Archery Unit Review

History:
Archery has played an important role in both history and in legend. Recorded history
indicates that the Egyptians discovered that the arrow could effectively outrange the
slingshot and the spear for use in warfare. Until the invention of the firearm in the 16 th
century, the bow was the weapon of first choice. Archery has also been important in the
legends of Robin Hood, William Tell, and Hiawatha.
In England, archery was first advanced as a sport by the Royal Toxophilite society in 1790.
In 1844, the first championship contest was organized by the Grand National, which is
today the most important archery group in the British Isles. In the U.S., the first archery
tournament was held in 1879 in Chicago under the auspices of the National Archery
Association of the United States.
Equipment:
Equipment for archery is quite simple and includes a target boss and face, a bow and
arrows and option quiver, finger and arm guards. Bows come in three different designs:
Straight or longbow
Compound

Recurve

Straight: When unstrung, straight bows have no natural curves in the fiberglass or wood.
Because of this, the string vibrates when it is released.
Recurve: These bows have curves at each end and these help to absorb string vibration
after the release. The arrows fly more smoothly.

Compound: These bows are fitted with pulleys through which the string is pulled and they
can exert greater force on the arrow than the force applied by the athlete. The force is also
less at a full drawn position, so that the string is easy to hold and aim but the arrow
increases in speed as it is pushed b y the string. For this reason, compound bows are a
greater advantage for longer distance shooting or weaker athletes.
Stringing the Bow:
To string a bow, the lower end of the bow (with string already attached) is placed in front
of one ankle. The athlete then steps in front of the center of the bow with feet at
approximately shoulder width apart. The bow is bent forward with the hands and the string
is slipped into the upper nock. When the bow is strung, the string should be at least 6
inches from the handle of the bow. A common fault in stringing bows is to push the lower
end of the bow into the ground.
Stance:
If you are right handed, you should stand sideways at the shooting line with your left
shoulder towards the target. Feet should be comfortably apart with weight even on both
feet. If the stance is not a full 90 degrees, the string will either be more difficult to draw, or
the arrow will fly to the left of the target.
Nocking:
Nocking refers to placing the arrow on the bow with the string in the nock or slit at the end
of the arrow. This can be done with the bow held horizontally at the side, the back of the
hand up and the bowstring towards the body. The arrow is rested on the bow above the
arrow rest and the arrow nock is pulled into the string. The cock feather must be up or
away from the bows o that it is not sheared from the arrow after release. With one finger
above the arrow and three below the arrow, the position on the string can be adjusted. It
should be perpendicular or slightly higher than perpendicular to the string.

Shooting:
To keep the arrow resting on the left side of the grip (the arrow rest), it is sometimes
helpful to turn the bow to the 1 oclock position. The right hand is drawn across the chest
horizontally with the wrist straight. The hand anchors the string along the nose, lips, and
chin and holds the position while the athlete aims. Aiming can be done with the aid of a
mark on the belly of the upper limb of the bow. When the mark is centered on the bullseye, the arrow is released. The release is done smoothly by the fingers of the right hand
slowly straightening. If the string scrapes against the skin of the left arm, the problem can
be solved by rotating the arm clockwise before the release or providing a leather or
cardboard arm guard.
Scoring:
Targets are usually 48 inches in diameter and have 5 concentric circles. Many have a thin
white line in the center of each color band. If the white lines are absent, the colors score
9,7,5,3, and 1 point from the center to periphery. If the white lines are present, the scores
can be read from 10 down to 1. Any arrow that touches the edge of a higher scoring
section is given that higher score. An end consists of 6 shots.

TERMS
Addressing the target- Assuming the proper stance; ready to shoot. Feet should
straddle the shooting line
Anchor point- A definite point on ones face to which the hand is brought on the draw
Arm guard- A protective cover for the lower part of the bow arm
Arrow rest- A finger placed on the bow where the arrow rests when shooting
Back- The side of the bow away from the body and facing the target
Belly- The inside of the bow; the side facing the string
Bow arm- The arm that is extended in preparation for release
Bow sight- A device attached to the bow used to assist in aiming
Brace- To loop the string in the nock when stringing the bow
Broadhead- An arrow point used for shooting live game.
Butt- A backscreen to stop free-flying arrows; a backstop
Cock feather- That feather of an arrow set at right angles to the nock; the odd colored
feather
Crest- The marks identifying the arrow
Drift- The motion of the arrow due to wind or weather

End- The shooting of six arrows, either in succession or in two groups of three
Eye- The string loop
Head- The pile tip of the arrow
Hen feathers- The two similar-colored feathers
Hit- The call made when a target is hit
Let fly- To release an arrow
Limbs- Upper and lower parts of the bow
Nock- The groove at the end of the arrow
Nocking point- The point on the string at which the arrow is placed
Perfect end- To put all six shots in the gold
Petticoat- On the target face but outside the rings; beyond the white ring. If hit, no score
is given
Pile- The pointed metal tip of the arrow
Point of aim- The auxiliary object used in hitting the center of the target when the archer
is not a point-blank range
Quiver- A device to hold the arrows
Range- Shooting distance
Snake- An arrow lost in deep grass
Stringing- To place the string on the bow and make ready to shoot
Tackle- Archery equipment
Timber- Heads up; a call of warning that an arrow is to be released. Used in field
archery (not targets)
Toxophilite- One who has studied and mastered the art of shooting
Trajectory- The flight of the arrow; the path that the arrow takes
Vane- A plastic feather on an arrow
Weight- The number of pounds it takes to draw a bow
Windage- The deviation of flight caused by the wind
Wobble- The erratic motion of an arrow as it travels in flight