Tag Archives: instinctive archer

Roger shooting on the knee
May 26 2020

A virtual walk with Roger Massey

A walk with Roger

A walk with Roger

Some readers might recall I wrote a few “Walks with Rob” articles where I interviewed different archers about how they started, their motivation, set-up, etc. Well I thought I would produce another one, but this time as a virtual form as we aren’t allowed to physically wonder round our woods shooting due to the current pandemic.

So, without further delay I’d like to have Roger Massey introduce himself. For convenience my questions are shown in bold.

Roger preparing to shoot

Roger preparing to shoot

Rob – For the readers who might not have heard of you Roger, how about introducing yourself?

I’m Roger Massey. I live with my family down near Battle in East Sussex and am totally addicted to traditional field archery. By traditional, I mean any kind of bendy bow without sights.

Two years ago, I got fed up with doing a job I had lost the passion for and so set up a small field archery focused business called 1066 Field Archery and now make and sell bows, arrows, strings and targets for a living. To be honest I think it was finding field archery that made me feel unsatisfied with my old job since I was so happy when I was out shooting in the woods with friends and just wanted to do more of it!

In terms of shooting achievements, both myself and son Jack have attended the National Field Archery Society 3D championships for the last 3 years and between us have managed to bag 4 Golds and 2 Silvers shooting either HT or AFB. Last year was a bit special since we both won Gold and it was done with bows, I’d made myself. Just for the record, the other two Golds are Jacks!

Rob – I think there are plenty of us who find archery a great release from working life. How long have you been shooting and how did you first get into archery?

I sort of stumbled across archery. I bought Jack what I would consider a toy archery set for about £12 and a hay bale and we had a go in the back garden. We were hopeless and struggled to hit the bale. I don’t often blame my tools but in that case the bow and arrows were useless and totally un-matched. Anyway, that experience frustrated me so much I signed us both up with an archery experience at the local archery shop. That was fun so I ended up signing us up for a 12 hr beginners course spread over 4 weekends. That course was horrendously dull and very slow. The material could have been covered in a quarter of the time including a 2 hour lunch break!

Anyway, whilst on the course I saw a field full of 3D targets and thought that looked like more fun than the boss we were repetitively shooting at 20 yards. Course over we returned home and I bought us both starter recurves and a 3D Zombie target and we just had fun pummelling that in the garden for a while. Realising there must be more out there I looked up field archery clubs and discovered there was one about 2 miles from the house called Archers of Battle. The rest they say is history, Jack and I joined the club, met some friendly members who introduced us to Senlac Field Bowmen which was another club about 5 miles from the house and we’ve been active members of both clubs ever since. I know it will surprise a few people to know both Jack and I only started shooting late 2015 so we’ve only been doing it 4.5 years. It feels a lot longer!

Rob – I think it is one of those hobbies that if you click with, then it becomes very addictive. Can you explain what your love or passion is that drives your interest in archery?

That’s quite a tricky one to answer. I guess it scratches lots of different itches for me. I had the initial curiosity of trying to understand why we were missing that hay bale 4.5 years ago. I then started making things and I do enjoy making things and understanding how they work. First it was arrows, then strings, then 3D targets and then bows! The feeling I get from shooting arrows I’ve made from a bow I’ve also made and consistently hitting things well is fantastic. Going down to the woods and shooting with friends is just part of it for me but it is a part I really love.

Rob – You’ve been putting out quite a few videos recently in the Facebook group (Traditional Archery Fellowship) on different archery topics. What was the driving force behind that? 

I think when people start shooting, it’s very hard to find your feet. Field archery is a minority sport and there aren’t many places you can go to get really solid advice. I learnt a lot of good things from watching YouTube videos when we first started out and I was also lucky to have two very local clubs to shoot at which meant I could learn from others.

I really liked watching the videos on shooting form, improving technique, and useful hints and tips, and that is what I try to do in my short vids. I don’t like watching people being totally prescriptive in their advice and commerciality really switches me off. If I do include products in anything I film it’s because I really believe they are great and I’m trying to save people time learning from going down other routes!

