Nw Technical Archery

Mike Whitfield founded NW Technical Archery in early 2023 after earning his Level 4 USA Archery Certification from Kisik Lee, head coach of the US Olympic Team. Before that, he spent five years managing a competitive archery program in Maryland, working with everything from wounded warriors to international hunters to youth tournament competitors.

Indoor Archery (Tacoma): Home base at Grit City Archery with an 18m/20-yard indoor range. Also partnered with Redline Athletics in Gig Harbor and Pen Met Parks for indoor season (October–April).

Outdoor Archery (Gig Harbor): Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club offers a 3D course and flat range out to 80m. This facility is open to the public outside class hours.

Classes serve archers from Port Orchard, Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Shelton, Vashon Island, Port Townsend, Renton, and Seattle.

Intro to Archery: New to the sport? This class gets you shooting safely within an hour. Rental bows ($5) included.

Intermediate & Advanced: Refine technique for tournaments or hunting. NWTA reserves advanced class spots for competition archers and established bowhunters.

Olympic Recurve, Compound, and Barebow/Traditional: All styles covered. Instructors shoot multiple styles and can coach what you want to learn.

How to Buy a Bow: A 3-hour seminar covering bow styles, measuring for fit, understanding arrow spine charts, and selecting gear for your specific goals. Hands-on with multiple bows at different draw weights. Capped at 15 students.

USA Archery Level 1 & 2 Instructor Certifications: For coaches, camp leaders, and anyone wanting to teach. Covers NTS (National Training System)—the biomechanically efficient 11-step shooting process used by USA Archery. Level 1 is 4 hours; Level 2 is 8 hours. Minimum 8 students.

All instructors are USA Archery Safe Sport trained with background screening.

Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) is for archers 8–20 years old. Adult Archery Program (AAP) is for adults. Members compete in local and regional tournaments, and can earn seats on USA Archery youth world teams. Recurve archers can try out for the US Olympic Team. Membership includes insurance, tournament access, and national ranking.

• •Developmental focus: One of the few structured developmental programs in the Puget Sound region
• •Coaching lineage: Mike trained under Don Branson (Illinois state-level coach) and George Bennett, then earned Level 4 from the Olympic team's head coach
• •Track record: NWTA archers hold state records and have competed internationally
• •Inclusive environment: Intentional effort to welcome women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ archers
• •Hands-on instruction: Classes emphasize biomechanical efficiency and individual feedback, not just shooting volume

Rental Bows: $5 per person, per lesson. No bow required for your first class.

Class Schedule: Currently Saturday afternoons/evenings in Gig Harbor. One month advance booking due to venue coordination.

Cancellation Policy: Full refund if cancelled 24+ hours in advance. No refund for cancellations within 24 hours or no-shows.

What to Bring: Closed-toe shoes, comfortable clothes, long hair tied back. Remove upper body piercings if they might catch the bowstring. A waiver will be provided on-site.

Gift Certificates: Available and redeemable online during checkout.