DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 079 302 SI 006 722
AUTHOR Driscoll, Margaret L., Ed. TITLE Selected Archery Articles. Sports Articles Reprint Series. INSTIlUilON American Association for health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Washington, D.C. Eiv. for Girls and womenls Si.orts. PUB DATE 71 NOTE 128p. AVAILABLE FROMAmerican Association for 1-1ealth, Physical Education, and Recreation, 1201 Sixteenth St., N. W., Washington, D. C. 20036 (x1.50)
FDPS PRICE MF-4i.:'.65, EC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Athletic Activities; Athletic equipment; *Atille-_ s; Criteria; *Physical Education; *Recreational Activities; Specifications
ABSTRACT This is a collection of selected articles tram "DGWS (Division for Girls and Women's Sports) Archery Guides" and the "Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation." included are materials on the historical background or archery, the selection and care of equipment, methods for improving skills at all levels, safety rules, archery programs, tournaments and clinics, archery for the physically handicapped, and field shooting. (JA) SPORTS ARTICLES REPRINT SERIES
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This collection of articles porn 1)6 VS Guidry 1948-1970 and the Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation is the lutes' In AA 11PER 's Sports Articles Reprint Series, a special project of the Publ,cations Area, D11,151011 for Girls and Women's Sports. This is the first edition of Selected Archery Articles.
U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION E WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION MARGARET L. DRISCOLL, Editor 1.41' 00(liMf N HAS Hrt,4 HE-PRO 0,J(0 . RAC' LV AS Picilys D I Rom \,)Virginia Polytechnic Institute l'oL( PF psoN 0P oc4GANzAT0r., A T POINTS OT L, If A OE CV,INiONS and State University *Ai 0 DO ND,( (1 sCAPIl V PC PR( AL NATIONAL TL1T1 n; Blacksburg, Virginia I 0,:sS ION POS TIOr, OR pn, ICV Copyright © 1971 by the
Division for Girls and Women's Sports of the American Association for Health, Physical Education,and Recreation
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 70-172435
Published by the
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND RECREATION
A National Affiliate of the National EducationAssociation
1201 Sixteenth St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 CONTENTS
Preface 6 Ten Commandments for Archers (1960-62 Guide) George J. Dc /al /aye 7
History
A Story of Archery (1958-60 Guide) Henry S. C. Cummings 8 Ageless Archery (1968-70 Guide) Beverly Gossehn lee 12
Equipment
Elementary Care and Repair of Archery Tackle (1958-60 Guide) Grace Robertson 16 Care and Repair of Tackle (1952-54 Guide) M. Jean Lee 23 Bow Designs (1965-66 Guide) Phyllis Jacob son 31 Accessories for Archery (1962-64 Guide) G. Howard Gil lelan 32 Best Buy Rating in Archery Equipment (1964-66 Guide) Betty Jane Bowman and Julie Ileagy Bowers 37 FactsBows and Arrows (1964-66 Guide) George Ferns 43 Selection and Care of Equipment (1962-64 Guide) Ruth D. Levinson 47 flow to Start and End the Serving on a Bowstring (1968-70 Guide) Margaret L. Vann and Judy (;..Severance 51 Instruction
Safety Rules(1962-64 Guide) Myrtle K. Miller 53 Intermediate Archery Instruction (1962-64 Guide) Marione Meg ler Anderson 59 Advanced Archery(1956-58 Guide) Myrtle K. Miller 63 After the BasicsWhat? (1968 -70Guide) 1 ynne K ?rippler 67 The Use of Visual Aids in Archery (1950.52 Guide) //umwthaCrosshn 70 Correct Errors in Shooting Early and Often(1966-68 Guide) /ynne Knipp ler 73 Don'tLet Your Class Suffer from "Archery Apathesia"(1968-70 Guide) Beverly Gossehn Lee and Maryanne M. Schmitz 77 Competition in Class Time (1964-66 Guide) Arden Jervey and Jun Stange land 80 Ye Able Archer(1946.48 Guide) Mary Marquis Berry 82
Clubs and Tournaments Make Your Archery Program Click (1956-58 Guide) Grace Robertson 84 ArcheryThe Intramural Program (1948.50 Guide) Bernice Finger 88 Why Don't YOU Sponsor an Archery Clinic? (1950.52Guide) dith V. ilndorfer 92 Aids in Running an Archery Tournament (1954.56 Guide) Lure R. Wilson 96 Aids for the Archery Tournament Official (19.54.56 Guide) Ohre U. Crouch 99 Atypical Archery for the Physically Ilandicapped (1952-54 Guide) Henrietta Greenberg Krumholz102 An Aiming Device for Teaching Archery to the Blind (1966-68 Guide) J Layere Shaffer105 Teaching the Blind Student Archery Skills (.10111'ER April 1969) Dorothy Hyman110
Field Shooting Field Archery (1962-64 Guide) Arnold 0. Mangan112 The Appeal of Field Archery (1966-68 Guide/ Arnold 0. Hanger,115 Schoolyard Field Archery (1966-68 Guide) Nelle S. Martin119
Variety Novelty Events (1966-68 Guide) Dorothy A. Johnson122 Archery Bingo (1964-66 Guide) Carol Swint126 PREFACE
Archery is as exciting and challenging for modern man as it has been for man throughout the history of civilization, Man inprimi- tive,agrarian,or industrializedsocieties continues to seek the pleasure and self - fulfillmentderivedfrom participationinthis fascinating sport.
Archery's relevance for modern man makes this first editionof Selected Archery Articles a much needed additionto the DGWS Sports Articles Reprint Series. This collection of outstandingarticles has been compiled from previous DGWSArchery Guidesand the Journal of Ilea lth, Physical Education, Recreation.
All articles were carefully selected for their potentialvalue to the archer, the teacher, and the coach, An effortwas made to include material which covers many aspects of the sport, suchas the historical background, the selection andcare of equipment, and instructional methods for improving skill at all levels. Inaddition, suggesti ms are included that offer a greatervariety of shooting op- portunities for all participants.
My sincere appreciation to DGWS for the opportunityto prepare this publication for the archery enthusiast,
Margaret L, Driscoll Editor
6 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR ARCHERS
1. LET US KEEP OURSELVES AS OURARROWS STRAIGHT. 2. LET US NOT BE TOO PROUD TO BENDBACKWARDS AS OUR BOW TG BE FRIENDLY. 3. LET US ADJUST OUR SIGHTSSO THAT OUR AIMSWILL BE FOR GOOD. 4. LET US HOLD TO GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP. 5. LET US RELEASE OUR ARROWS ANDTHOUGHTS WITH- OUT FAULT. 6. LET US FOLLOW THRUALL IDEAS FOR THEADVANCE- MENT OF ARCHERY. 7. LET US BE AS CONSIDERATE TO OTHERS ASWE ARE TO OUR TACKLE. 8. LET US NOCK OUR ARROWS NOT KNOCK OTHERS. 9. LET US REMEMBER, UNKIND WORDSPIERCE DEEPER THAN AN ARROW SHOT FROM THE MOSTPOWERFUL BOW. 10. LET US INCLUDE IN OUR TACKLE BOX SMILES,KIND- NESS, FRIENDLINESS, WIT, AND LOVE.
by George J. DelaHaye
TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR ARCHERS 7 History A Story of Archery
HENRY S. C. CUMMINGS Newton Centre, Massachusetts A great deal could be written on the antiquity of archery. Bows and arrows were the weapons which primitive peoples used before the advent of firearms. They were a symbol of strength and have often appeared on the coats of arms and seals ofcommunities, including our own country. A bundle of 13 arrows withan olive branch appears on the Seal of the United States, adopted in 1782. A revision of the Seal in 1841, and a further revisionin 1877, reduced the number of arrows to six. We learn from the book Anecdotes of Archery by Ilargrove (1845) that in 1537, Ils..nry VIII, who was fond of archery,commis- sioned his Master of Ordnance, Sir Christopher Morris, to reviveit as a pastime by establishing a Society of Archers under the name of the Fraternity, or Guild, of St. George, This groupwas to oversee the use of the longbow, the crossbow, and hand guns. It was the fore- runner of the Honourable Artillery Company, which was organized in I 585. In the course of time, the Archer's Division in thiscompany was abolished except for a group called the Finsbury Archers, which flourished between 1671 and 1780. Thisgroup later became known as the Toxophilite Society and, today, as the Royal Toxophilite Society, (*tilling themselves St. George's Bowmen, members ofthis society joined forces with the battalion of the Honourable Artillery Company, of which the Ancient and Honourable Artillery Company, now in existence is believed to have been an outgrowth. Many archery societies prospered in England 350years ago. There were, for instance, the Royal Edinburgh Archers, organized in 1600; the Finsbury in 1673, The earliest known archerysociety in the United States was founded by the United Bowmen of Philadelphiain 1828. Perhaps more than to any others, archeryin America owes its existence to twovery young gentlemen from Georgiain the Con- federate Army. They were Maurice and Will Thompson. Dr. Robert P. Elmer tells us in his book, Archery, that Maurice was woundedin the chest near the end of the war. As soon as hewas able to walk, he and Will started for home on foot. When they got there afterpeace had been declared, they found that Sherman had laid waste their whole plantation during his march to the sea. They hadno money 8 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES and their old doctor told Maurice that, because of his thoracic lesion, he should live in the open air. Firearms were denied to the two brothers on account of then recent belligerency, and so they went out into the woods, chiefly in Florida, and lived for the most part on game thatthey killed with the bow and arrow, Will Thompson later became a prominent attorney. With easy and beauti- ful eloquence, he often told the story of how they scraped the howls down with knives and stones and rubbed them with sand to make them smooth. This was a simpl. am] natural enough procedure,but this peculiar gift of speech iecmcd to give the story the glamour of pathos and romance. Maurice also poss2ssed this ability but to an even greater extent. A few years late,., he wrote a seriesof short stories on his experiences, which were published in Harpers Magazine during 1877 and 1878, and faterwards collected in a volume called The Witchery of Archery. At that time, the only outdoor game was croquet,nearly as bad a state of affairs as in the time of Titian Peale,when the only games were ten pins and billards. Excited andinterested by the charm of Thompson's stories, people welcomed archery with enthusiasm as a real sport the first to enliven the placidity of mid-Victorianlife The idea of organizing an association on the linesof the Grand National Archery Society of England, founded in 1861, led tothe formation of the National Archery Association in 1879. Withthe exception of the National Rifle Association established in1871, and the National Oarsmen in 1872, the National ArcheryAssociation is the oldest national sporting organization in the UnitedStates. Archery is one of the very few sports that is flexibleenough to appeal to all ages, both sexes, and to those withstrength as well as those with physical handicaps. Itis also a sport with therapeutic qualities, helping to improve posture and maintain generalphysical fitness,It can be indulged in creatively and even has a spiritual potential. In this connection,I should like to digress briefly on William B. Akers' book, The Fundamentals of JapaneseArchery (1937). In this book, touching on the spiritual training tobe found in archery, Mr. Akers states that the developmentof character and certain spiritual values are the raison d'etreof any art, rather than mere aptitude and skill. This is especiallythe case with the sport of archery. The real question is not how successful ofhow skillful you are nor even whether you actually hit the target but what you personally get out of the game from a spiritual pointof view. Correct aim is therefore of the greatest importance and,for this, concentration and a mind as tranquil as the "surface of a stillpond" are essential. Mr. Akers draws theparallel of watching a snowflake falling and keeping one's eyes fixed on it until it finallydrifts to the A STORY OF ARCHERY 9
Care and Repair of Tackle
M. JEAN LEE Springfield Girls' Club Springfield, Massachusetts In reading this aiticle on the care and repair of tackle please remember thatitis practica! and follows procedures usable for schools and clubs with limited facilities.It makes no claim to methods to be used in commercial projects. Any equipment to be used for extremely accurate competitive shooting should be com- mercially made and reconditioned.
