Meet Maggie Brensinger: S3DA Barebow Champion

We first met Maggie Brensinger at the Palmyra Sportsmen’s Summer Series. We were impressed with her focus and drive the first time we met her, and then even more so the second time, when she competed with a severely sprained ankle and crutches! With barebow nation growing, they are certainly lucky to have recruited such a dedicated archer into their ranks.

What has been your best day in archery?

My best day in archery so far has to be August 4, 2019, at the Palmyra Sportsmen's Summer Series #3. I shot a 622/720. My mental game was on point that day, which shocked me because I had sprained my ankle the night before the tournament.

How did you decide on barebow?

Barebow was an easy decision for me, really. I chose it because I had shot a type of barebow in the NASP program at my school for two seasons beforehand. I also chose it because of a process with different bow types. I shot a Genesis bow, and now I'm shooting a regular barebow. I tried Olympic Recurve but didn't find myself enjoying it as much as I did barebow. I didn't like the weight, and that it wasn't as instinctive as barebow.

How did you learn?

I started learning with my Genesis bow, and with my coaches at school. After my second season with the NASP program I decided I wanted to compete all year round, so I joined Grass Hollow Archery and started learning from my coaches there. I haven't been shooting my barebow for very long, since the beginning of May 2019, so I am still learning.

Who do you work with?

I work with Frank and Sarah McDonough, my coaches and the owners of Grass Hollow Archery in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. I currently am a team member there. They've been so supportive of this journey.

What goals do you have for shooting?

Since I have all eleven of the main outdoor JOAD pins, including the Bronze, Silver and Gold Olympian pins, my goal is definitely to finish getting my indoor JOAD pins this season, and my 6-10 pin.

Are you someone who looks at score or do you focus on form?

I am most definitely somebody who looks at score, but I am trying to focus more on form because it isn't mentally healthy to focus on where your arrows land all of the time. As long as your form is good, and you put the tip of the arrow where you want to hit, you're going to hit it. If you don't, you just make some minor adjustments.

Which do you like better: indoor, outdoor, field, or 3D? What do you like about it?

I have tried and competed in every discipline except field, which I will be trying in September. I really found my love for outdoor growing at the Palmyra Sportsmen's Summer Series. There's quite a few barebow shooters who attend it, and it's growing. I like outdoor most because I like the distance, and the target size. I took first place at S3DA Outdoor Target Nationals in Metropolis, IL and 3rd place in 3 D Nationals, so outdoor has been my favorite so far. I'm excited to try field and looking forward to competing in my first real indoor season!

Shore Shot Archery: Anthony Marino

You may have seen recurve archer, Anthony Marino, at USAT events but not because of the bow in his hand, but because of the camera. We asked him some questions to find out more about what Shore Shot Archery is and what he is doing to support the sport we love.

Where did Shore Shot Archery come from?

Shore Shot Archery came from me trying my best to combine where I live (The East Coast of New Jersey by the Atlantic Ocean) with my passion for archery. So, the Shore in Shore Shot is, well, the Sea Shore. It’s an identifier of my roots and where I am from. At the same time, it is a great play on words because it sounds like the word Sure and we all want to be Sure or Shore of our shot. The last part Archery is easy it tells people what I do. If I just went with Shore Shot as my companies name it may get confused with firearms, pool or anything else that has a shot in it. Plus, archery needs more visibility so I am right out front with it here. That’s why we are Shore Shot Archery.  

When do you know You're an archer? Well I am going to ask archers to find out. From Olympians to new shooter lets see what these archers have to say.

What are your goals for this video series?

My goals of the videos and the different series come from 3 different fronts. Now these fronts sometimes overlap but in their purest form they are to educate, entertain, and to inspire. On the education front I have videos like “How To…” and “Tournament Tour XYZ”. This helps get people to be more comfortable in the sport. This was driven some by a story I read about a new NASA employee who said his 1st day on the job was like learning a new language. Well archery may not be rocket science but to someone new it can be overwhelming. So, I have done my best to make it simple and explain things. Now for the entertainment front this is my attempt to entertain archers and archers-to-be. With the goal to get them to look further into archery content and just new ways of thinking about archery. Some examples of these videos are my “Funday Sunday” and “My Thoughts” videos. With the first being funnier and the latter being more serious. Now for the 3rd inspiring archers. This is aimed at filming top archers and sharing those clips with everyone. I can not tell you how many people thank me for filming their top/favorite archer. They tell me the clips inspire them to shoot more and they like to examine them to see how top shooters form works.

