Frustrated with Dad

[Marc B.]

May we all live long enough to aggravate our grown children, and may our children care enough to try to make us happy.

I hope your dad gets into shooting the lighter weight limbs and you have many more great years of shooting together!

[SELFBOW19953]

Great to hear, Kyle!!!  You won't be sorry!

[LittleBen]

Don't be frustrated with Dad. He won't always be here. Just try to understand what you can do for/with him. My father and I always had a rough relationship, it wasn't until I was an adult we really related. Now I wonder what I will do without him one day. We live nearly 500 miles apart but we talk every Saturday morning. One of the smartest and most honest men I know, even though I know my talkativeness annoys him a bit I try to get him to talk as much as I can. I just think the more we speak the longer I'll remember his voice when he's gone.
So don't be frustrated, instead be committed to doing more together.

[CRS]

Since your Dad like to excercise already, get him some light stretch bands to practice "drawing" the bow.  

There are also many low impact upper body excercises to do that make a huge difference.

[rustyspike]

First I a 57. My normal bows where in 50 plus pound range. I also had 2 45 pound bows. To make a long story short. I had a accident last year so I had no choice but to use my 45's. All in all I have regained the strength to use my 50's. But to tell you the truth I shot the 45's way better.

Unless you are hunting really big stuff. The 45's are they way to go. Yea I have to take it on the chin that I shot my 45 RER LX w/recurve limbs better than my full size RER recurve 50.

Rich K.

[Bob Palmer]

Good job Kyle! It was great hanging out with your Dad at the league shoots!!! We'll get him out for some stump shooting then he will be hooked  

[paoliguy]

I hope you have many years to shoot together. I just lost my dad a few weeks ago. I will be shooting his old 50# Bear this weekend as a personal tribute. Wish we could shoot thogether again. Enjoy every single shot you can take together!

[reddogge]

Try the lighter limbs out and if he still doesn't shoot than you have to face it, he's not really that interested. Same as my son.

[Hud]

Good decision, glad to see you were able to help your dad.    

[degabe]

Enjoy your DADs while you can cause they won't be here forever. Mine has been gone since 1972and I still miss him.

[Brazos]

I bought my dad a HHA Cheetah back in 2005 and he has only shot it once or twice since.  He introduced me to archery and HH when I was a kid.  All those years he talked about how great HH was and how he wanted to shoot a longbow one day like HH.  Well I saved my money and just did it and bought him a HH longbow.  He never has shot it other than the couple times I shot with him.  He is RH and I am LH.  If I could shoot it one day it wouldn't bother me so much but I can't and it was a waste of money.  I don't care too much any more.  He is all ways busy doing what he loves.  If he takes I terest in archery again he has a bow, the arrows I made him, and all the accessories right there ready to go.  In the end what I am saying is if he decides HE wants to do it again then he will.

[SKITCH]

Was thinking about this. Maybe your dad doesn't think a lighter bow is "manly" enough for him based on some past experience or misconception. Maybe you should "just happen" to show him a few hero shots of some nice animals taken with 40-50# bows. Might change his opinion a bit.

Having said that....count your blessings. Wish I had dad around that enjoyed anything I was interested in!!!

[Shawn Leonard]

I would say don't get frustrated with him, enjoy whatever time you spend together. He may come around to a ligthter bow or not, but I recently lost my Dad and anytime together is time well spent. I have a beautiful original Wing recurve that is #40's and if you and your Dad would like to give it a go, you are more than welcome to try it too see if it will have him wanting to shoot more. I would pay for S+H to get it to ya. Have Fun! Shawn

[Jedimaster]

Shawn is right on. He may not love archery but he loves you! That's good enough. Maybe his interest in archery is just an expression of his interest in you. Crazy but sometimes we dads want to be accepted in our sons worlds.

In short, he may never have the passion for archery you have but there are a thousand other ways to enjoy your time together. Try asking him what he'd like to do one weekend and see where that leads. Who knows, you may develop some other interests because of him as we'll.

What you do is not as important as being together. It's a morbid thought but nobody is promised tomorrow. JMHO but I like what Shawn posted and it got me going.

[T Folts]

Kyle, beg borrow or steal a used bow in the low 40's and just take him stump shooting, I'll bet that lights his fire. No stress just the two of or even some buddys so he can shoot the breeze while stumping.
I would do anything to be able to have my father join me in the woods.

Terry

[xtrema312]

Stump shooting or informal back yard stuff would be the way to go I think.  League shooting with others that have been shooting a long time could be a little intimidating, and that takes the fun out of it. Start with it just being you and dad.  

It would also be a good idea to do form work right off to get he shot correct. This should be easier with the lighter bow.  Doing the form work right off will help him get shooting decent faster and will take the pressure off of having to hit something when he gets started.