Drop those Inches ...

If you come down to Crystal Palace Bowmen, be prepared to lose a few inches.

No, we're not some spin class gym freaks who insist that your BMI be perfect for your height.  No, it's our club secretary, Mr Mark Davis.  He seems to take extreme pleasure in extending your draw length.  I think I moved my clicker back by at least half an inch tonight and I'm still drawing pass the clicker without too much struggle.

I had pointed out to Mark that my form had dropped and he has been happily providing me with some coaching to get me back on track.  Last year we identified that my posture was not straight and I have rounded/hunched shoulders.  According to Mark, I took a knock in my confidence and crawled back into my old ways.  One of which was not making full use of my back muscles.

So what improvements did I make tonight?

• Straighten my shoulders
• Draw back with my shoulders
• Don't bend my front arm
• Expand the chest
• Sight picture
• Believe that I can draw further than before

Put all of the above together and I was rewarded by the end of the night with 4 arrows in the gold on a 40cm face.  Can't argue with that.

The real test will be to maintain this progress.  Mark left me with some exercises so we shall see how that goes.

I will be at 2020 tomorrow so we shall see how I put this all into practice.

Chessington Bowmen - King's Cup 2015 - Analysis

If you've read the previous post then you'll already know what happened at the Kings Cup for 2015.  My score of 477 was nothing to write home about and I need to know what went wrong.  So here's an analysis of the day ...

1. The physical game
2. The mental game
3. The kit game

Let's look at these one at a time ...

The Physical Game

I am out of shape.  I shoot about once a week, approximately 60 arrows.  That is not sufficient preparation for a competition.  It's not sufficient preparation for progressing in archery.  If you have any hope of doing well in archery then you need to be looking at shooting at least twice a week.  3-4 times a week is good.  It allows your body to recover from the exertions of drawing and holding a bow in place for over 60 arrows at a time.  Your muscles will gain the muscle memory of drawing a string back and releasing, but only if you practice.  Unfortunately I did not.  My best scores were achieved when I shot 5 days a week.  I need to get back into that routine.  However, my wedding plans may cause that to be an issue.  Nevertheless, I need more practice.

Another indicator of my poor physical preparation, 2 weeks before the comp I ditched my 36lbs limbs for my 28lbs limbs.  I just did not have the strength to draw that poundage for 60 arrows.  I also had issues with my anchor.  I couldn't find a solid anchor point.  If you don't have a solid and consistent anchor you don't stand a chance in archery.  It's one of the basic foundations for a good arrow shot.

The Mental Game

The mind of a winner expects to hit gold every time.  Doesn't matter if it's the first arrow or the last arrow.  When the archer releases the arrow he expects to see it in the gold when he looks down range (if he even bothers to look down range).  I did not have that mental picture.  It was more a case of hoping to hit the gold on release.  That's a big difference.  So how did I come to be in this state?  From the above section you will already know that I had to drop down in limb poundage as I could not cope with 36lbs.  That had already knocked my confidence.  I also had to replace my riser and sights two weeks before the comp.  I knew the pressure button was set for 36lbs and and that I had no sight marks for a WA18 with the new sights.  I went into this competition with no confidence and a list of excuses for not shooting well.  Is it any surprise that I didn't break 500?

So how do you win the mental game?  More practice is all I can do for the moment.  More arrows and more sessions.

The Kit Game

Archery is one of the few sports where a competitor with £100 worth of kit can do just as well as one with a few grand of shiny gear.  Ask roger, he managed it.  It has always been my intention that my time in archery would be more about the shooter and his skill than the kit.  However,  I have had to make a few purchases and select certain bits of kit to enable me to compete last weekend.

The Riser - I had to bin my old riser when I broke the arrow rest.  Sounds a bit heavy handed to replace the riser when all I had to do was stick on a new rest.  But I was hoping to replace the sights at the same time.  My cartel sights for some reason would not sit 90 degrees to the sight rail.  Everytime I made a windage adjustment I had to compensate for elevation.  It was most annoying so I thought I would spend a bit more on the sight for peace of mind.  Unfortunately I had threadlocked the sight bolts to the riser and could not remove the attachment point.  Hence the need to buy a new SF Premium Plus 2014 riser.  It was virtually identical to my old SF riser and I could fit my old custom grip to it.  So, the replacement of a defective sight although at the cost of a new riser went a long way to give back the confidence I had lost.  I consider that a win in the Mental Game.

The Limbs - For the past year I have been using 36lbs Win & Win limbs.  Although great for outdoors they were a bit over powered for indoors and definitely not within my physical ability to draw for 60 arrows.  So I made the decision to drop down to 28lbs.  I immediately saw a difference.   I think I added 30points to my recent scores just by using limbs I could pull.  So that was a win in the Physical and Mental game.

