Question:
Can anyone advise me on an archery set that would be suitable for my 9
year old son? I was poking around on the internet and found a company
"Martin" that sells kids archery sets, are these any good? Before I
spend big dollars I need to know he's really interested so something
reasonably priced would be better to start.
Answer:
You'd be better off looking for a local club or shop that offers lessons
and see if the enthusium lasts longer than a few sessions.
We get a lot of interest from both kids and adults that are all hyped up
about the fun they had at our introductory lessons yet it often peters
out rapidly when the video game rears it's ugly head.
There are many inexpensive kits available for kids depending on age and
strength. Some are really just fiberglass sticks with string and a
couple of arrows like my five year old shoots. There are a few
miniature compound bows with sights included that may be more
appropriate but I'd really advise avoiding Big-5 or Walmart and sticking
with a pro shop for even entry level archery equipment. You don't have
to spend a whole lot of money - most pro shops have entry level or
"kids" bows in stock or they can be ordered.
Stay away from mail order or Ebay. I can't tell you the number of
people who save a few bucks on Ebay and bring up the most ill-fitted
equipment you'd ever seen - usually having draw lengths so long that the
string hand is behind the shoulder at full draw!
