Introduction

I started picking up archery in 2012 when Angus (my secondary school going son) decided to give up the sport as a CCA in school. After spending S$700 on his bow set in 2011, I thought it would be a waste, and so we decided to continue practising archery as a weekend father-son-bonding activity.

That started my search for ranges – where can we shoot?

After a lot of searching on the internet and discovering that most ranges exist in private clubs (including CCs) where you will have to pay a yearly membership fee and/or entrance fee, we ended up with a range somewhere in the Northern part of Singapore. And that was the start of my journey. I took a few weeks of private lessons on borrowed equipment learning the very basics of archery for both recurve and compound bows.

Very soon, I realised that this is not a sport where equipment can be shared. A compound bow for example, is custom fitted to your draw length which is determined by the length of your arms. You need to have the bow strings pressed against your lips to ensure a consistent draw all the time (yucks to all the range bows I have used – not sure how many people have already deposited their saliva on those bow strings before I used them).

I decided to buy my own bow when I was on a business trip to the US as I was under the impression that bows there could be cheaper and the selection wider. But I was wrong. Not only did I pay more for the SF Axiom bow in the US, the size of the bow was also not suitable for my height. I should be using a 70 inch bow but the store owner in the US sold me a 66 inch instead. I do remember telling him that the bow was for my use.

All is not lost. We pay to learn. And it is because of this experience that I want to share more with parents who might be buying equipment for their children who have selected archery as a CCA. Or you could be a newcomer to this sport. So the SG Archery website is started.

Since then – I have learnt a few more things about this sport and the general market for this sport in Singapore from a couple more coaches. All of them have some major difference in opinions about the equipment and the techniques.

At this point – I would like to congratulate you for picking up archery. It is a sport that is both mentally and physically demanding and the discipline of this sport can benefit you for life. If you are still researching and have not decided what to do, check out the clubs listed on Archery Association of Singapore site, get a trial lesson and experience it yourself.

Enjoy!