In the early days I use to really enjoy Wolfie Hughes vids. The two archers I really enjoy watching now are Jimmy Blackmon and Jeff Kavanagh. Both are real quality acts. Alex Newness has also got a YouTube Channel called How2Longbow which also has some great material on it. In doing the videos I’m basically just trying to pass on useful info to people, and have a bit of fun myself!

Rob – So what are you shooting now? I’m sure people would be interested in hearing what your set up is right now? What kind of bow, poundage etc. Are you shooting ones you’ve made yourself?

I tend to flip around a lot with bows. I enjoy shooting lots of different bows and like the challenge of trying to learn a bow as quickly as possible. Some days I may start shooting one bow and change to shoot another. I actually struggle to shoot the same bow for a long period of time since I start to get a bit bored of it and hanker after shooting something different. The only time I stick with one bow for any length of time is in the run up to the 3D champs. For myself and many others in the NFAS, the 3D champs is the biggy.

I will usually decide on my set up in March and then try and focus on shooting just the one bow for a couple of months until the 3Ds. It’s quite funny, once the 3Ds is over I actually feel like someone has removed a shackle from my leg and I can go and play with other bows!!

In terms of what I’m shooting at the moment, the two bows I’m really enjoying are my 68” glass risered AFB. It’s only 37lb at 28” but is very swift. I made it from the Blackbrook Sigma bow form. The other is a bow I have developed myself called the Honey Badger. It’s only the 2nd bow I made from the form, having tweaked the design from the first one a little. Again, it’s only 37lb and I can shoot it all day and will be smiling most of the day. It’s a 63” carbon backed hybrid which falls into what I have heard referred to as the “super reflex” category.

Building the bows

Building the bows

Rob – I have seen some of the pictures you’ve posted on Facebook of the Honey Badger and it does look very nice. I have a couple of Blackbrook Sigma bows and enjoy shooting them immensely.

In terms of arrows, I enjoy shooting woods the most and always shoot with a mediterranean (split finger) loose. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to make my woods fly like carbons and am a big fan of bobtail tapering.

Rob – Matching your arrows to the bow are a huge factor that many archers don’t always get right. The difference when you do get it right are amazing. I’ve played around with tapering over the years, but find I now stick with parallel shafts. Have you changed your set up and is so how has this changed over the years?

A couple of years ago I was shooting a very fast 46lb Blackbrook recurve with woods but damaged my shoulder from shooting too much. I think I had a 12-day period where I shot every day apart from one!! It was in the run up to the nationals in 2018 and I was really on it. I still went but I hadn’t shot an arrow for the 6 weeks leading up to the National Champs but wanted to go anyway so I turned up with my sons old 25lb recurve and some arrows I had just knocked up. First arrow I shot was on the bosses on the first day! At the end of the two days I hadn’t done too badly and was only 36 points off a medal.

The whole experience taught me that I needed to look after myself if I wanted to be shooting a lot, and until I was very old, and that draw weight wasn’t that important for field archery.

Roger shooting in the woods

Roger shooting in the woods

Rob – I think there can be a bit of a macho element with some archers or the belief that heavier poundage equals better scores. In reality I have found its more about matching your kit and having the right mindset.

Rob – If ten years ago I’d have told you where you’d be today, how do you think you’d have responded?

I would have asked where I went wrong. I left University with a First in Maths and Psychology and then studied for 6 years to become a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries. I then did a 2nd Masters degree and had a city focused career path. I now make bows and arrows for living. I couldn’t be happier than I am right now, but I definitely wouldn’t have believed you if you did have a crystal ball 10 years ago!

Rob – We’ve talked about your bows and bit about your arrows. From a shooting stand point, do you consider yourself an instinctive archer basing shooting on how it feels at the time, rather than a conscious process of steps which some people follow for distance judgement etc.? 

I think the word instinctive is used far to often and means so many different things to different people. In terms of how I shoot, it is with both eyes open. For most shots, anything under about 40 yards, I have a little routine I know I go through but no longer think about (unless things start going wrong).