Storage Of Equipment ground. The essence of the art hes in the "unintentionalinvoluntary release" which succeeds the actual release of thearrow. All prelimi- naries of stance, preparation, posture,raising the bow, drawing and holding, and release lead up to this thegathering into odeof the whole shooting posture through stretching. The author maintains thatitis then that theartreaches its highest point. The archer's body feels invigorated and his mind is clean, Ileappears "grave and dignified." Such a thought, the book states,is said to leave a linger- ing resonance behind and this is wally the very highest point of attainment in archery. Archery is a sport that gives uplift to one's soul and relaxationto one's nerves. It teaches patience,preciseness, and coordination. It is equally satisfactory as a group or as an individualsport. Those with the skills can make their own bows andarrows, bowstrings, and other supplies. It can be made easy and simple by shootingat short ranges, and more challenging at the longer distances. Itcan be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors. Withproper supervision and well-emphasized safety rules, it can be a sport whichan individual may learn at school or camp and benefit from throughout his life, he will associate with others who also love freshair, vigorous walking, and quiet concentration. It has beena boon to many physically handicapped people paralytics, amputees, etc, Itis even a good spectator sport. However, to enjoy archery to the full,skilled instruction is essential. Once an individual is familiar with thearrow and really tries to improve, his enthusiasm andinterest will sustain him through all the years that follow. As 1 have indicated, archery has a very ancient history, and,as a sport, has always had many adherents. We believe that, today, there are over 500,000 people interested in the use of the bow. Someuse it as a hunting weapon; others to shoot at targetson public play- grounds, in colleges, schools, and camps. Thereare groups of archers that specialize in various aspects of the sport some who spend their lifetime seeking to cast an arrow great distances;some who enjoy field archery shooting at simulated objects over across- country course; some who are expert at clout shooting, roving, archery golf; and others who construct the bows andarrows them- selves. Archery should appeal to everyoneIts value for young people has been recognized by the Boy Scouts, who haveinstituted a merit badge for proficiency in the sport; and,also, by the Camp Archery Association, which has awarded almost 200,000 diplomas to boys and girls at camps scattered throughout the UnitedStates, since it was founded 20 years ago. The National ArcheryAssociation sponsors the Olympic Bowman League, which conductscompe- titions on indoor ranges during the winter months, andsponsors an annual Intercollegiate Telegraphic Tournament forthe archers on 10 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES
surface with sandpaper for gluing. Smear with 1)uco or airplane cement, and place the new nock in position with the groove of the nock perpendicular to the cock feather. (see Figure 11. If an arrow with a self wooden flock needs its nock repaired, cut the nock end to fit the internal bore of the plastic nock (using a jackknife or commercial tool similar m plan to a pencil sharpener) and proceed as above. Although an arrow fixed in this manner will not accurately match its fellows with wooden nocks, it will be all right for beginner teaching. Arrows Replacement of Points:Points, like nocks, may be purchased readily with all standard internal and external diameters, and of either steel or brass to match the ones already on the arrows. Be sure to match them very accurately to preserve the weight bal- ance of the set, and be sure that the outside diameter of the point is II IIII I l II n,l4,117Tit l,.V, college campuses. During the war years, the National Archery Association conducted mail matches in which over 1,000 archers participated.In almost every state there are archery clubs with memberships varying in size from a few to over 100 members. The membership of the National Field Archery Association has greatly expanded during the past 10 years, and 500 to 600 attend their annual national tournaments. Interest in the sport has grown rapidly and steadily. We have seen an interest in the teaching and practicing of archers in schools and in the junior branches of local archery clubs. Sonic of these youngsters have gone on into competition with those in the senior divisions of the sport and have made excellent records for themselves, but, more important, it has given them a lifetime hobby! There is an ever-increasing need for trained leaders, for physical education directors with a knowledge of archery, and for teachers in camps, colleges, and schools who are accredited archery instructors. Are You'?
A STORY OF ARCHERY 11 Ageless Archery
BEVERLY GOSSELIN LEE C glumbus, Ohio Bows and arrows were one cman's first attempts to store energy. The use of the bow is without question one of 'I -;big factors that gave man the place he occupies in today's world. Primi- tive man used bows as weapons for hunting and protection, and empires were wow and lost through their use. They now provide the instrument for one of America's fastest growing sports. The historEa, aspects of the sport make an excellent introductory or rainy day archery lesson, and this aspect of the sport should not be overlooked. To be interesting, however, these lessons must be dynamic, up-to-date, and visually stimulating. Charts and posters bring out the highlights of the growth of archery through the ages. They are useful as a basis for a lecture or are easily adapted to bulletin board displays. From well preserved cave drawings of archers found in Spain to the developmentof archeryasone of America's most highly regarded current sports, the bow has been found to exist in every country except Australia. Dividing the world roughly into two sec- tions, two great systems of bow construction have developed. The first bows were probably of wood and of simple construction, a form that has persisted with Europeans and most savage tribes, This longbow was native to the Western world and reached its culmina- tion in medieval England. The composite or "built-up" type of bow, another ancient kind, is still used in Asia, and in many respects is the most efficient and perfect type ever devised. Made of wood, horn, and sinew, it was short and powerful and was so highly reflexed that it took the shape of a lettef C when it was unstrung It is the classic bow of antiquity, the bow of Cupid. These two systems can be historically illustrated by the highly respected archery skill of the Turks and their efficiency in war against the Crusaders, and the equally effective techniques of the English yeomen in the Hundred Years War battles of Crecy, Poitiers. and Agincourt. In these battles, the bow reached its height as a war weapon. The perfection of firearms, however. led to the obsoles- cence of the bow and arrow as a weapon of war, and so it came into vogue as a sporting pastime. As such,ithas continued through various phases to the present day. The history of archery in the United States begins with the American Indian.lie was the aboriginal archer of this continent, using the boy, daily in his search for food and in warfare as one of 12 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES his chief weapons. Ilowever, the skill and prowessof the Indian as an archer have been greatly exaggerated. Whilethe Indian was a marvel- ously good hunter and, therefore, apractical archer, he was not a good shot with the bow from the standpointof target shooting. His stalking skill enabled him to get so close tohis prey that he could shoot at very short range with almost certaineffect. The first American archery society was theUnited Bowmen of Pluladelphia, founded in 1828. It was not untilafter the Civil War that the sport became popularized,however, through the efforts of two ex-Confederate soldiers,Maurice and Will Thompson. They moved to the Florida Everglades and livedfor several years almost entirely by the bow and in 1878, Mauricepublished what has become an American archery classic, theWitchery of Archery. Its impact was innedrite, and all overthe country people began shoot- ing with the bew for sport,Following this, the National Archery Associatiop was organizedwith Maurice Thompson asitsfirst president. By the early part of this century, the sport wasagain beginning to fade from public interest when a curious eventoccurred in Cali- fornia. In 191 1, anaked, starving Indian named Ishi was discovered. He was a living example of a Store Age man,the last of the Yanas. Saxton Pope realised the significance of thisIndian, and through the joint efforts of these two men the mostcomplete and authoritative materials on the archery traditions and techniquesof the American Indian were brought to ught and preserved.This, in addition to the African adventures of Dr. Pope and ArtYoung, and the scholarly efforts of many-times national champion RobertElmer, again stimu- lated public imagination. A large part of archery's current growth isdue to field archery and hunting. The enthusiasm for theseactivities led to the formation of the National Field Archery Association in1939. Since then most states have recognized the bow hunterand the establishment of bow hunting areas. In recent years the bow has been used inother fields. In the U.S. Army, Special Forces units stationed abroadhave organized civilians into effective guerrilla units using thebow as one weapon. The development of the crossbow as a F'lent kill weapon inVietnam has become vital. Power companies use itfor stringing wire in remote country: wildlife biologists and gametechmcans use special drug- tipped arrows to capture animals for study orrestocking in different areas. The universal appec,1 of the sport as a familyaffair and the rapid developments in equipment have made today'sarchers a far cry from the English bowmen at Agincourt, butmodern bowmen and bow- women are experts in the old,old field. 13 AGELESS ARCHERY AGELESS ARCHERY CULTURAL ADVANCES IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND
ORIGIN REVEALED BY PALEOLITHIC MAN Cave drawings France, Spain Cromagnon man 30,000 - 40,000 yrs. ago Chipped flint arrowheads Aurignacian raceSouthern France 25,000 yrs ago Archeological findings DEVELOPED ON .VERY CONTINENT
Israelites I Babyl'onians I Persians' Turks I Europeans' Australians Egyptians Assyrians Greeks Orientals American question Romans Indian USES OF THE BOW & ARROW AS A HUNTING WEAPON
AS A WAR WEAPON EUROPE & WESTERN WORLD ASIA simple - longbow composite - short reflex yew wood wood - hem - sinew Turks o-Crusaders 4- Englishyeomen ci?mounted warriors foot soldiers EUROPEAN WAR TRIUMPHS WITH BOW 1066 Hastings Normans defeat English longbow introduced to English as weapon 13140.1453 Hundred Years War English defeat French (crecy, poitiers, aginceur 0 using longbow 1588 Invasion of Spanish Armada in England firearms replace bow as major weapon 14 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES ART A, A SPORT & displaced by gunpowder as weapon Achieved when bow & arrow archery as a sport Henry VIII & George IVgreatly influence & establish in England published Toxophilus 1545 Roger Ascham father of archery Formation of English archerysocieties 1538 Fraternity of St George 1585 Honorable Artillery Comp.Y 1658 Finsbury Archers Scotland 1676 Royal Company of Archers, 1781 Royal Toxophilite Society VARIATIONS OFSTRING-HAND IN DRAW FINGER PINCH THUMB Mongolian positionMediterranean position Primary position 2, 3 or 4 fingers on thumb & index finger thumb wrapped around string string pinch nock Europe primitives of North America Asia - Persia, China
ARCHERY IN NORTHAMERICA EQUIPMENT CONTRASTS
Compound northwest central BOW TYPES Mixed sinew & plain plains states & westward Plain east coast, south, mexico
whole feather FEATHER SPLIT A... WHOLEi inserted 3 half feathers STYLES dot'. middle Majority of Aborigines of North America Pacific Northwest New Mexico Northern Canada in use today Alaska 15 AGELESS ARCHERY Equipment Elementary Care and Repair of Archery Tackle
GRACE ROBERTSON East Northfield, Massachusetts A good archery program means good equipment. Just as you would not mount a student on an unknown horse or permit her to dive into water of unknown depth so, too, no student can be per- mitted to shoot without safe tackle in her hands. In addition to the element of safety there is the matter of the student's success and, thus, her continuing interest in the sport; this also depends on her havidg good equipment. Equal in importance to the selection of tackle is its care. With proper treatment and small repair projects carried on at school, the life of archery equipment can be considerably lengthened and the cost of the archery program decreased by a sizable amount. One of the best ways to insure good care for your equipment is to foster in your students a respect for their tackle. Secure their cooperation in checking equipment as they shoot and in handling it properly before, during, and after class. Caring for archery equipment takes time, but It is time well spent in terms of dividends paid to your program. An interested student can sometimes assist with the necessary repair work, receiving when school regulations permit it - remuneration for her work. Often, too, a rainy day will supply the needed time andmanpower for fixing equipment. This article is designed to present only the basic elements of archery crafts - only those things which can easily be accomplished in a busy school schedule. Included are suggestions for makingsome of the accessories which are needed, and general hints for cutting down the expense of your program.
