Susan Corless - Archery

Sunday just gone was the Chris Jones memorial shoot at Merlin Field Archers. I didn’t have the privilege of knowing Chris, but hearing the stories his family and others in the sport have told me, he’s someone who did a lot of good in his life, and not just for archery! How awesome must it have felt to be the first person to have made something in the UK which has continued to develop some 36 years later!

This ethos continues today with Ben leading the team at Merlin Archery. A company I am proud to be a part of!

I spent the weekend shooting with Alena and Eve - two new ladies FU shooters! 💪💪 Both did brilliantly!

Something’s missing? 👀 ❓
I make absolutely no apologies for the sound track, is whatever gets us through right?

Any local archers who’d like to give field archery ago? Join LBAC at Daventry for a taster on 22nd August

Field Archery Have-a-go with LBAC!

Looking to step off the target line and take your archery into the woods? Come along to Long Buckby Archery Club for their Have-a-Go Field Shoot on Saturday 22nd August, from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.

Field archery is a fantastic way to test your skills in a setting that makes use of natural terrain. Gather a group of friends, head out onto the course and experience the challenge together.

Event Details
- Date & Time: Saturday 22nd August | 12:00pm–4:00pm
- Location: Long Buckby Archery Club, Western Ave, Daventry, NN11 4ST
- Entry Fee: £5 per archer
- Bow Types: All bow types are welcome

What to Expect & Preparation
- Safety Briefing: A full briefing will be provided before anyone heads out onto the course.
- Footwear: Please wear sturdy, closed-toe footwear such as boots or solid trainers, as the course covers uneven ground.
- Refreshments: We recommend bringing a drink and some snacks to keep your energy up throughout the afternoon.
- Whether you’re completely new to field archery or just looking for a fun afternoon shooting with fellow archers, Long Buckby Archery Club would love to see you there.

If you have any questions before the event, please email [email protected].

Hurrah! Progress…..I spent the day over at Black Eagle shooting a combination round - my first whole day shooting since I injured my back, just over 2 weeks ago. I’m delighted to report that my back held strong. The majority of my discomfort was from my right hip, glutes and knees - apparently these may have been compensating for a bit 😂😮‍💨

My shooting didn’t feel perfect, because really I wasn’t prepared for today, I’ve not shot the same cadence or volume but I shot within a point of my national record so I’m pleased with that!

I’ve just got to keep being careful now to make sure I can finish the season, which means no Sunset on Wednesday sadly, but it’s the right decision. Need to build strength for Esch at the end of August

So it seems my body is doing everything it can to disrupt my shooting, well I have news for it. I am stubborn, head strong, resilient and will not give up without a fight 💪

Last Wednesday I went out and bought a new chair for my office at home, you know, to help myself? My right hip had become whiny of late, which I was trying to solve with a more adjustable chair. Well, I didn’t realise how heavy it was (because a helpful chap put it in my car), and I when I attempted to lift it out, I had the biggest, sharpest amount of pain in my lower back than I’ve ever experienced before. Turns out, my disc at L5 /S1 didn’t approve of me helping myself. 🤦‍♀️

I saw a physio on Wednesday just gone, and because I have a pre existing problem at L5/S1 it makes it quite difficult to diagnose what is going on. She had treated as best she could all things considered and released off the facet joint which wasn’t moving.

The good news is that this isn’t muscular because that would have been a different kettle of fish, I have seen quick and large improvements every day. Mostly because I know what I need to do to help myself, which is movement! I’m able to walk without pain, almost back to previously mobility, but challenged with sitting - and work have been great!

I was glad to be back at the range on Thursday just 8 days later, and I’ve been every day just doing small amounts and I’ve had no additional pain from this 😮‍💨🥰

Now, can I finish my season please? 🙏

This arrow right here is one of the most important things I have in my tool kit. It’s a simple arrow with a bit of tape and has a draw length marker for each bow I’m currently shooting where the blade tip is at full draw.

Could I just measure the draw length the normal way and write it down? Sure. But IMO this is a lot more accurate and would allow me to do a quick check when away from home visually that everything is ok.

can provide bow presses with draw boards if you don’t already have one - again, if you’re working on your own bows, these are a must have.

🥇Derrick Lovell Open 2 Day WA 🥇

A weekend of two halves!

Saturday saw me come off the course being very baffled with why my ranging system was so off on some of the unmarked targets with them reading longer than actual - leaving me with a lot of 664’s 😂, thankfully my adjustments from the first arrow was excellent. I also found generally I was a bit high on the marked stuff. Spent the evening frustrated but dinner with friends helped!

I arrived early on the Sunday with the plan being if I wasn’t happy with the ranging system on the practice targets I would get the other bow out and shoot that. I was reading a bit longer than actual so that partly explained it, and I found that vs my range finder I was +1 meter out from the peg placement, so that’s just a difference in the laser used, and I was slightly high also, so perhaps 2 meters difference on the tape vs the peg marks - so that explained the marked being high. Decided to run with the same set up and adjust on the fly.

I was still unsure whether there was something light related at play, so paid extra attention to everything, and guess what the day went ALOT better.

I shot a season best, a few meter adjustment to counteract the ranging system and sight tape worked. My shots felt great most of the day, and I made good decisions.

Shot with .l.duncan and Geoff which was very enjoyable and did a awesome job with the course. Congratulations to Vickie for bronze and for silver.

I’m now home for about 6 weeks, so have time to sort out my ranging system on this bow, and do some slope prep for Esch.

5 Nations Sint Odenrode was a tough one.

I’m not sure where I finished across the weekend, but it wasn’t 1st or 2nd. Results will likely be out later this week. It was all looking close from day one.

Saturday I shot the yellow course, which was long and spaced out. They did a great job setting the targets, and building slopes on what is a very flat location! If you saw my story on the day, you’ll already have heard that some targets I just couldn’t see because they were set in the dark, with the shooting peg being in the bright sunshine (we had no cloud at all). Still don’t know what I can really do in those situations, something I hadn’t considered at the time that I remembered driving home was I could have taken my lens out of the scope, might have been better 🤷‍♀️. I found it hard shooting in the heat with very little shade, especially as we didn’t finish until 5pm 😱

Sunday we shot the other course, which was mostly shaded, but still a couple of very dark targets which again I couldn’t see. I scored better, and it was easier to manage the heat for the most part. We walked 3 miles less than the day before! I was very pleased with my 18 on a 20m bunny (you’ll also notice how offset we were to the target 🫣🤦‍♀️) - what I believe is the hardest target in the round.

I’m also always very hard on myself, but on reflection I need to give myself a bit of a break. I came into this weekend just back from my wrist injury, and small form changes as well as a flared up back and neck. So all things considered I couldn’t have expected more!

Hopefully I am still in second place in the series ranking, and I can hold on to that in Esch for the final leg. Now some recovery for a few day then onto the next 💪.