Intrigued by the title? Well, it is fun, and it's having fun aiming and letting go. I'm talking about the archery session at the archery centre in Sydney Olympic Park. Archery was something I indulged in when I was a kid, usually with home made bow and arrows. It was fun, but dangerous if not played carefully. My wife and I tried it out on a Saturday afternoon and I recommend that you try it out when summer has subsided.
Now, is the perfect time to try it out!
A 1.5 hours session costs $20 pp, which includes a 15 minute orientation. Listen carefully, as they do tend to go fast. Since I had tried archery before, I had a basic understanding, but it's good to listen at the info-session.
The instructors then familiarise you with the ground rules and the area from where you shoot. Now,don't go there, like I did, expecting to learn a lot about archery. Big mistake! This is just a fun session aimed at teaching basic archery and target shooting. No one is expecting you to turn pro or into
William Tell, the legendary archer.
Aiming
The girls are helpful when you need a hand. My advice is to check out your bow before the session starts. The wife got a bad bow and she lost out on 15 minutes of shooting time getting that sorted. So, get comfortable and then only start - as they are not too thrilled when you call out after everyone's started shooting. The wife did well for someone who never held a bow before, and I got frustrated as my arrow rest was broken.
Aiming Well
I changed the bow, but this one had a very tight string. So you see, all these things have to go right at the same time and in one session, you will be lucky to get everything right. I finally found one that suited me and started shooting. Understanding and reading a bit about archery goes a long way in doing well in the session. But,most importantly is to control your breathing. Back home, we were told to take a deep breath in when drawing, holding it, aiming and breathing out when releasing. This did help me, but they don't tell you all this in the session.
Have a read through
here; it will help you understand the bow construction a bit.
I did manage a few bulls eye's, but the point is to go there and have fun. So, go ahead and make a booking and "Aim for Fun".
Aha!
Saturday and Sunday
10am – 11.30am
2pm - 3.30pm
4pm - 5.30pm (October - April)
Age: 10 years
Duration: 1.5 hour lesson
Bookings Essential: Contact us on 02 9752 3777 or email archerycentre@sopa.nsw.gov.au
