Improvement courses at Lilleshall

[CALOR]

Hi I have just enrolled in the weekend improvement course at Lilleshall in May - has anyone else been? Not sure what to expect and gain...

[Alex Greig]

Some archers went from my club last year. It has taken months for them to get back to anywhere near the form they were shooting prior to the course.

Originally Posted by CALOR

Hi I have just enrolled in the weekend improvement course at Lilleshall in May - has anyone else been? Not sure what to expect and gain...

It's a great weekend, I went last year in April. You start shooting very early if you like, 6.30 am! It's all video and lectures and practical stuff. No target shooting, all blank boss! I enjoyed it. Give my regards to Keith the compound coach. Very nice place too.

[Max]

Be prepared for some tough and critical appraisal of your form - a very intensive weekend and if you are not careful, the 'total deconstruction / reconstruction' approach can be a bit brutal. However, everything they tell you is based on good practice. Also be prepared to carry out all the subsequent practice back home to embed new techniques into the subconcious. Your form may suffer for some time especially if you have no continuing coaching support from your club.

Meal times is a flashback to the school dining hall, with long queues forming ahead of the fixed meal times - be prepared to eat healthy though - dumplings, chips and spotted dick were not on the menue when I went!

The rooms in the block I stayed in were very amusing - a shared bathroom and toilet connecting two rooms - not for those of a nervous disposition when you meet your next door companion, stark naked at 4am in the morning (no, unfortunately, I was not billeted next to the women's figure skating champion, but some Dutch shot putter I think!). Well worth the £150.

[Cakemeister]

When Iwent to Lilleshall it was a lot of fun, mind you that was cricket... I'm wondering whether your club coaches can't put on that kind of improvement course for a lot less, unles you're already shooting MB. Clearly your follow- up strategy needs to be disciplined otherwise you're in danger of falling to pieces.

[grantwomack]

Who runs the courses? Is it top coaches? And what sort of level archer is it for?

[tel]

The ad (Archery UK) says:

*ALL LEVELS WELCOMED
*COACHING BY EXPERTS....
....From novice to Master Bowmen, whatever youe experience level or type of bow, expert coaching is the key to improved performance.

Cheers

tel

[droseman]

I have heard mixed messages about these courses - some have said that it is a great idea and that form has improved (all be-it with aseveral month improvement period for the bedding in as mentioned before.

Others have said that this deconstruction technique can damage form, the theory being that coaches should improve your technique you have, instead of giving you a completely new one.

I should think its a 'go and see whats good for you' approach is right (I havven't been on one, so my comments are just based on hearsay)

Dave

[joetapley]

....the theory being that coaches should improve your technique you have, instead of giving you a completely new one.

I suppose it depends on what the current technique is . Starting again from scratch might be the only option if progress is ultimately to be made.

Any change in technique results in a nosedive in 'scores' for weeks through to months. As I'm always tinkering with something on the "what happens if do this" basis guess what . A lot depends on whether, like me, your a purely recreational archer and tinkering is part of the fun or your a competitive archer in which case form changes need planning with respect to competitions you have in your sights.

The course will effect people in different ways depending on what you expect to get from the course. I suspect for any archer who has been shooting recurve for quite a while with decent scores may have roblems. The mate who I went with had this problem. He thought he was doing OK befor he went, but over the two days they picked and changed just about every thing he was comfortable with. The result was a near trip to the local hardware store to buy a length of rope to hang himself with.

In my case I had just moved to Compound from Recurve so was new to a new kind of bow, hence I found it very helpfull.

In reality I would prefer ongoing coaching within a club environment, with consistent support and help. A weekend quick fix will only work if followed up in the same way by a coach in your club.

I would very much recomend the course to someone who is new to archery.