Archery

1) Safety:
Absolutely no horseplay When you are not shooting you are sitting no exceptions Do not play with equipmentfollow all instructions carefully Do not load an arrow until instructed to do so Do not draw and release a bow string without an arrow Never aim a loaded bow at anyone Do not carry on a conversation with anyone while you are shooting stay focused on the task at hand Never reach forward to retrieve a poorly shot arrow Do not go to retrieve arrows until instructed to do so When removing arrowsplace hand on target, twist arrow slowly to avoid hitting anyone

2) Introduction to Equipment
a) Parts of the arrow

b) Parts of the Bow

3) We are currently using compound bows (which must be restrung professionally) but in case we need to use our older recurve bows the procedure for stringing a bow is below:
a) b) c) d) e) f)

Make sure bowstring is in nock on the end of lower limb Hold Bow on upper limb with left hand, hold bowstring taunt in right hand (close to loop) Place curve of bow across right foot (ankle) Step through string and bow with left foot so handle rests behind thigh of left leg. Push forward and down with Left arm and at the same time push back with left thigh. Slip loop of bowstring over nock of upper limb. Check both ends to be sure they are secure.

4) Eye dominance and Bow Hand An archer should always shoot equipment

that matches there dominant eye. Some people have a different dominant eye than their dominant hand.
When shooting properly, an archer will have both eyes open. This will allow them to see the sight picture and the target and background more easily. If shooting with equipment that doesn't match your dominant eye you will not be able to effectively see your sight picture and target as one image. Most often double vision occurs when trying this. Finding your Dominant Eye Method #1 Extend both hands forward of your body and place the hands together making a small triangle between your thumbs and the first knuckle. With both eyes open, look through the hole you made with your hands and stare at a helpers nose. The helper should be standing at least 5 feet away. The helper will be able to see the dominant eye of the person being tested Method #2 Extend both hands in front at shoulder height, palms facing away, Cross palms making a small triangle opening With both eyes open, look through the triangle and center something such as a doorknob o target in the triangle Close the left eyeif object remains in view, then you are right eye dominant. If your hands appear to move off the object and move to the left, then you are

left eye dominant.

Repeat process closing your right eye to validate the first test. If the object remains in view, you are left eye dominant.

5) Scoring
A typical target, and the one used in most competitions is the 10 ring five color target-- made in different sizes for different distances. The rings are worth points from 10 to Zero (outside target). The centermost ring is used for breaking ties

6)

10 steps to Shooting an arrow

1. Stance feet shoulder width apart body is parallel to where you want your arrow to fly straddle black line, comfortable and balanced, head up, shoulders down

right handers look over left shoulder directly at target, bow held with left hand, arrow in your right) left handers look over right shoulder directly at target, bow held with right hand, arrow in your left)

2. Nock the Arrow Place bow parallel to floor Place arrow on bow (pick arrow up with nock) Clip arrow nock onto the string below nocking point at a 90 angle with handle cock feather or index feather is pointed away from the bow

3. Set Hook Hook string behind the 1st groove of index, middle and ring fingers 1 finger above the arrow and 2 below 4. Bow Hand and Arm Using the bow hand grip the bow lightly with meaty part of thumb and forefinger (other 3 fingers curl loosely around grip --death grip will stifle the natural action of the bow) Bow is held at the side with a straight arm. 5. Head up Raise head to look at target over shoulder 6. Raise the Unit Raise bow arm to shoulder level with straight arm and wrist until its pointed at the target. elbow on bow hand should be locked and be one unit from grip to shoulder Rotate your arms so that your elbow is pointed outward (9:00 Look at bullseye Both shoulders down and relaxed 7. Draw to Anchor Pull the bowstring back by rotating the shoulder until arm is directly behind the arrow Continue looking directly at target while drawing the string straight back in one continuous smooth motion Thumb should touch under the jaw, string is in the center of the nose and chin and fingers are in line with mouth Important to draw to the same spot on your face this acts as a point of reference for all your shots resulting in more accuracy. Full draw position should look like letter T 8. Aim Hold aim momentarily Focus eyes and concentrate on center of target String is lined up with center of the bow Look down the length of the arrow and use the point of the arrow as the site Maintain tension on the bowstringthis keeps your anchor while aiming.

oclock position for a clear path for the bowstringdont hyperextend elbow in towards string)

9. Release relax your fingers while continuing to draw let string slide off fingers (do not actively release fingers) before release a quick mental check of previous steps keep eyes focused on target

10.

Follow Through Maintain position of the bow arm exactly as it was when you released until you hear it hits the target Any movement as the arrow is being released will cause it to go slightly astray.

Terminology
Anchor point a spot on the shooters face that the string hand touches to give consistency to shooting Arrow rest a shelf to support the arrow Back The side of the bow that faces away from the shooter Belly or face- the surface of the bow facing the archer during shooting Bow Arm the arm that holds the bow Butt any backstop for holding arrows shot at a target Cock feather or index feather the feather at right angles to the nock slot, often of a different colour than the other feathers Draw to pull the bowstring back into the anchor position Drawing arm- the arm that draws the bowstring back Finger Tabs tab worn on the drawing hand to protect the fingers and give a smoother release of the bowstring. Fletching includes all 3 feathers on arrow, stabilizes the arrow in flight Flight Number of arrows shot at one time Hen feathers the two feathers not at right angles to the nock, usually the same colour and used used along with the cock feather to give guidance to the arrows flight. Kick recoil of the bowstring and bow limbs after the arrow is shot Nock the groove in the end of an arrow in which the bowstring fits, also the grooves at both ends of the bow, which hold the bowstring loops. Nocking point the marked place on the bowstring where the arrow nock is placed before drawing and releasing. Point the metal tip or point of an arrow

Quiver container for holding the arrows Shaft the main body of an arrow Stance the physical alignment of the body in relation to the target in preparation for shooting

Problem Solving Common Faults of Shooting:

Nocking
Index feather not at right angle to the bow string Arrow not at right angle to string Pinching arrow nock Thumb on arrow nock

Why Arrows Go Right Creeping (relaxing chest and back muscles as draw is released) On the release, jerking the drawing hand out away from the face instead of just opening fingers from anchor point. Why Arrows Go Left (for a right handed shooter) Hunching the left shoulder Using a bow that is too heavy Jerking the drawing hand as the arrow is released Aiming with the wrong eye Pinching arrow so it moves away from the bow Why Arrows Go High Point of aim too high Nocking arrow too low on the string Overdrawing Peeking (looking up before or after you shoot; you should not know where your arrow goes until after it hits or lands) Why Arrows Go Low Point of aim too low Nocking arrow too high on the string Not completing a full draw Failure to anchor index finger under jaw bone Creeping Dropping the bow arm Slumping