Monthly Archives: February 2013

Louise : Pre-beginners Course Excitement!

6 Replies

Hello, my name is Louise. Around a year and a half ago I went along to 2020 Archery at London Bridge for a ‘Have a Go’ session with a friend for his birthday. I had a great time and decided that I would try and join a course. Finally, after a number of months, I have signed up to join the Monday Fast-Track course at Southwark Academy (starting on Monday 11th February) with 2020 Archery! 

I’ve had a dabble at archery a few times over the years and I always wanted to pursue it further. I’ll be the first to admit that watching Disney’s Robin Hood over and over again as a child probably had something to do with that, but it was also a category in the Olympics I was fascinated with and the first thing I wanted to try at a school adventure day.


I will be blogging my experiences on the course and what a newbie like me would expect to see happen during each session. Hopefully by reading about my experiences with 2020 Archery in this blog you might be persuaded to take the leap and join a course yourself!


Until next time!




Louise : Pre-beginners Course Excitement!

6 Replies

Hello, my name is Louise. Around a year and a half ago I went along to 2020 Archery at London Bridge for a ‘Have a Go’ session with a friend for his birthday. I had a great time and decided that I would try and join a course. Finally, after a number of months, I have signed up to join the Monday Fast-Track course at Southwark Academy (starting on Monday 11th February) with 2020 Archery! 

I’ve had a dabble at archery a few times over the years and I always wanted to pursue it further. I’ll be the first to admit that watching Disney’s Robin Hood over and over again as a child probably had something to do with that, but it was also a category in the Olympics I was fascinated with and the first thing I wanted to try at a school adventure day.


I will be blogging my experiences on the course and what a newbie like me would expect to see happen during each session. Hopefully by reading about my experiences with 2020 Archery in this blog you might be persuaded to take the leap and join a course yourself!


Until next time!




Bryn : Can you click it? Yes you can – Part Two

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In my last post I wrote about the purpose of a clicker and my experiences of when to add one to your setup. In this post I’ll be explaining the different types of clickers and the pros and cons of each.
Clicker types

There seem to be three main types of clicker available that I’ve seen.

• Blade clickers that screw or stick to the riser.

• Sight block mounted, magnetic clickers.

• Sight bar mounted, magnetic clickers.

In my experience the choice of which clicker to go with has mainly been determined by my arrow length which at 31.5″ has caused some problems. Many people using their first bow kit will probably have been advised to get arrows an inch or longer than actually needed until the draw length settles down. This is good advice and worth sticking to but it can cause an issue with clickers at times.

For me to use a blade style clicker I have to have the clicker extension plate attached to my riser and only half the tip of the blade contacts with the extension while the other half goes beyond it. Recently I had found that some days I could go through the clicker with ease whilst other days I would really struggle. I thought that maybe this was a form or tiredness issue. Then one day the true reason occurred to me. As my clicker stuck out beyond the extension plate, each time I packed my bow bag in the rucksack the other contents of the bag were putting pressure on the clicker and moving it back a bit. As I didn’t check the position before each session I assumed all was well. When I realised what was going on here I was quite embarrassed to say the least. So this meant I’d have to either cut my arrows down or change to a different clicker type.

Enter the sight block mounted, magnetic clicker. These clickers have a plate that mounts underneath your sight block and uses the same screws and screw holes. Some sight blocks come with screws that are too short for this (Decut 120 for one) as everything is held on by only one or two threads (3/4 inch ones) so sometimes some new screws are needed  to counter this (1 inch). For most risers these are the replacement screws you’d need:

Sometimes a spring steel blade clicker might not sit perfectly flat against the riser or extension plate so you may need to give the blade a little bend to get it lie snugly.

Sight block mounted, magnetic clickers don’t use the riser or clicker extension plate to ‘click’ against but instead have a block with a magnet that shuts hard when the arrow point moves past the wire of the clicker. The nice thing here is that after the ‘click’ the clicker becomes pretty much invisible behind the riser. It also means it’s easier to see if you’ve clicked early  without having to look down at the tip of the arrow. These clickers also tend to be a bit louder than the blade style ones which on a busy shooting line can be helpful to prevent you releasing on your neighbours clicker. These clickers can also allow a bit more length on an arrow if, like me, a blade one puts you at the end of the extension plate.

The third type are the sight bar mounted clickers. These slide onto your sight bar and as a result can be moved along the bar for positioning. I’ve not used one of these myself but can see the benefits for archers with long arrows. But you do need to bear in mind that these ones are adding a bit more weight forward of your pivot point, not necessarily a bad thing. But they can also be problematic when trying to put your sight back into the sight case as they protrude a fair bit. Other than this they work in the same way as the sight block mounted magnetic clickers.

