Golf and Traditional Archery

[tracker12]

I have finally come to the conclusion that Traditional archery is a lot like golf a sport I also have a love hate relationship with.  Think about it, in both we are trying to get an object (arrow/golf ball) to the target be it a deer or green.  There are many different types of equipment, different types of swings and most of all results can be different any given day.  One day you’re shooting a 75 and the next an 85.  When things go bad you mess with your grip, mess with your stance, look at your takeaway/draw.  There is always something that is making the shot go wide or left, long or low.  And in the end you make a great shot.  Call it a great day and plan the next outing.  I think that’s why I like this sport above most.  Always another day, a new challenge and lots of fun to be had.

[hart2hart]

Couldn't agree more...
Except,I've never had archery screw up an enjoyable walk like golf can.
Every time I see Charles Barkley swing a golf club,I remind myself..my TP's not so bad.
Mike

[long time archer]

Love both--do a lot of both, especially in rertirement. Some days the frustration level is very much the same for both activities.

[NBK]

Trad has actually improved my golf game by reinforcing the importance of shot execution and especially "follow through".
The other funny thing I noticed is the importance of "relaxation" during a shoot or a round.  
I.E.  My brother and I both shoot trad and we both golf and are quite similar in every aspect.  Difference here is that I'm 100% obsessed with archery whereas he's more cavalier about it and conversely he's really into golf (bought a house on the sixth tee box) and I'm thinking about bloody mary's in the clubhouse by the 5th hole.  
When we shoot together he's not concerned about his form, stance, etc. he's just having fun and he can shoot really, really well.  If we kept score on a 3-d He'd most likely beat me.
Now when we golf together, I'll take my old bag of mixed up clubs, few practice swings and hold my own and sometimes beat him out of the first round of drinks.  Moral of the story?  You gotta be relaxed with either endeavor.  If you're thinking too much or too concerned about how your're shooting your're hurting your game!

[damascusdave]

Back in the day we used to play a game called archery golf...kind of a combination of both frustrations

DDave

[Rod in SC]

I love them both but I even bring trad to my golf game by playing hickory shafted clubs!  Youd be surprised how well the game can be played with 100 year old clubs.

[Sam McMichael]

I hope archery is not too much like golf. I finally realized I could play golf for a thousand years and will never be any good at it. I put away the clubs. I think I have been shooting the bow longer than I played golf, and the results are minimally better with the bow. Fortunately, the enthusiasm for archery has not waned.

Yep...even the duds are the same.


 

 

[tracker12]

Originally posted by hart2hart:
Couldn't agree more...
Except,I've never had archery screw up an enjoyable walk like golf can.
Every time I see Charles Barkley swing a golf club,I remind myself..my TP's not so bad.
Mike

That was the case for me years ago.  Once I quite keeping score the walk got better.

[ALwoodsman]

I don't play golf but my neighbor is out hitting golfballs and I am out shooting my bow.  We we were both working on our form the other day and I also noticed the similarities.

[Aggie1993]

I'm The Head Golf Coach at our High School and always connect similarities between Traditional Archery and Golf. I love both sports. I think being involved in both sports have improved my skills and mental approach tremendously.

[beachbowhunter]

The best difference is that full contact heckling is allowed on the 3D range but not on the course..at least with my buddies!  :D

[Chain2]

I don't swear as much shooting my bow, I don't look for my arrows as much as I do my golf ball. I love golf, but I have never broke 80. I need to practice golf as much as I do the longbow...or maybe not.

[Altiman94]

Golf and hunting in general share a lot of things in common.  It's maybe not so important how you get there (end score, animal on the ground) but the end result itself.  As long as one is following the rules/laws then we have no right to critisize one another as well.  There's different ways to get to the same end but its the goal that we all cherish and enjoy.

[reddogge]

I've always said that. I have come home from a 3D shoot and told my wife "You know, I play better golf now than I shoot archery." She doesn't care.

[Trad Timmy]

You guys might have something here. Maybe the deer would quit jumping the string on me if I quit yelling four.

[McDave]

I played a lot of golf in the '80's and '90's.  Never got very good at it.  I think it has a lot to do with Mike's observation above about relaxation.  In those days, I thought if I kept trying as hard as I could, I would get as good as I could get at golf.  Trying did not help me to play better golf, although I did learn how to deal with frustration better.

In the last few years, I've found that if I stop trying and relax more, I shoot better archery.  I think the problem is that in our culture, we think that if you're not trying, you're giving up.  But another alternative to trying is relaxing, or another way of saying it, becoming more aware, since you can't really be aware of what you're doing if you're trying.

Maybe if I'd discovered this 20 years ago, I would have played much better golf.  But then, maybe I would never have discovered archery, so I guess overall, I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out.

[mparks]

One of the biggest improvements in both my shooting and golf came as a result of taking Rod Jenkins class. Rod breaks done the shot and explained to us that it was a similar concept as building a golf swing. That really lit the light bulb for me. Instead of firing arrow after arrow or pounding balls at the range I learned how to focus on the components of the swing and the shot. A very similar process for me. Alignment is critical for golf and archery for example. Grip as well.

[swamper]

Saw my best bucks on the course I work at.But never played and it would be free.

[glenbo]

Went deer hunting Saturday....I got a hole in one