Do you prefer behind the camera or behind the bow?

Now that’s a tough question! I would say it depends on the situation. Being behind the bow is awesome; its just me, the bow, and we are shooting arrows into the target. I can focus on myself and working on my shot. I feel it really allows me to work on myself, it’s like targeted self-improvement. On the other hand, being behind the camera has its own benefits. I can really pour my passion of archery into my videos. It allows me to create something that can affect the lives of others. I can express my creativity in my videos and that is something I can not do in my shot if I want to consistently hit the target. So, in short, when I want to be the best I can be its behind the bow. When I want to take creative risks and discover new things, it behind the camera.

Ever wondered what would happen if you shot a spray paint can with an arrow? Well I found out! Subscribe & Like Here: ►https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeIOqiQOhL_UgoKypDDCkSQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow Shore Shot Archery Here: Shop & Website ►http://shoreshotarchery.com Facebook ►https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shore-Shot-Archery/702614973087387?ref=hl Twitter ►https://twitter.com/ShoreShotArcher

What has archery taught you beyond the sport?

It has taught me that if you putting everything you have into something without a plan, you will probably find 1,000 ways to climb a mountain without ever actually getting to the top. I am not saying you will not learn something, because you will. You should learn things like your patience, work ethic, desire to success, and mental fortitude, but most importantly, a plan. Because without a plan, it doesn’t matter how good you are at the above things. You just have potential with no direction. What you really want is direction and magnitude. You get the magnitude from using your patience, work ethic, desire to succeed, and mental fortitude in a direction. I feel archery has taught me this, especially since for most things in archery I had to learn the hard way. I have found 1,000 ways to climb that mountain or shoot that bow. But now I know what I am made of, and I have a direction. That lesson I can apply to every part of my life for the rest of my life.

 Your mom, Sharon, is a big member of team Shore Shot. What does it take to work as a team?

Yes, my mom is a great help but my father Tony and brother Matthew have also been a big help. They are more of the behind-the-scenes work that no one sees. Shore Shot has really become a family business. At first it was just me with inputs from the rest of my family, but now they play an active part in Shore Shot Archery’s growth and development.  I find that to work as a team, you need great communication and to understand where the other person is coming from. Because if you can’t talk about a problem then its doesn’t get solved and it can’t grow into something bigger. My family has always been good at communicating with each other and I think this is one of the aspects that is driving Shore Shot’s success.

What has been your best day so far – either as an archer or a camera man?

For this question, I have one for both. As a camera man, it is great to capture that moment in someone’s shot where its complete poetry, it’s a work of art in itself. Then being able to share that with others all over the world via video just puts the cherry on top.  As an archer, my best days are either when I am struggling and figure out a solution which leads to great shooting or when I am just shooting well. You know when that shot, whether it’s mine or someone else’s, is just pure poetry, that’s what makes the best days for me.

Where can people find your videos?

You can find my videos on my YouTube Channel Shore Shot Archery. I also post the videos on Shore Shot Archery Facebook and the behind the scenes clips and things I am up to on my Instagram anthonyarchery720.

Got Mojo? Eric & Tracy Yost of Yost Archery Products

You both shoot in the barebow category at multiple archery events and work together with Yost Archery Products; what advice might you have for couples looking to share this sport together, either on or off the field?  What do you to keep the competition friendly and the teamwork intact?

 Definitely get into archery together—if you don’t want to be sitting around waiting on your spouse.  Archery can take up a lot of time, and when you are both shooting,  you look forward to spending that time together.  Plus watching your partner hit a goal makes you proud of them. And you get to witness it instead of hearing about it.  Most things between Eric and I become a competition as we are both pretty competitive.  In archery, my goal is to beat him, and he knows that. We will talk smack to each other throughout the shoot, but we will also say good shot or say fix this, do this, and encourage each other along the way too. The teamwork is to see each other succeed at archery. That is the ultimate goal we both want.

