The Blank Canvas — Cutter Stabilizers

Last summer I found myself in a very stressful yet exciting time, Cutter Stabilizers was in its infancy and the stress of starting a business was weighing on me quite heavily. Having to borrow money from my girlfriend to invest in the business, purchase raw materials, and begin production was not something I was thrilled about. When the time came to pay her back, she uttered a phrase that made me incredibly happy: “why don’t you just use the money to put together a bow setup for me?”. I was thrilled, with a very generous budget, and an insatiable obsession with shopping for archery equipment, I was like a kid in a candy store. A few weeks later and she had a complete setup with top-tier accessories, including a stabilizer from the company she helped get going. In this article we will be discussing how her journey of learning archery differed from mine and the amazing opportunity she had starting with a “blank canvas”.

Back in 2003 I got my very first compound bow, my father had taught me to shoot, and it was off to the races. The standard was that once the bow was sighted in, it was okay to let it sit until a month or so before season started. Looking back, this was a massive hindrance to my archery improvement. I found that my maximum effective range was around 40 yards, and at that range my confidence was still not exceptional. The fall of 2004 was my first archery hunt, and it wasn’t until 2014 that I successfully filled a tag, not for a lack of trying, but simply for a lack of opportunities. My first shot opportunity was at 8 yards on a 6x6 bull elk. He expired quickly and after that, I was HOOKED! Diving down the rabbit hole of both archery and hunting, I found that I had developed several poor habits within my shooting form. Those habits took a very long time to overcome and correct, and finally I feel confident in my accuracy and shot mechanics. My effective range went from a shaky 40 yards to what is now, a confident 100+ yards. Had I invested in my practice and archery education, I would’ve been leaps and bounds ahead of where I am now. So when my girlfriend Heather said she wanted to learn archery, I was going to ensure she started out on the correct path, from the beginning!

The first thing to address was the fundamentals, a proper back tension release, and correct bow fit. The poundage of her bow started out light, her first release was a tension activated handheld release. The most critical element to developing proper shooting mechanics is learning that it is okay to let down on any shot that does not feel right. She learned this quickly, and along with the release she was shooting, there was no opportunity to develop target panic or shot anticipation. One of the most difficult problems to overcome is in fact, target panic, so forcing her to start with a release aid that eliminated that possibility was pivotal to her early success. Having a coach that is extremely diligent on proper mechanics was also a large advantage for her. Watching her shoot, I would look for any and every possible form issue she may be displaying, and if I found one, she would need to let down and start over. If you are just beginning your archery journey, the most valuable thing you can purchase is a lesson from a good coach.

As the weather began to warm this spring, we were able to get out and shoot some longer distance finally. Before this point, Heather had not shot further than 30 yards, and on this day, we were going to be shooting 60. A large backstop and a generous target face (8” circle) provided a forgiving and easier to acquire sight picture. Her first arrow sailed high right, I reminded her of the mechanics and necessity for perfection at longer ranges. The next two arrows hit the 2.5” orange circle in the center of the larger circle. I was so happy and proud! Throughout the following rounds of arrows, she hit the center on an average of 2 out of 3 shots, a spectacular feat for her first time ever shooting at that range. I recall, a handful of years ago when my father first got a pin for 60 yards, I was in awe of his ability to shoot that far and even hit the target. With the advances in both technology and my ability, 60 is a warm up, and soon, with practice, Heather will be warming up at long range as well.

Looking back at my beginning, I realize that technology has come a long way in 17 years. I also know that the cost of my first bow setup was approximately a third of Heather’s first setup. Having access to someone who had all of the tools and resources to tune and build an accurate bow is also a huge advantage for her. In order to get the best possible start in your archery journey, you need to be stringent on several non-negotiable principles. First, do not shoot a single shot that does not feel perfect. No matter how you “look” or no matter how “silly” you may feel at the public range, the advancement in your ability is worth being strict. Second, do not try to figure it all out on your own, hire a coach and LISTEN! Take notes so you can refer back to them later. Third, take more notes when you are shooting on your own, when a shot breaks and it feels great, immediately write down everything you can remember. What was your pin doing, how was your form, how was your breathing, which muscles did you feel were engaged, how long did the shot take to go off? In order to make the most of your “blank canvas”, you need to hold yourself accountable and accept the help of those qualified to help you, find a good pro shop and ask questions! By being honest with yourself and taking the time to develop your fundamentals, you will progress quickly and see the results down range. Happy shooting.