Tag Archives: arrow

Jun 1 2016

Do any of you find motivation in song lyrics?

I know I used to have a playlist of rock tracks for when I’d be at the gym to keep me upbeat through the workout.
There are other tracks that make you think or possibly remind you of childhood. Maybe it’s a title track of a TV show or the first single you bought. So what has this to do with archery?
I was browsing YouTube as you do and came across the title music to The Flashing Blade. This was a kids TV show shown in UK back in the 1970s dubbed into English (I think it was French originally https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ZEDNkZ2L4).

It followed a small band of heroes in the musketeers theme, think sword fights and flintlock pistols. It wasn’t a big budget show or that good but it was Saturday morning and summer holidays tv which you watched on a rainy summers day. The thing is that the lyrics to the titles have stuck with me for years.
As long as we have done our best
Then no one can do more
This got me thinking about archery and how I’ve been struggling with confidence.
If you’re doing your best then great, you might not achieve your goals but you’ve done all you can. The key is you’ve done your best, you’ve made the effort.
I took the shot as well as I could at that time. Okay so you may have dropped short or thrown your arm, messed up the release but you tried. You set out to do your best and make the best shot you can.

Often there is the doubt that creeps in as to whether you have done your best. This brings me on to the next segment of lyrics I remember.

And we should never count the cost
Or worry that we’ll fall

Many of us worry about falling or failing whether it be at work, home or on a shoot. If that becomes the focus of our thoughts it is very self damaging, believe me I know. I’ve been there and still trying to find a consistent way out.

It’s better to have fought and lost
Than not have fought at all.

 If you don’t try then you’ve already lost. Yes it’s hard, read very hard, at times to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start again. There is one thing I can guarantee,  you will miss the opportunity of every shot or arrow you don’t take.
The interesting thing about this was that I tried to apply some of these lyrics at the 3D championships last weekend. (Yes I will be writing a full review of this event in the next week or so). I hadn’t been feeling confident and due to work and life commitments hadn’t been doing enough positive practise. Yes I had been shooting but not accomplishing the results I wanted in grouping or distance judgement. So when the inevitable missed shot came in I wasn’t surprised, I started the feeling of self doubt and its at this point I thought back to the reading I had been reviewing.
I realised I had to approach each shot as a new start, far easier said than actually done. I forced myself to focus on form and that I was doing the best I could, if I hit or missed it was the best I could have done at the time.
Well it seemed to have worked. I shot two days at a champs and didn’t fall apart. I didn’t win any medals but I did better than I thought. In short there is hope out there for all of us.
Thanks for reading.
May 10 2016

Shoot report – South Cheshire – May 2016

Traffic jam on motorway

Traffic jam on motorway

Sunday morning we were packed and on our way to South Cheshire shoot early as it’s one of the further shoots and takes about an hour and a half journey time. The problem was the motorway north was down to 1 lane instead of 4 due to an accident so that made for a very stressful drive as we sat in the traffic for 30 minutes waiting our turn. As it was we made the shoot in time to register and by all accounts several others had been delayed in the same incident. Let’s hope the passengers in the van that had crashed and flipped onto it’s side are okay.
South Cheshire

South Cheshire

The weather on Sunday was unseasonably warm with temperatures in the low 20 degree centigrade a complete contrast to recent weeks, this meant I was able to get a few photos.
Second target of the day 3D antelope

Second target of the day 3D antelope

This would be the first outing with my new Black Brook flatbow.
3D fox between the trees

3D fox between the trees

The course was entirely 3d targets and they had painted small pink dots in the centre of the kill zone for every target.
I’m unsure if I like the idea or not. In some ways it means all archers know where the highest scoring zones note just those with sights or access to listing of 3ds, also there are no arguments as to which scoring zones count.
The downside was it appeared to wear off as the day went on so not all archers were as clearly visible later in the day. Possibly the use of different paint would solve this.
3D boar

3D boar

There were some new 3ds including a sea lion and big cat which we hadn’t seen on previous shoots at South Cheshire or other shoots.
Small 3D cat in the sun

Small 3D cat in the sun

Another 3D between trees

Another 3D between trees

There were a number of shots framed between trees and branches making them hard to judge.
3D Turkey shot between trees

3D Turkey shot between trees

I think a few well placed catching nets would have sped the search for arrows up on a couple of targets, especially the ones near the water.
Very long shot at 3D Deer

Very long shot at 3D Deer

My thanks to the two marshals who helped retrieve the wayward arrows in the lake. Glad I could help launch and retrieve the boat, though I think a couple oars might be useful next time.
Discovered that the arrow sock labels I’d put on the night before don’t cope with being in water.
Sharon shot well winning ladies afb and actually scoring higher than the gents did too. Unfortunately my first outing wasn’t a very auspicious one, I really need more practice.
Sharon shooting 3D

Sharon shooting 3D

The journey home was less eventful but looks like we’ve developed an issue with the cars rear breaks, so no doubt that will be pricey to solve. So all in all was not the best day for car journeys.
Thanks for reading.
May 6 2016

Shoot report – Long Eaton Field Archers – May 2016

LEFA Practise area

LEFA Practise area

Despite the best efforts of the weather forecasters to predict poor weather for the Long Eaton shoot,  the British weather provided a  spring day which was mostly dry although not that warm.

The shooting group couldn’t have been better company, with fellow Severn Valley members JT, Paddy and Jim Kent aka Grizzly Jim joining Sharon and I.

LEFA marshals and shooting group

LEFA marshals and shooting group

The course was to be 36 targets, all 3d targets, with LEFA running it as a shoot through. Targets included the normal LEFA favourites of the bison and moving target, along with a couple of choose the target where you had a couple of 3d targets at slightly different angles and distances. This gave the archer the choice as to which to go for.
JT shooting our first target

JT shooting our first target

There were some nicely laid shoots, framed well between trees and using dead ground. It  was evident the course layers had worked hard on redesigning the course and it seemed to work well with few hold ups. You can read a previous shoot report here. Despite the easy flow, it was a tiring day as you were slipping and sliding in areas due to the mud, nowhere near as bad as Wolverine had been. I was very grateful that it didn’t rain as we would probably have joined that carpet of bluebells covering the forest floor.
View through the trees

View through the trees

Sadly my archery was not up to the mark and I don’t feel I did the course justice .
JT shooting

JT shooting

The lack of practice over the past few weeks showed as I struggled to hit anything. Amazing how a few weeks off shooting has such a negative effect for instinctive archers or at least it does for me.
Sharon shooting at LEFA

Sharon shooting at LEFA

Sharon shot well winning ladies AFB and congratulations to Jim on his placing.
Thanks for reading.