 What advice could you give someone looking to get started in barebow archery?

Get ready to have fun and work! It is very rewarding to shoot barebow. Shooting barebow really makes you accountable for each shot. As it really focuses on your form.  

Got Mojo appears at the Yost motto—how do you define mojo? What makes for a great day of shooting for either of you?

Mojo- Magic and Awesomeness.  Everyday we get to go shoot makes for a great day of shooting. We love to spend the day outside with our son,  family and friends. We are fortunate to have a great local barebow community that we get to shoot with fairly often. Eric’s side of the family has many traditional archers, and we try to shoot together as much as possible.

Yost Archery Products is one of the biggest innovators around for barebow archery.  What are some of the products you have designed?  Where do your ideas come from?  Is there anything new on the horizon?

 Eric came up with the designs of the products. I designed the website and do the marketing and business practices. Our ideas come from our love of the sport, our experiences, and how we can improve a product. We strive for innovative and superior quality products.  We have new designs  currently in development and are hoping to have them in production by next year.  

Meet Todd Mead: Archer, Bowhunter, Author

What are the ingredients for a great day in archery for you?

A great day in archery for me consists of being able to shoot arrows. After having reconstructive shoulder surgery in which I was told I would never shoot a bow again by three different orthopedic surgeons, I'm just happy to be able to compete and shoot my bow. There are many other things that go along with that, but I never realized how fortunate most archers are just to be able to draw their bows and shoot them. 

What techniques do you use for judging distance?  How do you get ready for an IBO style tournament?

I use a lot of different techniques to judge yardage. My go-to method consists of an average of three guesses. I walk to the target and get a first impression. After that, I look at the ground in front of me and imagine how many steps it would take me to get to the target. When I have those two numbers stored in my brain, I find something that is 10 yards in front of me. Once I find that, I picture 10-yard increments from that point. If there's not enough yardage to make it to 10 on the last stage, I figure out how many are there. So in the end, I have three guesses: 44 yards, 40 yards and 42 yards. I set my sight for 42 because it's the average of the three guesses. This will usually get you close, providing you're good at estimating distance. 

 What piece of equipment is on your must have list?

I can't go on the range without my bow, arrows or release, but I also would not go on the range without my binoculars. Binoculars make it easier to see where I want to hit, and they confirm where my arrows are landing. (AAoA Members note—we have great deals with Vortex Optics and the Total Optics Shop.)

You marry your passion for archery with your love of writing.  What do you like to write about?  What do you think archery and writing share?  How can people find your writing?

A long time ago, I attended the Outdoor Writers of America Conference and an editor from Outdoor Life discussed his successes and failures. Since I had always done personal narratives, I wanted to know what he would suggest if someone wanted to tackle a novel. His answer was simple: write about the things that you know; the things that bring you happiness. Thinking about it, it made perfect sense. I love writing about things that give me a sense of familiarity. I spend a lot of time in the outdoors doing the things I love, and I find it easy to write about those things. In the past, I've been successful with poetry, and I have dabbled with editorial type entries on a blog that has received feedback from readers across the globe. That alone has been mind-boggling, especially when I'm sharing my journey, and someone else tells me that whatever I wrote about comforted them to know there was another person who was in the same place. Archery and writing might not share the same thing for everyone, so I can only answer from my biased point of view.

Although I'm not an introvert, I have always been a loner with my thoughts. I've always been a good listener but not much of a talker. When I shoot my bow, I do it to let my mind go numb. I focus 100% on the task at hand, and I let my mind to what it wants to do. I encounter many types of situations while shooting. My mind is completely quiet on some days, while on others it's in overdrive. I let the thoughts come and go while focusing on what I'm doing, much like people who meditate. Writing is the same in many ways. When I sit down to write about something, I usually have an idea where I want to end up. However, I don't force things, just as I don't force shots in archery, and I let my mind take me wherever it wants me to go. I'm not sure if I really answered the question, but archery and writing both allow my mind to be free. When I'm doing those things, I'm doing them on my own time. It's important to pay attention to detail in both hobbies if you want to achieve goals. Both hobbies allow me to set goals and achieve them.

