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#811: 2x Olympic Archery Medalist Jake Kaminski — Lessons Learned and Mantras Used After 1,000,000 Arrows

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May 14, 2025

Guest

Jake Kaminski

Jake Kaminski, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in archery and member of the US Archery Team, shares fascinating insights into the world of high-performance sport. He dives into the mental and technical aspects of archery, discussing the importance of consistency and mindset for success. Listeners learn about unconventional training techniques and the evolution of his journey from compound to recurve archery. Additionally, Kaminski introduces the Backyard Championships, aiming to make archery accessible and fun for all. Tune in for engaging stories and expert advice!

02:50:06

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Episode notes

00:00 / 00:00

Jake's Archery Beginning

Jake Kaminski started archery at age six after his dad won a bow in a raffle and bought him a kid's bow.
His first arrow hit dead center of the target, sparking his lifelong passion for archery.

00:00 / 00:00

Archery as Mental Escape

Jake found archery a meditative escape that helped clear his mind and focus.
He chose the hardest practice conditions to make competition feel easier and foster mental toughness.

00:00 / 00:00

Radical Change Before Championship

Two weeks before Junior Worlds, Coach Lee radically changed Jake's form and equipment.
His scores plummeted to the worst ever, requiring years to rebuild his performance.

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02:00 • 4min

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The Art and Science of Olympic Archery

06:14 • 12min

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The Journey Begins: Archery and Its Meditative Qualities

18:38 • 16min

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Unconventional Archery Training and Essential Resources

35:03 • 2min

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Journey Through Archery: Overcoming Challenges

37:09 • 18min

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Mindset and Mastery in Archery

55:10 • 12min

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Mastering Archery: Techniques and Teamwork

01:07:31 • 24min

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Mastering Archery Mechanics and Mental Focus

01:31:57 • 24min

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The Art and Science of Archery Scoring

01:55:37 • 7min

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Archery Training and Nutritional Strategies

02:02:45 • 5min

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Mastering Competition Prep in Archery

02:07:46 • 6min

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Blueprint for Archery Success

02:13:35 • 3min

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Mastering Mindset and Consistency in Archery

02:16:47 • 19min

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Introducing the Backyard Championships: A Digital Archery Tournament

02:35:51 • 4min

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Exploring the Backyard Championship

02:39:54 • 5min

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Reflections on Kindness and Introductions to Exciting Offerings

02:44:32 • 6min

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The 4-Hour Chef

The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life

Tim Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Chef', Tim Ferriss uses cooking as a vehicle to teach 'meta-learning', a step-by-step process for mastering any skill quickly. The book is divided into five sections: Meta-Learning, The Domestic, The Wild, The Scientist, and The Professional. It includes tips and stories from world-class chefs, athletes, and other experts, and focuses on overcoming common obstacles in learning and cooking. The book aims to make readers self-sufficient in the kitchen and in life, applying principles of failure points and margin of safety to ensure success.

Jake Kaminski is a two-time Olympic silver medalist in archery and a longtime member of the US Archery Team. He runs a successful YouTube channel, writes training guides, and develops high-performance gear under the Kaminski Archery brand. Sign up for the Kaminski Archery Backyard Championship here.

Sponsors:

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Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Start.

[00:06:50] A glimpse into the high-precision world of Olympic archery.

[00:11:04] How Jake and I connected.

[00:18:27] Jake’s auspicious introduction to archery.

[00:21:15] Why you (Yes! You!) should try archery.

[00:22:01] The differences between bows.

[00:25:19] The admirable proficiency of Shot IQ’s Bodie and Joel Turner.

[00:26:24] Ethical bow hunting, performing under pressure, and transitioning from rifle to bow.

[00:29:22] Why I wouldn’t have cut it as a competitive archer in Korea.

[00:30:14] Mindful archery and training hard to make competition easy.

[00:37:00] What Jake did when compound bow archery started to get boring.

[00:40:00] Meeting legendary Coach Kisik Lee (KSL).

[00:43:06] The upsides of having no social life as a kid.

[00:45:20] The welcoming weirdness of archery communities.

[00:46:33] For the sake of form, Coach Lee shakes things up.

[00:51:21] “I am.” — an affirmation for apathy adjustment.

[00:58:11] London, 2012 Olypmics: when it all starts coming together.

[01:08:28] How does teamwork play out in archery?

[01:15:40] My own experience with Coach Lee.

[01:19:23] The trials of training and traveling.

[01:27:33] Blank bale practice.

[01:31:14] Layering, biomechanics, and other early points of focus.

[01:33:03] The underrated importance of follow through.

[01:36:40] Coach Lee’s take on follow through vs. release.

[01:37:29] Gauging tension and intention as an instructor.

[01:38:52] Attention to grouping over hitting the bullseye.

[01:40:57] Making adaptations for physical limitations.

[01:43:30] The ups and downs of our patented “Jesus take the wheel” instinctive approach.

[01:46:24] Warm-up tournaments, barebowing, black bales, and string walking.

[01:50:54] Recovering from the disaster that made me rethink Lancaster.

[01:55:15] Rebalancing gear: arrows and arrow rests.

[02:00:50] The importance of practicing in tournament-like conditions.

[02:04:03] Securing convenient fuel.

[02:08:17] Lancaster preparation logistics (with special thanks to Heather Kaminski and Rick Simpson Oil).

[02:13:17] The glue that holds us together: note-taking and training logs.

[02:16:47] Even counterintuitive consistency is key.

[02:18:45] Our experience at Lancaster.

[02:28:00] “The goal is to do the least necessary, not the most possible.” — Henk Kraaijenhof

[02:31:44] Learning by observation and conversation on the practice range.

[02:35:35] What’s the Kaminski Archery Backyard Championship, and why should you get involved?

[02:40:30] How can you (and why should you) get started with archery today?

[02:42:48] Parting thoughts.

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