I started this website in order to help beginning archers with helpful and concrete advice. Although I think there are some really good archery websites out there, I still see some topics that get little attention, ‘’archery on a budget’’ for example. I believe that it is important to explain why you have to do something a certain way. For example, why is it important to use your back muscles when drawing your bow, what happens if you don’t? I also believe that many archery websites are focused on competition shooting and hunting, while there are many people that just shoot for pure fun. I want to represent these people and I believe that I can add some interesting points to the world of archery.
What can you expect
I like to write based on my own experience, since I have experience in traditional, recurve and compound archery, you can expect content about all these three shooting styles. Since hunting is not allowed in the area I am living in, don’t expect any content about that. Some things you can expect are:
- Tips getting started with archery
- Tips on improving your archery
- Tuning your bow
- Archery on a budget
- Product reviews
- And much more….
I like to experiment with different bows and techniques, therefore most of my tips and advice are based on my own experience and thoughts. I don’t think archery is a clear cut sport, where there is just one technique that’s right. Archery is about what works for you, so you can of course disagree with me. I like to explain why I advice certain techniques, this way you can see if it works for you or not. If you have any opinions about my articles you can always add a comment to my post.
How I got started
How did I get started with archery? Well, I always liked history and archery was always a big part in historic movies. Therefore I bought my first bow when I was just 12 years old. It was actually quite a nice bow, but it was way too big for me. Since I wasn’t member of an archery club (to be honest I wasn’t even aware that they existed) I shot my bow in the garden and on a nearby field. I had no clue what I was doing, but I had a lot of fun and practiced a lot.
After half a year shooting with this bow, I got sucked into other sports, so I didn’t touch this bow for a few years. When I quit Volleyball at age 19, I was looking for a new sport to get into. Via my dad I got into contact with a local archery range and I immediately fell in love again with the sport. In the beginning I trained every week at least 3 days a week and regularly participated in competitions. Due to irregularities in my University’s schedule this wasn’t possible in the long run. Therefore I started doing archery mainly to clear my head. Some weeks I train every day and sometimes I skip an entire week.
Who am I?
Of course, I also have a life outside archery, therefore I would like to introduce myself to those who are interested. My name is Tim van Rooijen, I live in The Netherlands and I am 24 years old. Currently, I am working as an online marketer building different websites for a healthcare manufacturer. If you want to know more about my professional life you can check out my LinkedIn page.
Although I like computers and technology, I also love to be outside. I especially like outdoor sports such as: running, hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, camping, skiing, snowboarding, and of course my main hobby archery. I am living in Flevoland, the flattest part of The Netherlands. Therefore I like to go on outdoor holidays to do outdoor sports and meet new people.
Since English is not my primary language, I would really appreciate it if you could let me know if I made any grammar mistakes or if something is phrased unclear.
What do I expect from you?
You don’t owe me anything of course, but it would be nice if you participate in comment section. I would really like to hear your opinions and experiences. It is really motivating for me and helpful for other readers to hear things from different perspectives. If you have any questions you can always ask, I will answer it as soon as possible.
Where can I find other archery blogs?
If you would like to find other archery blogs, I would recommend checking out the Top 20 Archery Blogs on Feedspot. They have a comprehensive listing on archery blogs, so you will never run out of content!
Tim,
I like what you’ve done here. I don’t know how long ago you posted these pages, but I see a lot of good information.
Thanks for your contributions to the world of archery!
Best regards,
Jim
(USA – California)
Hi Jim,
Thank you for the kind words. I am happy that you appreciate it!
My first post was published about 14 months ago but I am still actively updating the website and writing new comments.
Hi Tim,
Thank you for all the effort you’ve put into this website, the content is great and has been incredibly helpful as I take my first steps into the exciting world of archery.
Dizan
USA
Hi Dizan,
Thanks a lot! Great to hear that!
Best Regards,
Tim
Tim,
As an archer myself, both recurve and compound, who also competes, as well as instructs, I applaud what you are trying to do. At the same time, you’ve got a lot of misinformation in your blog. For example, stances. Neutral stance (Square as you call it) isn’t the most common. That distinction belongs to Open Stance, where your feet are a little bit more toward the target. Most Olympic and World archers shoot this way. Personally, I favor the neutral stance and at a beginner level I often teach it since it’s easier to replicate consistently.
