The Best Archery Apps

Archery apps help with the archery journey!

The world revolves around mobile phones and apps, archery is no different. Whether you have an android or apple phone, archery apps are available for you to use to help with your training, competitions. sight marks, and general progression within the sport.

Some apps are purely for android, some are purely for iOS and iPhones/iPads. Make sure you have an understanding of what you are after before searching for an archery app, just because there are so many and it might get confusing! There are many different mobile apps that can be used for different functions within archery, so making sure you pick the best app for what you want out of it will save time in the long run.

In this blog, we will be looking at the best apps for scoring, keeping track of practice sessions, archery score sheets, archery games, which can have custom rounds, graphs, everything that is needed in archery. Plus why the apps are important to help with progression, growth, and generally keeping track of your sport.

Different archery apps are useful for coaches and athletes, depending what they can offer. So, whether you are looking to progress as an athlete, or help your athlete as a coach, have a read of different apps and what they can offer.

How can apps help my archery?

Apps are modern day pen and paper. They keep all data (usually) on your phone and in one application. They can be used across different platforms, so maybe link up with a laptop or a tablet to see the data on a bigger screen.

The likelihood of having a smartphone over pen and paper is a lot higher now than it ever has. Having apps on the phone, for different purposes, means that you can have any information, record information, and knowledge in the palm of your hand.

Apps are usually very intuitive and will help your learning, progression, scoring, and video analysis. As an archer, as an athlete, this is very useful to be able to get a hold of. To be able to do all of this at any time, in any location, it will help your journey endlessly.

Using the App Store, Play Store, and Google Play also give reviews of each app that you download, provided others have reviewed it. Make sure to check the reviews match up to what you are looking for and the app will provide what you need.

When is the best time to use apps?

Using archery apps during your training, practice, physical training, arrow setup, bow setup, are all great times to use them. If you find that you can get distracted by being on your phone and might not want to use apps, then try turning your phone onto airplane mode and being offline, then you can use the apps without receiving messages or phone calls.

Apps can be used in training or competition

While setting up your bow, some apps will let you record the information and measurements you have changed and implemented to store it to reflect back on.

During a gym session, that will of course help and benefit your archery journey, the physical training can be logged, data put into graphs and analysis done on progress.

There is no set time during your archery journey to start using apps, it could be right at the beginning, part way through, or when you are competing and want to keep track of score results and practice sessions.

Type of apps

So, there are different types of apps available on android devices, apple devices and within the archery world. Some do require in-app purchases, so be aware of this before committing to an app.

In this next section, we will explore the different types of apps available to help with your progress within the sport. How they can benefit, what they are used for, and what special features to look out for.

Archery scoring apps

Starting with the obvious app, the scoring apps. Scoring is the main part of archery, it easily shows progression, the actual numerical reward when a good shot is made. Plus finding out different trends that occur during different situations, times of the day, etc. As briefly said above, using scoring apps is an easy way of keeping all of the records together, rather than paper scoresheets everywhere. Creating graphs from the data is also made easy as it is already electronic.

Archery scoring round on a phone

Firstly, what is the purpose of a scoring app? It is pretty obvious what a scoring app would do, supposedly. However, a lot of the scoring apps have more functions than just this.

Within a scoring app, there are usually capabilities to have your sight marks, saved scores, competition or practice scores, some have plotting capabilities. All of these can help with your archery journey. Being able to look back on previous scores, competition and training, with the plots of where all of the arrows go is super important.

Some scoring apps also give you classifications depending on your achieved score. This really helps to show your progression throughout your archery career. From beginner through to elite level, there are apps suitable for all levels of archers.

Scoring apps are useful tools to use in training sessions, as well as competitions. This can help show different scores depending on pressure levels that an athlete is going through.

The type of scoring apps that allow you to plot your arrows on a target face are the best. You can look back and see whether your arrows go high, low, left, right, and get a common trend to be able to work with. It can show over a scoring round how your arrows change, whether your shots get weaker over the shoot and therefore change position, etc.