This starts with my footing feeling right, I then give a little tug on the string to confirm my fingers feel placed right and the grip on the bow feels right. I then raise my bow arm and draw fairly slowly and in a controlled way, always just focusing on the spot I’ve chosen on the target. I’m aware of the arrow in my sight picture but not consciously looking at it or gapping and when it feels right I loose.

Ahead of this I will have weighed up the lay of the shot but I don’t consciously try and work out the distance, I just know what the picture will look like before I loose the arrow. For longer shots I follow a similar routine but my arrow is much more prominent in the picture and I am very aware of it and the gap with the target. For very long shots where my point needs to be over the target, I will put the time in to try and estimate the distance and think about where I need to put the point of my arrow. Most archers do so few very long shots, that they have too few “long shot memories” to shoot instinctively and expect to hit a target well.

Rob – We all face our own challenges in life. What do feel has been the biggest challenge you’ve encountered to date with your archery? How did you overcome this challenge? 

To be honest I don’t think I’ve really had any major challenge. I do go through periods of forgetting how to shoot well and have to continually re-learn things and when things aren’t going well, I do need to remind myself that it’s a hobby and should be fun!

Rob – I think we all have days like that.

Most of the performance issues with myself are either down to being too serious about my shooting or being too relaxed. I have to find that happy place where I want to shoot well but am not that bothered if I don’t. Leading up to the 3D champs in 2018 I was shooting really well and then had a shocking start to the first day. The first target (peg 13) was a long one and I went about a foot high and foot to the right but luckily hit a dinosaur in the head! 2nd target was another long one and I put two arrows about an inch over the back of a deer and heard them both snap and I never really felt relaxed for the entire day. 2nd day I found that really happy place, had a really nice shooting group, and the day went superbly. I only missed with one arrow all day and was only 10 points off the Gold. I probably haven’t been shooting long enough to have any major issues.

Rob – It’s interesting how a bad start to a days shooting can have such an effect on your entire day. 

Roger shooting on the knee

Roger shooting on the knee

Rob – I know there is more than just archery. When not out shooting or coordinating a national society what do you enjoy doing? Are you out walking or a secret foodie at heart? 

Family life takes up most of my non-archery time. I enjoy woodland or hill walks, mountain biking and brewing. I use to ride and restore old motor bikes but they’ve taken a back seat since the archery came along. In terms of watching sport, the only sport I really follow is motorcycle racing – moto-GP, BSB, WSB and I like the proper Road Racing. I’ve been to the Isle of Man several times for both the TT and Manx GP and to Northern Ireland a couple of times to watch. I also read a lot. I’m not too fussy about what I read. If I like it, I’ll probably finish it within a week, and if I don’t like the first few chapters it gets put down.

Rob – You’ve talked about your early experiences, and beginners course. If you could reach every newbie archer out there with one single piece of advice what would it be?

If you want to shoot well then make life easy for yourself. Start with a low draw weight (20-30lb) trainer bow and some cheap carbon arrows and shoot with a rest. Learn to shoot reasonably well before you start thinking about shooting a harder style of bow like a Flatbow or a Longbow and stay away from wooden arrows until you’re prepared to spend the time learning how to make them fly well and keep them straight! That’s about 5 pieces of advice rolled into one paragraph!

Rob – That is some good advice though. I always find peoples answers to this interesting. I started with a 37lb recurve, which I know now was quite a high poundage, but I immediately knew I wanted to shoot wooden arrows. Within 3 months I’d started making wooden arrows and by 6 months I’d swapped the recurve for an old flatbow.

Rob – Thanks for your time Roger.  If readers would like to get in touch with you how can they?

I’m always happy to help anyone interested in Field Archery with my thoughts and advice. Email is the best way to get in touch roger@1066fieldarchery.co.uk.

Rob – Thanks again and good luck with all the developments. I am really looking forward to seeing the honey badger bow.

As always thanks everyone for reading and stay safe, stay well.

Sharon shooting a 3D dragon target at Paget de Vasey
Mar 31 2018

Shoot Report- Paget de Vesey – February 2018

Paget de Vasey NFAS shoot February 2018

Paget de Vasey NFAS shoot February 2018

I know I’ve said this before but I have always thought of the Paget de Vesey shoot as marking the start of the NFAS outdoor season. True there are shoots throughout the year now but I still think of it as the start of the shooting year. For those interested you can have a read of a past shoot report here. Surprisingly there wasn’t any rain or even snow this year, which in the past has marked Paget shoots. Actually it didn’t really turn that cold until the afternoon.

