Archery is an exciting sport. As a first time archer, you can do a few things to make your entry into the sport less overwhelming and smoother.

Look for archery ranges near you and find an introductory course. This will give you an opportunity to find the resources in your area: every club or range has its own vibe and finding one that matches you is important. It will also give you some valuable information to buy your first bow.

The benefit of an introductory lesson is the experience of actually shooting a bow. Archery looks simple, but when you draw back a bow for the first time, you can suddenly realize that you have no idea where that arrow is going to hit. Having a safe environment to shoot your first arrows is going to give you confidence and a better understanding of the challenge of archery.

A lesson will also help you understand draw weight. During the lesson, ask your instructor about the draw weight of the bow you are using. This experience will help you choose your first limbs. The most common beginner’s mistake is being overbowed: shooting a bow too heavy to use. Recurve archery is all about form. While a certain amount of strength is needed, shooting also requires fine motor control. A heavy bow will prevent you from developing that form and will lead to bad habits and possible injury. Take note of how you feel at the end of the season: it is not that difficult to draw a bow back once, however, after repeated shots, you will start feeling the strain a bow can put on your body.

You will need a safe place to shoot. Do not underestimate the power of even in a light bow. Archery ranges are by far the safest places to practice. The area will contained any stray arrows. Finding ranges can be as simple as searching for Ranges near me on Google maps. USA Archery also has a club finder on their website. Some state-level organizations, like the Maryland Archery Association, also promotes archery and local archery organizations.

When looking for a range, factors such as distance, availability, and costs are important. You may find you may need several options. When I started, I used a public outdoor range during the warm months. In the winter, I used another public indoor range. Range cost can vary among free, a small fee for hourly sessions, and several hundred dollars for an annual membership. Some ranges require additional range fees over the annual membership, which can make archery expensive. Also ask when the range is open for practice. Some ranges have unlimited access to members, others have restrictive times the range can be used. My current range gives me open access all week to indoor and outdoor ranges, but it is also unfortunately an hour away, which can hinder routine practice, especially if you have a busy work schedule.

If you want to shoot on your own property, ask what the local ordinances are. If you are in a residential area, you need a safe place to shoot so no arrow can leave your property and any one on your property is safe. Setting up an indoor range in a basement or garage is ideal as it will contain any bad shots. Even a short range or five to ten yards can be useful in practicing form. If you have a large piece of land, set up a target boss with a clear view behind it so you can spot anything entering the field. Public parks or land are not suitable locations for archery unless they have a designated archery ranges. You always need permission to shoot on land that is not yours.

Explore archery

Start to watch archery matches and tournaments. The World Archery YouTube channel has a large selection of competitive archery videos. The most common competitions are Olympic and compound target archery. But searching the channel for barebow, traditional, and longbow to see other bow types. You can also search for field and 3D to see other types of competitive archery events. Field team finals are unique in that the three team members shoot a different bow type: compound, Olympic recurve, and barebow.

Watching top archers also gives knowledge on form, technique, and equipment used in the sport. Being able to learn from these athletes is an important skill for your development.

For other places to get inspiration, see the archery resource page at Barebow Paradox.