COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - With indoor season in full swing, we talked to some of the USA's best archers to get you top tips to get extra points this season. When the targets are closer and smaller, a few points can make a huge difference, read below to maximize your game!
World indoor team champion and world field champion Paige Pearce shared: "When shooting indoor, many archers stress over having to switch their target from top to bottom or bottom to top at the half way mark of competition. When I practice, I always have two targets up with one on top and one on bottom and I shoot 6 arrow ends. One end I start on the top target for the first three arrows, then shoot the last three in the bottom. The next end I shoot the first three in the bottom then the last three in the top. This not only helps with stamina by shooting more arrows per end, but it also helps with confidence when you have to switch positions in competition. If you're nervous about any part of the competition, then that's something you should be practicing at home."
2016 Olympian Mackenzie Brown represented Team USA at the last World Archery Indoor Championships and shared: "My tip would be to make sure you retune your bow for 18 meters; some people leave their outdoor tune and you could be losing points. So, check your tune at 18 and make the necessary fine adjustments for maximum 10s!"
Barebow superstar and multi time world field medalist John Demmer III advises: "Always be willing to adjust for lighting conditions. One range you might be centered up on impact while the next you might be 4 inches to the left or right. Be willing to adapt and adjust quickly especially if you only have a couple ends of practice."
2018 indoor world cup final silver medalist, indoor world championship team gold medalist and world cup final champion Kris Schaff recommends: "Don't be afraid to try something new. As little as moving your peep up or down a tiny bit, or changing draw length and cam timing. Try it out and see if your dot sits better or you bow becomes more forgiving. You can always move it back if it gets worse."
Para USAT recurve open men's Kevin Mather broke so many national and world records this year, we would take any advice he has to give on getting extra points! Kevin shared: "I do a few things to keep my arrow count up and keep my sanity up while shooting indoors during the chilly times in Denver (I still shoot outside if its 50 degrees +). To build my mental game I set a goal for 300 rounds. I start with the Blue face - and once I've hit my goal there, I move over to the 3 spot..."
He added: "When moving from indoor to outdoor (after Vegas usually) I take all the fletchings off my arrows and shoot qualifying rounds at 40m on a 60cm target. This usually cleans up my form and makes me focus on every shot. The bareshafts will go way out if you're not clean on the release - so you need to bring intent to each arrow. I score these rounds and always try to beat myself moving the scores in the right direction. The key is to not get lazy when you move outside and put the vanes back on."
Whether you're shooting indoors or outdoors, three-time Olympic medalist Brady Ellison instructs: "I think that you should warm up and then score every arrow you shoot. No matter if you're shooting good or bad. That way, when you score in a shoot, you are used to looking at your scores."
Paralympian and Para USAT standout Lia Coryell shared some adaptive tips too: "I find shooting indoors to be more difficult than outdoor because there are so many distractions! Sound and light and movement all within a confined place make it the perfect place to work on your mental ability to stay focused and in the moment. [For archers with adaptive needs] If you can request to be at the beginning of the line or the last one at the end of the line you may be able to squeak out a little more time and room for yourself. I have had judges blow the whistle to start shooting before I am even on the line. When that happens, you are trying to hurry to squeeze in the line and you are disrupting those in front of or behind you, so staying on the line may be your best bet, even if you feel like a garden statue!"
With more in the pro column for indoor shooting, Lia added: "The coolest thing about shooting indoors is... I actually get to roll out to the target and see for myself where my arrows have scored! This is HUGE because that doesn't happen at outdoor tournaments. I may not be able to score or pull the arrows but I can see and analyze my shot patterns. Another bonus is that the bathrooms are always close and accessible! Yay!"
Get practicing and then test yourself at a State Championship or Indoor Nationals!
< Back to All News