It can also help to look back over time at how much more consistent the arrow groups get by looking back at the arrow plots. The ability to record scores, see groups, check round scores, and looking back over time is great to go through with your ArcheryUP instructor, checking everything is progressing at a pace that you are happy with.

What is available?

Here we shall give an app that is available on the play store and app store for archery scoring.

MyTargets Archery – This app was created by Mantis Tech and only available on Google Play and Android devices. The app itself has had over 100K downloads, and a 4.6 start rating. There are in-app purchases to be aware of, but overall, it gives everything you could want in an app, provided you have an Android.

A look at what myTargets scoring app looks like

Within the app, you can plot arrows, record scores, choose which target face you want to shoot, printed score sheets are available, track performance of individual arrows, check back on statistics. All in all, a very powerful training tool and archery app that we highly recommend.

Archery Recorder – This app is downloadable on the App Store and Apple devices. While it is quite basic in its functions, it gives what is needed at a basic level. Plotting arrows, recording scores, along with stating whether it is a practice session or competition.

Archery Recorder app

The app does have a tendency to close the current score sheet if it is not saved, just to be aware. But if used properly, scores are recorded and can be looked at at a later date if wanted. Personal Bests are clearly identifiable by a different color highlighting them in the list of scores. If you are looking at the full paid version, arrows can be analyzed like MyTargets and exported in a csv file.

Technical Archery Apps

Once you have been working with your ArcheryUP instructor for a while, you’ll know the basics to a great technique, how to set up a shot and execute it well. Technical archery apps will help perfect your technique, along with the help and guidance of your ArcheryUP instructor of course. Some apps will record your shot, then you play it back, add lines for analysis, shot timing, everything.

Using technical apps is a very highly valued tool. The apps will help show progression in your actual shot, how your technique has come along, and what you need to work on all at the same time (provided you keep the footage as and when you take it).

Being able to watch yourself shooting on playback is invaluable. You will be able to watch what you are doing, with your ArcheryUP instructor explaining certain things. This will give a better understanding of what you need to work on, what you are doing well, what needs changing.

A lot of the technical apps will allow screenshots to be taken and drawn on to compare shot to shot. Making sure that each shot is consistent, in line, each aspect of the shot is where it should be can help progression and learning.

What is available?

OnForm: Video Analysis App – While this app is designed for iPad and iPhone, it is a great tool for both archer and instruction. Your ArcheryUP instructor can use this app to analyze your technique, screenshot, draw over images, and compare elements of the shot at selected times.

OnForm: Video Analysis App view

This app allows technical feedback to happen, even when you cannot see your ArcheryUP instructor in person, it can be remote. So when you are training alone, your instructor can still help and then it can be worked on in the next session that you have. There are in-app purchases to be aware of as well.

iCLOO sports video analysis – Available on Google Play, this app has great functions such as multi-speed and reverse playback, along with slo-mo options. Draw tools are available within the app to be able to draw on videos, show comparisons, angles, and such to get a better feeling of what needs to be looked at within the video.

iCLOO sports video analysis view

With in-app purchases of between $1.49-$89.99, be very sure this is the right app for you. It does have a lot of features that will help you and your ArcheryUP instructor to build on your technique and progression within the sport.

Archery Competition Apps

World Archery has a couple of different apps, one being the Head-to-Head app. This allows you to find any elimination match at a World Archery event, choose an archer and simulate shooting against them. You will put in your scores and the scores of the archer and match you have picked will show up.

This will help grow your archery into the best archery it can be. It could be an Olympic match, a World Cup match, a World Championship match, simply use your scorecard to put into your scores and see if you could be the World Champion! Being able to ‘shoot’ against the world’s best archers and learn how to shoot better, shoot stronger, due to an app is great!

There is also a function to be able to challenge archers around the world to shoot matches. It can be used to shoot against anyone else that has the app.

