teaching kids to shoot

[bps]

i have a 5 years old daughter that is learning how to shoot a longbow. Are you best to let them have fun flinging a few arrows, or do you try and install form at this age ?

im making sure she is coming to full draw and anchoring properly but she just wants to see how far her arrows can go ... what are your thoughts

Brad

[longbow steve]

Hi Brad, I teach them the basics, one finger above two below, good hand position and make sure they are drawing correctly with their elbow up rather than muscleing the string back and leave it there. Let 'em have fun at that age and it will be a good head start into it. Steve

[Stickbow Hunter]

I agree with Steve, let them have fun at this age. When my kids were young and we were at a shoot I would let them shoot closer on the longer shots so that they were sure to get some scoring hits; that encourages them and makes it FUN!!! I made sure I told those running the shoots that their scores didn't count because I let them get closer. Once they got more proficient they began to enter the comps proper.

Jeff

[bps]

thanks Steve and Jeff for your replies ,

i was hoping that would be the recommendations. I was getting a little frustrated telling her to pick a spot ... or at least stop talking while she was actually taking a shot.

Brad

[looseplucker]

I started my young bloke off at age 4 with bows made from ti-tree and arras from the heaviest bbq skewers I could find. I fletched the arrows with feathers from my flytying kit but fletched only top and bottom as at age 4 or so he did not get the drift of one finger above the arrow etc and he used the pinch grip.

Fletching top and bottom still gives a reasonable flight if you get the curves in the feather complementing each other. Also, I bound the fletches on so when the pinch grip was applied he had something 'extra' to hang onto. This way I found he could shoot to his heart's content and have fun and not worry about 'form' - but basically he taught himself how to aim.

He has recently (at age eight) graduated to 15# recurves and a bamboo longbow - about 18# - he shoots with a bit more form - and does the split grip on the string -and so forth and can spit a feedbag at 15 yards 7 times out of ten - but I reckon just letting him go for it when he was younger got him on the way for when he could coordinate things a bit better.

[Gene-o]

Hi guys, I've got an eleven year old and a three year old that both shoot recurves and I found that as long as they are having
a load of fun shooting arrows and really enjoying themselves then i can relax on some of the finer details of shooting a trad bow.
My three year old son shot his first away trad shoot at Caboolture this year and had so much fun that he wants to go again next
year! ( I say no worries little mate cause I want to go again as well)
Shoot straight kids and have fun watching you arrows fly...

Gladdy Traddy............. Gene Mattson

[longbowinfected]

Easier for the real young ones to shoot three fingers under but you have to watch out for Mr Thumb. Too many fine motor movements doing the med release at a very young age but that changes around 7 or 8.
Give them some Flu flus as well as target arrows.....they can shoot long distance but it really is short clout and even more fun.
Make sure that their gear is as good as Dad or Mum's.
Let them help you make and repair it.
Get them to help you load up the car and unpack it each journey out to shoot.
Use balloons and bare target butts and even start them three metres away and go back in small increments.....they like to achieve.
Ask them what they want to do and spend time on the line doing the same thing.
Do not correct too many things at one time but definitely do not overbow them.
If they cannot shoot the bow comfortably for a few hours it is too strong [after the first few weeks].

Kevin

[looseplucker]

Kev - I agree with all of that -

However, there will be no bare butts where I am shooting - my boy would line me up and take what is approaching a deadly aim.

William has kept up with his archery because (a) his stuff looks like mine and (b) the arrows 'stick in'

JT

[longbowinfected]

JT,
I really meant to state that they should shoot at things other than just formal targets with scores.....shooting for form and the sheer joy of it rather than doing the same thing all the time. A bit of roving with judos is good too....but supervised with a responsible adult spending time with them at their level....time for "coaches" later.

Kevin

[otis.drum]

judos at balloons on the oval, in the park or in the paddock. that would be great fun. i'd still like to do that

[terryzac]

i have a now 6 year old boy and a 4 year old girl. they both shoot. my boy has been shooting since he was 3. i let him have as much fun as he likes once he has shot properly a bit first. been slack lately as i need to get him a heavier bow.

[ichiban]

i vote you sign em all up to WarBow australia.

[longbowinfected]

a decent warbow arrow would weigh almost as much as the kids.

Kevin

[danceswithdingoes]

as a coach I find its best not to 'drill' (repetetive instruction designed to develop form memory) archers until they are around 10 years as most have trouble focussing until this age, there are exceptions of course, but generally younger students should just have fun.