Best ever beginner

[geoffretired]

In over 20 years of teaching beginners, one guy stands out as being an extraordinary talent. On his beginner's course, he produced a draw force line that was text book stuff. After only three shots he had learnt the feel of the bow sufficiently well to shoot good groups, repeatedly. On his second session he asked if he could try shooting left handed. I was too interested to say anything but yes. You will have guessed that he was just as good left handed! The normal reaction would be to take an instant dislike to such a person lol but he was just too modest so I had to like him despite his archery prowess. I believe he was grouping well enough to score 270+ on a Worcester face at 20 yds
Session three began with him asking which way I thought he should shoot. I felt like asking him which way he thought I should shoot, but I answered his question as well as I could. "You are shooting equally well with either hand so go with what you feel is more comfortable. Which hand you write with may help you to decide."
" I write with my right hand," he replied.
" Go with that then."
" I draw pictures with my left."
" Ahhhhhhh!?"
" You will find it easier to find right handed equipment, and it is often easier to sell on," was the best I could come up with under the circumstances.
I wonder what he is doing now; he didn't continue with the archery.Mmmm?
Do others have similar stories to tell?

[Purple Hugs]

goodness! seems a shame he didn't continue!! could've had an olympian there!

Originally Posted by Purple Hugs

goodness! seems a shame he didn't continue!! could've had an olympian there!

Not always the case, I go wit Marcus's quote on this:-
Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then work hard to get better.

[geoffretired]

I think it depends on the definition of natural. This guy had a natural ability to put himself where most archers would like to be when at full draw, or it seemed to come naturally to him. I've seen dozens who had to work very hard just to get somewhere close. At the higher levels, I would agree, there are no pure naturals, they have all had to work to get there.

[Rik]

I'm told that success at junior levels of sport correlates well with talent - the more talented individuals are at the top.

It's less the case with adult competitors. There it tends to be the most motivated who win...

I guess the beginner Geoff mentions is a case in point; bags of talent, but no motivation to apply it.

[Kae]

whilst the rest of us have plenty of motivation, just nothing to aply it to, lol.

[Stace]

Sounds to me like he was a plant.

Either that or someone pretending to be a beginner for a laugh.