An Olympic recurve shooter, at some point or another, will employ, or try to employ, the use of a clicker. What is a clicker and why is it so important to Olympic recurve shooters?

A clicker is a simple device used to indicate when a certain draw length is achieved. But it is so much more than that! In its most important use, it is a timing device to release the arrow.

It is also used to focus the mind on something other than the ‘gold’ scoring area, in those shooters who have acquired target panic. If the mind is occupied with the clicker and its use, the angst of aiming at the 10 ring is minimized.

Why should anyone use a clicker? At 70m, a couple of millimeters of draw length change could equate to a vertical miss of multiple scoring rings. And if you do not release the arrow on the ‘click’, the variation from shot to shot can be quite significant. So….draw length and timing. The best archers in the world have the quickest reaction time to ‘click’ and release.

At what time should a clicker be added to the bow? There is debate about this in the coaching community, but I prefer adding a clicker when an archer has been able to stabilize their anchor point and more or less make the same shot from arrow to arrow. Additionally, I’ll immediately employ a clicker to a student who exhibits target panic.

The clicker is either mounted on the sight extension, or the riser. All of our younger, or new shooters will use a sight extension mounted clicker. This allows for the use of a longer arrow, which is important for continued growth and draw length changes of the archer.

The archer, along with their coach, or an experienced eye, will position the clicker very close to their draw length. They will then practice coming to anchor and actuating the clicker. There is much that can go wrong when first trying to use a clicker and having the eye of a coach to see what errors, if any, are being made, can cut down on the confusion and frustration of trying to learn.

As a coach I’ve seen the clicker used and abused many different ways. Get together with your coach to make sure you are employing this tool correctly. The clicker can propel your game to new heights, or frustrate you to the brink. It is not an option for a competitive Olympic recurve shooter, it is a necessity.