Tackle House
1, The tackle house should be adjacent to the range so that equip- ment does not have to be carried long distances. 2. The tackle house should be locked at all times when the instruc- tor is not present. 16 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES 3. It should be large enough to permitstudents to get out and put away their equipment quicklyand efficiently 4. Storage space for bows and arrows,shelf space. a worktable for repairs, and electricity should beprovided. 5. Bulletin board space is desirable.
Range I. The range should be located awayfrom the main area of the campus. It should be level, gassy.free from rocks, and not used for any other activities (so that targets do nothave to be moved.) A bunker behind the targets is mosthelpful; otherwme, there should be at least 20 yards clearancebehind the farthest target. Grass should be mowed of te:, to prevent theloss of arrows which snake in, 1, The range should be completelyroped off. Warning signs should be used. 3, For an indoor range, all exitsand entrances should be locked while shooting is in progress, anddanger signs placed on the outside of these doors, Targets should be placed so that their centers are10 feet apart. 5. When different ranges are requiredfor a group that is shooting at the same time on the same field, use oneshooting line and have the targets set at the different ranges. 60 yds
50 yds.
40 yds.
30 yds,
Shooting Line A SAFE FIELD SET-UP IFDIFFERENT RANGES ARE SHOT Al' ONE TIME ON ONEFIELD 6. Targets should be set so that thecenter of the gold is 4 feet above the ground. They should be tiltedback so that a plumb line dropped 6 inches out from the centerof the gold Just clears the bottom of the target. 7. Targets should always be stakeddown so that they will not blow over with arrows in them.Indoors, target legs should be placed on rubber stoppers to prevent them fromslipping. ,ELEMENTARY CARE AND REPAIR OF ARCHERYTACKLE 17 Targets I.Rye straw targets are the most satisfactory. although bales of hay or cardboard boxes stuffed with straw or hay may be substituted. Practically new and greatly reduced targets can be purchased followingmany archerytournaments,especiallyafterthe sectional and national events, 2 Targets should always be carried and never rolled, If left out- doors, they should be covered with waterproof material when not in use. Tarpaulins are excellent for this purpose. Targets will last longer if they are not moved around constantly. evenifthis means that they have to be left in the open. 3. Targets should be laid out flat to be stored, and should be kept off the floor. Powdered sulphur spread among the butts will help to keep animals away. Targets should be perfectly dry if they are to be stored for any length of time. 4. If the target becomes loose, wetting down with a hose may help to tighten it. This will also help a very dry target which has been stored for a considerable period. Targets may also be tightened by using a coathanger or similar device, starting at the center and pulling each coil of the rope tight. 5. If you use corrugated cardboard targets, a coating with paraffin will increase their life. 6 Target stands should be made of a soft wood. such as pine, to prevent arrow breakage. 7. If tai get I aces begin to go in the center, newspaper and cardboard can be placed behind them, and gum paper can be used to hold the centers together. The newspaper and cardboard may be placed behind t he face when it is new. 8. Wind flags (triangular pieces of material mounted on soft pine stocks) do much to add to the attractiveness of a range. 9.If staples are used to fasten target faces, great care should be taken to see that they are not dropped on the range where they may be stepped on.
Bows I. Bows should ahvays be unbraced when not in use. In bacing and unbracmg. equal stress should be placed on the upper and lower limbs so that the bow does not break. To brace a bow: place the lower nock against the instep of the left foot with the back of the bow facing the archer: put the left hand on the how handle and the heel of the right hand at the top of the bow. pulling with the left hand, pushing with the right hand, and
18 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES ro
twisting the body away from the bow, Ise thefree fingers of the right hand to slide the upper loop of the stringinto the upper nock. To unbrace, repeat the same process, this timesliding the string down from the upper flock. 2. Bows should be hung vertically on wooden pegs,the peg coming between the string and the belly of the bow. If bows arestored horizontally with the pegs near the center of the bow,they should be hung back down. If the pegs are near the endsof the bow, they should be placed belly down. 3. Bows should be stored in a cool, humid place. 4. To help the instructor and to insure that thestudent has the same bow each time, bows should benumbered, with corre- sponding numbers placed by each peg. 5. Bows should be re-weighed every season. An ice scale isused for this purpose. The handle of the bow should beplaced in the hook at the bottom of the scale, Using an 18 inch arrowfor 4 foot bows, a 22 inch arrow for 5 foot bows, or a 26inch arrow for 51/2 foot bows, draw the string back to full draw, notingthe reading on the scale. For rapid figuring. approximately one pound may be added or subtracted for every inch more orless the bow is drawn. 6. Arrows painted on the belly of the bow abovethe handle will enable the instructor to see at a glance if any bow isbeing shot upside down and will also be of help to the students. 7. Bows should be waxed once ayear to protect the finish (wooden bows) Simonize or Johnson's furniture or floor wax is adequate. Glass bows do not need this care. Any leather handles should be saddle soaped. 8. Bows which have cracked or slivered in any wayshould be broken and thrown away. 9. Strings should be waxed weekly with beeswax.Servings can be treated with paraffin. Any frayed strings should bereplaced immediately. 10. Check fistmeles weekly. If a fistmele becomes toolow, remove the string from the upper end of the bow and twistit under tension, turning in the direction which will shortenthe string. nock with a I1 .Single loop strings should be tied at the lower timber lutch. 12. An extra supply of strings should be kept onhand. Single loops are the best because they willfit any bow of approximately the same length. 13. Making your own strings is probably the biggestsingle budget- cutting item. The cost of a hom.m., le string isapproximately one-sixth the cost of a purchased string. The lostinexpensive and durable material for string niakir I is Barbour'sNo. 12 Irish ELEMENTARY CARE AND REPAIR OF ARCHERY TACKLE 19 Linen. Dacron is slightly more expensive but excellentAny heavy button and carpet thread can be used for the serving. Flemish twist strings may be used on straight bows: however, recurved bows require endless strings, or those which have rein- forced loops. Again, the button and carpet thread can be used for this purpose.
Arrows 1. Arrows should be stored in a vertical position in a rack, never left in boxes. A simple arrow tray may be made by taking three boards, drilling holes (in sets of six) through two of these, and then nailing them one above the other, about 8 inches apart, to two uprights. The plain board should be on the bottom. The holes should be large enough for the arrows to fit through but not so large that they have much leeway. 2. Arrows should be stored in a cool, humid place. 3. Each set of 6 arrows should be numbered and have a specific place in the arrow tray. 4. All arrows should have plastic nocks and metal piles so that they can be replaced. Also, itis helpful if all the arrows are the same diameter. Only one size of nocks and piles is needed for replace- ments in this instance. 5. Having arrows of the same length, all crested alike, will facilitate replacements. 6. Arrows should be checked constantly for broken nocks and piles, and splinters. Any arrow which is cracked or splintered in any way should be broken in two and discarded. 7. All new arrows should be checked for excess glue deposits at the base of each of the feathers. These will scratch the students' kinds when the arrow is released. The deposits can be removed with fine sandpaper. 8. Arrows should be waxed once a year to protect the finish. Simonize or Johnson's furniture or floor wax is adequate. When arrows are to be stored over a long period of time (such as a summer vacation), mothballs should be sprinkled among the feathers. 9. Damaged plastic nocks may be removed by burning or scraping. If they are burned, care should he taken that the feathers do not catch fire. Duco cement can be used to hold the new ;rocks in place. The new flocks should be flush with the shaft of the arrow and the nocks themselves at right angles to the cock feather. Arrows with self nocks which break cannot be repaired. 10. Splintered piles must be broken off. If the pile has telescoped into the arrow shaft, the arrow should be cut above the tele- 20 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES scoping and a shorter arrow made. In this case, the pile end will have to be whittled down so that the metal tip will fit the shaft. Piles can most easily be put on with Ferrule-tite cement. 11. Very slight telescoping of the pile can be smoothed down with sandpaper. 12. Slightly warped arrows may be straightened. The most satis- factory results are obtained when the arrow is first heated over a steam kettle. The arrow should be held in one hand with the bepd placed against the base of the thumb. Gentle pressure may the: be applied to the end of the arrow with the free hand until the bend is straightened. 13. Damaged feathers should be removed from the arrow with a knife, care being taken not to cut into the shaft. New feathers, cut to size, can be put on with Duco cement. Straight pins can be used to hold the feather in place until the glue dries. Since all feathers on an arrow should come from the same wing of the turkey, single wing feathers should be purchased. 14. Crests may be repainted with quick-drying enamel. Old paint should be removed before the new crest is applied.
