Questions for Recurvers

[wanshu]

Originally Posted by ASW1973

with access to good supervision/direction 3-6 hours practice a week should elicit 560+ portsmouth and 1150+ fita in two years.
my point is that a great deal of time is being spent by archers who without direction are failing to achieve this level.

I probably fall within the 3-6 hrs p/w +/- 2 hours as weather and life permit.
Spend 1 -3 hours on kit each week or as the mood takes me.

Still in my 1st year which began in July 2007 (RECURVE) and I'm more than happy with the results so far. Although I've been on a plateau for the last few months after making bowman before Christmas 2007. Working at my technique currently and would have loved to make MB or GMB this year and carry on with the great start, but a 7 month old baby comes 1st.

There a 4 tourneys I may be able to attend and I need to talk sweetly to my partner before sending the forms off. Trying to practice at the distances required but the field is still a very soggy sponge. We really do need a bit of dry weather and the grass cutting to make life so much easier.
Will be seeing the coach shortly as the outdoor season is about to kick off this month.

When the weather is good I will be able to set aside more time, thats at the moment, although things can change, as we can all appreciate.
Life just aint that simple.

Got my compound in late Feb 2008 and I just plodding away, improving each time I shoot. Again working on technique rather than numbers.
Recurve dominates my time although I really do enjoy shooting my compound.
I avoid the temptation to shoot both bows, I only take one bow and focus on that alone.
Someone said recently that my form on recurve will suffer after shooting compound. Whats the general consensus on this point?

[Noble Savage]

Monday 3 hrs outdoors if possible in day
+ full indoor round in the evening
Wed 3-4 hours on the field
Fri the same as Wed if possible
Sat 5-6hrs with occasional lesson or supervision
Sun Full FITA if no other social commitments

Go to gym 3 times a week for aerobic exercise.
Fiddle with my bow all the time, but not knowledgeable yet to do my own fletching etc.

Not sure what your qualifications (bowman, 1st class etc) mean,
but got my 1000+ FITA end of last year after 4- 5 months of shooting,
and hoping to hit my 1100+ FITA score within the next month or two.
Shoot at two different clubs. 5km trip in the week, and 45km trip on weekend. (more experienced, and sociable archers here)

[chemistry]

Currently low first class (43 handicap)

I picked up archery again in 2006 after a 20 year lay-off (did it once a week in my mid teens) in 2006. Made third class by the end of the year.

In 2007 I managed to get to the field 14 times, for club shoots and practiced at home in my garage range about once a fortnight during the latter half of the year, 1 hour at a time. Would have loved to have done more but work, a young family and a bit of running (fun-run level half marathon training) meant I didn't make more time for it.

Went to the archery shop (W.A.S.) once, to pick up some ACCs.

Spent a LOT of time reading about it (and wishing I was shooting) too; maybe 2 hours a week (in bed, whilst on planes, in hotels, etc.).

Made second and then first class.

I reckon (14 x 3 hours) + (13 x 1 hour) + 1 round trip of 3 hours = 58 hours, plus reading time.

Believe I could be a lot better if I devoted the time to it; have done better in 2008 thus far and indeed, am off to do an hour in the garage now (and ASW, having read all the stuff on your website - yes, I'll put some structure to it not just mindlessly blat away...!).

chemistry

[Greg Bouras]

Typical Week Day:
Prior to work at 7:30: 3-6 eight arrow ends at 14 yards.
Lunch 11:30 – 12:30: Shoot inside or outside for 45 minutes. 3 to 4 X/wk.
After Work: Shot 80-100 arrows inside or outside (home range) depending on weather.
2-3 hours per week research archery topics, discussion. Maintain log etc. Plan archery shoot schedule. Experiment with equipment. Repair arrows, wax bow, etc.

Typical Weekend Day:
Saturdays Oct –Mar Coach JOAD at Club.
Mar- Oct: Shoot 200-500 arrows per weekend.
Attend shoots per schedule. Usually devote Sat sometimes Sat and Sun to Shoot, travel.
10X or more per year.

Sleep time: Devote ½ of dream time to archery related activities.

Involved in Archery for over 40 yrs. NFAA 295 barebow counpound shooter. Awards to many to mention.

2 years learning and shooting FITA. Results Report: Very Humbling none to mention

[FunTee]

My archery has just stepped up a few notches, before Xmas I would shoot 2 or three times a week for a couple of hours each time.
This year I have decided to take it seriously, I am now being coached (by a coach and county coach (Husband and Wife team), yes, I am greedy ). I now try to shoot at least once a day (Work permitting) and shoot one competition a week. I'm quite lucky in that we have access to our field 24/7 and I live 5mins from the the field so I can get down there before work in the mornings.
At the moment my schedule is as follows:
Monday: 1-2 hours at some point during the day.
Tuesday: 4 hours in the eve (occasionally with coaching)
Wednesday: 1-2 hours at some point during the day.
Thursday: Coaching session for 3-4 hours in the afternoon.
Friday: 4 hours in the evening.
Saturday: As much of the day that I can get away with, pref with some coaching as well.
Sunday: Normally at a comp or at least in our field for 4-6 hours.

During my spare time I occasionally go through my shot sequence in my head and in the evening I'll spend time maintaining my kit and working on the clubs kit.

I'm lucky in that my better half is almost as addicted as I am so I don't sacrifice the time I would be spending with her.

[Jethro]

I only shoot Saturday mornings, 3 hours winter, 3-5 hours summer due to other commitments. Last year I gained my 3rd and 2nd class. I wish I could do more but I just dont have the time.

[moo-mop]

I shoot circa 500 arrows a week during summer (this is an average and includes all the weeks without any when I'm away on courses and do none etc - there's one right in the middle of July this year so that scuppers two of my shoots) and much much less during winter. Time at practise is less reverent, it's the number of quality arrows you get done, but I go for about 12-15 hrs per week when there are no comps I guess. It's not the most intense though as my club requires two people to be on the field in order to shoot. I do a modest amount of weights, I walk/run to work. I do a few minutes mental training every day.

Last year I generally shot a mid-high MB level (say 1240-50 in reasonable conditions - yes I know I was GMB in 2006 and 2007 but I only ever did 3 GMB scores in each year and I don't chase the high numbers of shoots that you need to do make it more of a certainty). I am not really after getting better than this, as I reckon I'd have to put a fair bit more in. You can shoot my level with less shooting as what happens if you cut back seems to be that your scores are more erratic rather than lower.
I have reduced my goals this year as I am doing more work work in a new job.

Yes of course this means I don't do other things. I don't have kids, but I also don't have many holidays except at home on the archery fields and on Friday afternoons to drive to shoots. I only spend about 10 weekends at shoots in the summer as I said I don't chase scores/classifications but select a few comps to try and do well in whatever weather. It also costs a fair amount, the money that would otherwise go on a holiday I guess. I bring my partner along to archery otherwise I'd never see her (she doesn't live with me and she doesn't shoot either now, although she does look at my shooting for me a bit). I recognise this wouldn't be OK for all.

Sp220 I shoot a 588 Portsmouth in my second year in 1998 and didn't beat in until 2006. It'll happen by chance eventually, if you don't stop them for FITA 18s that is.