One of the hardest parts of being a coach and also one of the most rewarding is teaching someone how to do it without you. We are not there to hold the student’s hand each and every day so the best thing is to teach someone to reach beyond what they knew yesterday and to form new conclusions earned thru guided struggles today.

So, today an archer with 4 months experience was learning to shoot on two 40cm targets placed top and bottom – to represent competition format A/B and C/D. It was his first time playing with the vertical.

Top arrows grouped to blue but the bottom set scattered. He started to question his visor position, bow arm, release speed, feet…

Technique Coach Kelea: Asked him to raise bow to the level between the two targets, then move up or down to gold for final aim before release. He did and said his sight would climb/fall towards the blue ring. So on second end, asked him to raise bow to blue ring then move into gold before release. He did and arrows grouped red. Third end, asked to go straight into gold then release. He did and so did the arrows. Then I asked him to figure out why???

Just so you know, my archers call me LA MECHANTE (the mean one).

After a few minutes, he figured it out. The vertical is not a change requiring conscious adaptation. It happens automatically when you keep FOCUSED on where you want to go.

I love my job 😉