Getting to the range can sometimes be difficult. I completely understand. We archers have lives outside of the range (which is totally not as fun as range life), but when competition season is in full swing, every second of practice is precious time. I have two ranges I utilize that are relatively near my house. It's good to establish yourself at a public range so you can meet fellow archers, but what about on those days when you can't? Especially with this BITTER winter, it can be hard to get practice time in. I was having this same problem. I was constantly busy with school and work that I never had time to practice. In all honesty, practicing was all I wanted to do.
So what is a bored, practice hungry archer to do?
Build a range in her basement.
If you have the room, it is the best thing for any archer. You don't need 20 yards at all. I am a strong supporter of blank bailing. I mainly use my range for blank bail because my biggest problem is my form. I go to public ranges when I'm ready to readjust my sight. Blank bail requires a minimum of 5 yards (you could probably do 3 yards too but I prefer 5 as my minimum). Really all you need is a bail (which is really easy to get!) There are targets online that I've seen for as low as 20$. I bought a bulldog target. I am really happy with it and it's held up quite nicely!
SOME PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE BEFORE SHOOTING
-Make sure all windows and pipes are covered if you are in a basement! I covered my windows with this plexiglass type material and there is a wood board in front of all my pipes.
-Clear all possible obstructions
-Keep the target on something sturdy. Mine is on a shelf that's bolted to the wall.
-Have good lighting!
I love my little range! It's been such a huge help. I'm practicing twice as much as I was before.
Plus it's a reason to make Amber come over. If it costs you a pretty penny to set this up, it'll be so worth it in the end.
Wouldn't you rather be a pro than a no show when it comes to practice?
HNL Staff
Shoot on! =-->
Dara P.
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Target Panic. It's one of those thing that almost every archer has experienced at least once in their life. The worst part about target panic is that it has nothing to do with your equipment, it's all mental. This makes it even harder for some people to correct. If you want to fix this problem, it requires patience, practice, and a whole lot of hard work. One of the first things you should do when dealing with target panic, is temporarily eliminating the root of the problem. In this case, that root is the target face and the sight. That's right, we want you to get rid of your sight and your target; just bear with us. After these things are gone, it is time to start blank-baling at close range. This is where you have to be patient, because you may be tempted to move farther back or add either your sight or target back on, but trust us it's a bad idea. The point of this exercise is so you can differentiate between what is a good shot, and what is a bad shot. You just want to close your eyes and just practice your form. By the time you are done with this step, your shot sequence should be ingrained into your brain (aka muscle memory). Once you have completed this first step, it's time to put your sight back on, and your target on the bale, although, that bale isn't going anywhere. Leave your bale at 5 yards and start shooting. This is where you start to score yourself. Right now you're all probably thinking, "why would I score up close, there's no point." Well, that's where you're wrong. The point of scoring yourself at close range is to teach your mind what it's like to constantly shoot a good score. You are building up confidence in yourself and in your technique. The goal is for your mind to say to itself, "I can shoot 10's, so I will shoot 10's." After a week or so of just scoring at 5 yards, you can make the decision to move your bale back to 10 yards, if you are comfortable, and repeat the process. Once you are comfortable at each distance you can move to the next. Although, if you regress at any point, it is time to go back to blind blank-baling at the beginning again. A reason for regressing in the first place, is likely going through the steps too quickly. Remember that this takes time. If you follow all of these steps, in a few weeks you should be over your target panic. Some of the key things to remember are that it will take time, it won't be easy, and it will take dedication. Also remember that if at any time something doesn't feel right, you should start from the beginning again. We all hope that this helps tons, because this is how we learned. HNL Staff By Amber Arbegast Go below for videos on target panic!
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AuthorArticles written by Amber, Dara, Brian, Phoebe, Jacob, and Quincy. Archives
August 2015
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