They have also shown me that the mind is incredibly powerful. When we are able to allow the subconscious mind to do things, they become much easier and more fluent. When we fight back and get involved in a wrestling match with the conscious mind, things become more difficult. Archery and writing have allowed me to find a happy place in that world. Being a member of the New York State Outdoor Writers Association, I have writing that has appeared in many places, so it can be found in many magazines, in papers and on websites. The easiest place to find things would be to visit my website or my archery blog: www.toddmead.com or https://angryarcher.blogspot.com

Meet Lesley Winker of First Flight Archery

Lesley shoots all forms of archery from field to 3D to World Archery Target Indoor and Outdoor! She even represented the USA at the ROBION 2017 WORLD ARCHERY 3D CHAMPIONSHIPS.

How did you get started in archery?

My husband, John, got me started in archery. He got into archery for bow hunting originally in Tennessee around 2007. Then we moved to PA, and he found that there was more to archery than just bow hunting. He quickly became obsessed and was gone a lot either practicing, hunting, shooting league, or tournaments. I felt left out. So, he bought me a used bow online, and I began to take lessons from Doug Williams at Kinsey's in 2009. Soon, Doug suggested that if I was to continue to improve, I needed to upgrade my equipment. So, John bought me a Hoyt Kobalt, and the rest is history!

What has been your best moment as a shop owner for First Flight Archery?

Honestly, there isn't just one moment. I have great moments in the shop on a monthly basis. These moments happen when I'm coaching. One moment that stands out recently was during a lesson with a deaf couple. I knew that the lesson was going to test my coaching abilities as I had not coached anyone with hearing difficulties. I relied heavily on direct eye contact, slowing my speech down, and more demonstration than I normally employ. The gentleman was not only deaf but unsteady on his feet. So, I had to adapt his teachings to a chair also. We had SO much fun in this lesson. The couple smiled, clapped, and took pictures. They even bought First Flight Archery T-shirts on their way out of the shop. When individuals, like this couple, come in for lesson, have a blast learning, and leave happy, these are the moments that make being a shop owner a great experience.

Lesley and some of her JOAD crew from First Flight Archery

I recently saw you picked up bare bow, and your husband, John, did too. What have you experienced with this switch? Do you have new goals for yourself?

Let me begin by saying that bare bow is NOT easy. But, there is a simplicity to bare bow that I don't feel with my compound shooting. I feel like it's quicker and easier to go pick up my bare bow and start shooting than with my compound. Then, at the same time, it's more complex. The body alignment feels tighter to me, the shooting is more of a feel, and finding consistent string blur is a fight. When I shot compound, I would NEVER look up scores. I guess I just knew that I had to shoot 295 or better to be competitive. Yet, now with bare bow. I'm looking up scores to see what I need to shoot to be in the top 5 or top 10 depending on the tournament. Consequently, there are goals arising already. My practice has increased as well as my journaling. It's a brand new world that holds new challenges. At this moment, bare bow is making my archery less of struggle and fun again.

Lesley rocks the Yost Products finger tab—use your AAoA discount code to get one for yourself.

$50 Payout for Members with a First Place Win at ASA Winter CanAm Classic March 7-10th.

The Archers Association of America will offer $50 contingency to for a Association Member's first place finish in the eligible divisions at the Winter CanAm Classic in Syracuse NY on March 7-10th 2019.

These eligible divisions include: Men’s Known Pro, Women’s Known Pro, Senior Known Pro, Men’s Known 50 Open, Men’s Known 40 Open, Men’s Hunter, Women’s Known 45 Open, Women’s Hunter, Men’s Senior Known, Senior Women’s Known, Senior Hunter, Barebow.

Membership in the AAoA must be valid prior to 3:00pm EST on Saturday, 9 March 2019 to be eligible to receive contingency for a first place flight finish.

You can join or renew here at https://archersassociation.org/new-members-index

We wish all of our Members good luck! Shoot straight, and have a great time!

—Avram & Brandi Granett

Rules:

1. To be eligible for contingency, competitors must be a paid member in good standing with the Archers Association of America by 3:00PM on Saturday, 9 March 2019.

