Equipment Types
Because recurve archers use their equipment in a wide array of shooting styles, this program is divided into four shooting/equipment styles to help technicians understand the unique needs archers have depending upon their archery goals. From a recreational/beginner shooter who uses a simple takedown recurve bow with a stick-on rest, to a traditional bowhunter, to a competitive barebow archer who shoots with string-walking, to the Olympic target archer with a full setup that utilizes stabilizers, a clicker, and adjustable sight, the equipment will vary depending on the style of shooting.
Getting the Right Gear
If the archer isn’t setup with the right equipment, no amount of tuning will allow them to achieve proficiency. In each section of this course, we cover some tips and techniques to assisting the archer in selecting a bow that will allow them to use good shooting form, no matter what their goals are. One of the most common mistakes that happens when a technician who deals mainly with compounds selects a recurve for a customer is giving them a bow that is too short for their purposes and entirely too heavy for draw weight and then pairing it with an arrow that is too stiff. Throughout this course, you’ll gain a better understanding of how you can make sure your customers get started with the right equipment so they can develop their skills and have fun with archery.
The Fine Line Between Coaching & Tuning
In our compound bow and crossbow courses, we discuss some basic elements of shooting form, but most of our efforts focus on how we can make the bow perform to its fullest potential. In the world of recurve archery, the archer’s form has an enormous impact on the performance of the equipment. While we don’t aim to create coaches through this certification, you will learn how to determine when an archer is skilled enough to do higher level bow tuning and when it makes more sense to simply encourage more practice and more work on skills like alignment and a clean release.
Recurve archery is simple, yet it can also be confusing or frustrating to those who don’t have a foundational knowledge of the equipment. There are lots of prospective archers out there who want to explore the world of recurve archery, so our industry has a great opportunity in bringing those folks into the fold and making them part of the archery community. But none of this happens by chance. Pro shops need to understand the fundamentals of recurve archery, stock the right equipment, and know how to get it all set up to the unique needs of each individual.
In addition to the online course covering this recurve information, those seeking certification must complete an in-person hands-on practical assessment where they will learn to set up and tune several recurve bows. This gives both the technician and their customers confidence; he is technically trained and can give his customers the skills to apply that knowledge in a real-life scenario.
Ready to enroll or want to learn more about ATA Recurve Bow Technician Certification or any of the certifications in our ATA Bow Technician Certification Program? Access the ATA Learning Center to view our courses. Questions? Contact me at kurtsmith@archerytrade.org.
