(And I should know as I've just survived the last one!)

Introductions first I think!
I'm Jock and I'm one of the newest members of Westcott Archery Club and "I've always wanted to have a go at archery"!

My foray into Archery started after I was told to find a local Archery club after being advised at an archery experience evening by the organisers that with a bit of coaching I would get a lot out of it and I'd really enjoy it. The thought did appeal but where do you get started? Not knowing anything about archery and as everyone is quick to say's nowadays "I was just too busy at the time". I left it for six months or so, that was until I had my memory jogged as I came across an article on the internet about the British Archery Team winning a silver medal at the World Championships, from there, there was a link to the GNAS website (see our home page) and from there I searched for a local club to Bicester where I live. After looking at a few websites I chose Westcott Archery for the ease of getting there and obvious fun nature at the club (see "mini bears" home page). I was lucky as all of this came about a few weeks before the next beginners course was due to start and they managed to squeeze me in at the last minute. So for under £40.00 I was signed up to do a 6-week induction course that would allow me to gain experience on safe shooting and at the end of the course I would be presented with a course certificate to say Id learnt something. This is really the only way into archery as it also provides the extra benefit of joining the Westcott Social Club (cheap beer) and also become a member of the GNAS with all the benefits on payment of the registration fee. Also you will be able to safely pick up a bow fire it and put it down again without hurting yourself or anybody else around you! So how do you get started? Click on the e-mail us link on the homepage and send the club secretary John Povey your details. After completing the beginners course joining us for some fun couldn't be easier The Westcott Archers Committee will handle all of these wondrous admin bits, all I had to do was pay up and sign the forms if I wanted too. Fantastic!

When you attend your beginners course first night you will be given a brief introduction to archery and the different types of equipment that are available. Before beginning any shooting you will be given a visual inspection (for loose clothing etc) and a few important safety factors to look out for will be brought to your attention. So after being split into groups of differing heights (for equipment sharing and suitability) you'll be tested to see which eye is your dominant eye! WHY? Well this little test will determine which of your hands gets to hold the bow! A note here to remember that a right dominant eyed person would be classed as a right handed archer but you will actually hold the bow with your left hand and visa versa (It confused me at first but is well worth remembering if you can)! By the end of the first evening you will have shot your first arrows and under a bit of instruction you'll have hit the boss (the target) from a distance of about 10 yards with a un-nerving frequency! It seemed so easy in Robin of Sherwood!

You'll find that your bows will be again be set up for you (all five pieces) all you've got to do is remember which one you used the last time and remember to put your arm guard on! You'll find the bows are numbered! Shooting some arrows is the order of the game tonight and only a small introduction to the rules and etiquette on the shooting line will get in your way. Halfway through and after a small distraction of an introduction to some more advanced equipment you'll turn around to find that the shooting line has been sneakily extended to 15 yards! Everything will change! The sight your using will need to be lowered and under each coaches watchful eye you'll soon be hitting the target again. At the end of this second session you'll be asked to firstly learn and then demonstrate to the coaches that you can take your bow apart safely and where the equipment is safely stored of an evening. Archery is a very social sport and you'll be invited to join everybody at the social club for a quick drink before making your way home. I found this a good way to ask a few questions about the club and the sport in general as well as getting to know the members a bit better.

On arriving you'll be asked to assemble your bow for the first time this evening! So after a bit of trial and error and after having your equipment checked for safety by the coaches it's back to the firing line for more shooting practice. As it's a very relaxed and easy atmosphere the evening is soon over, everyone is keen to come back the next week and in the excitement at the end of the evening we all had to be reminded to put our bows away. Doh!

After setting your bows up for the evening you'll find out that this evenings shooting will be from 20 yards from the start, and just as when the distance was changed on your second night you'll have to change your bow sight settings again! But do remember your bows sight setting, as you'll need it for next week! Don't forget to take your bow down at the end of the night and join the crew for a quick drink in the social club.

Tonight after assembling your bows you'll be shooting a friendly competition. Everyone gets to shoot 24 arrows under competition conditions and also learns to "score" their own shooting. There may well also be some fun prizes at the end of the evening if your nice to the coaches! Don't forget to take your bows down at the end of the evening!

Tonight's the night you get to meet the club members and after a brief straw poll to pick mixed teams of beginners and experienced archers we started a game of archery darts with everybody using the training bows! After a lot of ifs and buts about scoring claims and the referee getting involved on a few occasions to clarify some dubious claims from the more "experienced " members all was settled and the winners declared! So it was off for more friendly banter and celebrations at the Westcott Social Club Bar!

I found the Westcott Archery Club beginners course a cheap and fantastic experience and is the perfect introduction to archery. It was fun to complete in a very relaxed, friendly and overall safe atmosphere. And at the end of it under no pressure I joined up and having remembered I'm classed as right handed (bow in left hand) and under the clubs guidance I'm now the proud owner of my own bow and a few arrows, and Ill be practicing as hard as I can for some of the forth coming club competitions coming up. If you do come along you'll find a friendly club that's got a full compliment of junior boys and junior girls and slightly less mature but friendly senior men and lovely senior ladies. Senior meaning over 18 years old I should add! Or I'll be buying the cake at the next shoot! So come along and join in the fun.
Jock Murray