Former and current pros share three tips for shooting well indoors

It’s that time of the year again.

If you’re in one of the 70-odd countries where clocks went back this week, and the days are getting colder – or warmer if you’re in the southern hemisphere – you’ll know that the indoor season is upon us.

The 2027 Hyundai Indoor World Series kicks off this week with the Swiss Open Lausanne, following a packed outdoor schedule. For the world’s best young archers, however, the outdoor season is still not quite over, with the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games coming up.

After spending so much time shooting on ranges and in fields, in the rain and sun, and most importantly at 70 metres, how do archers prepare to shoot in sports halls, leisure centres and hotels at 18 metres?

We asked former recurve men’s and women’s Indoor World Series Champions Steve Wijler (2019 and 2023) and Michelle Kroppen (2024), along with current World Archery Excellence Centre coach Bernardo Oliveira, for three tips on how to make the transition from outdoors to indoors without affecting performance, despite the differences between the two disciplines.

1. Tune your bow – or not

Bernardo: “Arrows are the first thing you’re switching to – the wide, indoor ones – but I’d really experiment with different sight pins, apertures, etc.”

“Have options at hand and get used to making changes on the go if needed. Every hall has different lighting conditions, and in some of them your sight pin can almost disappear!”

Steve: “My tips and tops for indoors are to tune your bow so it aims the best. For me, it always works best when I can aim spot on.”

“I have always shot my X10 setup just to have a bow that is familiar with what you are shooting all year long. I really enjoyed the fast arrows, especially during the long days indoors. I always had fewer low arrows because the carbon is just fast.”

Michelle: “I am not completely changing my bow, as I am shooting the exact same arrow for 70 metres as well as for 18 metres.”

“But I realised that some small changes can help me perform better. I always have to move my clicker a little bit more towards me because of the different angle.”

“Every time I change from 70 to 18 metres, I put a little bit more weight at the front of my stabiliser, as it helps me aim better. Something that might also be helpful is to try a different scope to see if maybe, with a different scope, you can aim better.”

2. Stick or twist your training methods?

Bernardo: “Funnily enough, I think adaptability is the name of the game. I know indoors there’s no changing weather or wind.”

“But each arrow is being shot at a slightly different angle, either up and down or even to the sides, as with the Vegas target. It is common to have a stronger and a weaker target.”

“So, playing around with the order in which you shoot at each target can be a strategy. What works best for you: starting or finishing with your strongest target? It’s up to you to try and find out.”

“Besides, I feel indoors aiming has a bigger weight on the results. The arrows tend to go more where you’re aiming, so you can’t afford to be careless with where your sight is at the moment the shot breaks.”

Steve: “When it was indoor season, I always kept training at 70 metres and just two days before competition I started shooting at 18.”

“The biggest difference for me was that at 18 metres I was always scoring. At 70 metres, I sometimes also just shot for technique, but at 18 metres I absolutely couldn’t care less about technique.”

“The only thing that mattered was hitting the 10. That was something I wanted to get my whole body ready for. That is why I was always scoring, even with no warm-up, just training to be ready.”

Michelle: “I am definitely scoring even more than outdoors. Of course, you always want to shoot a 30, but indoors, especially in the matches, you really need 30s to get at least one set point.”

“So, while my outdoor training is very, very variable, indoors it’s even more about pressure training. But apart from that, I use the same training tools that I’m using outdoors as well.”

3. How to find balance and concentration

Bernardo: “I say go back to the basics. Good stance, strong and stable posture. Strengthening and conditioning isn’t a bad idea, no matter what you do: indoors, outdoors, field, you name it.”

“Now, concentration is a different one. The short 18 metres leaves less time for unwinding between ends. Every person has their own strategy, but I recommend speaking and having a laugh with whoever’s with you to relax a bit between ends!”

Steve: “I think I agree with Marc [Dellenbach] regarding losing technique over the indoor season, but for me that was worth the trade.”

“The only thing I focused on was my release, to have it crisp and clear, which is what I said about aiming. As I can conclude from my indoor career, it was pretty basic: aim at the middle, have a good, fast release and it simply must be good.”

Michelle: “I think it’s always helpful to make the shot even more difficult than it will be in a competition – shooting some arrows while standing on a balance pad, for example, and trying to find out which part of the shot you’re struggling with. Then, unfortunately, it’s all about working on that.”

“But I think 18 metres is kind of helping you see your mistakes, because the only reason for not hitting the 10, apart from aiming, is a technical mistake, while at 70 metres you have other influences, like wind, that can affect the arrow.”