The Tab - I have been using the Fivics Saker 1 tab with EP frame for quite some time now.  But I couldn't settle on a consistent anchor which was affecting the release.  The answer?  My thumb.  I have never paid any attention to the placement of my thumb on the tab.  A big mistake.  By allowing my thumb to change position and orientation I was allowing my anchor to move backwards and forwards.  I paid special attention to this during the comp and was rewarded for my efforts when Sarah mentioned that my release looked better than those that were shooting around me.  That's another win in the Physical and Mental game.

The Clicker - For those who don't know, a clicker is an aid on the riser which lets the archer know that he has reached the his draw length.  It does this with an audible 'click' (hence the name).  Now,  This should be a boon for archers who suffer from inconsistent draws and anchors.  If the clicker is set incorrectly or the archer has not spent enough time with the clicker then you end up waiting for the 'click' when you think you're at full draw and that's when the fun and games begin.  Your body is at the point where you want to release but the brain is telling you to pull even further.  So you pull a little more... no click ... you pull a little more ... no click ... you pull a little bit further but now see your sights wander and your arms are beginning to shake ... CLICK ... erm but now you're not set, you're not on gold ... what do you do?  Whoosh ... your fingers give in and the arrows is on its merry way.  Repeat this enough times and doubt begins to creep into your mind.  Your confidence in your abilities starts to drop.  It takes a strong competitor to recognise this and take the appropriate steps.  It took me 12-24 arrows.

I must admit, my clicker (Spigarelli Guarda Clicker) was the one piece of kit that I bought with the sole purpose of overcoming my lack of ability.  If you haven't seen it already here it is on my riser:

It may not look like much but it has a very unique ability.  When you draw the arrow past the shelf on the clicker arm the arm moves visibly.  This gives you an indicator that you are just a few mm from release.  It stops you from being in the position where you think you're at full draw but not yet pass the clicker.  It also stops you from drawing pass the clicker when not ready to shoot.  Some shooters will say that drawing to the first shelf and then stopping ruins a smooth draw and splits it into two motions.  And they would be right.  But weigh that against me at full draw and wondering why my clicker hasn't gone off (and all the mind games that go with it) and I'll take a two part draw any day.   It's been said that the Koreans actually practice clicker discipline where they can repeatedly draw the arrow to within a few mm of release and then come down.  Now that's some serious control.  

Now, some coaches teach archers to look at the their clicker when drawing and to only aim once their arrow is a few mm from release.  (see note of the Koreans above).  I cannot do this.  Every time I tried I ended up drawing pass the clicker.  Put it down to physical strength and impatience.  With the Spigarelli I was able to judge this much better.  When I manage this my shots are better.  But halfway through the comp I switched off and stopped looking at the clicker.  I found myself at full draw and trying to anticipate the clicker.  And when the click was not forthcoming then the mind games set in and my shots went wild.  24 arrows later I had noticed my mistake and started looking at the clicker.  Bingo, my shots were improving.  Unfortunately too late to make a difference.

So, that's a break down of my failings for Saturday.  So how do I set about making a change?  Strangely, the answer is to not change anything.  I need to settle on a setup and shoot it ... a lot.  I need to practice more and become even more familiar with my gear.  Repetition is key.  It doesn't matter how much money you spend on kit if you don't back it up with practice.

So, let's go and shoot some arrows down range.

Chessington Bowmen - King's Cup 2015

Well, it went as about could be expected.  I managed 477 which is higher than last year, but not by much.

The day started off well when I picked up The Ageing Archer for our trip to Chessington.  Popped into the Chessington Oak for a quick bite to eat before the competition.  We were joined in the pub by Fadil, Bryn, Sarah and Roger.  Roger had already shot in the first session so was able to give us a lowdown on the day so far.  Sarah was mightily impressed by Matt Webb (the eventual winner of the competition).  So, refuelled and raring to go we made our way to the venue.

At this point we met up with Penelope from 2020Archery, Jeff, Trent and some of the gang from Sutton.  It was her first comp and she was teetering on that line between eagerness and nervousness,  I think you hardened competitors out there know that feeling.  At this point she was busy marking her arrows as she had not realised that your arrows need your name and a number.

With Penelope settled and the clock ticking away I set about gearing up.  It always amazes me how venues don't leave enough space for competitors to set up.  I managed to find some space behind the back row of seats and set about my task.

Tip No. 1 - If you have a bag with many many pockets don't change the location of any equipment the week before a competition.  Richard had already suffered the ignominy of leaving his sight at home last year.  For 15 minutes I had thought I had left my pressure button behind.  Turns out I had placed it in the tube with my top dampener.  Why?  Lord knows!  Anyhoo, once we had our kit setup we settled down to shoot the breeze with other competitors.  Competitions are a great way to make friends in archery.

