ARCHERY STUDY GUIDE

  1. EQUIPMENT
    1. Bow
      1. Back- side of bow that faces the target when shooting
      2. Belly - side of bow that faces the archer when shooting
      3. Handle - held in archer's hand
      4. Limbs - above and below the handle
      5. Neck - indentations at ends where string is held
      6. Arrow Rest - top of handle where arrow sits
      7. String - linen with loops at either end


    2. Arrow
      1. Pile - tip of arrow
      2. Shaft - the length of the arrow
      3. Crest - painted colors on the shaft
      4. Vanes - feathers
      5. Nock - groove at top that gets anchored to string
      6. Cock Feather - the odd colored feather
      7. Hen Feathers - the two like colored feathers


    3. Quiver
      1. Receptacle to hold arrows (outdoor ground or belt) Cones are used in class as quivers


    4. Target
      1. Face - made of oil cloth or paper with painted colors on it
      2. Boss - straw target without the face on it


  2. SAFETY AND CARE OF EQUIPMENT
    1. Never draw and release the bow without an arrow in it
    2. Before shooting, be sure all archers are on or behind the shooting line
    3. Use arm guards and finger tabs if needed
    4. Check arrows for cracks
    5. Make sure bow string is secured and not frayed
    6. Shoot only at assigned target
    7. Use proper size arrows. (Measure arrows by placing the nock against breastbone and extending arms on either side out straight. The tip of the arrow should extend just beyond the fingertips for the correct length).
    8. Unstring bow after use
    9. Do not drop, but place the bow on the floor.
    10. Do not carry arrows by fletching
    11. Remove arrows from target correctly by placing hand against target face, twisting arrow out.


  3. SCORING
    1. Six arrows shot in succession are called an end.
    2. The highest possible score for one end is 54 points.
    3. Values
      1. Gold - 9 points
      2. Red - 7 points
      3. Blue - 5 points
      4. Black - 3 points
      5. White - 1 point
      6. Petticoat (area outside the white circle) - 0 points
    4. An arrow cutting two colors receives higher point value Scores listed on score sheet with highest point value first


  4. SHOOTING TECHNIQUES
    1. Lambert's Eight Points
      1. Stand - straddle shooting line. Bow shoulder points at target; bow held at side.
      2. Nock - place the arrow in the bow
        1. Cock feather away from bow; arrow perpendicular to string
        2. One finger above, one or two below arrow nock on string
        3. String on first joint of fingers
        4. Avoid pinching the nock
        5. Left hand relaxes (right hand shooters)
      3. Thinking
        1. Remember corrections to be made
        2. Concentrate
      4. Draw
        1. Extend left (bow) arm to target, just short of full extension. Do not lock elbow.
        2. Fingers of string hand are straight from first joint to wrist.
        3. String in contact with chin and nose, bisecting each.
        4. Keep head and body erect
        5. Elbow is brought straight back; arrow is extension of right arm.
      5. Hold
        1. Part of string hand should be in contact with part of the face.
        2. Anchor is always the same; arrow is extension of right arm.
      6. Aim - looking down the shaft of the arrow, placing it to the center of target with dominate eye.
      7. Release - relax and straighten fingers holding the string; do not yank string. Hand moves directly back, still in contact with the face.
      8. Follow Through - Keep eyes focused on point of aim; hold body position until you hear the arrow hit the target.


  5. PROBLEM SOLVING
    1. Common Faults of Shooting
      1. Stance
      2. Not aligning feet properly
      3. Not distributing weight equally
      4. Leaning away from the target
      5. Shifting feet between shots
      6. Twisting hips and or shoulders out of alignment
      7. Feet too far apart or too close together
    2. Nocking
      1. Cock feather not at right angle to the bow string
      2. Arrow not at right angle to string
      3. Pinching arrow nock
      4. Arrow not resting on hand and against the bow
      5. Thumb on arrow nock
    3. Not thinking where point of aim is
      1. Not remembering the fundamentals of form that remain
    4. String hand and arm: bow arm and bow hand drawing
      1. Not holding string by pads of first joint of fingers (too deep of a "bite" on the string)
      2. Not using all three fingers equally
      3. Four fingers on the string
      4. Squeezing or pinching arrow nock
      5. Not drawing in a straight line to the chin
      6. Jerking the draw
      7. Not flattening back of drawing hand (should be in a straight line from first joint of fingers to the elbow)
      8. Drawing elbow too low or too high
      9. Incorrect position of hand on grip
      10. "Death grip" on handle of bow
      11. Lack of flat "shelf" for seating arrow
      12. Wrist turned extremely inward or outward
      13. Hyper extending or bending left arm too much
      14. Hunching left shoulder
      15. Leaning away from the target or toward the target
      16. Hooking the bow on the thumb
    5. Anchoring or Holding
      1. Not bisecting chin and nose with the string
      2. Not pressing index finger firmly under jaw
      3. Not folding thumb in palm of hand
      4. Allowing anchoring hand to creep forward
      5. Allowing bow arm to bend or hyper-extend
      6. Leaning away from the target or toward the target
      7. Hunching left shoulder
      8. Squeezing or pinching arrow nock
      9. Tilting the head
      10. Separating the teeth
      11. Holding right elbow too high or too low
    6. Aiming
      1. Closing wrong eye
      2. Not maintaining correct body position
      3. Not sighting correctly to the point of aim
    7. Releasing
      1. Not relaxing and spreading the drawing fingers
      2. Maintaining a "death grip"
      3. Jerking the release
      4. Creeping with the drawing hand
      5. Moving the bow arm or bow in any direction
      6. Pulling drawing hand outward away from the face
    8. Following Through or After hold
      1. Peeking to see where the arrow went
      2. Relaxing the body
      3. Dropping or raising the bow arm
    9. Why Arrows Go Right
      1. "Creeping" (relaxing chest and back muscles as draw is released)
      2. On the release, jerking the drawing hand out away from the face from the anchor point instead of back toward the ear.
    10. Why Arrows Go Left
      1. Hunching the left shoulder
      2. Using a bow that is too heavy
      3. Jerking the drawing hand as the arrow is released
      4. Sighting with the wrong eye
      5. Pinching arrow so it moves away from the bow
      6. Throwing the bow arm (string slaps arm)
      7. Using an under strung bow
    11. Why Arrows Go High
      1. Point of aim too high
      2. Nocking arrow too low on the string
      3. Overdrawing
      4. Peeking (looking up before or after you shoot; you should not know where your arrow goes until after it hits or lands)
    12. Why Arrows Go Low
      1. Point of aim too low
      2. Nocking arrow too high on the string
      3. Not completing a full draw
      4. Failure to anchor index finger under jaw bone
      5. Creeping
      6. Dropping the bow arm
      7. Slumping