# Trying to get back into the sport



## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

VicRC87 said:


> Hello to everyone,
> I have been away from the sport a while and want to return after a very long hiatus. Some background info I used to practice Recurve Archery back in college (2010-2012) years I manage to qualify for my state's team in my home country and manage to be qualified for the National team but a injury kept me from competing and drew me away from the sport. Fast forward to the future I moved back to the United States and picked up Small Bore shooting, due to COVID and the increasing cost of ammo for each competition I moved away from the sport (It got up to $200-$300 per competition). Now today I want to get back in the Target Archery discipline and back into the sport. Due to the amount of time I have been away I have pretty much forgot everything and want recommendation on what is a good equipment, what should I buy, what things to keep in mind. What are some good resources to get back into the sport.
> Note: I am roughly 5'11.5 (182cm) tall, and used in the past a 38 pound bow with a 29" draw length. I am also able to set up a small 10-15 outdoor meter range at home. Back when practicing I started with a SF bow with carbon foam limbs, and as my main and a Hoyt Formula with Foam Wood as a backup. (Sold the equipment when I could no longer practice)
> 
> Thanks for all your inputs, and if you have any question that would help provide better information I am more than happy to share.


Smells like you want to re-enter recurve.

Olympic recurve?
Barebow recurve?


----------



## VicRC87 (11 mo ago)

nuts&bolts said:


> Smells like you want to re-enter recurve.
> 
> Olympic recurve?
> Barebow recurve?


Yes you are correct, Olympic recurve.


----------



## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

VicRC87 said:


> Hello to everyone,
> I have been away from the sport a while and want to return after a very long hiatus. Some background info I used to practice Recurve Archery back in college (2010-2012) years I manage to qualify for my state's team in my home country and manage to be qualified for the National team but a injury kept me from competing and drew me away from the sport. Fast forward to the future I moved back to the United States and picked up Small Bore shooting, due to COVID and the increasing cost of ammo for each competition I moved away from the sport (It got up to $200-$300 per competition). Now today I want to get back in the Target Archery discipline and back into the sport. Due to the amount of time I have been away I have pretty much forgot everything and want recommendation on what is a good equipment, what should I buy, what things to keep in mind. What are some good resources to get back into the sport.
> Note: I am roughly 5'11.5 (182cm) tall, and used in the past a 38 pound bow with a 29" draw length. I am also able to set up a small 10-15 outdoor meter range at home. Back when practicing I started with a SF bow with carbon foam limbs, and as my main and a Hoyt Formula with Foam Wood as a backup. (Sold the equipment when I could no longer practice)
> 
> Thanks for all your inputs, and if you have any question that would help provide better information I am more than happy to share.


1) stay away from the clicker for at least a year.
why?
cuz your form will evolve tremendously, as you regain your muscle memory from way back when
your muscles may not be able to shoot your prior pounds on the fingers
cuz we all get older, we cannot do what we used to do, so need to evolve your pounds on the fingers, over time

Especially since you mentioned an injury in the past

2) start with 20 lb limbs, for starters, to do muscle memory work
to do short distance drills, like 5 yards, with just one arrow in the quiver
do stretch band work, as well, in front of the bathroom mirror, so you can check alignment, check for consistent string side elbow height, solid core, level shoulders

3) work on learning (re-learning) the FEEL of a consistent hook. I am a fan of the deep hook, but you may or may not hook that way...most of the work holding the string is with the index and middle finger....4th finger kinda goes along for the ride, does very little work.

4) aluminum arrows (Easton Platinum Plus) are inexpensive, and you can tune for dynamic spine with a wide wide range of field point weights. Lots of drills shooting at your home range for 10 meters or even closer. Re-learn the FEEL of a perfect shot. USe a full size 40 cm target and shoot for 9-ring and 10-ring, at 10 meters. Shooting just ONE arrow in your quiver...yes, gotta walk back and forth to pull out that ONE arrow...boring, slows you DOWN on purpose, and will build muscle FEEL, will build consistent FORM...over time.

5) when you are bored completely out of your mind, constantly hitting 9-rings and 10-rings at just 10 meters,
then, boost the difficulty by shooting 11 meters. Stay at 11 meters, until you can nail the 9-ring and 10-ring
consistently. Should be no problem, using a sight. You are building endurance, and re-building your stamina
and fine motor control...even though ONLY using 20# limbs. Work you way to 12 meters, ONLY after you can ALWAYS nail the 9-ring and 10-ring. YES, boring as all get out, yes takes TIME...but this is how you BUILD the foundation, ONE meter at a time. AFTER you make it all the way to 15 meters, and ALWAYS hitting the 9-ring and 
10-ring with ONLY 20# limbs, then, jump to 24# limbs,
and start all over again at 10 meters.

6) Big fan of the HARD plunger recurve bow tuning method. James Park came up with this (down in Australia).
Pull out the spring on the plunger and use wooden match sticks) to make a ROCK hard plunger.
Then, play with the limb bolts and the point weight (use screw in field points for the Aluminum Easton Platinum Plus)
to get fletched and bareshafts all hitting side by side (touching). Once you find the sweet spot for limb bolt setting and for field point weight...now set the plunger to a medium-ish spring pressure.

7) You can further fine tune dynamic spine response, with brace height changes, and by playing with centershot position (move plunger tip farther from riser or closer to riser).

U probably remember all of this stuff, but good to review.


----------



## VicRC87 (11 mo ago)

nuts&bolts said:


> 1) stay away from the clicker for at least a year.
> why?
> cuz your form will evolve tremendously, as you regain your muscle memory from way back when
> your muscles may not be able to shoot your prior pounds on the fingers
> ...


Thanks a lot for the detailed response. I had forgotten a lot of that info but reading you responded jogged a lot of memory.
I greatly appreciate the time you took for such detail.
thanks again


----------

