Why you should try archery

Straight shooter

Click through the gallery to see more gear for the ultimate starter kit.

Samick Sage Take-Down recurve bow, $170, Tent City Outfitters.

Neet shooting glove, $12, Archer's Nook.

Vista Rebel Leather Side quiver, $30, Cabela's.

Blackout x5 envy arrows, $70/dozen, Trophy Taker field tip, $16/dozen, Bass Pro Shops.

Archery may be suddenly trendy (Katniss and Hawkeye both draw a fancy Hoyt bow), but little has actually changed since our hunter-gatherer days — it all still comes down to focus, strength and patience.

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In a sport where every millimetre counts, archery forces you to shut out distractions, keep a solid core and think about your form, says 24-year-old Georcy-Stéphanie Thiffeault Picard, Canada’s top-ranked archer, who will be competing at the Pan Am Games this month. “I forget all the other stuff in my life to focus on the target,” she says. “After shooting, I always feel lighter.”

Related stories: See what other Pan Am and Parapan Am athletes are saying