Arm Guards I.Plastic arm guards should be washed off with warm water and soap. 2. Leather arm guards should be saddle soaped and the inside surface cleaned. Particular care should be taken of arm guards if there is any type of skin infection among the student body.
Finger Tats
1.Finger tabs should be made of a smooth, tough leather, cordovan is the best. They may be made quite easily and inexpensively. Be sure to include left-handed tabs for left-handed shooters. 2. Tabs should be saddle soaped regularly to keep them soft.
Quivers 1. Leather belt quivers should be given the same care as any leather equipment: saddle soaping, etc. 2. Ground quivers can be made. Heavy wire can be shaped into a circle at the upper end of a stake which will penetrate the ground. Tennis ball cans with stakes driven through the bottom make good quivers. For indoor use, these same tennis cans with sand in ELEMENTARY CARE AND REPAIR OF ARCHERY TACKLE 21 the bottom for a weight may be used or they may be nailed to a square wooden board which will support them. These quivers may also serve as bow racks when the students retrieve their arrows.
Bow Racks 1. Since all equipment must be kept off the ground to prevent warp- mg from dampness and breakage from being stepped on, bow racks are essential. A wooden pole with a star,- in the bottom and dowels driven through the top serve the purpose adequately. A coat rack may be used indoors. Painting with waterproof enamel will increase the life of the bow racks and add to the appearance of the range.
Scorecards i . Scorecards can be duplicated or mimeographed.
First Aid Equipment I. Tincture of benzoin fortoughening the skin on the fingers should always be available and used as soon as fingers show the slightest degree of soreness. 2. Bandads, moleskin, antiseptics, and scissors should also be kept on the range.
Bow Sights 1. Inexpensive and simple sights can be made by placing adhesive tape on the back of the upper limb of the bow and using a large-headed pin for sighting, the pin being placed through the adhesive tape at the correct distance above the handle. 2. More elaborate sights can be purchased. These include hair and bead sights, and prisms.
Tassels 1, Tassels made from yarn should be used to wipe off arrows which have missed the target. 2. They make attractive prizes for archery contests and can be used withinclasses to stimulate interest and reward progress. For example: have white, black, blue, red, and gold tassels; when a student achieves a certain score she receives a higher color tassel.
22 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES cool When cool, use a prick punch on the point to dent it in three or four symmetrical spots to keep it in place. kSymmetry is im- portant to preserve the balance of the arrow.) If a knurler is available an attachment on the nock cutting toolits use will make for a more standard and efficient job. (see Figure 2).
PINS
'A'
FIGURE s One advantage of using Ferrule cement is that if a point becomes loose, a match flame applied to the loose point will remelt the cement so that it will gip the point more tightly. Fletching.Before we can go into the procedure of replacing feathers, we must study Figure 3, to be sure we know which wing grew the feather. If the feather is off the quill, you will find that one surface of the feather is smoother than the other. The smooth side is the top part of the feather as it grew on the wing. Matching the feathers to those already on the arrows is vitally important to smooth flight of the arrow. Since the feathers are slightly tipped by nature, all of the feathers on the arrow must be from the same wing, and to go even farther, all of the feathers used in one set of arrows must come from the same wing. Replacement of Feathers For only one feather missing: Be sure the new feather is from the proper wing, and is of the same general weight and quality. Sketch a paper pattern of the remaining feathers on the arrow, and with a sharp pair of scissors, cut along the pattern against the grain of the feather quills (see Figure 4). If a feather burner is available, do not cut the feather, but glue it in place in any of the following methods, then shape it with the burner. Gluing methods: Use Duco cement or airplane glue. I. Pin method. Set the feather by eye so thatit lies along the shaft at 120 degrees from the other feathers. Pin the quill surface to CARE AND REPAIR OF TACKLE 25 the shaft (as in Figure 5) at frequent intervals, and allow it to dry thoroughly. 2. Thread wrapping. This method is inferior, but it is a shift if necessary. Place the feather as for pinning, then wrap the quill with thread, separating the barbs gently without crushing them, so that the thread goes right to the quill without permanently spreading the barbs (see Figure 5). 3. Feathering jig. Simple feathering jigs are on the market and are well supplied with directions. One hint when using a jig, lightly grease the metal surfaces with vaseline or cold cream so that the feathers will not stick in the glue. Jigs are more accurate than pins or thread, but if a quantity of arrows must be repaired at one time, the jigs will be slower. Regardless of the method of gluing used, when the feathers are well glued be sure to sandpaper the quill ends of the feathers so that they taper gently onto the shaft. Any roughness t...,nnected with the feathers glue or quills tends to cut the archer's hand when the arrow is shot. For all feathers missing' The above methods are used. Pre- cautions: Be sure the cock feather is at right angles to the groove of the nock. If the nock of the arrow has not yet been put on, look for the predominant grain of the shaft, be sure that it is directed away from the pile, and be sure that the cock feather is in the middle of it (check with Figure 6). Straightening Arrows: Cut to desired length with a saw or jack- knife. If a self arrow, it is most easily shortened from the point end. If footed, the arrow maye. shortened from the nock end, though that means stripping the feathers and changing the crest. Follow the procedures for putting on nocks and points. Stripping Feathers: To prepare feathers forfletching,ifthe feathers are just as they tame off the turkey, be sure that they are wing feathers those with broad barbs on one side of the quill and small ones on the often hold the quill at the top of the feather on the narrow-barbed side. Grasp the wide 1 Lrbs near the top of the quill and firmly pull on them straight down toward the bottom of the feather. The wide barbs should strip off the quill with only a small edge of the quill covering the inside endge of the barbs. Trim the quill edging with a razor or scissors so that it is just wide enough to pin onto the shaft of the arrow. Cut the feather into pieces a little longer than the sections to be used on the arrow, using only the middle parts of the feather to get the strongest barbs. One average sized feather should cut into two usable sections. Bows Repairing a lift of grain: If a weak limb becomes evident, and the cause can be found to be a piece of the grain rising from the rest of the wood, the repair is simple and practical. Smear the rise of 26 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES grain on top and bottom with Duco or airplance cement. Wrap tightly through the glue with bow string linen, starting the wrapping at least two inches above the rise and finishing at least twoinches below the end of the rise. The wrapping should be done in the same manner mentioned later for serving strings. Since the gluewill keep the wrapping in place for the life of the bow, be careful to do a neat job (see Figure 7). Bow strings. Materials: Barbour's Irish Linen #12 (one strand for each pound of bow weight). Fortisan (strength specified on the spool). Flemish Twist There are many types of bow strings to be made, but an easy and very effective one is the Flemish Twist. In this description Ishall speak in terms of a 20-pound bow. If a heavier bow is used, merely add enough string to each strand to make up the difference in the weight. Remember to add equal amounts to each strand, as your string is only as strong as its weakest strand. For the string, measure the length of the bow plus about one foot. Lay thread on thread evenly the length measured until half the bow weight is made up that isfor a 20-pound bow, lay 10 pounds worth of string into one strand. Wax ends thoroughly by whipping beeswax along threads, and wax lightly in the middle. Be sure that the string is smooth any loops will weaken the string. Make up a second strand of the same strength. To twist: Hold the two strands together between thumb and fore- finger of the left hand about five inches from one end, with the long ends of the string dangling from the back of the hand. With the right hand, take the strand farthest from you, twist it away from you, and cross it over the other strand toward you. Then take the one away from you, twist it away from you and cross it over the other, toward you. Continue this process until about 12 twist-overs havebeen completed. Now spread out the short ends and the long ends, and fold the twisted part so that each short end falls on one long one. Now turn the string so that the loop just made is under the thumb, and the ends protrude from the front of your hand. Work the long and short ends as one piece, and twist as above, twist the one farthest from you away from you, and cross it over the one toward you, etc. until you have twisted past the short ones plustabout Vz inch. This will make your total twisted portion about four inches in length (see Figure 8). Mice the loop you have just finished over a hook or the nock of the bow, straighten the strands of the string, and by leading one strand between y ur thumb and forefinger, and the other by the satne forefinger and middle finger thumb andforefinger, and the of ler by the same forefinger and middle finger(see Figure 9), run your hand the length of the stir' about 12 inches. Be sure tokeep CARE AND REPAIR OF TACKLE 27 equal tension on each strand, as both pieces must be of exactly the same length. Still holding the strands with tension, pinch the string at a spot about four inches short of the actual length of the bow, so that the short ends protrude from the front of your hand. Now twist again as above until all of the string is used up. Tie a knot in the end of the string, and you are finished. Before any tension is applied to the string, roll the string between the thumb and forefinger until there is a definite twist to the whole length of the string in the direction that will tighten the twisted ends. This will remove the back-twist put into the string caused by the making of the loops. Failure to remove this back-twist will ravel the loops when pressure is put on it. This is your single-loop string. The bottom is now tied with the Timberhitch as described below. O SI CI.Dl AD" nJLO ra F. II7 11,1 Al"S 28 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES If a double loop string is desired, the same procedure is followed,. only make your second twist just long enough to make the size loop desired. Then fold the short ends over the long ends, and working one short and one long as a unit, twist until total twistis about five inches, and the short-ends have been used up. Do not forget to remove the back-twist. Now put the string on the bow, wax It lightly, and with a folded piece of semi-glossy paper or brown wrapping paper not newsprint to protect your hand from the heat, rub the string vigorously. Slight pressure will stretch the string. Keep rubbing until the string has stretched to its maximum length. Twist as you did to remove the back-twist until the proper bracing length is attained. Your string is now ready for serving and use. Timber-hitch: Grasp the Flemist Twist at the point the knot is desired with the short end protruding from the front of your hand. Make a half-inch loop by crossing the short end A over the long end B at the thumb, C, and bring the short end around under B so that it has encircled '3 once. Then lead the end A through the loop thus made from the top down twice to the right of the crossover (see Figur( 10). Shp this loop over nock of bow and tighten by a tug on the long end. This loop is easily made, will never slip if properly made, yet may be released by pushing against the point of the crossoverwith the thumbnail. Serving: Use heavy carpet thread. Perhaps the quickest method of serving is to use a mechanical server which i3 relativelyinexpensive. However, the job may be done equally well without