Hunting Washington Forum
Equipment & Gear => Archery Gear => Topic started by: blackhorn on January 27, 2009, 05:59:34 PM
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I am in need of some advice or tips for teaching my 10 y/o daughter how to shoot a bow. She is very excited about learning, but she gets frustrated quickly. I don't want her to end up hating archery. If anyone out there has taught there kids with success and can pass on some words of wisdom it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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I have been teaching my girls since they were 7 to shoot a bow. I found that if you start correcting them on every mistake they get frustrated and lose interest. Usually when they start to miss or make bad shots it is because they are over-thinking it and are trying too hard not to mess up in front of Dad. I sometimes just walk a few yards away and out of her peripheral sight so that I am not "looming" over her. Just let them shoot for fun and have some different targets. If they want to quit for the day let them and don't force the issue. Usually, if I get my bow out she wants to shoot right along side of me. Make a game out of it. My youngest just turned 9 and one of the things she wanted the most was a deer or bear 3-d target. She was so excited to get it and couldn't wait to shoot.
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My two daughters enjoy the time out there with Dad, but they don't have the deep passion for archery like I do. That's no problem with me, though, because I enjoy the time with them more than the time spent shooting. Their favorite thing is a competition with the loser doing the dishes. My 7 year old gets a HUGE bag target and is about 5 yards away. My 11 year old gets a smaller Rinehart 18-in-1 from about 15 yards. I shoot a 3D turkey with IBO scroing rings from 50 yards. We've put scores on each of their targets that equate to roughly the same skill level so each has an equal chance to win.
Somehow I end up losing every time because of a last-shot flier and have to do the dishes, but they haven't caught on yet. The game keeps it fun for them, and the thought of a prize is a bonus that keeps them focused for 10 shots.
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Those are all great ideas. Thanks a bunch!
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I had taught my 11 yo daughter some basics using a kids recurve. When I got her a compound for Christmas I had the owner of the pro shop work with her. I'm gonna sign her up for some additional lessons. It's not that I don't think I can teach her, it's just that I think my daughter would get less frustrated without having me critique everything. Today I took her out shooting and I just reminded her about the fundamentals and then let her shoot. She did really well for being a new shooter.
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Got my daughter the Cricket for her last birthday. It is a good learner gun with close supervision. I didn't notice when I bought it that it has no safety! :bdid: The size was the clincher for me. Every other "youth" model gun we looked at was too big for her. The Cricket .22 is the perfect fit.
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This year is bow time. Still looking for a good fit there.
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My boy is 9 and has been shooting since he was 6. Here is what I found (after some trial and error). I got him a decent compound bow (A Browning Micro-Adrenaline) with a peep, a whisker-biscuit rest and a 2 pin sight. Set at 23 lbs, he is good to a maximum of 20 yards. I also got him a release so his fingers don't get sore. Have the draw length and weight set right also, a lot of people overlook this with kid's gear. When you buy "kids" bow sets, they ALWAYS have arrows that are too long. So, get some good carbon arrows and cut them down to your daughter's draw length, just like you would yours. Also, find some 50 or 80 grain field-tips to put on those arrows. The 100 gr. ones that you have on your arrows are too heavy to be accurate.
Basically, if you set her up with fairly good gear, she is less likely to get frustrated, because she will hit the target more. I use balloons to teach my son to shoot both a bow and firearms, because they give a satisfying "pop" when you hit them. Instant feedback. We shoot some of the local 3D shoots, mostly just for fun, but Justin actually won 2nd place in his age category last time he shot (which we didn't expect). TONS of fun. I'll post a pic so you can see his bow. This pic shows an arrow that is actually a bit too long. I have his arrows cut shorter now.
Good luck. and have FUN....