2. Eligible divisions include: Men’s Known Pro, Women’s Known Pro, Senior Known Pro, Men’s Known 50 Open, Men’s Known 40 Open, Men’s Hunter, Women’s Known 45 Open, Women’s Hunter, Men’s Senior Known, Senior Women’s Known, Senior Hunter, Barebow .

3. There must be at least ten (10) competitors registered in any contingency-eligible flight to qualify for payment in that flight.

4. Only a first place win by an Association member in good standing (as of by 3:00pm EST on Saturday, 9 March 2019) in an eligible division will be qualified for contingency.

5. Email us at info@archersassociationofamerica.org to notify us of a first place win.

Archery Contingency Money Explained

Have you ever seen a pro archer struggle to hold up all of the big checks at the end of a major tournament?  Only one of those checks will be from the tournament itself.  The others may stem from contingency money.

Contingency money is money pledged by sponsors and manufacturers for athletes that met certain standards or contractual obligations while winning at tournaments eligible for contingency.  For example, the Easton Arrow Contingency Program requires archers to shoot their products, be members in good standing of the national organization, register at the booth before the tournament starts,  and in a shooting class with at least ten registrants.  Black Eagle arrows requires archers who wish to be eligible for contingency to shoot their product, wear a jersey or hat that features their logo the entire time, provide a podium photo, and at ASA and IBO tournaments to sign in at the booth before shooting. 

If you are attending a major event, it can be a good idea to check out the programs offered by different sponsors or manufacturers; you never know when it might be your turn to stand on the podium and smile with those big checks!

And remember, this year, the Archers Association of America is adding to these payouts with contingency on the line for members competing at the Vegas Shoot in the flight divisions.   Any AAoA member (in good standing as of 2/9 at 4:30PST) who ranks first in their flight will be eligible for $50 in contingency funds.  More about this contingency program can be founds on our website!

What are Flights at the Vegas Archery Shoot?

Anyone can win at the Vegas Shoot.  Yup, anyone.  Well maybe not in the Championship Open—that requires a score of 900 for all three days, or winning the Lucky Dog shoot off, and then making it through the big show on Sunday.  But for those of us registered in the Flights divisions—we all have a chance.

Archers sign up for a flight based on shooting style with divisions for: Bowhunter, Recurve Barebow, Recurve, Compound, Compound Limited, Crossbow Unlimited, Crossbow.  Archers in the flight divisions shoot as a group on Friday and Saturday.  Then on Saturday night, the flights, or groupings of approximately 30 archers, are announced.  Archers are slotted into flight by score, grouping like archers together.

Then on Sunday, the flighted archers compete in these smaller 30-shooter groups for ranking, and hopefully, the flight payout.  Payouts vary between the flights based on how many people are in your division overall and how high of a flight you ranked into.  This great system gives any registered archer a chance to be competitive among their peers while competing at the biggest indoor archery tournament on the calendar.

This year, the Archers Association of America is adding to these payouts with contingency on the line for members competing in flight divisions in The Vegas Shoot.   Any AAoA member (in good standing as of 2/9 at 4:30PST) who ranks first in their flight will be eligible for $50 in contingency funds.  More about this contingency program can be founds on our website!

Archers Association of America Announces Members' Contingency for Vegas

The Archers Association of America will offer $50 contingency to for a Association Member's first place finish in the eligible flights of The Vegas Shoot 2019.  

These flights include: Bowhunter flights, Recurve Barebow Flights, Recurve Flights, Compound Flights, Crossbow Unlimited Flights, Crossbow Flights, Compound Limited Flights for the adult divisions. Membership in the AAoA must be valid prior to 4:30pm PST on Saturday, 9 February 2019 to be eligible to receive contingency for a first place flight finish.

You can join or renew here at https://archersassociation.org/new-members-index

We wish all of our Members good luck! Shoot straight, and have a great time!

—Avram & Brandi Granett

Rules:

1. To be eligible for contingency, competitors must be a paid member in good standing with the Archers Association of America by 4:30pm PST on Saturday, 9 February 2019.

2. Eligible flights: Bowhunter flights, Recurve Barebow Flights, Recurve Flights, Compound Flights, Crossbow Unlimited Flights, Crossbow Flights, Compound Limited Flights.

