Should I return to the sport?

[grimsby archer]

Originally Posted by inkystu

Hi all.
I've been out of archery for 15 years now and i am wondering whether to return to it.
I kind of miss the sport as I was fortunate enough to be a half decent shot.
I would like a setup that I could shoot decent scores with but would probably not do tournaments as the commitment to a whole day would be virtually impossible. .

Sounds like Simon Terry all over again.
X years away, comes back for the "fun of it" and pops off to the next olympics.
good stuff!

[inkystu]

Thanks for offer Cornish George....... but no, the GM wasn't the line I was thinking of going down.

Yes OB, those were the days, when you could tune your bow in an hour, have the arrows flying straight in a side wind and an arrow straightener was a must for your kit bag!! I'm still not convinced, reading other threads and other peoples difficulties in tuning and performance, if anything above an ACC is suitable for 90% of archers and most of those would enjoy the sport more using alloys!. Darrell Pace shot 1341 with the equivillant AC in the 80's, surely that kind of score would make team GB? (hint)
Yes the tendons have settled down, after an operation (under a local anesthetic which I sat and watched!!) all seems fine.

And Grimsby Archer. I'm not another Simon Terry. He's a bit more special. I shot with him, when he was a highly tipped junior, on the day he got his 1100 star. Great kid then, greater bloke now!

[Old Bloke]

Just keep on reading my blog, Stu, at least you will see an unbiased and subjective review of the equipment we are using today and you will be able to judge and compare if it is any better than it was 25 years ago, despite all the advance in technology, when I repeat time and time again on here, that scores were as good if not better than today, shot by the general archery fraternity. I've yet to go back to the X7 2014 but I will soon enough as it looks like the way forward for me is to go backwards in time. When all info is in and collated then a true picture will emerge..but I have to say (again) back in the 80's when we were both on the International scene, scores shot then were just the same as scores (1300+) shot now by our current G.B gents squad (possibly excluding Simon on a good day).

Only on Sunday at the end of a very windy Dunster, Brenda Thomas's parting comment was *It was never this difficult*..and that woman know's how to shoot a recurve. Speed has it's place in archery..but it isn't everything..it is not the Holy Grail as I'm now finding out.

[napolienne]

Originally Posted by Old Bloke

...see an unbiased and subjective review of the equipment we are using today ....

Unbiased AND subjective? That's some skill you have there OB

/pedant blog

[Jerry Tee]

I came back after a 30 year lay off and found out one truth and that is 'Time marches on'. I was un able to shoot recurve the way I used to due to joint problems I did not know I had until I started shooting again. You should at least take a look at the dark side. It will probablely require less time to get reasonable scores than a recurve, leaving with more time for other things. You may well decide that compounds are not for you, but they have made a lot of progress in the last 15 years and to dismiss compound without consideration would be unwise.

[addo]

Originally Posted by Old Bloke

Speed has it's place in archery..but it isn't everything..it is not the Holy Grail as I'm now finding out.

Not gonna pretend to have the knowledge or experience that the archers in this thread have,but I AGREE.Just spent my first 13 months doing archery obsessed by speed.Slowed my arrow speed and have now become consistent

Sorry napolienne,just seen your signature.Is it copyrighted?

[phil_r_58]

Originally Posted by napolienne

Unbiased AND subjective? That's some skill you have there OB

/pedant blog

As one of those privileged to OB's blog, I can tell you, he is really skilled, he really is. And he makes no claims without testing before letting on. It is not a place for those who are amazed by the emperors new clothes. I certainly have lots to think about after reading OB's pontifications.

[moo-mop]

Originally Posted by phil_r_58

he is really skilled, he really is. And he makes no claims without testing before letting on..

If that's really true then this sort of data would make the basis for proper publication in sports science or sports engineering journals. However, not having seen the data I do doubt it's quite that robust - I would like to be proved wrong but I know just how much data you really need to be able to draw conclusions rather than it being test driven instinct (although OB's instinct is probably far better than I'd ever have).

[napolienne]

Addo - not at all, mate!

Phil - I wasn't casting doubt on OBs knowledge, but pointing out that you cannot be both unbiased and subjective. I am presuming it is a typo for objective. Hence the pedant comment

[inkystu]

Originally Posted by moo-mop

If that's really true then this sort of data would make the basis for proper publication in sports science or sports engineering journals. However, not having seen the data I do doubt it's quite that robust - I would like to be proved wrong but I know just how much data you really need to be able to draw conclusions rather than it being test driven instinct (although OB's instinct is probably far better than I'd ever have).

The data you are referring to is not just test driven instinct. It's over 40 years of experience, very in depth knowledge of technique and equipment, with hours of personal testing and training. No this is not machines shooting the perfect arrow and analysing data through computers, this is real life. A view more archers should take. I'm sure they'd enjoy their own shoting more if they were less hung up on having the same setup as the current world champion and actually had a setup that produced the best scores for that individual.