be the physically challenging part depending on your bow and more importantly, on you.  There are a few types of bows that one could buy and all can have varying levels of draw weight (the pressure needed to pull the string back to it's farthest position).  It's important to know your capabilities here.  My compound bow is set for about a 65lb draw and requires a steady and strenuous pull to get into shooting position.  Be very careful during this phase and be sure to keep your Bow in a safe position.  Away from others and down range.  As you draw the bow, start from a downward angle and move up to the target. 

Take Aim

I won't make this blog entry overly complicated with discussions about dominant eye, windage and elevation.  Your bow may have a sight or you may be shooting instinctively.  Either way, it will likely require a lot of repetition on your part to become proficient and confident.   Just remember that it's important to have a repeatable process as you develop your technique.  As a general guiding principle, extend your left arm fully, make sure your bow is in a level vertical position, keep a firm but relatively relaxed grip on the bow with your left hand.  Breath in a calm relaxed manner and wait for the natural pause in your breathing, just before you inhale…….Then…….

Let it Fly

All the preparation and focus will now culminate in an arrow flying, someplace.  If you could see the arrow travel in slow motion as it races to the target, you would see a bouncing, wiggling and bending projectile for the first several yards.  Then relatively quickly, it stabilizes.  The trajectory flattens and the arrow fly's true to the spot you instructed it to go.  Depending on your distance from target it will take a second to find out if you connected.  After the sound of the subtle 'thump'  of the bow string being released….there is a moment of silence before your arrow finds or misses it's intended target. If you are lucky, or good,  you will hear another 'thump' as your arrow finds its mark.  Now what you ask?  Repeat.

This is just a little information to hopefully spark your interest in an 'outside the box' hobby.  Look for an archery course in your area to get a more detailed and proper introduction.  See you outside!