How often do you practice

[joevan125]

I have just took up trad archery and was wondering how much i should be shooting. Once i get my form down and my groups get really tight can i back off on my shooting. Right now im shooting a couple of hours a day sometimes more.

[Cyrille]

That, in my estimation and according to my training is too much. I suggest that you practice every other day give your muscles a chance to rest on the alternate day or work out a diffrent set of muscles. I try to shoot three days out of six with the seventh and every alternate day off weather permitting.

[kbetts]

Although I would like to shoot everyday, everyday I am not going to shoot well.  That will happen to everybody (if you say "not me" you're lying).LOL
 I prefer to let my muscles rest a little, shoot fewer arrows, but make them count.  One day I may pay particular attention to my form or release, the next my be hunting senerios only-one or two arrows from multiple positions.  Keep it short and sweet.  You can always shoot a few more later. It is easy to develop bad habits once you start to "think" your good.

[dragon rider]

If you want to shoot everyday, once you've got your form to where you're comfotable with it, don't shoot for more than about 1/2 hour.  Shoot a few groups to warm up, but then start shooting a single arrow - you're not going to shoot groups in the woods, so work on taking one good shot, change your position - closer,further, different angle to the target, etc. and make another good shot.  If you really concentrate, 1/2 hour of that will be plenty.

[waiting4fall]

At home 12 shots, one arrow at a time, 2-3 times a week.Every sunday, or every other I'll do 40 targets at the 3D range. For me personally, I really try to focus my maximum concentration on one shat at a time, like it will be my last. I never shoot groups, but that's just me. You'll find what works best for you, and you will get lot's of solid suggestions from this excellent forum that will improve your shooting.

[Fritz]

I shoot everyday 10-20 arrows.  I try to focus on one shot at a time from realistic hunting distances(5-20 yrds.).  Most of my shots are out of a 12 ft. ladder stand.  If my form doesn't feel quite right I will spend some time on a blank bale and just work on the shot sequence without aiming.

[joe skipp]

One week I have 4 days off, the following week I have 3 days off...so I shoot 100 arrows per week breaking up my shooting times during the day. This will increase as the fall bowseason draws near.

[Basinboy]

I shoot nearly every day. I have been shooting groups and I know it's best to shoot one arrow at a time.
I will start with one arrow and make it count from now on!

[m midd]

i too shoot everyday, half hour to 45 minutes. every 3rd sunday i shoot 3D.

[Markus77]

I shoot everyday. Don´t count the arrows, but all between half an hour up to four hours, (breaks included). When I have little time to train I always do blank bale, and on weekends it´s long hours at target or in the woods at animaltargets or stumpshooting.

[AllenR]

I think that it depends on what you want to do with your archery.  

The old rule of "practice like you want to play" is a valid one.

If you will strictly be a hunter, it's the first shot that counts.  One arrow at a time is essential for a bow hunter.

If you want to shoot 3D, it's similar to hunting. You only get one shot at a target so it has to count.

If you plan on target shooting, then you will need to shoot more arrows during a practice session.  If you plan on Olympic archery, you will have to condition yourself for a couple of hundred arrows on a "light" training day and upwards of a thousand on a heavier training day.

Other forms of target shooting are less demanding, but you will want to condition yourself to shoot the round.

Good luck,
Allen

Note: the Olympic archers do occasionally shoot 1,000 arrows in a day, but they do it infrequently and only after years of conditioning.  Also, they are under the supervision of a coach for most of those arrows so that form flaws don't creep in from the fatigue.

[OkKeith]

I shoot everyday for as long as I have time for, 10 min. before I leave for work, 15 min. during my lunch break. Hour and a half before I mow the lawn, 3 hours after I finish.

I shoot bulls-eye targets, 3D targets, bales, stumps, field rats, treelimbs, pop cans... anything that sits still long enough (and is legal or in season).

I understand that for some folks archery is a very mental game. Anytime I try to get too far inside my head, my accuracy suffers. Yes... good form is important, but nothing helps you shoot a good arrow like shooting arrows.

I believe that for some archers, over thinking the process leads to all these mental glitches people have (target panic, yips, whatever). Anyone ever see a kid with target panic? I haven't and I have seen some young men and young gals that were pretty salty with a bow. If you would like to see what pure joy in the flight of an arrow looks like, watch a bunch of kids fling arrows at targets. It can be refreshing, and maybe give you back something that might have been lost in the process.

I am a hunting archer. Olympic styles or target methods don't work for me. I have tried them, there are some good things to think about in these methods, but for hunting they sorta break down in my experience.

I don't want anyone to think I am telling ya how to do it. Everyone's process is different, but it seems like we get too locked in on the idea that any arrow not dead on perfect is a failure. I don't think so. I learn just as much (if not more) when I miss as I do when I hit where I want to.

Shooting arrows is fun for me! Other than flyfishing there is really nothing else I would rather do (my girlfriend says there is nothing ELSE I do, but she likes to fling arrows and flies as much as I do).

My "method" is, if it hurts, stop for a while or get a lighter bow. If it ain't fun anymore, go play golf for a while. The more arrows you stick in a target the more likely you will be able to repeat the action. I don't "schedule" practice. I shoot arrows whenever I don't have to be doing something else (yes, I know I am lucky to have a life/career/homelife that allows me to do that, but it's not by accident).

I suppose to sum it all up. Have fun, shoot as much as your life lets you, and value every second of it. I you miss, or don't hit quite where you were meaning, jerk another arrow out and fling it! Introspection is OK, but don't get analysis paralisys.

OkKeith

[Paul WA]

evry day, some times twice a day form 15-30 yds only shoot 3 arrows. Switched to 3 under about a month ago...PR

[TheFatboy]

I pretty much shoot when I feel like it  

[jacobsladder]

okkeith...excellent!

[goodolboy94]

I shoot everyday usually 30 to 40 arrows sometimes more sometimes less and I tried to to some of te things i learned from masters of the bare bow3 but every body has there own shooting style and for me personaly i gave up on thinking about how i shoot and just shoot pick a spot hit anchor and 90% of the time Im close to what i wana hit

[damascusdave]

OkKeith,

You just remined me that I have the best of all those worlds right now.

I got back into archery from an opportunity to coach young people and you are so right about watching the pure excitement of just shooting an arrow.

When I am in teacher mode my name is Mr. Wilson and surprisingly my favourite young archer is named Dennis. His specialty is shooting the upright bear target in the nose. He is becoming very good at it.

[Big Fisherman]

Some of us who shoot traditionally attempt to use equipment which is toward the top of our capacity to use.  What I mean is that we want to get the fastest, flattest arrows.  In order to do this we need to condition our bodies so that we can pull, hold and release our bows without stressing our body.  Consistantly shooting arrows causes our bodies to build up muscle so that it doesn't hurt our arms, shoulders or backs.  Shooting one arrow at a time gives good walking exercise, but does it help when the deer is looking at you and you have to hold at anchor for a minute without shaking or cramping.  I shoot 50 to 100 arrows per day.

[damascusdave]

I am in that sad time of moving when my bows are packed and I have nothing to shoot.

When I do unpack my bows I will be in a new place with new challenges and I know that will renew my interest in practicing and shooting well.

[Guru]

If you draw at the right time...the deer won't be looking at you        

I don't have kind of set practice routine at all...but it's better to shoot a few good arrows, than shoot a lot just for the sake of saying you shoot for a certain amount of time....