The plan behind the story · Sarvjeet Kaur took up archery with her son as coach and came home from Abu Dhabi with gold
From a first arrow to your first competition: an eight-week archery plan
Eight weeks built on how Sarvjeet Kaur came to archery: a coach, regular practice and the people at the range. If you are getting going, you finish a beginners' course and shoot your first full club session as a member. If you already shoot or are already fit, you finish with a scored round you have improved on and an entry in your first competition.
Why this works
Sarvjeet Kaur did not teach herself. Her son, Jai Singh, a professional archer, coached her from her first sessions, and about three years later she won gold and bronze in compound archery at the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026. Before those Games, he told The National, she practised a lot.
This plan copies the two things that helped her: proper coaching from the start, and regular sessions you can measure. Archery is a skill sport, so the progress comes from repetition with feedback, not from going harder. The NHS (the UK health service) recommends strengthening activities for all the major muscle groups on at least two days a week; archery works the back, shoulders and arms, so each week here also has strength work for the rest of you.
Before you start
- Check with a GP (family doctor) first if you have a shoulder, neck or back problem, or have not exercised for some time.
- Learn on a supervised range. Start Archery, run by Archery GB, says clubs’ beginners’ courses are delivered by qualified coaches, with all equipment provided and everyone insured. In the US, USA Archery’s Find a Club page lists clubs with certified instructors. Our guide to trying archery has both links.
- Do not buy a bow yet. The club lends kit on the course and can advise on what suits you afterwards.
- Wear a close-fitting top and flat shoes, and follow the range commands from the first minute. Never draw a bow when anyone is forward of the shooting line.
The plan
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (getting going) | First session of a beginners’ course; two short strength sessions at home | Course once; strength twice | Resistance-band pulls and wall push-ups for the upper body, sit-to-stands for the legs: 2 sets of 8 to 10 |
| 1 (already fit) | Book a coached session or club “have a go”; two full-body strength sessions | Archery once; strength twice | Include rows, presses, squats and a plank. Ask the coach to watch your stance and draw |
| 2 to 3 (getting going) | Course sessions 2 and 3; keep the strength sessions | Weekly, plus strength twice | Write down one thing the coach told you after each session |
| 2 to 3 (already fit) | Shoot twice a week, 40 arrows a session | Twice weekly | Shoot at one distance only. Note your grouping, not just your score |
| 4 to 5 (getting going) | Course sessions 4 and 5 | Weekly, plus strength twice | Start scoring each end. Ask about membership and club nights |
| 4 to 5 (already fit) | Shoot the same round once a week and score it; second session is drills | Twice weekly | Rise to 60 arrows a session. Record every end |
| 6 (getting going) | Finish the course | Once, plus strength twice | Clubs normally invite you to join at the end of the course |
| 6 (already fit) | Score your round again; compare with week 4 | Twice | Aim for 10 per cent above your first total |
| 7 to 8 (getting going) | Your first club nights as a member | Once or twice weekly | Shoot with others; ask a more experienced member to watch one end |
| 7 to 8 (already fit) | Enter a club or county competition; keep two sessions a week | Twice weekly, plus strength twice | Practise shooting to a time limit before the day |
If it goes wrong
- Your bow arm or shoulder aches. Shoot fewer arrows, rest a day between sessions and tell your coach; it is often form, not strength. If pain persists, stop and see your GP.
- The string hits your forearm. Wear the arm guard and ask the coach to check your grip and elbow.
- No course near you, or it is full. Look for an approved centre or a taster “experience” on Start Archery, or ask a club to put you on its waiting list.
- Scores stall. Go back to one distance and one thing at a time. A plateau of a few weeks is normal in a skill sport.
Track it
Keep a notebook or phone note with the date, number of arrows, distance, score for each end and one thing you learned. Tick off your two strength sessions each week. At the end of week 8, compare your first and last entries.
What next
When the eight weeks are done, ask your club about coaching, its competitions and whether a different bow (recurve, compound or barebow) suits you. If you like the idea of a bigger stage, the World Masters Games 2027 Kansai runs from 14 to 30 May 2027, according to its organisers; check their site for the archery entry rules. And if someone close to you is good at something, consider asking them to coach you, the way Kaur’s son coached her.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.