# Shooting games for beginners to work on technique



## Saki_d (Jan 17, 2012)

Hello fellow coaches! I need help! 

I am coaching a junior program which consists mostly of young compound shooters but does have a few recurve kids. I shoot both recurve and compound competitively and I am comfortable coaching both but have been primarily dealing with the recurve kids as there are a number of other coaches available to help coach kids shooting compound. 
I am however having a problem with a few of my kids. There are between 8-12years old and are what I would considere extremely ADHD or ADD (I'm not a doctor, I have no idea what the difference is). It is EXTREMELY difficult to get them to concentrate on technique, particularly when scoring. They are too hyped up about where there arrows are going to worry about what they are doing technique wise and push their arrows where they see fit and leave what they have been working on in class behind for the birds. 
We do teddy bear shoots (a huge hit, especially for the kids from hunting families) and regularly shoot balloons. I have been working individually with the kids at 10m on their technique and when all seems to be going well and sinking in, we go back to the further distances with the other kids. As soon as we get back on to targets, it is like going back to square one... everything we worked on is forgotten in hopes of hitting that yellow ring by any means possible. 
I am asking for any games or suggestions you guys use when working with children. We have extremely limited space so if we have one or two kids doing something special, they all kind of have to do it as we only have enough room for 16 shooters and about 9 targets (with some of the kids shooting the bigger 60 and 80cm targets yet - three or four on each). 
We do blind shooting from 5m with our eyes closed to get a feel for what is right and wrong and have the kids post ballons on the center of their targest (small balloons) and they ahve to shoot around them, not at the balloons, and rip paper to narrow down their focus. THe kids obviously perfer games to scoring so annnnnny suggestions will be considered! Thank you in advance for any of your suggestions!


----------



## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Big targets.

For learning, the longer you can keep the archers on a target that is easy to hit, the longer they will stick with the techniques that you teach them. Balance target size and distance so that their technique holds together but it's still a challenge. While learning technique, you always want the archer at a distance and target size where they are "arrogantly accurate".

While I'm working on improving my form, I'll first ingrain it on a blank bale, then begin by shooting a 30" yellow ring at 10 yards. If I can keep my form together for several days, I'll step back a couple of yards. It doesn't take long to get back to 30 yards. Then I'll begin reducing the size of the target. 

This goes for archers of all ages, not just kids.

Hope this helps,
Allen


----------



## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

Lancaster has some fun targets..i use ping-pong balls with fishing line , and tie it to a arrow so it hangs in mid air, the wind will move them , they swing pretty good...tic. Tac toe is a good one too. Dont forget a 3-d target on wheels that can be moved by rope for safety this is a good one too.


----------



## Saki_d (Jan 17, 2012)

We have the kids shooting 3D next weekend so that will be a nice change from regular targets. 
The kids we are having trouble with (hard core ADHD and would rather push their arrows to where they want them to go than to work on proper technique) are shooting the biggest targets we can fit on our butts (120cm I believe). Target size isn't the issue... it's trying to get the kids to focus long enough to use the techniques we have been teaching them. As soon as a real target is used they are too frustrated by the coloured rings and where their arrow hits to focus on anything else. It's like they are extreme extrem perfectionists and have to hit the 10 or x ever time but don't want to take the time to learn how to do it properly. Hence why I am trying to find something that is NOT a scoring target that will allow them to have fun, have an aiming point and give them the chance to work out their technique without worrying about where their arrows are going. 
For example, if I have one of my trouble kids miss the target, it is tantrum central and it's all my fault because I'm trying to get him/her to keep their bow arm solid and their release hand to follow through straight back instead of straight out to the side. All of the other coaches have given up on this particular goup of kids and I can see why, it's hard! As the only official recurve coach, I am stuck with them and want to give them the best chance to learn what they need to in order to shoot successfully... even hitting a 120cm target from 20m is almost an impossible task at the moment. So something fun is good - no target! 
I like the idea of tic-tac-toe! Maybe we will give that a go and see what happens. I run the risk of them not aiming properly given the 9 squares involved but I suppose it is better than nothing right!!!??? Ping png balls may work too,bit hard to hit if you can't hit a 12cm target but hey, maybe it will make them focus a bit more!!!! 

Keep the suggestions coming! Anything and everything - with the exception of a proper target - will be conisderd!!!! Thanks for your help!!!


----------



## Saki_d (Jan 17, 2012)

We have also used playing cards and small pieces of paper but the kids tend to get borred pretty quick. I'm trying to find a way to make shooting cards into a gamebut can't think of anything yet....getting there....but not yet!


----------



## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

LANCASTER HAS A DART BOARD ON PAPER TRY THAT


----------

