Recently got into archery and purchased a bow and some arrows. Had a few shots but they seem to be going off to the right. Anyone on here that can give me a few tips before my next session? 
tips for a greenhorn archer?
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Labrador
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- Sep 19, 2005
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Hi Davey,
sounds like you may need to check you have the correct arrows & "tune" your bow!
If you google bow tuning you'll find plenty of advice. I always found the back of the Quicks catalogue quite good although my current bow was tuned for me by Custom Built Archery near Newark - it was always bit complicated for a simple soul such as I!
Hope this helps.
sounds like you may need to check you have the correct arrows & "tune" your bow!
If you google bow tuning you'll find plenty of advice. I always found the back of the Quicks catalogue quite good although my current bow was tuned for me by Custom Built Archery near Newark - it was always bit complicated for a simple soul such as I!
Hope this helps.
Thanks Labrador, Ive had a look round and found a few tips on tuning recurve bows. looking at this I think it may be the way Im holding the bow and the fat that there were no sights/rest that came with the bow.
Presuming you are right handed ?? make sure you open your fingers completely and they are not in the way when you loose the arrow.
If your fingers touch the string it can make the arrow go to the right.
If your fingers touch the string it can make the arrow go to the right.
There's a very good book called Precision Archery that your local library may be able to order for you. It has a lot on stance, holding the bow, tuning bows etc. Every aspect of how you hold your body and bow will have an effect on the arrow's flight, so it is worth getting right.
Failing that, join a club. Many of them will do you an introductory course for a few quid.
Failing that, join a club. Many of them will do you an introductory course for a few quid.
Some good info there please keep it coming! 
featherstick, Ive done a search for clubs local to my area but found nothing.
featherstick, Ive done a search for clubs local to my area but found nothing.
Don't worry about sights the best and most fun way to shoot is instinctively!
Concentrate on the smallest spot on the target you can then when you are ready relax your back hand and you should hit it , with a bit of practice
As some others have suggested you might have a problem with the spine of the arrows and your bow weight not being a good match.
' Become the arrow' by Bryon Ferguson (an amazing shot) is quite good for practice tips.
good Luck
Concentrate on the smallest spot on the target you can then when you are ready relax your back hand and you should hit it , with a bit of practice
As some others have suggested you might have a problem with the spine of the arrows and your bow weight not being a good match.
' Become the arrow' by Bryon Ferguson (an amazing shot) is quite good for practice tips.
good Luck
Also if you have a look on the NFAS website (google NFAS) there seem to be a few clubs around the Birmingham way, not sure how near they are though.
Do you know which is your dominant eye? If you see better with your right eye and you draw the bow with your right hand, things are O.K. and the fault is elsewhere, if your left Eye is best and you are normally right handed, you will need to draw with your left
hand. ( How to find out which eye is dominant ) Keep both eyes open and point at something. Close your right eye if the finger moves to the right of target, your right eye is dominant. if it stays on target you are left eye dominant and you will need to draw with your right hand. If you are gripping the bow too tightly this can affect your shooting but this would mainly mean that you would be shooting to the left.
Sight the target past the left side of the bow, just above the arrow.
Try asking around to see if there is an archery club near you. You will usually find members very ready to help you and in my area, they will allow you a few attendances before expecting you are asked to join or become a member
hand. ( How to find out which eye is dominant ) Keep both eyes open and point at something. Close your right eye if the finger moves to the right of target, your right eye is dominant. if it stays on target you are left eye dominant and you will need to draw with your right hand. If you are gripping the bow too tightly this can affect your shooting but this would mainly mean that you would be shooting to the left.
Sight the target past the left side of the bow, just above the arrow.
Try asking around to see if there is an archery club near you. You will usually find members very ready to help you and in my area, they will allow you a few attendances before expecting you are asked to join or become a member
Thats good advice from ol' smokey. I'm right handed but left eye dominant, I use a left handed bow and shoot rifle and shotgun from my left shoulder.
It does make you realise how most shooting kit is made for right handers. Rifles nearly always eject on the right and shotguns are awkward until you get used to them.
It does make you realise how most shooting kit is made for right handers. Rifles nearly always eject on the right and shotguns are awkward until you get used to them.
I'm right handed and left eye dominant too but choose to shoot right handed regardless as I am so strongly right handed.
As for aiming the arrow, quite a few replies here have already suggested the obvious which is to get a feel for how far right the arrows go and aim left by that amount, the most important thing is consistency - concentrate on getting your grouping nice and tight then adjust your aim point to allow for it.
Look for an archery club in your area, we've just joined one and found the members really helpful and keen to coach and advise.
As for aiming the arrow, quite a few replies here have already suggested the obvious which is to get a feel for how far right the arrows go and aim left by that amount, the most important thing is consistency - concentrate on getting your grouping nice and tight then adjust your aim point to allow for it.
Look for an archery club in your area, we've just joined one and found the members really helpful and keen to coach and advise.
Tip we were given for finding your dominant eye -
Stand about 5metres or more from an object and choose a small detail to focus on, hold your hands out at full stretch and view the detail through a circle formed by both your hands just big enough to see the detail. Now bring your hands gradually towards you, keeping them lined up with the object. You will find you bring your hands towards your dominant eye.
Stand about 5metres or more from an object and choose a small detail to focus on, hold your hands out at full stretch and view the detail through a circle formed by both your hands just big enough to see the detail. Now bring your hands gradually towards you, keeping them lined up with the object. You will find you bring your hands towards your dominant eye.
alot of people use there 2 smallest fingers to draw the string i find it beter to use the 2 big ones, also i look at the target not down the arrow ,i shoot a flat bow so it might be diffrent
