Let's begin with the big question--tell us about your pro shop; how do you combine bowling and archery? How did you get started in both?
I got started with many sports: baseball, football, bowling, archery, fishing and even golf at a very young age. Growing up, I always tried to compete at the best of my abilities.
Unlike team type sports like baseball and football where a person’s abilities is affected by the team’s players, bowling, archery and golf are sports where one’s abilities are based on their own talents and knowledge. The bridge between these three sports are the mechanics the body and the mindset to play these sports to the best of anyone’s abilities.
All these sports need the ability for the body mechanics to perform a repetitive action over and over again. Repetitive motion is one of the most important functions needed to do these sports well. However, everyone that plays these sports on a competitive level knows the mental game is much more important and the hardest to master. This is where these sports parallel one another.
What does being involved with either sport teach you about doing well in the other?
Playing any sport that is based on mechanics and metal game can be much help when playing either sport. Understanding the function/movement of a body part and what it takes to perform the motion properly improves the ability to play these sports to the best of the person’s abilities.
What are you most excited about product wise in archery wise right now?
Products being offered in Archery right now helps improve the archer’s ability to perform better without the archer being perfect in their execution. Without getting into the improvements that have been made on bows, there are other examples I can comment on and why they have helped in making better archers.
Starting with the sights that are now available. Looking at where sights were years ago, there has been huge improvements. Moving the sight has become easier and more precise. Also with the new scopes and magnification for the scopes and the sight window and focus on the target has hugely improved.
The improvements in the arrow rests that now allow for micro adjustments make it easier to get the arrow leaving the bow straight.
Stabilizers and the mounts that attach them to the bows have improved by leaps and bounds. Not only the materials that these are made out of but the ability to move them by the smallest of increments to help the archer hold steady and on target.
The variety on the arrows available to everyone is crazy. No matter how you choose to shoot your bow or what competition you choose to compete in, there is an arrow that will help you do it to your best ability. With the understanding of arrow flight and using the arrow components to adjust the arrow, an archer can maximize their performance and accuracy.
I believe one of the largest improvements would be in releases. The ability to adjust the release to let an arrow go based on the archer’s abilities is huge. Not one release is the right fit for everyone, but there are plenty of releases on the market to find the one that fits best for the archer.
What is your philosophy as a pro shop owner? What do you hope archers or bowlers take away from their dealings with you?
The problem with most bowling and archery shops is that the people working in those shops don’t fully look to better the customer’s game. In most cases, the shops are just out to sell product and make money. This leaves the customer to fend for themselves in many ways. Don’t get me wrong; this is not true of all shops. In fact, most shops that are being run by their owner’s tends to be better at helping the customer the best they can. But as an example…you walk into Dick’s Sporting Goods and try to get some valuable information from the 18 year old kid stocking shelves. So, I opened my shop with the intentions to help the bowling and archery community to get better at their sport and learn. I have many customers come in and ask many questions.
The best part about customers asking questions is the more they learn the better their chances that they will improve at their sport. I want to not only supply them with the equipment they need to succeed but to also teach them how to adjust that equipment to improve their game.
The Archers Association of America negotiates discounts in travel and archery equipment for archers of all disciplines. To learn more or sign up, go to www.archersassociation.org.