 My gear ,,, waiting for the off.  It;s so red!

Hmm, where's the The Ageing Archer? 

Ah, there he is!  Oh and there's Sarah and Roger too!

But where are the Aquarius boys?  They arrive with about 30mins to spare(something about Yau's legendary trousers...)  They are the last to get their kit inspected by the judges.  Yau seems to have a slightly dubious serving but they let him get away with it.  It is at this point I should point out that I make special mention of the three from Aquarius (Yau, Huy and Kevin).  First off, they are former members of 2020Archery.  Second, this is their first competition.  I find this astounding as they have the skill to win competitions but have to date resisted the urge to compete on a large scale.  It please me to see them here. (My instincts are proven correct later ...)

Let's move onto the actual competition.  Today I shot a WA18 round.  For those who don't know, that's 60 arrows at 18m on a 40cm target.  For you 2020 folks, that's a Portsmouth but on a smaller target!  Unlike most club sessions, the shooting is controlled by a buzzer and a clock.  Here's a run down of the buzzer:

1. 2 beeps for first detail to approach the line
2. 1 beep for the first detail to shoot 3 arrows.  There is a clock on either side of the shooting line to count down 2 mins.  Fail to shoot all your arrows in 2 minutes and you're gonna kick yourself.  That's 40secs per arrow.  I bet you 2020 folks can do 3 arrows in 30secs!  That's ok for club shooting, but you really want to take all the time you have in a comp.
3. 2 beeps for second detail to approach the line
4. 1 beep for second detail to shoot their arrows
5. 3 beeps for archers to collect and score their arrows.

And repeat until you have done your 60.  Put in those terms it's simple.  And yet for some reason it never is.  I spoke to some archers and noticed others not having a simple shoot.  Perfect examples are Yau, Kevin and Penelope.  All three were participating in their first competition.  Actually, Yau and Kevin have done club competitions before but when it's your first award status competition in an open tournament ... well it's always a bit nerve racking.  Which brings me to my point, your first competition.  Yau and Kevin were suffering from target anxiety.  I think it's fair to say that they probably don't suffer from it a lot and yet it has reared it's ugly head today.  And what of Penelope?  From what I could gather from others she started off well but then had a dip in form.  I bet this dip in form coincided with a poor shot.  It's you're first comp and you're shooting well.  You're shooting on a smaller target so you're expecting to be in the blue a lot but instead you're hitting reds and gold.  Your confidence starts to rise.  But then comes a poor shot.  You start look inwards to find out what you did wrong.  For those in the know, it doesn't take much for this 'over thinking' to have an impact on your shooting.  Fortunately, Roger was on hand to lend some helpful tips.  One in particular was that she should go talk to other competitors.  It's takes your mind off the self doubt and relaxes the mind and body.  I believe Sarah performed a similar roll by punching me on the arm and telling me not over think it.  Roger's Jedi voodoo has clearly rubbed off on Sarah ...

And that's pretty much about it.  Oh, I probably should mention that I had to take a toilet break during my shooting but just got back in time.  I took a wrong turn and got lost!

So, what was the end result:

Well, I managed 477.  Higher than last year but still not over 500.
Richard managed 498.  Not what he was hoping for.
Penelope lands an 8th place with 452.  (Much applause!) - I think it's obvious she has the competition bug now.  Maybe she can spread that around and infect a few more from 2020 ...
The Aquarius boys brought their team home in 3rd place! (Applause)
Sutton came in 2nd.
Trent won the 3rd session award for compounds.
At this point I need to mention Roger ... strictly speaking he topped the scores for compounds in the 3rd session but he had already shot in the first session.  The rules dictate that only your first session will count.  Still, he did manage to prove that you can compete in a competition with a compound bow that costs less than an afternoon tea for 2 at the Savoy.  So here you go Roger, here's a round of applause for you *Applause*

With the awards done and everything packed away,  the night was completed by a trip to the nearest alcohol distributor.  It wouldn't be a 2020 reunion without some form of post shoot gathering :)

Let's see if I can do better at my next comp.

Read the next post for a more detailed analysis of today's events.

New Kit

Right, it's the night before my next competition (King's Cup, chessington) and I've shot less that 60 arrows through the new kit.  This does not bode well for tomorrow.

Let's see what in the archery swag bag ...

First off we have the new SF Premium Plus 2014 riser.  For the observant among you will have noticed that it's almost identical to my previous riser.  Just about everything is the same except that it now has adjustable limb pockets.  I'll admit that it wasn't a feature I missed with my previous riser but it's good to know it's there if I need it.

I took my old customised grip from my previous riser and swapped it with the new one.  It's one of the reasons I stuck with the SF Premium range.  I knew the grips would be swappable and I was familiar with the way the riser behaves.  You can also see in the above picture the Spigarelli clicker and SF Ultima rest.  I shot with them on Tuesday and I have to admit, they worked great.  The rest was simple to adjust and the clicker did it's job perfectly.I will give a more detailed review of the clicker once I've shot it more.