gadgets, although a little more time will be consumed. To serve by hand, a very long piece of thread will be necessary, roughly about sixfeet. Start at a point about two inches above the top of the handle, and continue until enough of the bow string is covered so that the arm guard will not chafe at any part of the string proper on titrelease. Servings are put on with the string braced on its bow. Lay about 1/2 inch of serving thread on the string so that your first wrapping will cover it (to keep the end from slipping off). Then wrapthe string snugly but not too tightly (experience is the only guide) over the starting end and continue toward the bottom of the bow until the desired length of service is desired. Every wind should touch every other one as it would on a spool of thread. When the desired length has been finished, take another piece of the same thread, about eight inches in length, and fold It on itself to make a small loop. Lay this on the serving and continue to wind over it a littleless tightly for about seven winds. Then slip the end of the serving thread through the loop just put in, and pull the tails of the loop so that the end of the serving thread is drawn under the last winds. Now pull the ene, CARE AND REPAIR OF TACKLE 29 tightly so that it will tighten up the last winds It will frequently break at this point cut it off, and run a little Duco cement on each end of the serving. Nocking point: The nocking point should be put on the string in the same manner as the serving just described, only its total length should not exceed '/z inch. It should be placed below the nock of the arrow so that the bottom of the nock will touch the top of the nocking point. To measure for the exact placing,it should be directly across from the top of the handle and 1 /8 inch above. Do not be discouraged by the lengthy descriptions involved in these directions. None of these simple crafts is difficult, and none is very time-consuming once the procedures are learned. The care of good archery tackle can be a joy, and it is without a doubt a decided financial asset. The drawings in this section are by the courtesy of Lincoln B, Smith of Holyoke, Massachusetts. 30 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Bow Designs PHYLLIS JACOBSON Brigham Young University Provo, Utah 1. Long-working recurves: Smooth, no vibration, r not very fast. Short-working recurves: Fairly fast, but not very smooth. 3. Semi-working recurved limbs: Smooth, but not as fastas a static re- curve. 4. Staticrecurves:Fast, iuugh. 5. R eflex-deflexlimbs: Fast, rough; short life. 6. D ef 1ex-reflexlimbs: smooth, fast, long life. 7. Semi-reflex limbs: Slower and smoother than reflexed ss 8. Reflexedlimbs:Fast, but rough; short life. 11 9 Deflexedlimbs: Smooth, but slow, long life. Ia- 10. Straight limbs: Easy for beginnertohandle, stable, long life, slow in velocity. 31 BOW DESIGNS Accessories for Archery G. HOWARD GILLELAN Former Archery Editor, Outdoor Life My hunting companion discovered lie had forgotten his shooting glove, the leather covering worn by archers on the hand that pulls the bowstring. We had parked the car a few hundred yards from our deer blinds one October morning at 5 a.m. and were unloading our gear by flashlight when he realized the glove was missing. lie cut loose with a string of expletives and wound up asking how stupid he could get. lie knew he had to be able to get off one or two shots without a glove, but he knew also because he was so accustomed to its protec- tion on his fingers, he would very likely flinch or jerk the string when he let an arrow loose. I slipped him the spare glove I usually carry in my hunting jacket. While it was not as snug on his fingers as his own glove, it was better than nothing. Glove An archer's gloveis simply a few pieces of leather stitched together and held in place on the hand by an adjustable strap. Some bowmen prefer a tab, a flat piece of leather held between the fingers and the drawn string. Most finger tabs are padded with felt, rubber, or extra strips of leather. A hole in the tab, or a small thong, keeps it in position on the bowman's hand. The main purpose of a glove or tab is to protect the tips of the first three fingers on the hand which pulls back the bowstring, As the bow is drawn, pressure on these fingers builds up, At the moment of release, the rugged bowstring whips across the finger tips causing a tremendous amount of friction. There's a second reason for the glove or finger tab smooth release. To shoot with consistent accuracy, an archer's r.' :.and the other elements which comprise his form must be 0 . rin on each shot. The bowstring, therefore, should pass over the fingers in an even movement, without jumping, jarring, or digging into the fingers at the joints. The leather finger covering aids in this, because it smooths out the natural roughness of the shooter's fingers. So gloves or tabs will resist forming a deep groove from the bow- string, many are made with a layer of tough, smooth, shell cordovan leather on the outside. For the same reason, one manufacturer Reprinted fromOutdoor We:Copyright 01960, Popular Science Publish- ing Co., Inc. 32 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES makes gloves with thin strips of spring steel between two layersof leather in the fingers On the mere recent models, strips of plastic are used in place of steel. There are many other refinements, such as elastic inserts in the wrist straps for a tighter fit; a glove with washable, snap-onfingers made of vinyl plastic, a tab with a thick insert between thefirst two fingers to prevent the string from pinching the fingers, and a glove tab. On this the index finger is enclosed, the other fingersresting on a flat pad. Still another variation uses threeindividual, plastic finger stalls which come in eight sizes and can be trimmed for a customfit. There's also available a pair of sleek buckskin dress gloves for bowmen. They resemble any other pair of matched gloves except that the tips of three fingers on one of the gloves are covered with horsehide. Heavy bows cause more string friction than light ones, but a dozen or so shots with even a 25-pounder can raise painful welts or blisters on the fingers if the bowstring is unprotected. There are a few thick-skinned individualists who have been successful indevelop. ing enough callouses on their fingers so theydon't need a glove or tab. However, when they takea long layoff from archery the callouses disappear, and the painful toughening process has tobe repeated. Sonic bowmen who have tried this say there is nopain, but that a good tab or glove provides a smoother release than thebare fingers. Regardless of which type of finger covering you use, the cost is reasonable. The highest-priced tabs are less than S2,while most shooting gloves are under S3. But don't be misled by thesmall cost of this accessory. I know a top competitive archer who told mehe would sooner change bows in mid-tourney than switch to astrange tab. Armguard The aringuard worn on the wrist of the bow armis important too. Unlike the glove or tab, though, the aringuard has no direct effect on the bowman's shooting. Itis secured to the arm with elastic or a thong, and its purpose is to protect the .:iside of the forearm from the bowstring immediately aft'r the release. A few armguards are plastic, but most are leather reinforced with one or t wo narrow steel stays. Some archers, because of the way they hold a bow, don't need the protection of an aringuard. Nevertheless, they generally wear one as insurance against a bad release which may causethe heavy bow string to slap across the wrist and take a layer ofskin with it. In ACCESSORIES FOR ARCHERY 33 hunting, the armguard can be worn on the outside of the jacket to prevent a loose cuff from interfering with the string's forward motion. Quiver The third essential accessory for archers is the quiver, used to hold a supply of arrows in the field. There are dozens of designs, from the simple pocket quiver, which holds only four arrows and fits Into the hip pocket, to unique, homemade hunting models from winch the bowman draws his shafts out of the underside. The bowstring, as an indispensable part of the bow, cannot be considered an accessory, but does bear special mention. You should never be without a spare one, even if the string on your bow is new. After a recent experienceI had, I'm convinced that carrying two extra bowstrings is a good idea. I was on a one-week bowfishing trip hundreds of miles from a tackle shop. On the very first morning my bow slipped off the thwart of a small boat and became wedged under the seat so that the string rubbed against the sharp edge of the thwart. I discovered it when only two of the string's 16 strands had been cut, but that was enough to make me put on my other string very quickly. Do not make the mistake of cairying a spare bowstring that's never been used. You'll need one that's been broken in enough so that the stretch has been shot out of it. Be sure the spare bowstring is well waxed, and carry with you a cake of bowstring wax. This is a special compound which keeps the strands together and lengthens the life of the bowstring. Necking Point Your extra string should be equipped with a 'locking point, be- cause there's seldom lime to put one on in the field when you are forced to use a fresh bowstring. The nocking point is a small raised spot on the string. It is used to position the arrow in precisely the same place before each shot and to keep the arrow nock from sliding up and down along the string. It can be put on by wrapping the string with thread until a pronounced bump on the bowstring is formed, then securing it with several coats of cement. The bump must be big enough for you to feel, since there are times when you will not want to take your eyes off your game while Docking an arrow. And at night you can put a shaft on your string at the right spot by feeling the bump. 34 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES The location of the nocking point on thestring is very important, since an arrow will notfly right if it's nocked too high or too low. For best results with most modern bows,the arrow should point slightly downward. In other words, thearrow's nock should be a trifle above center on the string. Place theshaft in position on the bow so its perpendicular to the string.Mark the string about 1/8 inch above this point to indicate where your arrowshould rest, then wrap on your nocking point. Many archers like to wrap the flocking point onthe string above the arrow nock, while Just as manyprefer it below the nock. Some bowmen use two nocking points one above and one below the arrow but one will do. Several manufacturers offerplastic or rubber nocking points which are easilyinstalled and which tend to decrease friction between glove and bowstring. To reduce friction further, many tournamentarchers use wax or talcum powder between glove or tab andbowstring. They can be seen almost after every shoteither dabbing at a powder dispenser or slapping a special powder-filled pouch attheir belts. The ones who prefer wax usually rub paraffin or a siliconetreated archers' lubrica- ting wax into the string near the nocking pointand into the glove. Arrow Rest Almost all ranking tournament archers use somesort of special arrow rest on their bows, again as anaid in smooth shooting. Arrow rests come in at least six differentdesigns. Some of them consist of trimmed feathers, some are thin metalbands, and some are nylon wheels. Bow Sling Another accessory which is not new but whichhas recently been catching on with many serious tournamentarchers is the bow sling, or thong. Nothing more than aleather strap or rawhide cord searing the bow to the shooter's wrist, thethong allows the bowman to overcome a natural tendency to holdhis bow too tightly. A too-tight bow hand is potentially a serious faultfor a competitive bowman. With the wrist thong in place, an archer need not squeezethe bow's grip at all. When he releases an arrow,the bow falls from his hand and is caught by the sling. A sight on a bow may be considered an accessory,but to the free-stylers who use them in competition, and tothe many bow hunters who use them on game, the sightis an integral part of the weapon. For that reason, sights willbe discussed in the future. ACCESSORIES FOR ARCHERY 35 ..