3. There must be at least ten (10) competitors registered in any contingency-eligible flight to qualify for payment in that flight.

4. Only a first place win by an Association member in good standing (as of by 4:30pm PST on Saturday, 9 February 2019) in an eligible flight will be qualified for contingency.

5. Email us at info@archersassociationofamerica.org to notify us of a first place win.

Archery & Cold Season

You start to feel it on Friday night after work, a tickle in your throat.  Then Saturday you start to sneeze. By Sunday, you feel like death warmed over.  But Sunday is your club shoot; the one day a week where you can shoot your bow and let everything else slide.  What can you do? For most of us, on a regular Sunday, we stay home, sleep in, and just hope to feel good enough to get back to work, but what happens if you get sick in February, you know, right before Vegas or in March before NFAA Indoor Nationals or some other tournament that you have been working toward and already laid the money out for?  How can you rescue the situation and get your arrows down range?

Sleep

First off, sleep makes everything better. It is when your body stops working and starts repairing.  Even though the bright lights of the Strip might be calling you, find your hotel room and get to sleep.  The more rest you have the stronger you will be for shooting.

Old Wives Tales--Try Em

People may scoff at the idea of chicken soup helping them get better, but the warm liquid opens congested passages, helps you to breath, and gives you easy nutrition at a time when you might not feel like eating.  Hot tea, especially ginger or peppermint, can also help to open up your airways.

Check Your Meds

For many of us our go to over the counter solutions for colds and flus might be out of reach at a tournament because of anti-doping policies.  Before you take anything, check out the product at the Global DRO website.

Sudafed for example is prohibited in competition:

Keep a Good Attitude

You may hear some legends floating around on the line about people putting up their best scores when they are under the weather.  There may be some truth to these legends. If you are over-thinking your shooting, you might just let those tens happen! So don’t let a cold or flu derail your mental game, and perhaps contemplate that you might just have given yourself an advantage.

And Finally Be A Good Sport

If you are feeling sick, don’t share it with everyone else.  You know the drill: wash your hands, cough into your elbow, fist bump or wave instead of shaking hands.  While we all want to win, doing so because you laid your competition low with a winter bug isn’t the way to go.

Vegas Shoot Discounts

The Archers Association of America has partnered with Tickets at Work to get archers deals on all sorts of entertainment and travel. One of the biggest deals we have found is for Vegas shows, experiences, and concerts—perfect for your downtime during the upcoming Vegas Shoot.

Here’s an example of a deal we found using the Tickets at Work system on Cirque Du Soleil Zumanity tickets.

If purchased directly from the casino, they would cost: $182.32 for two tickets.

Using Tickets at Work, these same two tickets would come to: $146.90.

To access this deal, log into the Members Area and go to the Vegas section. There you will find the details on how to sign up for Tickets At Work and how to access these great entertainment deals.

Lancaster Classic Time

It's the most wonderful time of the year....indoor archery season!!

The Lancaster Classic will be in full swing this weekend at the Spooky Nooks Sports Complex in Manheim, PA.  Over 1,000 archers of all ages will compete using the Lancaster format with 60 arrows where the X counts as an eleven for 660 total point round. 

After qualification, archers that make the cut will continue forward with head to head matches culminating in the shoot up format on Sunday.  Unique to Lancaster, the shoot-up matches the two lowest ranked archers in the bracket, with the winner moving up to face the next higher one.  So 7 and 8 shoot off, and the winner goes against 6.  They keep moving up the bracket until there is one final winner. 

A hallmark of Sunday's shoot-up is Lancaster Archery Supply's President, Rob Kaufhold interviewing archers in the middle of the round.  This unique format makes this tournament one of the best of the year.

For those you heading out to Pennsylvania, we wish you great luck; for those you at home, you can watch the live feed here:

https://www.youtube.com/user/lancarchery/live

Our members will find some local restaurant deals in the Members area of the newly revamped website.  We have deals at Fuddruckers, Lancaster Brewing Company, and Today's Pizza.  Just log in to the Members area to see those coupons.

May your arrows always find the middle,

Brandi, Avram, and Megan, Archers Association of America