Arrive fifteen early
Park at the south gate, walk to the long shed. We'll have a name tag on the bench. Sign the standard liability waiver — one page, three signatures.
Most archers walk in for their first lesson with nothing but the clothes on their back. That's the right move. We supply bows, arrows, armguards, tabs, finger slings, target faces, and the gentle correction. You bring shoes, a sleeve close to the body, and ninety patient minutes.
Most archers don't know what an intro session looks like before they arrive. Here's the shape of it: arrive fifteen minutes early, sign a single page, get fitted with a recurve, and step onto the line at minute ten.
Park at the south gate, walk to the long shed. We'll have a name tag on the bench. Sign the standard liability waiver — one page, three signatures.
Your coach measures your draw length, hands you a recurve at 18 to 22 lbs, fits an armguard and finger tab. We'll walk you to lane four — the closest to the long shed.
Coach demonstrates the eleven-step shot: stance, nock, set, predraw, draw, anchor, transfer, hold, expansion, release, follow-through. You walk through each without an arrow.
Three free arrows at a ten-yard target face. Most first-timers hit the target on the third shot. We score nothing in the first cycle — we just establish a clean shot.
The bow arm needs to be unobstructed. The bowstring travels along the inside of your forearm at release; loose sleeves catch and hurt. Closed-toed shoes are required on the line — we don't shoot in sandals.
For all intro lessons and most lane rentals, the equipment kit is included or available as a small add-on. You don't need to buy anything for your first season unless you want to.
The most common beginner mistake is starting at too heavy a draw. A bow you can hold steady at full draw for ten seconds will teach you a clean shot. A bow you can barely pull will teach you to flinch. Below: a starter's guide. The coach makes the final call at fitting.
Returning archers and members are welcome to shoot their own equipment on the line. We'll inspect at the gate the first time — bowstring condition, fletching condition, draw length confirmation. The whole inspection takes under five minutes and we don't repeat it after the first visit.
If you're unsure whether your equipment is range-safe, bring it anyway. Eshaan or Bram will look it over — they tune their own bows and rebuild bowstrings on the small jig in the long shed. We've turned around plenty of inherited longbows that turned out perfectly safe with a fresh string.
Most archers find the first lesson easier than they expected — the equipment is supplied, the line is calm, and the coach is patient. Book a slot and we'll text the day before with parking, weather, and the coach's name. If conditions force a reschedule, we'll move it at no charge.