* Minor Accessories There are numerous minor accessories which are as useful to the ordinary arrow stinger as to the hotshot for example, the bow-tip protector, a small rubber sleeve fitted to the bow's lower limb. It protects the slender tip and holds the lower loop of the string in place before and during the bracing of the bow. For the upper bowstring loop there's a string holder which holds the string against the bow when it's unstrung. There are plenty of practical gadgets for the hunting bowman, too. If you've ever endured a cramped index finger from carrying your bow at the ready throughout a day's hunting, you may appre- ciate an arrow holder, an ingenious little device that can be taped or screwed to the bow. Two small rubber pads on a strip of springy steel are arranged so they hold a nocked arrow poised for instant drawing. When the shaft is pulled back for a shot, tension on the arrow holder is relaxed and it drops out of the way. Another useful accessory is a zippered leather pouch fitted to the bow's lower limb with adjustable elastic bands. Called a bow-pac, it's handy for carrying such items as bowstring, wax, matches, and com- pass when you're in the field without a jacket full of pockets or shooting without a shoulder quiver and its storage pocket. Most dealers carry a belt pouch for the same purpose. There's one invaluable aid for bowhunters on a hunting or camp- ing trip in extremely flat or rocky country. In terrain of this kind it's often impossible to find a hillside or steep bank to serve as a target backstop. But if the archers are equipped with a mat, this problem will be solved. The tightly woven mats come in four sizes, from 16 to 48 inches. Bowstring silencers, to reduce the twang of the string, as well as brush buttons to prevent twigs and branches from hanging up in the bow's tips are important to bowhunters. The well-equipped archer on the game trail should have a good file for sharpening his broad- heads. The rest of the bowhunter's kitis about the same as any ex- perienced hunter's. Some things are optional, such as camera, sun- glasses, adhesive tape, fly dope, handwarmer, folding seat, and seat pad. Some are at one time or another indispensable: knife, rope, compass, flashlight, matches, and first aid kit. 36 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES "Best Buy" Ratings in ArcheryEquipment BETTY JANE BOWMAN JULIE HEAGY BOWERS State Teachers College Lancaster, Pennsylvania This article is intended to provide informationand to counsel the instructor on matters 'elating to the purchase of goodarchery equip- ment, Nine items which directly affect theshooting proficiency of the archer have been selected fcr evaluation.They are: bows, bow- strings, bow tip protectors, 'locking points,bowsights, arrows, arrow rests, armguards, and finger tabs. Bows Bow weight: A bow must be light enough for the personusing it. The archer should be able to pull the bow tofull draw without excessive effort or strain over a prolonged period ofshooting. Bow weight is determined by the number of poundsof force needed to pull the bow the length of an arrow.Most bows are weighed at a 28-inch draw. This means that the bowis weighed in at the amount of force needed to pull a 28-inch arrowhack so that the tip of the arrow is touching the back of thebow. The ratio of pounds to ili,:lies is approximately two pounds tothe inch. Foi target shooting, the bow weight recommendedfor women is 20 to 30 pounds. A 25-pound bow weighed at a28-inch draw is recommended for the average college woman.High school girls should use bows that weigh 20 pounds at 26 inches. The beginner should start with a bow weight that is toolight. Then as shooting technique is mastered, a heavierbow can be used. For Novice archers, especially women and children, abow of 15 to 25 pounds is suggested. Bow length: Bows for adults are made inlengths from 52 inches to 72 inches, Bows 58 inches long are consideredacceptable. Those of 60 inches to 66 inches in length last longer and causeless pinching of the fingers as the string is drawn. The longer bowalso facilitates the release. Bow designs: There are two fundamental bowdesigns. The straight bow is the easier to build and thereforeusually less expensive. The recurved bow, on the other band, ranks superior inall-around per- formance. The recurves, acting as levers on each endof the bow, BEST BUY RATINGS IN ARCHERY EQUIPMENT 37 increase the arrow speed. The recurve also actsas a shock absorber as the bow straightens. Contrary tocommon belief, the recurve does not prevent "stacking," the rapid increase of weightfound in the last few inches of draw. Good tillering doesthus. "Working recurve" is a commonterm used in advertising. This means that the curved bow tip bends as the bow isdrawn. Actually this characteristic is true of practicallyevery modern recurved bow. The recurve is effective only when thebowstring touches and rests two to four inches on the bow limb The lemonwood, hickory;osage, and yew bows have been re- placed by better materials. Today almostall bows are made of fiber- glass. Solid fiberglass bowsare usually machine made, and, as a consequence, sell for less money than laminated bows.They lack speed and ease, however, in handling. The best bows are now fiberglasslaminations or layers over a hardwoodkmaple)core. The laminated fiberglass is far superiorto the solid fiberglass bow it shoots faster,has less shock in the release, and is physically lighter in weight. Arrow rests, sight windows, centershot design:Most bows come with an arrow shelf cut into the bow. However,many of the best bows are made with an arrow shelf that is too large foraccurate shooting. Consequently, itis strongly recommended that all bows should be fitted with an arrow rest. The betterbows are also designed witha sight window to allow a good view ofthe target. Nearly all modern recurve bowsare built with a centershot design. The arrow, as a result, is shot straighter,it does not have to bend as much around the bow. Bowstrings Bowstrings may all look alike, butthey differ in many ways. Not only do they vary in length butalso in composition, cast, strength, and stretch. The ideal string provideseven tension on every strand. The stress is evenly distributedso that every thread does its share of work. The number of strandsrecommended is in proportion to bow poundage. Handmade bowstringscomposed of dacron strands and nylon servings furnishgreater life. Bow weight, the bow style and model,and bow length must be considered when purchasinga bowstring. When the bow length is unknown, it can be ascertained bymeasuring from nock to nock along the bow back. The doubleloop string is all right, but seldom fits properly unless it is made especiallyfor the how model. A single loop bowstring will not fit all bows.The serving of a single loop bowstring must fall within the nockmgpoint area. When a single 38 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES loop bowstring is attached, the tie at the lower bow nock must be a timberhitch knot. Bow tip protectors A piece of rubber or plastic shaped to cover the bow tip is called a bow tip protector. It prevents scuffing or breakageof the bow tip and holds the bowstring in place while stringing or while placedin storage. Made of vinyl plastic or pliable rubber, bow tipprotectors fit most bows. The do-it-yourself bow tip protector consists of a small rubber- band, one inch long and one-quarter inch wide. The rubberband is twisted in a manner that it will hold the bowstring in the bow nooks. The only purpose this serves is to keep the string in place, Nocking points The nocking point is that area that accepts the nock (plastic) of the arrow. This bowstring attachment increases accuracy by helping the archer to hook the arrow at the same spot for each shot.The angle above the arrow should not be less than a 90degree angle. It also allows for a smoother, faster release. A nocking pointshould fit snugly on the bowstring so that an arrow can be flocked in the proper place instantly and remain nocked untilreleased. Some flocking points are designed to eliminate the necessity of a shooting tab or glove. The do-it-yourself nocking point is made by folding a six inch piece of dental tape at the midway point. The fold is placed around the bowstring slightly above the nocking point area. The twoends of the dental tape are wrapped in opposite directions, closelyand evenly around the bowstring, A square knot is tied upon reaching the end. This inexpensive technique provides an adequate nocking point. Bowsights The use of a bowsight is an acceptable and effective method of aiming. Accuracy in aiming from fixed distances can bedeveloped more quickly with a bowsight thanwith any other aiming method. The sight is usually attached to the back of the bow just abovethe handle. It should be easily mountable and firmly attached.The ideal bowsight is one which can be adjusted for bothelevation and wind- BEST BUY RATINGS IN ARCHERY EQUIPMENT 39 age, with the assurance that while one adjustment is being made (e.g., elevation), the other (e.g., windage) will remain firmly in place. The do-it-yourself bowsight is an acceptable aiming device. The construction necessitates only a piece of adhesive tape one-half inch to one-inch wide and a one inch long pin with a small black hcad. The adhesive tape is placed on the back of the bow just above the handle. The pin is iaserted between the bow and tape so that the head projects from the left of the bow (for a right-hander) at the correct distance above the handle, Although some championship tournaments have been won with the use of homemade bowsights, they are primarily used in large instruction classes in schools, camps, and playgrounds. Arrows Arrows are generally classified into two groups. the matched and the unmatched. "Matched" means that a set of arrows arP. of the same spine (stiffness of the arrow shaft) and physical weight. In addition, the arrow length, shaft diameter, feather size, crest, nock, point, etc. are also alike. Although "unmatched" arrows may look alike, they will not all possess the same qualities in stiffness and weight. The spine of the arrow is the most :inportant factor in choosing quality arrows. Keep in mind that there is a particular spine of shaft for each different bow weight. As the bow weight increases, so does the pressure the string exerts on the, arrow. Consequently, the arrow must be spined to resist this pressure and to keep the arrow from bending too far. The second consideration is the physical weight of the arrow. The trajectory of an arrow that is too heavy is slow and inaccurate. Accurate shooting demands the use of quality "matched" arrows. Buy the best arrows your budget can afford. Select with care. Most manufacturers state on the box the bow weight for which the arrows are suitable. Most wooden arrows are made of Port Orford cedar which is generally grown in Oregon and is regarded as the finest wood for arrow making. Cedar arrows are sometimes recommended for begin- ners, but wooden arrows are not considered top quality because changes in temperature and humidity can warp them. They are easily broken and fpadually wear out because of the softening of the wood with continuous w e. Fiberglass is becoming popular as a quality arrow shaft.Itis almost indestructible and remains relativelystraight.Fiberglass arrows are available in a variety of weights and shaft sizes to fit every 40 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES need and bow weight. Now tubular glass arrows comparefavorably with aluminum in lightness and flatness of trajectory and are con- sidered more durable than aluminum. Aluminum arrows ha,for years been considered the top quality. Because of their cost, however, aluminum arrows are not recom- mended where arrow loss is common, nor where arrows which miss the target will hit other hard surfaces, causing bending of the shafts These are not arrows for beginners but they do assure maximum accuracy for serious archers. Arrow rests The use of an arrow rest, a projection placed on the side of the bow, results in a greater degree of accuracy in shooting. This acces- sory holds the arrow at the exact spot each time the archer shoots. The angle formed above the arrow and bowstring should not be less than 90 degrees when the arrow is placed on the arrow rest and nocked at its nocking p ,int. The beginner finds .t a useful device in that it eliminates discomfort to the bow hand which sometimes results from the arrow or fletchings as the arrow is released. The arrow rest should be easily mountable and nonmovabie. It should be large enough to accommodate arrows of various sizes. Vanes and feathers should clear the arrow rest with no crest or feather damage. A "disappearing" type is preferable. Some arrow rests are specifically for either left- or right-handed bows,while others are interchangeable. A do-it-yourself arrow rest can be made from a 1/2" X '/" X 2" eraser. Simply cut the eraser in half so that the cut edge will serve as a shelf for the arrow. Mount the cut eraser by gluing it ontothe side of the bow. Armguards When the bow is held properly, the bowstring will occasionally strike the forearm. An armguard eliminates discomfort of the bow arm. Armguards are made of plastic or leather.Better aringuards are made of cordovan, a glossy leather, and are lined with soft leather. They are reinforced with a strip or strips of steel running the entire length to keep them flat and tabsorb sonic of the shock. Those with adjustable elastic strap attachments are recommended; the i..:ed style are bulky and iconvenient to put on. Experiencedarchersalwaysweararinguards; inexperienced archers are advised to adopt the practice. BEST BUY RATINGS IN ARCHERY EQUIPMENT 41 A tongue depressor strapped onto the bow arm with either adhe- sivetapeorrubbeitmilds equips the bow arm of an archer adequately, if proper shooting style is display ed. Finger Tabs A finger tab precludes discomfort to the archer's finger tips. A tab is also preferred by most archers because of its faster release. Finger tabs are made of cowhide, cordovan with leather or felt backing, or leather backing faced with hair-calf. Small, medium, large, and extra large tabs are available for either left or right hands. Shooting gloves are not recommended. An inexperienced archeris more apt to pinch the arrow when wearing a shooting glove. The two piece cordovan faced sh oting tab can be purchased with either a leather or felt backing.t has only one opening for the shooting fingers. 