A little tool that could help with competition prep is using a timer. USA Archery national tournaments will be on a strict time schedule, each end is timed, so being able to shoot all of your arrows under time pressure is essential. This does not have to be a fancy app, but there are some out there that can change the timers and help get into a rhythm. Learn about different competitions available in the target archery world here.

What is available?

Seconds Interval Timer – With this app being available on both Google Play and the App store, what more could we be looking for! With timing being a key part of competitions in archery, having an app that can help get a rhythm and timing in place is essential.

Seconds Interval Timer view

The app itself allows different intervals to be set, so the lead in time, 20 seconds per arrow, 30 seconds per arrow, etc. Or just a full end worth of time. It might be worth starting with a longer time to begin with, just to get used to being under time pressure, and then reduce it to the maximum time that is allowed during different competitions. This will help to learn how to pace your shots, your shot timing, and how long each end can be. Work with your ArcheryUP instructor about how to structure this into your training programme and regime. Check out our blog on how to create a training programme here.

World Archery Head2Head archery – Unlike the other apps we have spoken about, this app does not exactly analyze data as such. The purpose of this app is to pick a match from an international event and ‘shoot against it’. So you could be shooting against a top seed World Champion or Olympic Champion, or a 64th seed to see whether you would win or not.

World Archery Head2Head archery view

There is also a function to challenge archers around the world who use the app. It can be done in real time, or one can shoot hours after the other. It is a very easy and flexible app to use. But get to bring a competition element to practice sessions. Chat with your ArcheryUP instructor about what sort of level to shoot against to begin with, to avoid being demotivated shooting against someone like Brady Ellison when you have been shooting for a month.

Archery Game Apps

Archery Games are a great way to first get interested in the sport. Being able to hit the target, whether it is a hunting game, target archery game, recurve bow, compound bow, field archery, 3D archery, everything is available in game form.

Different apps will offer different benefits that could be taken into real life. Learning, progressing, having motivation and determination to keep going when things might get hard. It is important to remember that games will allow a lot more than real life. It is not ok to shoot people with a bow and arrow in real life. Some games might also have a bit too much blood and gore for younger children, so be aware of what is being played.

Archery has been around for most of human life, so being able to play games with them and evolve within the game could help with knowledge around the sport, as well as enjoyment and a different element to the sport.

Another loose connection to how archery games can help with the actual sport is concentration and focus. The sport itself (in real life), requires focus and concentration, this can be needed in games as well. So being able to improve focus and concentration through gaming, will come through into the actual sport while learning, competing and participating in it.

Have a look at our Archery Games blog that will show what games can be done with archery in real life to progress the skills, progress, and practice. Plus it will make archery sessions very enjoyable and bring different challenges to the practice sessions.

What is available?

Archery Club – The tag line for this app is “Play Archery with Real People”, and it does just that. Available on the App Store and Google Play, this multiplayer archery game allows real-time multiplayer simulation to defeat opponents around the world with exciting archery matches, upgrades on your equipment and many different venues around the world. You are able to pick which bow you use, recurve bow, compound, traditional, and play against or with other people.

Archery Club view

Dueling against other archers throughout the forest, wild west, country and university venues, you will fight to be the best archer and the champion. Winning matches will increase your skill and unlock new bow parts to improve your chances of winning.

While this is only a game, it does actually have some likeness to real life competitions. Not the dueling and battling, but winning matches helps improve mental game, knowledge, understanding of what it takes to win competitions and matches. Games like this, while not one hundred percent accurate, could help with some archery knowledge and growth that can be taken into real life. Plus it is fun to play games.

Archery Big Match – A free to play match play game. The goal is to hit the moving targets and get the highest score, with offline, multiplayer and levels within the game. It gives an element to be aware of, the wind.

Archery Big Match view

This helps the player be aware of the wind, left to right, up and down. Which can also be taken into real life situations while shooting. Being aware of the wind direction, gusts, etc, will help you be a better archer and progress a lot more than those who are not aware of it.

