Looking for coach
 

I have finally hit the end of my rope with trying to become a better archer by myself. Do any of you know of a good archery coach or someone who knows what they are doing that could help me out? I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Thank you!!

RE: Looking for coach
 

That should be a good area to look for a coach.

Depending on your level of development, I would recomend buying every Robin Hood video made that comes close to your subject. Depending on the level of coaching you wanted, this could be much cheapper, and might help you get more good habits out of your own efforts, before moving on to a coach. I have to say I almost learned more from the Olympic guys than I did from the 3D, not because they were any better, but because they have a different view on things. There are a few new ones I haven't seen, and there are a bunch of older ones that are a little dated. I like Ulmer on form, Wise and Ulmer on releases, but there are at least a dozen good ones.

Next, how about a shooter's school, the PSE one travels the US doing two day shows, they can really pinpoint what your flaw is for you. Or you can go to them in Arizona. You absolutely don't have to shoot PSE, though these folk are so nice, you kind of wish you did.

Good luck.

RE: Looking for coach
 

I should say that PSE did diagnose the one thing that was holding me back, and it was something I could work on without a coach, not to say a coach wouldn't be a treat.

RE: Looking for coach
 

Thank you Ossage for the down to earth advice. I don't have a money tree in my back yard so the videos sound much better. Unfortunately PSE cancelled the school that was supposed to be held here this last summer. I really love archery, but it is extremely frustrating to not see improvement after months of practice.

RE: Looking for coach
 

This is a technical forum, and there are a lot of equipment issues that can help, but aside from being overbowed most of them are at the margins.

A really important rule is to have a goal for every practice session. Are you out enjoying the day, are you tuning, are you shooting for score, are you working on your release. Then don't get distracted, work on that. It is pretty easy just to be out there doing stuff kind of following the next impulse, rather than practising.

Check your local archery and gun shops they may have some of these videos. I like the RHs best, But the new PSE holding steady isn't bad either.

Are you logging every arrow?

Look at bob ragsdale's rules below, they aren't all about accuracy, but they at least give some direction.

I think the third rule about letting down is really key. The only way to not make bad shots when they are still in your system, is to not make them, let down before you will loose an arrow that isn't perfect.

Bob's rules:

No other single thing can make a bow more cooperative than to equip it with the most compatible arrow spine you can possibly achieve.

Always work with the attitude that "there is no such thing as 'close enough' and each shot is either a hit or a miss and there is nothing in-between."

Routinely, I suggest you DO NOT SHOOT the first practice arrow of any day in favor of thinking the shot completely through while holding and aiming extensively and then letting down and returning the arrow to your quiver.

Understand that no bow is capable of doing anything for you beyond determining the velocity of your projectile. Comprehend that the archer is in absolute control and totally responsible for attending to every detail pertinent to achieving perfect accuracy.

Numbering every arrow to keep track of which ones do not group with the others may serve to both increase and maintain your level of accuracy. Using untested arrows is extremely unwise.

The most convenient way to improve unacceptable bow-to-arrow spine compatibility is to adjust each toward the other by altering either the arrows point weight or shaft length, the bow peak weight, or both.

If your broadheads are not so sharp that you are afraid of them I submit that you surely should not be using them for hunting.
You may avoid blaming your equipment unnecessarily by carrying your bows critical measurements with you and checking them before every shooting session and at any time you suspect something may no longer be as it previously was.

Specifically because the perpetual cop-out excuse of; "I misjudged the distance to the target" is most often not the actual reason for each vertical "miss," also believing that a faster arrow with a slightly lower trajectory path will magically eliminate all high and low misses, let me assure you there is much more to be gained from simply being more well prepared for all distances and by making no other mistakes even when you do misjudge the distance to the target.

Before any shot, declare whether you are practicing or whether you are just setting up your bow, since attempting both at the same time can be detrimental to the success of the other.

RE: Looking for coach
 

BY the way, if you preffer books, the Robin Hood guy has just written one which might be a cheapper way to get stuff to work on than the tapes. When you were done with the book you might know better which areas to get tapes on. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Also Kirk Etheridge has a good basic form book in Profesional Archery Technique. There is a lot of other stuff in there like how to cheat distance that I will pass on but the explanation of key stuff like hand position is excellent. I think Amazon has this one.

RE: Looking for coach
 

The book ossage talks about is Idiot proof Archery by Bernie Pellerite. I have bought the book and love it. It has helped alot and would recomend it to anyone.