42 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Facts Bows and Arrows GEORGE FERNS California Straight Bow 1 he straight bow is the simplest and least complex of the w fam ly. The limbs are essentially straight, although some curvature is builinto a few models, from the handle to the tips. The string is helin place on the bowtips by means of grooves cut into the wood called bow flocks. The thickened section in the center of the bow is the handle riser. When the bow is strung and held in the hand ready for shooting, the part of the limb facing the archer is called the belly or facing. The part of the limb facing away from the archer is called the back. Because of the irregularities of various bow woods from which most straight limbed bows are made, the old straight bow has a tendency to be more erratic in its shooting characteristics than the modern bow made.f fiberglass and maple laminations. The straight bow is the slowest of all types cf bows; that is, it has the least castor velocity. To produce satisfactory trajectories for either target shoot ing or hunting, straight bows must be heavier in weight or pull than its modern counterpart, the composite recurve. The distance from the arrow rest to the string is called the fistmele. Composite Recurve The composite recurve,ry or working recurve, is exactly what Its name implies. The )-r-w limb of the recurvery differs greatly from the straight bow. Its limb leaves the handle riser curving slightly towards the shooter and then recur/es away from the shooter towards the tip. Simply stated, the ends or tips of the recurve bow curveaway from the archer in varying degrees when held in normal shooting position. When the recurve end unwinds when drawn, the bow limbis cocked for extra work. The recurve acts as a lever on the end of each limb, increasing arrow speed by as much as 20 percent and actingas a shock absorber to reduce jar to a minimum. It also greatly in- creases the smoothness of the thaw and eliminates stacking, the increase of weight during the last few inches of draw. FACTS-BOWS AND ARROWS 43 Parts of the Bow The handle section of the bow is formed in three parts thegrip, riser, and overdraw. Thehandle risercovers the entire unbending section of the center of the bow. Theoverdrawis that part of the bow which overlaps your hand Thegripis the part held in the hand and is usually contoured to give a comfortable fit which will position itself the same way every time you hold the bow. Most bowsare furnished with a standard pistol grip design. Some of the custom bows are made with a special high wrist grip which is more deeply contoured to give additional support. Thearrow restis designed to support the arrow, keep it away from the shooter's hand, and position it the same with each shot. All bows, except very inexpensive ones, are factory' equipped withan arrow rest. Many of the best bows of laminated fiberglass are made with very large arrow rests which also serve as torsion stabilizers. Thesight windowis the cutaway section of the riser through which the arrow passesAll of the better bows are designed with sight windows, which greatly aid in having a good view of the target. Sight windows must be cut for either right- or left-hand shooting. The termcentershotindicates that the bow has been cut almost to the center axis of the bow at the point where the arrow passes. By removing the wood, the arrow does not have to bendas much aroundthe bow asitwould otherwise and thereforeshoots straighter, even when a shooting mistake is made. Practicallyevery modern quality bow is made as a centershot. Materials Used in 6ow Construction Today almost every quality bow uses fiberglass inits coictruc- tion, as this material gives more speed, is more lightweight, far greater life than any material previously used. The best bows are made of thin fiberglass sheets laminated over a maplecore. This type of construction is far superior to a solid fiberglass c nstructionas it will shoot faster, have less jar, and be physically lighter. However, solid fiberglass bows can be machine produced and therefore sell for much less than the composite types, which are strictly handcrafted instruments. Leinonwood and likkory are still used for inexpensive bows. They will not give the performance of either solid or laminated fiberglass and are not recommended for serious shooting. Aluminum is used for crossbows and a few inexpensive young- sters' bows. Serious accidents have resulted due to their breakage and they should not be used for regular shooting. 44 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Laminated fiberglass bows are by far the best investmentwhen purchasing a bow. They give much longer life, betterperformance, and higher trade-ins later on. Arrow Contrary to the usual idea of the uninitiated that a goodbow will shoot almost any arrow, the arrow is really the mostvital part of an archer's equipment. Practically any old bent stick,(practically, that is) with a string tied on itwill shoot an arrow with reasonable accuracy if the arrow is straight, balanced,and properly matched to the bow, The best bow made cannot shoot a poorlymatched arrow properly or make a crooked arrow fly straight. The word spinerefers to the stiffness of the arrow shaft. The higherthe drawing weight of the bow, the stiffer the shaft must be to shoot properly.The correct match of arrow spine and bow weight isabsolutely necessary to make an arrow go where you aim it. If the arrow is toolimber for the weight of the bow, the arrow will fly to the right ofthe target. If It is too stiff,it will fly to the left. It is not only frustrating but impossible to try for precision shooting with arrows that are not matched in spine. Never shoot an odd assortment of arrows.When buying arrows, the weight of the bow and your draw lengthshould always be considered. Arrow Construction A wide variety of materials are used in making arrows.The simple little arrow is really a very complex missile,The following descrip- tion of arrow materials will give you an ideaof the extremely varied selection of arrows available. Port Orford cedar grown in Oregon is regarded as thefinest wood for arrows because it is light weight, extremely straight grained,and uniform In spine. Most arrows are made of this material.Wood, however, has many drawbacks, making it unsuitable for topquality arrows. It warps easily from changes intermperature and humidity, is heavier than other arrow materials, breaks easily,and gradually wears out.Itis ideal for throw-away and hunting arrows for the archer with a limited budget. A guide used by allarchers, however, is always buy the best arrows your budget can afford.Wood arrows are a last resort. Fiberglass has rapidly become the most popular quality arrow shaft for general use. It is virtually indestructible, cannot bebent out of shape or straightness, and is available ina wide selection of FACTS-BOWS AND ARROWS 45 weights and sizes to fitevery need and bow weight. In the past, the major drawback to fiberglass was its heavyweight. Developments during the last few years, however, haveproduced glass shafts that are nearly as light as aluminum. Fiberglassarrows are beyond doubt the very best for beginning archers. Aluminum shafts have long been thechoice of champions. Machine testing has proved that the finestaccuracy is possible only with aluminum arrows. Whenyou consider that almost every state. regional, national, and internationaltournament has been won by archers using aluminum arrows formore than 15 years, the fact is hard to argue. Aluminumarrows are not for beginners, they expensive compared to wood. are Fletching Fletching guides and stabilizesyour arrow from the time it leaves your bow until it hits the target. Althoughfletclung can be some- what involved, there is nothingmysterious about its use. The size of the fletching determines howfast your arrow returns to a straight flight after bending aroundthe bow. With a light target arrow a smaller feather is used than witha heavy broadhead hunting arrow. The shape of the feather determinesthe guiding properties and noise of the arrow during flight. Fletching consists of either plasticor turkey feathers. The small hard"Plasti-Fletch"is used where maximumarrow speed and highest accuracy are desired. Arrowsfletched with "Plasti-Fletch" are most often used for serious tournamentshooting and are not recommended for beginning archers. 46 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Selection and Care of Equipment RUTH D. LEVINSON University of Nebraska, Lincoln Here is a summary of a questionnairewhich was sent to 38 com- mercial companies toobtain information about aiding archery teachers in the selectior care of modern archery equipment Bows I. Can soiled fiberglass bows be washedwith a detergent? Some respondents answered yes, providingthe laminate is a sound one and the detergent ismild. Others prefer cleaning the bow with a good wax. 2. Should fiberglass bows be hung,stood, or placed across a rack' Is one method better thananother? Many respondents stated any of these methods issatisfactory; a few indicated a preference of either hanging orresting the bow across the rack with no weightresting on it. 3. Does dampness or dryness affectthese bows in storage areas' Many manufacturers indicated dampness ordryness in storage cabinets had no effect on fiberglass bows. Afew indicated ex- tremes of either condition were notgood. Storage in a cool, well ventilated, and not too dry place was recommended 4. Does ram or sun affect fiberglass bows' The majority of respondents felt thelife of a bow could be af- fected by hot sun, but not by rain. Severalcautioned archers not to leave strung bows in closed carsin sunlight. Bows should be wiped off after use in rain. The bow should beallowed to adjust to the temperature of itssurroundings (when being moved from extreme cold or heat) before use. 5. Will a bow be damaged by keeping it strunglonger than the shooting period? indefinitely The bow * Consensus is that it should not be strung ;might "take a set." Bows are dangerouswhen a string breaks. Composite bows are strung all day in hunting,but should be unstrung when not in use. 6. Do you Juggest keeping a new bow strungovernight to make it easier to handle' Most respondents answered no. 7. Is I'gtli important in (lie selection of afiberglass how? Many respondents said "yes." 1or targetarchery, the longer bow is SELECT ION AND CARE OF EQUIPMENT 47 considered better because it is easier to draw, reducesjar, and is more accurate. Many recommended at least a 60-inch howas the most practical for schools and colleges. 8. Does the recurve bow have more advantageszn target archery9 Most manufacturers feltthe recurve bow was faster and more accurate, and had a flatter trajectory and less recoilA few felt the straight limb bow was best for beginners andfor those who shot infrequently. 