There are certain points in your life where something just clicks. The day that I got a recurve bow as a gift was one of those for me. It opened my eyes to a whole other world which I didn’t know exist. That world was the one of archery. Since then I have been engrossed in an extremely fun new sport that is both physically demanding and stimulating.
Why archery though? For one – it isn’t seasonal. If you look at some other sports you can usually only find people playing during certain times of the year. With archery though, you can shoot whatever time of year that you want. During the winter most action is seen indoors, and outdoors usually starts during the summer time.
It also doesn’t matter if you want to try it solo, with a team, or in a tournament. This is entirely up to the shooter. There is such a wide range of options for archery that it really is a fit for anyone that wants to try it, in whatever form they want. Not everybody wants to do team sports. I am like that sometimes, so this is a good break for when I just want to fly solo.
There are also a lot of different archery games out there. For one, there is target shooting (or even curling). All you need is a target, and perhaps a points target.. and the person who gets closest or the most points win. There is also archery tag which is a variant or dodge ball – but with arrows! If you haven’t played that at least once I highly recommend it. It’s just so much fun.
You also don’t need to compete. If you are into hunting then switching to a bow for hunting can be a brand new experience and challenge. Not only that, you will also become closer to your food. Instead of shooting at a further distance with a gun, with a bow you will need to get in closer. You don’t have the range here so you will have to up your hunting game if you want to be successful.
Lastly, there are the physical and mental benefits. Moving up to the heavier draw weights for bows will definitely improve your upper body strength. It takes some strength to pull the bow back, so doing this regularly will make you stronger and help your back. You should also see an increase in mental focus. Being able to focus and aim on one spot takes concentration, so honing this will help you elsewhere.
These are just a few of the reasons I have come to enjoy archery. I hope you enjoyed and have encouraged some of you to take it up. Thanks!