Good Luck
Rich

RE: Looking for coach
 

Hi Lady Arwen: Have you looked into any archery clubs in your area? I have been able to get alot of help from the good people at my local archery club. Best of luck to you.:)

RE: Looking for coach
 

I have had the presence of mind to actually practice one thing at a time very rarely. Maybe that is a lot of my problem. I am usually trying to put the whole thing together at once. I have shots that feel right and fly right, but can't seem to figure out what the "rightness" is exactly enough to duplicate it every time. I will check into the books and videos hopefully this weekend.

Believe it or not we only have two archery shops in this town and one has a very limited shooting range. Sad to say they are not consistent with their advice so I am hesitant to rely on them too much. I have turned to this message board for advice several times and so far nobody has steered me wrong.

RE: Looking for coach
 

I think the inconsistencey thing is a big problem. Golf is really bad that way. While the fundamentals are simmilar you can read something in a magazine that would not help you at all given the fact that you read something the week before that only applies to a totaly different style. In both archery and golf I went the self taught route because getting to the level of coach who would understand all that stuff and really work with me in mind, unless you just get lucky, would be prohibitively expensive. Also figuring it out for yourself can be a large part of the fun.

In golf there is the David Leadbetter empire, for a while there if you stuck to his books, videos, gizmos, and all the stuff his major students like Nick Faldo were pumping out, it pretty much fit together.

In archery we don't have that. Maybe the clossest is Randy Ulmer. He has good videos, and writes for a bunch of different magazines and stuff. He is very athletic in build, and stuff like his set-up won't work for me. But after a while you figure out what stuff you can use and what stuff you can't. That is why the FITA stuff is so good. If you have to pick and choose on your own, you might as well learn fom some of the best recurve shooters also, that's where you will find some of the real nuggets.

RE: Looking for coach
 

By the way, where is the Olympic training centre? is it out your way?

RE: Looking for coach
 

The Olympic Training Center is right in the middle of our town. I figured it would take a lot of nerve for me to ask anybody from that place for help. After all I'm just your ordinary backyard shooter/hunter. I suppose the worst they could do is laugh and tell me where to get off!

RE: Looking for coach
 

It could be cool just to watch a little if that was possible, you could learn all kinds of stuff like the pace they shoot at, demeaner, you see them stretch when they warm up, all sorts of lightbulbs go off just being there.

Maybe it is totaly cut off from the comunity, but there may be some outreach, or secondary order folks who could be helpful. Also don't they conduct "camps", is there anyone left when that isn't happening.

There may be people who where involved at one time, but stayed in town, they might be semi-retired coaches. There could be local college level people who also train there, who might coach.

Just do your homework first, and once you know what you need to do next, you become an interesting person archery wise. "Hey is there someone who could comment on my follow through" sounds more impresive than "I wish someone would save me from my bad archery". (Neither of these is you, just an example of how too needy is something that might scare these people, but a focused person is always a pleasure).

There should be some way of making use of the greattest concentration of archery talent on earth.

RE: Looking for coach
 

Ossage: I just wanted to let you know that I found out the Air Force Academy has an archery "hut" and they graciously offered to help me with form or equipment problems that they might notice. If after two free trouble shooting sessions I still want to learn more the price is $25 for a six hour class. Sounded pretty reasonable to me. I never would have thought of the AFA having anything to do with archery. Thank you to everyone who replied to my post! I will also see if I can get my hands on some good books and videos.

RE: Looking for coach
 

Sounds like a great deal. Good luck!

RE: Looking for coach
 

LadyArwin:
I wouldn't rule out approaching the Olympic Training Center in your town! Archers are Archers everywhere,and are some of the best people around>You may be surprised to find out that they will go out of their way to steer you in the right direction.Wouldn't it be sweet if they offered you to come talk and shoot in front of one of the Olyimpic coaches.Ide give it a whirl,what can they say,except no?

RE: Looking for coach
 

Have you tried you local university. They may offer a course in the evenings that would give you help and a place to shoot.

RE: Looking for coach
 

The guys at the AFA were great! I was finally shown the proper stance for shooting and they gave me some other things to practice for the next two weeks. It feels pretty weird to stand the right way, but I'm going to keep working with it until I get it right. I will check out the University idea and may not give up on the Olympic Centre either.

RE: Looking for coach
 

<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>Glad to hear that you were able to find some good people to help you out.