Sharon shooting a 3D target at Paget de Vasey

Sharon shooting a 3D target at Paget de Vasey

Paget club have a small wood where they had set up a twice round 18 and unlike other shoots who simple have you go round the course twice, Paget had added another dimension.
The first time you shot round, you were shooting at a 3D target they’d set up. When you shot the last target in the first circuit  you removed the 3D target and uncovered the target boss behind, which had a paper face. This meant you would shoot 18 3D targets and 18 Paper faces. Nice simple idea of providing different options.
This year there were 5 in our shooting group, Wayne and young Tabbatha, with Mike and Hazel (though Hazel wasn’t shooting).
Our shooting group at Paget

Our shooting group at Paget

Pagets’ ground is flat and criss-crossed with small drainage gullies ditches, which the course layers tried to incorporate into their shots. They had also built a series of raised platform to offer a different prospective but due to the confined space their weren’t many long shots.
Sharon shooting off one of the platforms at Paget de Vasey

Sharon shooting off one of the platforms at Paget de Vasey

There were a couple of shots that felt a bit close to one another but it seemed to work okay.
With over 80 archers it was a bit of a slow day at times. Having said this, it was  really good to meet up and chat with a few followers of the site about different shooting topics, from coping mechanism on shoots when things don’t go well to past articles and possible future topics.
3d Armadillo at Paget de Vasey

3d Armadillo at Paget de Vasey

The course set up with the 50/50 split, seemed to work well and was I think well received by most attending. It is quite a good way to offer a bit of difference to the normal twice round 18. The only negative comment I heard was from a gap shooter who said once you’d shot the first time round you had a good idea of the distances.
Wayne shooting complete with unique hat

Wayne shooting complete with unique hat

One observation with the course set up is concerning the junior pegs. Whilst they worked well for the 3Ds they will have to be careful for them not to be a bit far when the paper faces. I do think it is a layout that works well for small woodlands, so well done guys.
Sharon shooting a 3D dragon target at Paget de Vasey

Sharon shooting a 3D dragon target at Paget de Vasey

The shoot was a shoot through which worked well with the twice round 18. With the paper faces being the second half I think people struggled more, as paper faces are less friendly, this resulted in more second and third arrows, which in turned slowed the day down a little.
Overall, I thought it was a good day, though a bit slow. Sharon shot really well being the highest scoring wooden arrow shooter on the day.
Thanks for reading.
Mar 3 2018

Form, Strength and Mind

Okay so hopefully you have read my last two posts on setting archery goals and going to competition, etc. If not, then why not? They aren’t that bad, even if I do say so myself.

In this, the last one of the series I’m going to be talking about shooting form, physical and mental fitness. It may seem strange leaving this bit to last, but there is some logic to my madness. I think, well I hope!

Sharon on the range

Sharon on the range

Shooting technique / form

There are countless resources available offering archers advise on shooting technique or shooting form, along with proposed steps for improvements. Such resources include YouTube videos, podcasts, articles and books that explore different techniques for improvements and I have to say all are useless!

Yes you read that right, I said useless, even the stuff I write here, where I try and help you are completely useless.

Why?

Simple, they are useless unless you can apply the rights one for you. You are drawing the bow, making the decisions, executing the shot. Not the person who wrote the advice or shot the video.

So remembering this I have a question for you. Can you list all the steps you go through when preparing and executing the shot? This shot sequence might be 4 steps or 14 but the steps should be the same with every shot you take, i.e. repeatable for every shot.

If you can’t describe the steps you take, how can you know or remember what you need to do to be able to repeat it, and therefore how can you be consistent? In the last article I mentioned how having confidence in your kit helps with consistency as it reduces variables. Well confidence in your form and technique also helps.

