Getting Started as a VI Archer
The First Steps
If you are interested in taking up archery then you have made the first step by reaching this page!
If you are a coach looking for guidance on how to introduce a VI archer into the sport, please visit out Coaching Guidebook for more information.
If you are a spotter and looking for guidance on how to support a VI archer, please visit the Spotters Guidebook for more information.
Finding a Club and Beginners’ Course
All archers, whether they can see or not, have to attend a beginners’ course to learn about shooting and safety. So, the next step is to find an archery club and beginners’ course.
Visit the Archery GB Club Finder (opens in new window). Enter your postcode and how far you can travel to a club. The search results will list details of archery clubs within your selected area.
Once you have chosen a club you would like to join, contact them and tell them you are visually impaired, would like to attend a beginners’ course, and take up archery. The club will provide all the equipment you need to start shooting, and you won’t need any specialist or tactile equipment initially.
Finding a ‘Spotter’
A ‘spotter’ is a sighted person who accompanies you every time you shoot. The club may require a spotter to accompany you on your beginner’s course, and the benefit of finding a spotter at this early stage is that they will learn with you. You will definitely need a spotter once you join a club. This could be a friend or relative, or a member of the club but it is not the club’s responsibility to find a spotter for you.
The role of the spotter is:
- to help you set up your equipment, especially your foot locators and tactile sight.
- to tell you where your arrows are landing in the target and to help with scoring.
- to relay any safety information that you may otherwise miss.
The relationship between the archer and their spotter is important. The spotter will learn about the archer’s shooting style and equipment, and the most successful visually impaired archers are those who have their own regular spotter.
What’s Next?
Once you have completed your course, we would advise all archers (VI or sighted) against purchasing any archery equipment, this includes specialist equipment, immediately. Clubs usually have bows they can loan or rent for a small fee. This is important because you may decide after a few weeks that archery isn’t for you after all.
The next step, having completed the course, is to take a look at memberships you need or should consider.