BEGINNERS
Equipment
All the equipment needed during training is provided by the club and our instructor will choose an appropriate bow for each trainee. We strongly recommend that new members do NOT run out and buy a new bow, especially Juniors. As skills and abilities improve, what seemed a suitable bow at first quickly becomes inadequate. The training bows can continue to be used in the early days and the instructor will advise when the time comes to buy your own equipment.
We normally expect that those new to archery will be ready to buy their own equipment after 6 months experience, although some will take longer. Please speak with other archers, as they will be happy to tell you how they selected their first bow.
How to get started?
The best way is to get proper training from qualified instructors in an Archery Club affiliated to Archery GB (the Governing body for archery in UK). These clubs are properly qualified to train beginners, are insured and have adequate facilities to ensure that training is safe and effective. Stafford Archers is such a club.
Courses are run throughout the year by the club. The course gives 6 hours of tuition and practice covering all aspects of safety, etiquette, archery skills instruction, equipment and extensive hands on archery practice. After satisfactorily completing the six hours of instruction and supervised practice you will spend another 6 hours shooting at club meetings before receiving a certificate of competence, which enables you to join any UK archery club.
Course information, Taster sessions and Have-a-Go events
Indoor course
Indoor courses are run on Sunday mornings 09:00 to 12:00 over two consecutive Sundays.
Outdoor course
Courses run in the outdoor season are run on Sunday mornings 09:00 to 12:00 over two consecutive Sundays.
In both cases the initial training is followed by a further 6 hours of practice and coaching during normal club hours.
The course fee for 2023 is £75.
Completion of a beginners course does not guarantee membership of the club and applications for membership are reviewed at our regular committee meetings.
The course ensures that you have been instructed in Archery Safety and have learned the basic competence in Archery Skills using a recurve bow.
Courses
To book a place on a course, check the dates for future courses or to put your name down for the next opportunity email our Beginners' Course Co-ordinator at this email address
Please remember to say whether the person to take the course is a junior (under 18) and state their age or for an adult state "senior"
Taster sessions
If you are on our waiting list and can't wait to have your first go at archery, you could try one of our taster sessions. These are not training courses but do give beginners a first experience of handling a bow and a chance to find out if archery is for you. The one hour session will normally be held on the last Sunday of the month, dates will be added to the events page on Facebook when available, so please check there.
Have a go event
During the Summer months, you may see us at local fetes, fairs and shows doing have a go sessions. Dates will be added to the events page on Facebook when available, so please check there.For more information