Archery is a skill that has been practiced for ages. Indian history has cited a lot of remarkable archers. Even in Hindu mythology, there are many female archers like Satyabhama, Kaikeyi, Tadaatagai, and many more. They have inspired women since then and are continuing to do so.
In contemporary times, archery is depicted as a sport and is practiced worldwide. There are a lot of women archers who are strong, skillful, and passionate. Archers like Mackenzie Brown, Alejandra Valencia, Choi mosun, Deepika Kumari, Dola Bannerjee are inspiring everyone with their game. Initially, people use to practice with wood bows now compound bows are ruling the industry.
Basic knowledge
To be a professional archer, first of all, one needs to get used to the machinery they will be practicing on. So, you need to learn basic things about the bow and the arrows. Technical knowledge is vital because if you don’t know about the machinery, then you are more likely to make a mistake on the field. Before starting with your practice sessions thoroughly go through some archery terms commonly used in the field. You will be ready for command and won’t get confused while practicing.
Maintenance and compiling
Traditional bows are made up of wood or bamboo sticks, and all you need to do is to string it nicely. However, now traditional bows are replaced by compound bow or recurve bow. Assembling this kind of bows is a little complicated. Maintaining them is yet another task to do because modern-day appliances need more handle with care material.
For this read the manual nicely and try assembling it a few times and also keep in mind that all bows are unisex. If still, you have a problem and regarding compiling a bow, then look for a mentor online or offline. Practice assembling it quite a few times to get more familiar with your bow.
Maintenance is also an important aspect. Taking proper care of the machinery will help you in the longevity of the bow. Here are a few tips for maintaining a compound bow:
- You envelop the bowstring with the help of a serving coil. This will prevent the fiber of the strings from damage.
- Try changing the serving coil frequently; otherwise, it will damage the string.
- Bow stave needs consistent care, wax them properly, and frequently.
- Keep the bow in a tiptoe shape.
- For arrows, you can try it by yourself otherwise take someone’s help in shaping the arrowhead and changing feathers once in a while.
Maintaining your bow is very important. Because if your bow goes out of shape, then your performance will also turn out of shape.
Workout and Exercises
It may look effortless on television shows, but drawing an arrow is a very tough job to do on real grounds. Some bows do have a lot of weight, and for normal women, this would be a little hard to do at first.
Tips for betterment
- Start with lower draw weight. The more you practice, the more strong you get. As it is said, practice makes a man perfect. Compound bows need some practice.
- The regular practice works like an exercise. It will build your arm muscle and help you to draw more weights with time.
- The gym is a proven solution for building pectorals, laterals, biceps, and triceps. It will help you achieve great strength for drawing more weights and will also improve your posture.
- As you build strength, you can practice more than some other beginner without getting exhausted.
- Warm-up your body before hitting the ground. Try to stretch your body as much as you can.
Registration for an archery club
First, try to enroll in archery camp to gain an overview and perspective. Archery camp is great to start with. If you feel that archery is not something you are passionate about, then keep it as a hobby. If archery camp gives you an insight for wanting to be a professional archer, then you should go for an archery club; otherwise, it is a waste of time and money as well.
Archery camps are fun, and you can shoot as much you want without any specific restriction. But if you want to pursue archery, then the critical point for success is discipline, and you will learn this in an archery club.
In an archery club, you will be provided by the best instructors who will help you step up your game. They will also help you in developing your archery skills to advanced levels.
Things to ponder
Here are a few things that a newbie should follow to become a professional archer:
- Listen and obey your instructor. Always do things according to your instructor. Do not disobey their command. You will lose beneficial knowledge.
- Trust your instructor completely. They have also faced similar problems as you, so trust them.
- As a beginner, never worry about missing a target. Work on your posture and basics. Practice will make you perfect with time.
- Initially, always go for weights according to your body type and try to practice as much as you can.
- Compound bows are quite complicated, so gain practice is assembling it.