A leaderboard system is in place in this game, much like competitions throughout the US. Seeing where you are ranked simulates real life competition situations, putting pressure on yourself to improve, seeing your progression and improvements.

General apps that are helpful for archery

Some apps might not be archery specific that can be used, in fact, many built in and default apps on Android and Apple can come in handy. Using resources around you the are already out there is very powerful, and sometimes underestimated, to grow, learn and support your own training.

The weather app – this is essential to doing an outdoor sport. Knowing what clothing to wear to practice or competition, whether it is raining, cold, warm, sunny. Being prepared is essential to a great training session or competition. Different weather apps can also show what the wind will be like. The gusts, direction, all information that can help prepare better.

Notes – simple, yet effective. There are lots of notes that need to be made in archery. From sight marks, measurements, notes around technique, writing them down will help remember them and make sure the measurements do not get lost. Notes can also be shared with other people, like your ArcheryUP instructor, to be able to contribute, add, and compare notes.

Timer – if you do not want to download a separate app for timing, simply use the built in clock and timer setting. This can help, as said above, around timing of each end of arrows, keeping consistent and learning how long you can take to shoot your arrows.

Camera – the built in camera app is a very helpful tool. To be able to take videos and pictures to see progression, check what you are doing, learn with your instructor. While it is not as in-depth and dynamic as professional video comparison apps, limited analysis can be done using this app.

Different weather conditions effect archery

Social media – apps like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook can help teach different techniques, learn how the top archers shoot and compare yours and theirs. You can also promote yourself on social media, to build a following and in turn get sponsors to promote through your channels. Learning through other videos is a powerful tool that is underestimated. The world champions and Olympic champions are the best in the world, so why not watch videos of how they shoot? Learn how they train, what they are using in the archery world, and take it into your learning and progression. Use what is already out there and adapt it to yourself.

Google – while Google does not always have the right answer, it can help drastically. If you have a question, why not ask Google, the worst that can happen is you do not get the answer you need. If you are stuck on tuning and your ArcheryUP instructor is away, simply google it, learn through reading and finding out for yourself. It is important to note that your ArcheryUP instructor should approve and check any changes you want to make, because they are the ones who are teaching you, so work with them, not against them.

Fitness – archery is a sport at the end of the day, so why wouldn’t you want to know how your body functions during sessions. You can track your heart rate, steps taken, how you recover from stressful situations and learn from it. If you have a difficult match and you notice your heart rate lowers on the second end, try and understand why, and implement it into the first end of a match if possible.

Overall

So, from this article we have learnt that different apps have different ways of helping in your growth within archery. From games, timing apps, video analysis, there are so many different apps, not just the ones we have mentioned, out there to get your going and progressing.

It can be overwhelming when you start archery, but stick with it and you will get there!

Get started on your archery journey now!

There has never been a better time to start your archery journey, then now. Archery is a growing sport, with more opportunities than ever to get involved. ArcheryUP has instructors all around the US and will even come to your home to teach you. We work around your hours and are flexible to come and teach you the basics all the way up to competitive archery.

We can bring all equipment to you, help you set up equipment, support from afar, whatever suits your lifestyle, we are here to get you shooting!

If you are a complete beginner, check out our Archery for Beginners blog post here. Looking for a new bow, but do not know where to start? We have you covered with our ultimate guide to buying your first bow!

Get in touch today and we can get you up and shooting in no time!

Mimi Landstrom

I have shot since the age of 7, after starting archery at a summer camp. As a junior I won National and county titles, whilst breaking county records throughout the years. As a senior, I still compete at a national level and travel to compete at the Indoor World Series.  After university I went to Summer Camp in Pennsylvania, Camp Westmont. I taught summer to all ages throughout the summer and loved every second!  Being able to stand on the shooting line and have myself, my bow and arrow is my idea of heaven. It’s peaceful, calming and an escape from work and life stresses.