ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Robin Hood would be proud …and maybe a little overwhelmed if he were living in today’s world.

Back in his day, bows were straight and made out of yew or elm wood and the string was either gut or braided bark from trees and the arrows were flint.

Fast forward a couple hundred years and archery has become much more competitive and the equipment much more sophisticated, thanks to a resurgence of the sport in the 1970’s and it resurfacing as part of the 1972 Munich (Germany) Olympic games.

Because of it’s popularity, more and more people are getting involved and its even become part of schools’ extracurricular activities, which has teams competing all over the county.

And beginning Tuesday, July 5 from 5-9 p.m., archery enthusiasts can get their practice on as Campbell’s Hardware and Sporting Goods in Robertsdale will open their indoor archery range for anyone wanting to come out and have some fun.

“We opened up in August, 2010, and had a few people come out to practice but we wanted to do a lot more this summer and offer people more opportunities to actually compete with each other. Besides it’s air-conditioned and that is so much nicer than being out in the heat,” said Ben Selman, who has been Campbell’s bow technician for about a year now.

Housed in a 2,7000 square foot building right next door to the hardware store and giving plenty of space to shoot, Selman said they are expecting a large crowd to show up on Tuesday night. “There is not another indoor range within 50 miles of here and I think we will have a lot of people from all over Mobile and Baldwin County to come out. Depending on how well Tuesday nights go, we want to also open it up on select Saturdays from 2-8 p.m.”

At a cost of $10 for the hunting class and $15 for the open class, Selman, along with fellow bow technician Chris Nelson, will be giving archery tips and also having small tournaments for those who participate. “We want to make it fun for people and will have prize drawings for Campbell’s gif cards, depending on the participation, and people can call to reserve a space or they can just show up.”

Although bringing your own bow is preferred, one can be provided from the store and you don’t have to have any prior bow experience to participate. “Give us an hour and a half and we will have you shooting like a pro,” Selman said.

With a shooting range of 20 yards and four targets to shoot at, Selman said it takes about 45 minutes to shoot a round and four rounds can be completed in a night. “We also sell all the supplies needed at the store and can repair and answer all the questions you have about your bows as well.”

Living in Orange Beach since 1995 and graduating from Gulf Shores High School in 2008, Selman has been competing in tournaments since 2002 and during the summers goes to seven shoots all over the United States with ASA (Archery Shooters Association), based out of Kennesaw, Ga.

“I love doing this and have had three National title wins and lots of first and second place wins on the local and regional level. I compete against 100 people in most tournaments,” Selman explained.

The ASA began is 1993 and hosts thousands of amateur and professional events each year and has local chapters in 30 states with over 7,000 and 250 clubs, according to the ASA website.

In addition to having a passion for it, you also need the right equipment and everything-archery.com suggests many different bows and targets to choose from including:

-Traditional Longbow having a “D” shape and being about six feet tall

- Recurve bow- slight curve to increase power (Most Olympians use this one)

- Compound bow- uses cables and wheels to increase energy

There are also four types of targets:

- Bag targets- square or rectangular bags with multicolored circles and made from soft foam

- Cardboard- six to 16 inches wide

-Grass mat- made from natural materials like hay bales and weaved grass

-Foam- 3D archery uses these in the form of life-size objects and animals

Some other archery facts are:

- The recurve bow allows arrows that can be propelled in excess of 150 mph

- Bows are generally constructed of wood, fiberglass and graphite or carbon composites

- Bows have stabilizers to reduce torque (twisting) in the arrows upon release

- Bows have sights to aid in aiming and arrow rests to help align the shot

-Most strings are made of Fast Flight, a hydrocarbon product, or kevlar, the material used to make bulletproof vests

- Arrows are made of aluminum or carbon graphite

- Equipment costs (bows, arrows, accessories) will normally be over $1,000

For more information about the archery range or to reserve your space, contact Ben or Chris at Campbell’’s (251) 947-2291 or visit their website www.campbellsportinggoods.com or Facebook page.