So, I have been testing out that long bow I got for Christmas, it's awesome! It's a fifteen pound draw, very easy for me. I love it to death, and today is my SECOND day ever using a proper bow and arrow. (The one's at summer camp are always to big.) Yesterday being my first day shooting correctly. Second arrow I shot, I hit the target. (A hay bail dad brought up from the barn) I was so excited, I knew exactly what to do after that first arrow. When I draw back, I can feel if something's wrong. I know how to readjust my fingers and hands so I don't wiggle the arrow, I know all about the safety and such. It's an amazing sport for a girl like me, I even searched for tips on archery for beginners! now have a story to tell, (A mysterious arrow vanishing,) but first, I'm going to give some pointers, and tell you about the pains that come with archery,
Here is what I have learned,
1. ALWAYS wear a glove on the hand you hold the bow with. Ten minutes into my first time my hand was rubbed red and raw, with extremely deep imprints from holding it tightly. I had my brother fetch me a pair of black knit gloves from the house so I could put one on.
2. While wearing a glove on the hand you hold your bow with, always keep the hand you draw your string bare. Or get texting/archery gloves so that your finger tips are bare.
3. While I just said to keep one hand bare and one hand covered. Until you get the feel for drawing and shooting arrows, keep both hands bare. By the time you shoot you fourth or fifth arrow you should recognize what to do.
4. When you draw take a deep breath, exhale when you release the arrow. Relax, don't make your shoulders or body stiff.
5. A good way to know that you've draw your string back far enough is when your hand is touching your cheek. Eighteen through twenty five inches is a good draw length. When you hand hits your cheek, look straight down the arrow at your target, and fire!
6. Make sure all animals and pets are kept in the house or tied up. You wouldn't want your arrow to miss and accidentally hit your dog!
7. Same goes for people, make sure they are behind YOU when you even begin to draw back your arrow.
8. Never EVER point a bow with an arrow in it, unless it is either A. In self defense (We're talking defense against coyote or axe murderer, not your constantly teasing brother.) B. not attached to the string, C. Held in place with BOTH hands and NOT draw back to fire.
9. This is important, if you take up archery, to keep your bow from being damaged, NEVER draw the string back and release if there isn't an arrow in it.
10. If you draw back, and the shoulder you're drawing back with hurts, your probably doing it wrong. start again and readjust.
The pains,
After a while you are going to feel sore, probably withing the first thirty minutes if your doing it wrong. Here's what to expect when it comes to pain,
1. Thighs, and the front of your legs from the knee up to your hip bone are going to be sore by the next day. You have to stand in a slightly awkward position, so it will help build some muscle, but it just hurts.
2. Shoulder. The arm you use to draw back with, that's going to be so sore. You are turning just that upper half of your body slightly, and doing this fifty times is going to cause some major pains.
3. Your neck. The side that you always tilt down to look at your target with, and draw your arm back with, major pains.
4. Wrists! They will hurt from the stiffness and stretching and strength needed from them. But this will build up some arm and wrist strength eventually.
5. Nose, first time I shot an arrow the string hit my nose because I was to close. Ouch.
6. Jaw, if you fire wrong, or release at the wrong moment or pull to far back, your hand can move and hit your jaw. This the least painful thing,
7. Your elbow, the arm that you DON'T use to draw back with, the string will hit there, Especially if your aiming when the winds blowing. This leaves a major stinging burn, painful and red. And bruised.
Archery is fun, and while I just made it sound hard and painful, it's actually pretty easy. If, you know what to do. Now don't give up if you miss the target thirty times in a row, it takes practice to get a good aim. I just lucked out with my skills. Practice with an adult with you for the first time. Supervision and someone to tell if you if your aim was to high or low. Now, if you start becoming sore, just carry on. You'll get used to the aches and burning and bruises, eventually.... :}
Now, here's a little story that's kinda funny, so I shot this perfect arrow, dead center on my target. Just amazing! My dad asked if he could try, he shot it and miss entirely. We go down and start searching for the arrow, but we can't find it! It's obviously going to dig into the ground, the always do. But we can't find it! My brother and grandmother who was visiting started helping us search. Twenty minutes and no luck! Dad got a rake and started searching, it would turn up eventually, probably in a few months. The others went up to the porch because my grandmother was going to leave in a little bit. But I stayed down to keep practicing with the one arrow I had left. (It came with two,) So I shot at the hay bail, but then I made an on purpose missed shot. It followed an almost exact course as the one my dad's did, I found it in the ground, and pull it out. following the direction it pointed. A couple few feet away I see the very teeny tiny orange piece of the end of the arrow stick out of the ground in the dirt beneath the grass. I pull it out and tell them I found it by shooting an arrow in that direction. Lucky me! :D
So that is the extent of my archery knowledge, maybe sometime I'll take a couple pictures of my arrows in the target.
Abbie R,