When coaching archers, whether newbies or experienced I ask them what steps they go through, what is their shooting cycle? I then get them to write the steps down and review them after each shot in the session, adding or modifying it until it covers all the steps they perform. This gives them a base line to follow and return to when things go wrong. It may sound long winded and not very instinctive, but it works for focusing the mind. There is one lady archer I’ve had the pleasure in coaching who followed my advice and has noted her steps down. I know she revisits the list when she’s had a bad shot and I also know she has been placed at recent shoots too.

Whilst talking about coaching I would advise any archer whether a newbie or experienced to seek advice and guidance from a coach. It’s always worth getting some coaching – lots of people will offer advice but it is worth seeking out a good coach to get some guidance. I’ve been skiing for over 10 years but every time I go on a ski holiday I book  session with a coach to help iron out bad habits and improve.

When focusing on form I find it beneficial to use a lighter poundage bow than I normally shoot. This allows me to focus on my form and not be “fighting” the heavier poundage competition bow.

When talking shooting techniques you have to talk about those bad habits we all pick up over time.

It is very easy to develop poor form, but it’s a lot harder to get rid of it later. Poor shooting technique can take several different forms.

You might start shooting very quickly, too quickly, before you’ve had time to settle.  You are drawing up and releasing the arrow immediately, no time to aim or anything. Another example can be short drawing where the archer does not come fully back to the anchor. Maybe your shoulders are shaking so as you release you are flinching.

Why does this happen, well maybe because your muscles can’t cope with the strain of drawing and holding the bow at full draw to aim. Maybe you are over bowed? I cover this later in the physical aspect of this article.

Sadly this is not an uncommon problem and I see this time and time again whether it is with a recurve bow or a compound bow. The effect it can have on the archer is both physical and mental. Physical injury can be sustained, with muscle strains, torn muscles etc. Mentally the archer can become dejected and not want to shoot and then muscles don’t develop and it becomes hard for them to draw the bow. This then turns into a downhill spiral. So many give up when things are not going well, sadly very few seek advice or help.

It can also have a knock on effect and this can lead to bigger problems like Target panic, but that is a topic for another day I think.

So you have your shooting technique and even more importantly your own confidence added to this is your own resilience which is really important. I cover this a little latter in this article, but for now let’s look at your physical fitness.

Physical Fitness 

I think most of us would agree that we could be physically fitter in one way or another than we actually are, and it is often a New Year’s resolution topic. Your physical fitness has an impact on everything that we do, so obviously it has an effect on your archery goals and progress.

Think about how you would answer these questions,

  • How many arrows do you shoot in practise or throughout the week?
  • How often do you shoot, weekends only or during week too?
  • How do you feel physically after shooting, do any of your muscles ache?

If you only shoot once or twice a week and then only a few arrows, you are unlikely to build your physical fitness with respect to shooting to a level where shooting for two days at national competition is doable with ease.

So what can you do? Well shooting more often can help to build your stamina, but don’t rush and start shooting every day as your muscles need time to build up and strengthen. In the summer months when days are longer I shoot every other day in the week so 2 or 3 days, where I’ll be shooting between 80 to 120 arrows at distances from 3 yards to 40 yards. Practice in the wood on Saturday and at a competition on the Sunday. But I’ll build up to that level of shooting so at start of the summer I’ll shoot 40 or so arrows at practise.

During the off months you can use exercise bands like therabands that come in different strengths to build should muscles. If you are member of gym, have a chat with one of the instructors / fitness coaches there who might be able to give you advice or suitable exercises. Simple push ups also help to build the shoulder muscles.

Muscle strength is one thing but stamina is important too, it’s all well and good to be able to draw a 45lb bow but if you can’t repeat this for the whole day, then you know you need to work on stamina.

Also consider your hydration level when you are shooting, it is very easy to become dehydrated on an field archery course as you are on your feet for several hours carrying your gear all the time.

One quick point about muscle tone and fitness is that muscles work best when warm, so in cold weather make sure you are wearing suitable clothing. I’ve always found wearing several layers better than a few thick layers that can restrict movement. The other advantage of this method is you can easily remove a layer if you get too warm.

Lots of archers work on developing their shoulder and back muscles, but it is worth also working on your core too as this provides stability.

