LONDON ARCHERY LESSON STAFF REVIEW
I’ve tried archery a few times over the last 6 months and I can definitely say it’s become one of my favourite experiences. So, when Ruscha and I were invited to try out one of our newest Archery experiences in London, I was really looking forward to an evening of bows, arrows and all-round archery fun!
We hopped on a train to London Bridge and made our way to Greenwich, just a quick and easy 10 minute train ride away. After a brief check on Google Maps and a five minute stroll along the high street, we easily found our destination – Archery Fit. As we entered through the security gate and into the foyer, we were immediately struck by how light and colourful the venue was! Lovely, inviting beanbags were dotted around the open-plan room and archery-themed paper flowers brightened every corner.
We were greeted by the incredibly friendly receptionists and offered tea and biscuits while we waited. These sweet treats were welcomed with open arms (we were very cold after our journey through London on a chilly January evening!) and it was a lovely way to start our experience.
Shortly after (having signed the safety ‘rules and regs’ agreement), we were greeted by Roman and Kate – the founders of this awesome archery school. Roman kicked things off with an interesting talk about the history of Archery. We learnt about the different bows used in this ancient sport, including the Long Bow, the Olympic Recurve and the Compound.
Kate would be our instructor for the night. With an impressive 15 years as a pro archer, 10 years as an instructor, and Russian National Champion of 2003 award under her belt, it didn’t take us long to realise that this was probably not going to be your average archery experience!
She informed us that we would be trying out the Olympic Recurve and the Compound Bow during the session. This was VERY exciting! Ruscha and I had only tried Archery with Olympic Recurves in the past, so to be given the chance to try these very professional looking bows was fantastic…if a little nerve-wracking!
Being taught by an archer of Kate’s standard was an incredible experience. We started off with a warm up to loosen the relevant muscles, before moving on to the Compound Bow. Kate carefully instructed us on how to hold and handle these powerful weapons. We were kitted out with all the safety equipment needed – we even had a quiver to hold our arrows, this made us feel like true Archery professionals! Then, the shooting commenced…
The first time I released the arrow from my Compound Bow was a real shock – the sheer power of the bow was incredible and the aftershock ricocheted through my entire body, it was like nothing I’d ever experienced before! Kate was on hand throughout the whole process – from helping us to aim accurately through the sight, stand with correct posture, through to the final release. With her expert guidance, we both managed to hit the bulls-eye (well, near enough anyway!).
We then moved onto the Olympic Recurve. Kate helped us set up and get used to holding the bow with an added stabiliser and sight. Then it was time to take aim! It’s safe to say that Ruscha and I didn’t have quite as much luck with this Bow as the Compound. These classic wooden bows were definitely a little trickier to aim! Kate assured that this was perfectly normal, as Compound Bows are specifically designed for accuracy, whilst the Olympic is more about consistency, which made us feel a little bit better about our wildly off target shots…
After an hour and a half of shooting and testing out these awesome bows and arrows, our experience came to an end. Roman and Kate answered all our questions and were the perfect archery teachers. Kate’s incredible instruction had really helped us improve, and we both achieved much more than we expected. We left feeling pretty impressed with ourselves and this incredible archery experience…and will undoubtedly be returning for round two in the not too distant future.
Set in a state of the art, purpose-built facility, this is a great archery experience and is perfect for anyone looking to get to grips with this awesome sport. Based on your previous shooting experience and ability, your bow will be selected for you, and your tuition tailored to your needs. You can purchase an experience gift voucher here…don’t miss out!
