The concept of archery is a straightforward one but can be a bit tricky to pull. In the sense that the arrow must hit the target for a successful archer. However, it might take long hours of training and practice to become sound on archery. In this article, we will focus on eight tips on teaching kids archery, which in turn provides your kid with balance and strength.
Tips to teach your kids archery in 2020
Purchase the right bow for your child
One of the most frequent errors beginners make is picking a bow, which is too big. This does not only make it harder for your child to learn and practice, but it could throw them off balance, thus making an accurate shot impossible.
For prudence, it is recommendable you choose a bow that is adjustable over a large range. Your child can continue to make use of it even as he or she grows over the years. It is very advisable you take your kid to a bow shop to find the right choice of bow, with reference to their draw length and draw weight.
If not, you can take a measurement of his/her outstretched hand held out to the side to the corner of the mouth. This can be done at home without having to take them with you to the bow shop. The measured distance is the approximate draw length. Often, draw lengths for kids of ages within 5 to 10 years range are 19 to 23 inches.
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Archery, of a fact, is a lot of fun, but safety is of paramount importance as need of it could possibly arise. To help improve your child’s experience, ensure they respect their tools. Besides that, they must understand how to keep themselves safe and those around them while practicing and shooting. It is necessary to ensure they have a safe space to practice and do not damage or trespass on anyone else’s property. Safety first! Every other thing follows.
Teach the Basics
Begin the lesson with a comfortable standing posture. Have your kid stand with his/her toes 90 degrees, or slightly less, from the target, so that the arm with which he/she grips the bow can be extended as possible and held naturally towards the target. The grip should not be tight, but loose as though he/she is holding a baby bird. Thereafter, concentrate on a proper and consistent anchor point with the string hand – the hand that pulls the bow.
Starting simple and well would increase your child’s morale. Small steps of progress are far more encouraging than failing at the first trial. It is, therefore, advisable to start with large, easy targets to help build your child’s confidence and technique. Younger shooters tend to have less strength, and that implies they will enjoy greater accuracy if there is a shorter distance – five or ten feet is usually recommended.
Use large targets
Let them begin by shooting at large targets, such as balloons, pizza boxes, and pie boxes. Although in shooting sports, it is advisable to “aim small, miss small” that doesn’t, however, imply the actual target must be small. Instruct your child to focus and aim at the center of the target. It is easy for all shooters to become obsessed with hitting a small target when the child should be focused on proper shooting form. Shooting the bullseye will come later as they master the techniques.
Get the range ready
Before the first arrow would be shot, see that your target range is properly set up and well organized. Place a nice target and behind it, a backstop. It is preferable to use hay bales as a backstop. The target does not have to be fancy, but it is required that it is large enough to stop errant shots and tough enough to prevent arrows from sailing through it.
For small children with very light draw weight, a cardboard box shoved with foam packing material will do. Choosing an open area with plenty of space, good backstop, and bow rack near the position from which you intend to shoot will alleviate setting the bow, arrows, and accessories down each time your child embarks on retrieving the arrows.
For a start, shooting should be made from a distance of 5 to 8 yards, and increase the distance only when your archer consistently hits the target. Remember, the first few archery trials of your child are not what will spurt an Olympic athlete out of him. Make it fun; let the seed of interest in archery be sown in the child. It can become a healthy, life-long hobby for the child.
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Ensure Constant Practice
One way to get a kid to love a thing is by luring them to do it all the time, and in no time, they’ll find joy doing it without anyone instructing them to do so. The same goes for learning archery, plan timetables for archery practice, and follow it judiciously. Remember, practice makes perfect.
Find a quality club and instructor
Learning archery the right way is the only way to get the best of experience out of it. Besides, it’ll drastically improve your kid’s archery success. Get your kid to meet a skilled instructor close to you. It’s worth the fun he/she will get from archery. Take your time to find which instructor will be able to come down to your kid’s level while practicing.
Archery can be a fascinating skill to acquire, especially for a kid when all due procedures are put in place. With the above-discussed eight tips on teaching kids archery, I bet your kid will love it. Mind you, always remember what encouraged your kid to want to learn archery and seize the time to build fun with your kid over and again.
Archery is an educative chance for your kid to become agile, active, gain strength, and acquire crucial skills, of which, accurate, balance, and patience are not left out.