Over bowed I mentioned this earlier and it is when an archer is shooting a bow that is too heavy for them to draw and use properly. When I say heavy I mean the draw weight of the bow is too high for the archer to be able to shoot consistently.

I see this time and time again whether it is with a recurve bow or a compound bow. The effect it can have on the archer is both physical and mental. Physical injury can be sustained, with muscle strains, torn muscles. Mentally the archer can become dejected and not want to shoot and then muscles don’t develop and it becomes hard for them to draw the bow. So it can become a downhill spiral.

There are a few ways over bowing can be identified. The archer is shooting too quickly, because your muscles can’t cope with the strain of drawing and holding the bow at full draw to aim. They are drawing up and releasing the arrow immediately. Another problem can be short drawing, where the archer does not come fully back to the anchor. Maybe your shoulders are shaking so as you release you are flinching

The solutions can come in a number of forms, drop to a lighter bow and build yourself up gradually. Shoot less arrows, what I hear you say! How can I build strengthen? Well shot less, so you aren’t shooting to the point of muscle fatigue. Look at exercise routine to improve strength.

So that was physical fitness, what about your mental fitness, your resilience?

Me trying to remember to shoot

Me trying to remember to shoot

Resilience

So what do I mean about resilience? I guess I am thinking about mental toughness, the willingness to keep going after a bad shot or training session that didn’t go well.

First thing to remember is that each shot you take is a fresh shot, true it is based on your experiences of the previous shots you have made, but it is a fresh shot. Hopefully the more opportunity you have to shoot the more you have the opportunity to learn, by learn I mean learning from your successful shots and learning from your misses to move on and develop. It is very important that you remember your good shots, the ones that landed exactly where you wanted. As you can use this as a trigger to remind yourself “yes you can” do this.

Of course that statement “move on” is easier said than done. A missed shot affects us in different ways. Some people can put it behind them and move on almost immediately, others get annoyed usually with themselves. Those that can put it behind them have developed coping strategies or resilience. Missing or having a bad day can be one of the hardest things to overcome in archery. How many times have you seen archers get dejected when they can’t make the shot and it’s not just beginners but us experienced archers too.

I’ve seen many archers end up on the blue peg, taking their 3rd and final chance of a scoring arrow because they have rushed their second arrow. Why, because they have been annoyed or self-conscious of their failure in front of others

So what can you do?

As I write this I recall an old military quote “A plan never survives first contact with the enemy” – this can be applied to archery too. The important thing to think about is what happens when the plan fails! Your plan is to shoot your arrow and hit the target successfully. In an ideal world this would happen every time, but it doesn’t in the real world and when it doesn’t have  you got a tactic to overcome the “enemy”, whether that enemy is poor weather, target panic, or something else?

We all have good days, we all have bad days. We can rationalise these bad days based on lack of sleep, stress at work, etc. but not always, some days you can try too hard. It is those days when it is very easy to develop bad habits, but it’s a lot hard to unlearn them.

A quote from my old coach comes to mind while writing this. He would say focus on your form and the shot will come and I have to say he is very true.

For me if I’ve missed a shot or not having a good day I go back to the basics. I focus on my shooting form, your shot sequence and steps. I take a deep breath and let it out long and slow, forcing my shoulders to relax. It doesn’t always work, but it is a starting point and does work some times.

The other thing is focus on the positive, focus on the next arrow going into the gold or the spot. Have a read of this blog as there have been a few posts on the mental game and positivity. (https://archeryponderings.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/mental-training-positivity/)

This is something that I am struggling with a lot at present, as I’m not reaching the level I feel I have or are capable of, guess my resilience is being tested, sadly this archer can’t always practise what they preach. I’m fighting those internal demons at present.

I think I will close this part on a quote from Babe Ruth who said “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from coming up to bat.”

Final word

Last take away thought. I’ve found there are two types of people in the archery community. The ones that offer help and the ones that keep their knowledge to themselves. Most will be willing to share but you will find some like to keep their success secret. I personally believe it’s better to be someone who is willing to share and for that reason I started this blog.

I hope you have found these last few articles of interest or even possibly of use.

Thanks for reading.