Choice of club

[LobbyMuncher]

Hello

I'm looking to join an archery club in the next few weeks, shortly before the end of longbow college class. We're learning tons of stuff in class, starting with H-stance, T-draw, Mediterranean grip and normal release right through to T-stance, V-draw and slashing release. It's huge fun, very informative, and looking at how everybody's scores have improved in four months starting from scratch, very effective too.
However the club to which the class is affiliated is based out in the sticks near Swindon - ok for a saturday when I can spare an hour each way travel at a cost of 25 quid or more, but impossible for weekdays.
So I'm looking for somewhere to shoot midweek after work. Now there are several clubs which are fairly easy to get to from where I live, the obvious choice being Reading Archers - but they only have one trad archer (Tarkwin - thanks for the info, Steve & Debbie). Quite a bit further out at Bracknell is a club which appears to specialise in trad archery (Bowmen of Warfield).
The question is this - should I concentrate on just banging them in with a club which doesn't specialise in trad but which is easy to get to, or should I go the extra mile and get less bowtime but with guys who are mostly using trad, and will offer the friendly advice and constructive criticism ("That was bleedin' rubbish!") that I've become used to as a longbow beginner?

Thanks for your help

ChrisM

[englishwarbow]

Originally Posted by LobbyMuncher

Hello

I'm looking to join an archery club in the next few weeks, shortly before the end of longbow college class. We're learning tons of stuff in class, starting with H-stance, T-draw, Mediterranean grip and normal release right through to T-stance, V-draw and slashing release. It's huge fun, very informative, and looking at how everybody's scores have improved in four months starting from scratch, very effective too.
However the club to which the class is affiliated is based out in the sticks near Swindon - ok for a saturday when I can spare an hour each way travel at a cost of 25 quid or more, but impossible for weekdays.
So I'm looking for somewhere to shoot midweek after work. Now there are several clubs which are fairly easy to get to from where I live, the obvious choice being Reading Archers - but they only have one trad archer (Tarkwin - thanks for the info, Steve & Debbie). Quite a bit further out at Bracknell is a club which appears to specialise in trad archery (Bowmen of Warfield).
The question is this - should I concentrate on just banging them in with a club which doesn't specialise in trad but which is easy to get to, or should I go the extra mile and get less bowtime but with guys who are mostly using trad, and will offer the friendly advice and constructive criticism ("That was bleedin' rubbish!") that I've become used to as a longbow beginner?

Thanks for your help

ChrisM

It depends on what you mean by 'trad archery' and who the people out near Swindon are (is it the Companions of the longbow?). If by 'traditional' archery you mean target archery with a longbow, then any GNAS club would suit. However if you want to be able to expand your shooting into roving, clout, flight, field, wand and exploring older forms of English archery then you would have to look further afield or find a friendly farmer. If it's the latter then the Companions are a good starting point, but there still would be no harm in using a local club as well. Afterall practice is practice.

[wheeljem]

I've been suffering from exactly the same problem for the last year. In the end I have stumped for a local club, irrespective of who is shooting what and purely based upon the fact they seem to be a decent bunch of people. Hopefully there will be at least one person to compete against but just turning up and shooting with other folk is the best way to get to know who is shooting where, how often and in which discipline. And if you're the only trad archer........at least you're the club expert!

[LobbyMuncher]

Thanks Wheeljem. Though if I was in your location I'd probably just opt for a big field somewhere!

[wheeljem]

Happily I also suffer from a very large garden. Once I'd trained the dog that this wasn't an advanced form of fetch I was able to shoot whenever I wanted. Less complaints from the neightbours I've noticed..........funny that.

[LobbyMuncher]

Originally Posted by englishwarbow

It depends on what you mean by 'trad archery' and who the people out near Swindon are (is it the Companions of the longbow?). If by 'traditional' archery you mean target archery with a longbow, then any GNAS club would suit. However if you want to be able to expand your shooting into roving, clout, flight, field, wand and exploring older forms of English archery then you would have to look further afield or find a friendly farmer. If it's the latter then the Companions are a good starting point, but there still would be no harm in using a local club as well. Afterall practice is practice.

Hi EW

Trad would be a continuation of what we're doing in class, keeping things simple and instinctive rather than Victorian style. It is indeed the Companions, and yes I'd love to expand as you've suggested, there's so much more to life than flinging sticks into the middle of a flat target - today we practiced V-draw again, this time perched on top of a wobbly bench, the target a knight (French of course!). I'll stick with the Companions after the course but they are saturdays only.

[LobbyMuncher]

Originally Posted by wheeljem

Happily I also suffer from a very large garden. Once I'd trained the dog that this wasn't an advanced form of fetch I was able to shoot whenever I wanted. Less complaints from the neightbours I've noticed..........funny that.

Haha yeah, nothing worse than slobbery flights!

[teddybear]

i would say go to a normal club as well phone them and see about long bow my club we have 5 long bow men and 2 of us are more tradinal i my slef use med evil arrows, and doing some exspermunts like i have made 2 4 fleached arrows with there is some proof that they were made hoping to fly better for my in door shooting.