—

Next time I’ll be looking at the love / hate relationship with clickers, setting the clicker correctly and how I’m learning to relax through the clicker.

Until then – Good ends to all!



Bryn : Can you click it? Yes you can – Part Two

Leave a reply

In my last post I wrote about the purpose of a clicker and my experiences of when to add one to your setup. In this post I’ll be explaining the different types of clickers and the pros and cons of each.
Clicker types

There seem to be three main types of clicker available that I’ve seen.

• Blade clickers that screw or stick to the riser.

• Sight block mounted, magnetic clickers.

• Sight bar mounted, magnetic clickers.

In my experience the choice of which clicker to go with has mainly been determined by my arrow length which at 31.5″ has caused some problems. Many people using their first bow kit will probably have been advised to get arrows an inch or longer than actually needed until the draw length settles down. This is good advice and worth sticking to but it can cause an issue with clickers at times.

For me to use a blade style clicker I have to have the clicker extension plate attached to my riser and only half the tip of the blade contacts with the extension while the other half goes beyond it. Recently I had found that some days I could go through the clicker with ease whilst other days I would really struggle. I thought that maybe this was a form or tiredness issue. Then one day the true reason occurred to me. As my clicker stuck out beyond the extension plate, each time I packed my bow bag in the rucksack the other contents of the bag were putting pressure on the clicker and moving it back a bit. As I didn’t check the position before each session I assumed all was well. When I realised what was going on here I was quite embarrassed to say the least. So this meant I’d have to either cut my arrows down or change to a different clicker type.

Enter the sight block mounted, magnetic clicker. These clickers have a plate that mounts underneath your sight block and uses the same screws and screw holes. Some sight blocks come with screws that are too short for this (Decut 120 for one) as everything is held on by only one or two threads (3/4 inch ones) so sometimes some new screws are needed  to counter this (1 inch). For most risers these are the replacement screws you’d need:

Sometimes a spring steel blade clicker might not sit perfectly flat against the riser or extension plate so you may need to give the blade a little bend to get it lie snugly.

Sight block mounted, magnetic clickers don’t use the riser or clicker extension plate to ‘click’ against but instead have a block with a magnet that shuts hard when the arrow point moves past the wire of the clicker. The nice thing here is that after the ‘click’ the clicker becomes pretty much invisible behind the riser. It also means it’s easier to see if you’ve clicked early  without having to look down at the tip of the arrow. These clickers also tend to be a bit louder than the blade style ones which on a busy shooting line can be helpful to prevent you releasing on your neighbours clicker. These clickers can also allow a bit more length on an arrow if, like me, a blade one puts you at the end of the extension plate.

The third type are the sight bar mounted clickers. These slide onto your sight bar and as a result can be moved along the bar for positioning. I’ve not used one of these myself but can see the benefits for archers with long arrows. But you do need to bear in mind that these ones are adding a bit more weight forward of your pivot point, not necessarily a bad thing. But they can also be problematic when trying to put your sight back into the sight case as they protrude a fair bit. Other than this they work in the same way as the sight block mounted magnetic clickers.

—

Next time I’ll be looking at the love / hate relationship with clickers, setting the clicker correctly and how I’m learning to relax through the clicker.

Until then – Good ends to all!



Josie : Archery as meditation

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I’m exploring the meditative qualities of archery at the moment as a method of channeling focus and maximising potential (and also because it makes shooting a wonderfully stress-free pastime after the working week). I find it takes shooting to a new level that removes the frustration and enhances the enjoyment. This extract is based around one work: Paulo Coehlo’s “The Way of The Bow”. I would strongly recommend finding and reading it. The book was written for dissemination on the internet and is available as a free (legit) download.

Let’s start with the bow: 

“[The bow] is a prolongation of the hand and desire of the archer.”

Take care of the bow and it will serve you well. Use it with right intentions and respect its power. Mistakes are never the fault of the bow. They are the fault of the archer, either by lack of care or intent. The same holds true when choosing a bow. If the bow is an extension of the archer it must be well-matched and feel responsive to the archer’s touch. A mismatched bow will mask the archer’s skill. Try several before deciding to be sure you’re making the right choice.

“The arrow is the intention. It is what unites the strength of the bow with the centre of the target.”