Onto your section of Back, The “correct” position for your back/spine is actually slightly leaning forward with your torso, contracting your core, and your butt is actually pushed out. The first image you show of it is actually “more correct” as it were compared to the one you are showing as up and down. One reason being it allows for less interference with the string and any loose clothing. Another is that it helps with using the back to draw with versus a shoulder/arm.
Head position is mostly correct, but there’s a glowing “error” in your images. You show the string to the side of your nose while using a recurve. That’s a no no. Not to say that some archers don’t do it, but it’s generally frowned upon. The string should go to the tip of your nose. The reason, it acts as another point of contact.
You leave out a lot as well, but there’s one thing you do mention that is spot on…everyone is different. Because of that, there will be variances, things that will work for some archers and not for others, but it takes many, many arrows to figure that out. For me, I use a neutral stance and string to the side of my nose AND shoot with one eye closed (another thing frowned upon.) Why? Because when I started shooting I read a book called Core Archery: Shooting With Proper Back Tension by Larry Wise. It has a lot of good information that can be applied to either discipline including finding ways to conserve energy. One of those ways is not fighting the natural tendency of your body to shoot either to the left or right, aligning your stance to take advantage of it. I shoot side of the nose with my recurve because I was taught that way with compound and when I made the switch to recurve, I didn’t know any better, so I’ve made it work over the years (I’d mention string blur and aiming references between string, riser and sight, but we’re getting past basics at that point.) And lastly, I shoot with my left eye closed because I’m left eye dominant and shoot right handed. That’s a topic for another day! It’s taken me years to get them to work for me, to be consistent with them, to ensure that they weren’t hindering my progress.
My advise to you and to others who are looking for the basics…find a club or an archery instructor and take a lesson. Buy a book, Core Archery is a good one, Kisik Lee’s book also isn’t a terrible book either, and read it in parts. Start at the beginning and practice what it says before moving onto the next chapter, taking it one at a time. Most importantly, figure out what you want out of archery and have fun. Worse thing you can do in archery is to develop bad habits and that’s what just some of the examples I mentioned from your site will do to you or any beginning archer.
Hi Tony,
Thank you for your feedback. I have started this blog because there was little in-depth information online available. Therefore, I started writing this blog with all the information I have. That’s why I constantly make changes to this blog.
There are definitely a lot of points I agree with. For example, I always learned to draw past the tip of the nose. But I have learned that this was a quirk of my instructor. I will change this in the future.
I disagree with your first two-point though. I believe the square stance is the most common stance in archery. Sure, Olympians might not use the open stand, but they are not the target audience for this blog. My focus is on people that are just getting started with archery.
Again, thank you for your feedback, it helps me to improve this blog!
I have been doing archery ever since I was five years old. I am now 15 and am wondering, how dangerous is using a crossbow for hunting? Also, what types of bolts do you prefer?
Hi Ashley,
To be honest, I don’t know the answer to both of your questions. I don’t have a lot of experience with crossbows. I think the safety of any weapon; whether it is a bow, crossbow or, firearm; depends on the user. I discuss the issue of safety in more detail, in this article: https://improveyourarchery.com/is-archery-dangerous-how-to-keep-it-save/ It also includes some thoughts about crossbows.
I would love to get more experience with crossbows, but my local range doesn’t allow crossbows. Thus, for now, I am focussing on archery.
Hi Tim,
I don’t know why I can’t see the images on the post “How does a compound bow works – The full explanation”, is there any restriction for that?
I usually download an article and afterwards I translate it to spanish, so my children can read it.
Hi Luis,
Sorry for the late reply, sadly your comment got in my spam box.
I don’t know why you can’t see the images, there shouldn’t be any restrictions on them. What browser are you using (Google Chrome, Safari, Internet explorer, Firefox, etc.)
Hi Tim,
I found your site while working on a project for a statistics class. I did a study in the impact of practice on your archery accuracy. You have the table that show expected improvement over time and I wanted to share that my tracking with 25 high school students over a 3 month season with practice 2 times a week matches your chart pretty much exactly. So I included your site and table in my reference citations.
I have shot archery for a long time, and I currently am a coach.
It is good to hear your story and read the things you have posted. I clicked some of your other links too.
Thanks for taking the time to share everything. You have a casual style and it is nice to read.
Hi Terry,
Thank you for the kind words. I strive to provide the best and most accurate information possible. I am happy that your observations match mine!