Equipment V’s Coaching

Equipment V’s Coaching

It’s coming up to that time of year where all of the archery gods (well manufacturers anyway) reinvent the wheel and bring out that must have long rod, that new handle and the new limbs what will all put at least 10 to 20 points on your score.  Archery manufacturers know that there are only so many ways they can improve the current stock they offer.  You will find that most of the “revolutionary” new products are a twist on what has already been launched some years ago.  A good example of this is when Easton stopped making the Navigator arrow, and re-launched the product as A/C/G’s. imy1

The purchase of a new product will, over a short period, improve you belief and confidence, however over a longer period of time unless your technique is solid the arrows will start to drift, scores will drop, and your confidence will take a dent.

There will always be new and revamped products brought out on the market and the manufacturers do a great job in glossy new banners with all of the new kit, but even with all of the new gadgets around there is another way….. Work with a coach.

A good coach will help you with many things including confidence and belief in your own shot.  If you are able to have the self confidence that you can shoot well and you have good strong technique, then the equipment, (as long as it set up correctly) will serve you well, and changing it unless absolutely necessary, will be secondary.

When finding a coach you need to take into account a number of points:-

  • Do you trust them? Without trust you will not believe in them and the improvement will be very slow, if any at all.
  • Does the level of the coach matter? I would say yes depending on the level you are shooting.  The experience of the coach will help put over the improvements in many different ways.  Remember not all archers fit into the same box.
  • Is the coach up with the times, or part of Jurassic Park (an old fossil). Archery has come a long way over the last 20 years or so with improvements in psychology, strength and conditioning, shooting techniques etc.  Make sure your coach has an open mind and uses all of the above to help you achieve your goal.
  • A Coaching agreement is in our opinion one of the most important documents to be completed. It’s really important that both parties agree on what is required.  You BOTH have a base to go back to if either side are not pulling their weight.
  • Agree regular meetings – it’s no good having months between each training session with your coach. And by the other end of the spectrum you do not want to be with them every day!  In your agreement set a time and date that suits both parties.

 

OliDon’t get me wrong I would love you to come in and buy all of the nice new toys that Mr Easton, Mr Hoyt, Mr Matthews etc are offering out year on year, but just take a minute to think through would that hard earned money be better spent on improving the nut behind the bow rather than the bow itself?  If this is something that you would like to look into here at Aim4sport we have:-

  • Propose built indoor training centre.
  • 4 way camera system that will take 4 images of the same shot at the same time.
  • Mirrors for drills and Skills practice.
  • TV playback area to see in detail what is good and what needs to be improved.
  • 18m/20yd indoor range.
  • Full 90m outdoor range.
  • Fully equipped work room.
  • The facilities can be used by archers and coaches alike.
  • Competitive rates.

It’s a great way to improve, and in some cases the improvements can be huge.  It’s worth a go. Invest in yourself; you may be surprised in the results…!

If you have some thoughts on this please do drop us a line at info@aim4sport.com and title your email “Equipment Vs Coaching”, and some of the replies will be posted on line.  Please let us know your thoughts.

Shoot em strong and see you on the shooting line soon.

Author Archives: Dave Leader

Dave has been in and out of the sport for the best part of 40 years. Shooting with his family from 8 years old, Dave has seen many changes to the sport throughout the years. Dave mainly shoots Recurve, but has a secret passion for Compound.

Now having owned Aim4sport since August 2012, Dave has worked through his coaching and coaching training levels and has been an AGB Senior Coach since 2018 and AGB Coach Developer since 2016.

Still enjoys the opportunity to shoot and still have aspirations, however, time is the main issue :p