Every arrow is its own lifetime; its own journey. From the moment you place your feet on the line the path stretches before you and a lifetime will pass before the next arrow can be perceived. If the journey doesn’t end as you had hoped, don’t think “that was a poor shot, I’m shooting so badly”. Think instead “that didn’t end where I expected, what can I learn from this?” Your next arrow is a whole new journey and shouldn’t be overshadowed by memories of a past which can’t be altered. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: an archer can learn more from gesture repetition than from where the arrow falls. If the first arrow goes off track, don’t let it change your style. Shoot the remaining arrows the same way and see what happens. Sometimes the grouping is more important than the score. When you can group all of your arrows tightly every time, the score will come.

The arrow contacts the string at a single point – the nock: the point of energy transfer and stability. All of the archer’s intent must be channeled to this point and into the arrow. A combination of knowledge, experience and instinct will inform release and guide the arrow on the proper course. The arrow must leave at the exact moment the archer, bow and target exist on the same alignment: instinct will inform when the arrow is ready to fly. Shoot with serenity and certainty. Serenity will steady your hand and certainty will define the shot.

“Once the arrow has gone, it will not come back, so it is better to interrupt a shot because the movements that led up to it were not sufficiently precise and correct, than to act carelessly, simply because the bow was fully drawn and the target was waiting.”

In addition to the bow and arrow, one mustn’t neglect the target. An open channel of communication between the archer and the target should be established and maintained throughout the whole round, not just during each end. If the target is neglected between ends then each time you pick up the bow you must reacquaint yourself with the target. Keep the relationship constant and it becomes a closer and more familiar goal.

Archery is performed as a quartet between the archer, the bow, the arrow and the target. Without any one element the end cannot be realised and the purpose it lost. To consider every aspect one facet of a single whole will introduce a fluidity and synchronicity to each movement that informs and respects the relationship and act of shooting.

“Then comes the moment when he no longer has to think what he is doing. From then on, the archer becomes his bow, his arrow and his target.”



Josie : Archery as meditation

Leave a reply

I’m exploring the meditative qualities of archery at the moment as a method of channeling focus and maximising potential (and also because it makes shooting a wonderfully stress-free pastime after the working week). I find it takes shooting to a new level that removes the frustration and enhances the enjoyment. This extract is based around one work: Paulo Coehlo’s “The Way of The Bow”. I would strongly recommend finding and reading it. The book was written for dissemination on the internet and is available as a free (legit) download.

Let’s start with the bow: 

“[The bow] is a prolongation of the hand and desire of the archer.”

Take care of the bow and it will serve you well. Use it with right intentions and respect its power. Mistakes are never the fault of the bow. They are the fault of the archer, either by lack of care or intent. The same holds true when choosing a bow. If the bow is an extension of the archer it must be well-matched and feel responsive to the archer’s touch. A mismatched bow will mask the archer’s skill. Try several before deciding to be sure you’re making the right choice.

“The arrow is the intention. It is what unites the strength of the bow with the centre of the target.”

Every arrow is its own lifetime; its own journey. From the moment you place your feet on the line the path stretches before you and a lifetime will pass before the next arrow can be perceived. If the journey doesn’t end as you had hoped, don’t think “that was a poor shot, I’m shooting so badly”. Think instead “that didn’t end where I expected, what can I learn from this?” Your next arrow is a whole new journey and shouldn’t be overshadowed by memories of a past which can’t be altered. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: an archer can learn more from gesture repetition than from where the arrow falls. If the first arrow goes off track, don’t let it change your style. Shoot the remaining arrows the same way and see what happens. Sometimes the grouping is more important than the score. When you can group all of your arrows tightly every time, the score will come.

The arrow contacts the string at a single point – the nock: the point of energy transfer and stability. All of the archer’s intent must be channeled to this point and into the arrow. A combination of knowledge, experience and instinct will inform release and guide the arrow on the proper course. The arrow must leave at the exact moment the archer, bow and target exist on the same alignment: instinct will inform when the arrow is ready to fly. Shoot with serenity and certainty. Serenity will steady your hand and certainty will define the shot.

“Once the arrow has gone, it will not come back, so it is better to interrupt a shot because the movements that led up to it were not sufficiently precise and correct, than to act carelessly, simply because the bow was fully drawn and the target was waiting.”

In addition to the bow and arrow, one mustn’t neglect the target. An open channel of communication between the archer and the target should be established and maintained throughout the whole round, not just during each end. If the target is neglected between ends then each time you pick up the bow you must reacquaint yourself with the target. Keep the relationship constant and it becomes a closer and more familiar goal.

Archery is performed as a quartet between the archer, the bow, the arrow and the target. Without any one element the end cannot be realised and the purpose it lost. To consider every aspect one facet of a single whole will introduce a fluidity and synchronicity to each movement that informs and respects the relationship and act of shooting.

“Then comes the moment when he no longer has to think what he is doing. From then on, the archer becomes his bow, his arrow and his target.”



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