I wasn't able to decide on what sight I wanted so I've borrowed the Decut 120 Click from The Ageing Archer.  In the short time I've tried it I was most impressed by it.  For the price (approx £45) it's good quality with all the bells and whistles you would need.

I've almost grabbed a Titan Recurve Sight from The Ageing Archer.  As you can see it's red.  We like red.  I got to shoot it on Tuesday and it was good.  I had originally planned to buy this a while back but couldn't really justify it as my original sight was working well.  My most recent equipment failure has spurred me on to reconsider this purchase.

So, will the new kit help with my comp tomorrow?  We'll have to wait and see.  Last year I managed only 470.  It's unlikely that I'll get anywhere near it as my form has dropped and I've shot less than half the hours I shot last year.  However, I will aim to get 500+.  If I achieve that I will be happy.

I'm Back!!!

Hello Again!

It's been a year since my last post.  Apologies for the lack of activity.  But I'm back now ... unfortunately I'm not better than ever.  In fact, my archery form has taken a dive.  I've put it down to lack of range time.

So, what shall we do to rectify this?  In true TwitchyArcher tradition, I have decided to buy new kit!  Actually, I broke an arrow rest but that's a good enough reason to buy new kit.  Isn't it?

So, what kit did I buy?  Well, we've got the Shibuya Ultima rest and the Spigarelli Guarder Clicker.

I've also got a new SF riser on the way.  That should be here tomorrow.

So, here is the challenge.  When you last heard from me a year ago I was shooting indoor portsmouths and averaging 530+.  I am now lucky if I can break 500.  My next competition is 8 days.  Can my new 'shinies' get me back to my previous form?  Keep glued to this blog for more ....

60 Yards Baby!

Today, the fearless The Ageing Archer (Richard) and I popped along to Crystal Palace Bowmen in Beckenham.  Having spent the last 12 months concentrating on indoor ranges and competitions we thought it was time that we breathed some fresh air and head outdoors.  And boy did we choose a doosey of a day for it.  The sun was high in the sky, the temp was rising and there was very little wind.  Bingo!

So we racked up to the site which is the Old Dunstonian's Sports Club.  It comes complete with its own club house and parking area.  Perfect!

The club's members turned out to be very friendly and it wasn't very long before we started setting up our gear.  Mark (the club secretary) turned up and recognised us from our indoor competitions.  That's always a good sign.  Before he would allow us to shoot he did a quick kit inspection.  It turns out that my setup needed a bit more work but it was welcome criticism as it pointed out a few failings.  For starters, the vertical sight rod was not inline with the riser.  Yikes.

Anyway, once our kit passed inspection we fired a few arrows downrange.  Naturally Richard was nailing the gold at 20yds.  Mine had a few more reds in it but I wasn't too disatisfied.  Mark had more words for us.  We both had bad habits when it came to elbows, string fingers and stance.  And boy was my stance in need of correction.  It turns out that my shoulders are rounded and I need to straighten up.  It wasn't long before Mark had that sorted.  Oh and unbelievably he managed to add an extra half inch to my draw which meant I was able to move the clicker back a half inch.

So, after some sound and sage coaching tips we ventured into unknown territory ... 40yds.  Again Mark had advice for us.  We moved our sights as directed and ... we both scored hits at 40yds!  Not a single arrow missed.  And nor did we miss in the following ends neither!  So, with our confidence riding high we moved the target back to 60yds!

Ok, so I started to miss a few here.  At one point I had most of the shooters looking for my arrow.  But by the end of it I was pretty pleased with my performance.

The arrow in the 10 is mine :)

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our day.  The Club is great, good venue and the members are friendly.  We paid £1 as visitors (full members pay approx £30-40 a year with no range fees) but Mark gave us over an hour of coaching.  More importantly, the coaching was immediately effective.  Mark clearly knows his stuff.

I won't be hesitating in sending back the forms for associate membership.

The Mybo Clicker

I've been testing a new clicker these last couple of weeks and I have to say ... it rocks!

For those that don't know, a clicker is used as an indicator that your draw is at a particular set distance.  If set correctly, each shot should be achieved with the same draw distance and stance and body position.  And as we all know, good archery is all about repetition.

Most clickers are a straight piece of metal or carbon.  Those of you who are a bit more eagle eyed will notice that the Mybo clicker is not .. straight.  The curved edge (when properly set) ensures that the contact point to the arrows point is vertical.  This provides a more consistent result.

Well, whether you believe the science or not ... I definately think it works.  I gave up on my previous clicker after a few sessions.  This one has already outlasted that record.

Not bad for approx £7