When you began your trad journey, what's the best advice you wish you had received?

[longbow fanatic 1]

When I began my trad journey, I had no mentors. I had a desire burning within me, but what I did have was the internet. I learned a lot from people like Jimmy Blackmon, Scott Antczak and other videos as well as the great men and women of TradGang. That said, it was a slow, but steady progress for me. So many of you began before the internet. I'm not excluding those who began during the internet era, please chime in as well. What piece of advice or direction do you wish you had received when you began? Could be anything from shooting to hunting or woodsmanship skills. What are the things that are your nemesis? You know, those things that haunt you today or took you a long time to master? I mean those things that if you had discovered earlier would have helped you more quickly in the beginning.

[jonsimoneau]

Take lessons from someone who knows how to shoot a
Bow well so as to avoid bad habits.

[BOHO]

Don't get a bow to heavy to start. I'd be a long ways from where I am if I had started with 20#

[katman]

Start with a very light bow and an instructor. That's what I did after taking Mr. Rod Jenkins class, took a while to break 40 years of bad habits but now 3 years later much improved and continuing to strive to get better.

Still have to think about proper back tension at anchor and good alignment. The old habits of arm draw and poor alignment still creep in.

[longbow fanatic 1]

I can totally relate to all three of you. I think I can completely agree with your insights! Good stuff!

[RJonesRCRV]

Advice I wish I had:

Sign up on tradgang.

Woulda saved me about 3 years of reading fragmented info.

[BAK]

Always try to shoot with someone better than you.  It trains you and humbles you, both of which are quite helpful...

[longbow fanatic 1]

Good stuff, RJ & BAK

[Shadowhnter]

I had no computers. I wish I would have had instruction on staying light and perfecting my release.

[bucknut]

I started in the early 90's and bought a 70# Black Widow and was shooting 2-300 shots a day. More on weekends. I wish someone would've took that bow and whacked me in he head with it and told me to get a light bow and learn to aim and shot sequence. I was a mid 20's young stout stud straight out of the service and thought I had to have a big powerful bow. I quickly learned bad snap shooting habits. Mostly from aerial targets. Amazingly though I was good. Really good. It eventually ruined my shoulder though. Snap shooting was pretty well all we knew then. Hill, Asbell, Ferguson. I read everything that was available then and that was the common theme.  I have slightly slowed down now but still shoot faster than most. Just my experience.

JOHN

[drewsbow]

carbon arrows are stiffer than you think , this could have saved me years of shooting the wrong arrow

[ron w]

Back in 1967, I watched my Uncle Herb. Then I read everything I could find on the newsstand. Stories of Fred Bear, Jim Dougherty, Howard Hill and a host of others. Would have nice if there was a Trad Gang or something even close, but I did the best I could.

[BWallace10327]

Longbow Fanatic- Like you, I had no traditional archery mentors. I wore out a copy of Masters of Barebow I. The whole crew seemed like regular guests in my house for a few months.

[huskyarcher]

Not to over-bow myself was the best advice I received.

[Cory Mattson]

Understanding arrow spine - I started early 70s no mentors looking back those early years were rough!!!
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[Pete McMiller]

Back in the mid '60's I wish someone would've taught me about tuning and introduced me to a variety of bow styles.

[Bvas]

I started my journey off and on about the same time internet was starting to bloom. I wish someone had told me about Trad Gang instead of having to stumble upon it on my own years down the road. So much knowledge in a single location.
More specifically..... I wish someone had told me sooner to "Focus on the journey, not the outcome."

[Recurve7]

I was introduced to archery by a friend in 1977 who was and is today a compound shooter. i spent a few evenings shooting with him and I was hooked for life. I went to a local gun/archery shop and bought my first bow, a Browning Explorer compound. No one we knew shot traditional bows, as the compound movement was at its peak. However, there was just something about a Recurve that seemed magical to me. I watched VCR tapes of Fred Bear and John Schultz. I read Mr Asbells books, and any and everything else I could find on trad archery. We had no computers then. I remember my friend thought I had lost my mind when I told him I was buying a Recurve and hanging up my compound.
Now, to your question. I wish someone with knowledge and compassion had been there to steer me away from heavy bows. I  spent years shooting foo much weight, practicing poor form and bad habits!

[Matty]

Like others have stated. Lighter bow for sure. And yes carbon arrows are way stiff. Also to slow down.   I had no mentor ship. All trial and error.

[Rob DiStefano]

learn from the past, don't try to reinvent what already works well.