Jake-the-snake
01-26-2012, 07:54 PM
Well my days with Martin are shortening as I write this. Not because I hate their product, but because I was offered the opportunity I always wanted when I was younger. To become a pro-shooter, and work in a shop.
Warning: Long read...
I turn 20 years old this year, a young guy, I know. But my passion for bows and striving to become the best started when I was 12 and got my first bow. At first, I hated it. My dad was a crack shot (shot a Martin Fury? at the time) and I couldnt hit squat. one day I dropped my bow, after a poor 20 yard grouping, and said "F**k this". That was the only time my old man ever let me get away with swearing. He wanted to see me exceed at this sport, and give me the opportunity he never had. He picked my bow up, handed it to me, and said "We'll be here all day if you cant be patient with this". Well needless to say, I finally started to get the hang of it, and it gave me an incredible, unbelievable amount of patience for everything in life, and the next year I got a better and brand new bow. I kept getting better and better, as I researched tips and tricks, and learned my bow firsthand. At the age of 15 I started shooting the Hunters and Unlimited classes, as the junior classes were waaayyyy to easy for me. I kept on improving, and my name started to get out to some of the local areas. My first Martin was an 07 C4 cougar, which my brother still uses, then an 08 Firecat...I would win just about every tournament, and got my form and shot sequence down perfectly. I then got an offer at the age of 17 to be a shop shooter for Hoyt, and I shot for them for 2 years. I then quit that, and came back to the Martin family. Something about their bows and my whole family shooting them, was just a turn on for me. So this past year I got a custom 2010 Warthog, and an 07 SlayerX with the Nitrous X-system...both of which are tack drivers. I won a few tourneys and had high score for a league with the Slayer, and shot 3 deer last year with the Warthog. NOthing to complain about...However, I walked into a different shop in my area last year to give them a shot, to look around, and get my brothers bow tuned just right. Well the shop owner knew me from other times and always kinda hinted at me to give one of his bows a shot, but said "nope, im staying with Martin for now". 2 weeks ago, I walked in to get some D-loop string for my old mans drop away. we talked for a while, and gave me an offer I just cant turn down. To work at his shop, second in charge behind him, and to get my name out to a company. That company just happens to be Strothers. Well I shot all their new bows, and honestly guys, they are quite amazing. So I ordered myself a new SX-Rush.
Im not putting down Martin, and I actually still reccomend them more than any other bow when people ask what they should try. However, Ive finally been offered part of my dream, and Im not gonna let it get away. It sucks I cant do this for Martin, as we dont carry them (they just cant compete with the other companies we carry as of now, maybe next year im hoping!) but now I finally got my name out to a newer, reputable company, I get to help people, work on bows, do everything I dreamed of. I got the opportunity I always wished for, and it goes to show, hard work pays off.
So for now I will be a Strothers only guy, but I plan on sticking around here, and offering insight and advice when I can. Im hoping and working towards being a true pro-shooter in a year or two, and competeing in some of the big time events later on as well. I also hope to return once again to the Martin Family in the future.
Thank you to everyone on here who helped me out, and gave me advice.
Jake
Warning: Long read...
I turn 20 years old this year, a young guy, I know. But my passion for bows and striving to become the best started when I was 12 and got my first bow. At first, I hated it. My dad was a crack shot (shot a Martin Fury? at the time) and I couldnt hit squat. one day I dropped my bow, after a poor 20 yard grouping, and said "F**k this". That was the only time my old man ever let me get away with swearing. He wanted to see me exceed at this sport, and give me the opportunity he never had. He picked my bow up, handed it to me, and said "We'll be here all day if you cant be patient with this". Well needless to say, I finally started to get the hang of it, and it gave me an incredible, unbelievable amount of patience for everything in life, and the next year I got a better and brand new bow. I kept getting better and better, as I researched tips and tricks, and learned my bow firsthand. At the age of 15 I started shooting the Hunters and Unlimited classes, as the junior classes were waaayyyy to easy for me. I kept on improving, and my name started to get out to some of the local areas. My first Martin was an 07 C4 cougar, which my brother still uses, then an 08 Firecat...I would win just about every tournament, and got my form and shot sequence down perfectly. I then got an offer at the age of 17 to be a shop shooter for Hoyt, and I shot for them for 2 years. I then quit that, and came back to the Martin family. Something about their bows and my whole family shooting them, was just a turn on for me. So this past year I got a custom 2010 Warthog, and an 07 SlayerX with the Nitrous X-system...both of which are tack drivers. I won a few tourneys and had high score for a league with the Slayer, and shot 3 deer last year with the Warthog. NOthing to complain about...However, I walked into a different shop in my area last year to give them a shot, to look around, and get my brothers bow tuned just right. Well the shop owner knew me from other times and always kinda hinted at me to give one of his bows a shot, but said "nope, im staying with Martin for now". 2 weeks ago, I walked in to get some D-loop string for my old mans drop away. we talked for a while, and gave me an offer I just cant turn down. To work at his shop, second in charge behind him, and to get my name out to a company. That company just happens to be Strothers. Well I shot all their new bows, and honestly guys, they are quite amazing. So I ordered myself a new SX-Rush.
Im not putting down Martin, and I actually still reccomend them more than any other bow when people ask what they should try. However, Ive finally been offered part of my dream, and Im not gonna let it get away. It sucks I cant do this for Martin, as we dont carry them (they just cant compete with the other companies we carry as of now, maybe next year im hoping!) but now I finally got my name out to a newer, reputable company, I get to help people, work on bows, do everything I dreamed of. I got the opportunity I always wished for, and it goes to show, hard work pays off.
So for now I will be a Strothers only guy, but I plan on sticking around here, and offering insight and advice when I can. Im hoping and working towards being a true pro-shooter in a year or two, and competeing in some of the big time events later on as well. I also hope to return once again to the Martin Family in the future.
Thank you to everyone on here who helped me out, and gave me advice.
Jake