• FIRST, contact Archery Instructor Tim Jeung (contact information HERE) to schedule classes and discuss how the class can be tailored to your needs. Classes will most likely take place at the Archery Only range in Newark, CA (pending approval) OR the Black Mountain Bowman range in San Jose, CA (additional $5 per lesson as a range maintenance donation encouraged).
  
  

• SECOND, identify  your skill level. Archers of all skills levels (even no prior skills) can sign up for a 1:1 class, although its encouraged to have already taken a beginner group class or something like that beforehand so you have a better idea of what you'll be getting into/what you want to do with the sport.
  
  

• THIRD, determine the length of the class you want. This is in terms of how long each class is, how many sessions you want to have (this can be unlimited based on the instructor schedule...), and what milestones you want to reach within certain time-frames. Your instructor will assist you in finding the best schedule for you. As classes are by the half-hour (30-minute), you can choose for your class to be as short as 30 minutes or as long as 1 hour and 30 minutes. It is recommended to at LEAST have an hour of instruction per session to get the most out of your time.
  
  

• FOURTH, attend your first few classes. The instructor has very basic training equipment you can use to get used to the feeling of a bow, however it is HIGHLY recommended to have your own gear already or obtain equipment ASAP. You can discuss gear with your instructor before or after your first lesson.

(Keep in mind that lessons offered by Instructor Tim are BAREBOW/TRADITIONAL styles only. Olympic Recurve archers may create a lesson plan with the instructor as well, however his primary discipline and area of expertise is not shooting with a sight/stabilizers.

To succeed and get the most out of these private lessons, be sure to have (or intend to buy ASAP) the following items:

• YOUR OWN BOW
  Lessons will go much more smoothly if you have your own bow, as you can train and learn with your own equipment rather than having to train with a bow you will not use in the long-term on your own/when lessons become more advanced. A bow should be customized and fitted to the archer to reduce injury, increase consistency and accuracy, and to cater to the archer's needs and intentions with it.

• YOUR OWN ARROWS
  Like the bow, you should have your own arrows. Arrows should be customized to the archer's specifications to rule out any equipment issues that may arise when focusing on things like accuracy and consistency. If you have your own arrows, you should also obtain a quiver. Many simple target quivers can be purchased online or at pro-shops for around $10 or less.

• YOUR OWN SAFETY EQUIPMENT
  Please purchase your own ARMGUARD and FINGERTAB/GLOVE. The armguard should be comfortable to wear and be sized correctly to cover any exposed part of your arm that you may consistently hit. (For archers with very flexible/overextending elbows, a long armguard that bends at the elbow joint would be best.) Your fingertab/glove should be well-fitting and not leave any excess material at the tips of your fingers to ensure a clean release.

• WELL-FITTING CLOTHES
  When attending lessons, try to avoid wearing baggy clothing such as rain/puffer jackets, shirts/jackets with large collars, and large hats. Wear comfortable shoes that you can stand/walk in for long periods of time and AVOID high-heels as it may cause balance issues when handling higher-poundage bows. Please also bring close-toed shoes, as many ranges do not allow archers to wear sandals, slides, etc. For outdoor ranges, it is HIGHLY recommended to bring shoes with good tread, as some ranges can be muddy/slippery.

No matter how many classes you choose to sign up for, all of them will follow a basic progression path.

1. Working on STANCE.
Your stance is your foundation of your shot. If your stance is not proper, the rest of your shot cycle will be ruined.

2. Working on NOCKING THE ARROW.
Properly nocking the arrow on the string and learning how to do it quickly and safely will improve consistency of your shots and will also ensure valuable time is not wasted on this stage, especially if you are training to attend tournaments/competitions where archers have a limited time to shoot each end.

3. Working on HOOK & GRIP.
How you hold the bow and grip the string will greatly impact your entire shot cycle from properly drawing the bow to having a clean release.

4. Working on MINDSET.
Before you draw back the bow or even lift your arms up, you need to ensure you have a clear mind. You should feel the bow comfortably in your hands and the string lightly pressed on your fingers. This is the time to begin ignoring all distractions and begin focusing on the shot. Having a good mindset will help you concentrate on the shot and will greatly improve everything about what you do next.

5. Working on SET-UP.
This is sometimes called the "pre-draw" stage, where you are adjusting and preparing your body to handle drawing the weight of the bow back properly. Doing this properly will help stabilize your body and ensure that your body has good alignment with the target as your draw the bow back.

6. Working on DRAWING:
At this stage, you'll be drawing the bow completely back to your anchor point. You will need to ensure your arm, shoulder, and chest positions are all perfect to ensure that the bow is properly drawn without causing injury or adding unnecessary tension in your muscles.

7. Working on ANCHOR:
Your anchor is crucial in ensuring consistent and accurate shots. This anchor should place the entire length of the arrow in front of your aiming eye, lined up with the center of the target. This anchor should also be at an easy-to-find place on your face that ensures that you are pulling back the bow to the same exact length for every single shot.

8.  Working on TRANSFER & HOLD:
Once you are at your anchor point, you should continue to focus on aligning your upper body in line with the target to ensure the arrow flies perfectly straight out of the bow. Also, to help you hold the weight of the bow back, you will begin to transfer the weight of the bow from your arm muscles to your bone structure. 

9. Working on AIMING & EXPANDING:
This stage consists of small internal movements as well as shifting your focus more towards aiming. Up until this point, the archer should have their focus on properly setting themselves up and drawing the bow fully. Now, the archer uses either their sight/arrow/whatever preferred aiming method to line up the shot. While doing this, the archer should ensure they're expanding their upper body fully so the bow is fully drawn back to its full potential, and to a consistent point each time.

10. Working on RELEASE:
The release is a very important part of the shot cycle because having a bad release could result in a bad shot, even if everything is met and perfect beforehand. Your fingers should leave the string at the same exact time to ensure a clean release from the string, and the hand should be moving straight back, in-line with the target and the arrow.

11. Working on FOLLOW THROUGH:
After you feel the string leave your fingers, you still need to ensure that you're maintaining good posture and form until the arrow has reached the target. Any last-minute jerking motion or drop of the arms as the arrow is still traveling through the riser could alter the flight path of the arrow, affecting accuracy.