9. What other suggestions were given for bows? Crooked or dannged bows whould be checkedfor safety. A bow that is within the strength of the shootershould be used. Ac- quaintancewith modern archery equipmentisessential. A bonande manufacturer who guarantees hisequipment should be selected Strings 1. Should nylon strings be waxed? Whatis the best wax to use? All strings should be waxed to prevent foreignmaterials from getting in the strand and causing abrasion andwear. Beeswax was the most frequently recommended wax, butsome manufacturers indicate any good commerical brand is satisfactory. 2. Can strings be shortened by knotting withoutharming effective shooting? Strings should never be knotted. Twistinga string in the direction of the manufactured twist will shorten ita small amount. Use the right length or a single loop string whichcan be adjusted. 3. Should string keepers be removed? If they are on the bow limb itself and interferewith the action of the string, they should be removed. 4. What other suggestions were given for strings? For string length, measure bows from back ofone bow neck to back of other bow neck. Nocking points shouldbe marked on string to help shooter nock arrow properly. Alwaystwist string in same direction of serving twist. Dacronther than nylon strings were recommended. Proper length ofring without excessive twisting should be used. Be certain strings haveproper brace height and flocking markers. Arrows 1. /low can wooden arrows be cleaned? Several manufacturers recommended rubbinglightly with fine steel wool; then apply Bowcare. Others suggestedany good floor cleanser or wax. 48 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES 2 What glue do you recommend for leathers and cocks' Duro household cement or I.verfast were the most frequently mentioned glues for wooden arrows. Phobond by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. was mentioned most frequently for use on glass and aluminum arrows. 3. Can warped arrows be straightened in a vise2 No. The following suggestions were given to straighten arrows sight down the arrow and press hard, heat arrow at warped spot, hold arrow between forefinger and thumb, bend it slightly more than warp, and hold arrow in this position until cool. Throw arrow away if warp is too had 4. What precautions should be taken to keep arrows from warping' Store by standing on end in racks, avoid crowding and side pres- sures. Avoid excessive heat, cold, or dampness, and check often for splits and cracks. 5. What other suggestions were given for arrows' Many manufacturers recommended fiberglass arrows be purchased instead of wooden arrows Although the initial cost is high, fiber- glass arrows last longer and give better performance Aluminum arrows are recommended for competitive target shooting Leather Armguards and Finger Tabs i. Howcan perspiration stains be removed" Washing with good detergent or saddle soap helps. but all stains cannot be removed, 2. now can stiff new arniguards and finger tabs be made more pliable' Most respondents replied "through usage. Some suggested buy- ing pliable ones. Others suggested soaking them in water, rubbing them with saddle soap. vaselme, Bowcare, Lexol, or neats'-foot oil. 3, What can he done to make them last longer" Buy good quality leather ones. Keep them out of rain, treat them with oil before using. and store them in plastic bag away from heat or moisture. What other suggestions were given for arniguards and finger tabs' Use elastic guards rather than ones thar are laced. Get good tabs in small and medium sizes. Gloves are preferred to tabs for begin- ners. Take fullfirst joint hold on string, not fingertip grip, because few shooters have enough strength to hold. Put a little talcum powder on tab face to make it smoother and for a crisper release. SELECTION AND CARE OF EQUIPMENT 49 Targets I. flow should targets be stored when not m use In a moderately humid, cool place, and face down. 2.What can be done to keep mice away from targets' Best targets are chemically treated for mouse-proofing. Some sug- gest spraying targets with antifreeze, solution of sal soda, or putting paradichlorobenzene lumps or crystals on targets Store in mouse-proof place. 314/hatcover is recommended for targets left outside during a sea- son? Any waterproof material, such as plastic, oilcloth, or canvas. 4.What other suggestions were given for targets' They should be carried, never rolled. Tighten them up each year Dampen targets with a spray mist in dry weather 50 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES How to Start and End the Serving on a Bowstring MARGARET L. KLANN JUDY K. SEVERANCE Arizona This article describes the mechanics of beginning and ending a serving. When preparing to serve a bowstring you must determine that portion of the string where proteLtion is needed. The bow must first be braced and then the upper and lower limits of the desired serving area must be marked with pen or pencil. Pull six to eight inches of nylon serving thread off the serving tool or spool. At the top end of the area to be served, separate the strands of the bowstring into two equal r. arts and Insert about one inch of the serving thread between the strands. Lay the one inch of serving thread along the bowstring so that it is within the areas to be served (Figure I-A). !land wrap the serving thread (Figure I -B) over this one inch length, continuing for five or six turns, to anchor It in place. The rest of the serving can now be completed with the serving tool, or by hand if no tool is being used. When the serving covers the proper area, as indicated by the marks on the bowstring, cut the thread from the serving tool or spool, leaving about 12 inches of excess. Make a turn, as if you were going to wrap the thread around the string again, but leave a loop (Figure 2-A). Come up inside this loop and wrap around the bow- string five or six times in the direction of the area already served (Figure 2-B). Then lay the last three or four inches of the seiving thread on top of the served area (Figure 2.C) and anchor it there with your thumb and forefinger (Figure 3-A). With your other hand, wrap the serving thread around the bow- string, making these wraps a continuation of the area already served (Figure 3-B). As these turns are made, you will be unwrapping the five or six loops you made around the bowstring in Figure 2. When the last of these loops is unwrapped, take hold of the end of the serving thread that has been anchored under your thumb and fore- finger (Figure 3-A) and pull the excess thread through. With a sharp razor blade, carefully cut the excess serving thread off close to the serving, Apply a light coat of glue to the first and last eight turns of the serving around the bowstring. HOW TO START & END THE SERVING ON A BOWSTRING 51 r---P TO TOP AREA TO OF BOW BE BERM Figure 1 fittlia'1 AREA TO IIIIJPRE SERVED Figure 2 Figure 3 52 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Instruction Safety Rules MYRTLE K. MILLER New Jersey Safetypracticesinarcherycannot be overemphasized.All campers and students, archery counselors and teachers should study and observe the safety rules presented here before they put bows and arrows to use in any camp or school program. For the Archer 1. A nocked arrow (one that is placed on a bowstring) is like a loaded gun. A bow drawn with an arrow nocked is like a loaded gun cocked and ready to shoot. Be as thoughtful and careful when using a bow and arrow as you would be using a gun with ammunition. 2. Never nock an arrow until after the signal is given to shoot. Keep arrow in quiver until signal is given to shoot. 3. Stay behind the shooting line until the signal is given to re- trieve arrows, when all archers will go at one time to retrieve. 4. Straddle the shooting Nile to be sure that every member of the class is directly behind the one in front of her. 5. Feel a definite responsiblity for the safety of every member of the class, as well as for yourself. 6. Shoot only if you are equipped with an aringuard and finger tab or shooting glove. These are as necessary as bows and arrows to engage in archery safely and successfully. All archers use aringuards and finger tabs. Wear an armguard and finger protection every time you release an arrow. The aringruard protects your forearm from the slap of the bowstring and the finger tab keeps your fingers from being burned and blistered. (Tabs also help to get a smoother release which helps you get more hits.) 7. Wear clothing which has no pockets, buttons, or ruffles on the left to interfere with the bowstring upon release. A tee shirt or sweater is ideal. 8. Remove pins or buttons from the left of a sweater or blouse during shooting to avoid catching the bowstring on them. 9. Always keep in mind how powerful a bow is. An arrow re- leased from even a medium-weight bow can put a hole through a piece of metal. Keep in mind the extreme seriousness of an accident if a person were hit by a released arrow. SAFETY RULES 53 10. Make it you' duty to point out to each student tne importance of constant safety consciousness on the archery range. Be alert to notice the slightest offense and remind the offender before she has a chance to cause an accident. 11. Remember that any part of the range, in front of the shooting line, even at the extreme right or left, is forbidden territory until the signal is given to retrieve arrows. 12. An archery range is not a safe terrain for bare feet. Wear good walking shoes. Use of Arrows I. Nock the arrow with the cock feather pointing away :ro the bow, not toward it. 2Check net arrows for glue deposits, espec.:Ily on the s:de feather to the left of the cock feather which pas' xer the top of the bow hand. If there is any roughness at the bihe .f this feather, it will scratch the hand as the arrow is released. The excess glue can be rubbed off with fine sandpaper. If a scratch appears on the top of the hand, all arrows should be checked before being shot again. A Bandaid should be placed o:the scratch before shooting is .:on- tinued. 3. Be sure arrows are long enough, especially for beginning archers, to prevent overdrawing the arrow and causing serious In- juries. 4. Carry arrows n-ar the point, never near the nock end. (It is unnecessary, however, to place a finger between each arrow while holding it in the hand.) 5. Draw arrows from the target one person at a time; while the others stand at the side of the target. The arrow is drawn by placing the left hand on the target face and placing the right thumb and forefinger as near the point of the arrow as possible The arrow is then pulled straight out, keeping the angle at which it entered the target. The drawn arrow is placed in the left hand with the crest end down, while the next arrow is drawn carefully. 6. After retreiving the arrows, place them in the qui.% Jrnever on the ground. 7. Pick up low arrows that have missed the target as soon as they are discovered, taking care to touch them as near the point end as possible. (This usually will mean your fingers are touching the grass when you begin to draw the arrow from the ground.) Again the arrow is drawn straight out at the angle it entered '..he ground. 8. Wipe off arrows that miss the target with a woolen tassel (worn on the belt quiver for this purpose) before they are shot again. This will protect the bow as well as the arrow. 54 SELECTO ARCHERY ARTICLES this time. Another important factor which is often overlookedis that the teacher, too, should continue to acquire as muchexperience and skill in the sport as possible. This will enable her to coach the Intermediate archer in more realistic and practical ways. As skill increases, the student gains ever greater confidencein her own ability. Itis at this point that the archer sometimes becomes careless in her performance. The teacher muse be able to spotany errors the archer makes and immediately correct them before bad habits form. For example, a student may be using good technique and s..ein to be following all instructions, and yet her arrows sel- dom land in the gold. has she forgotten to aim or has she failedto aim carefully enough? This type of erroris often difficult to spot, especially if the archer holds in the full draw position before releas- ing. Students should be taught how to recognize and correct their e !If", It, 9. Inspect arrows for cracks or breaks in the shaft (a great menace to safety) and break in two any that are questionable. The only way you can be sure ti.ey will not be shot and possibly go through someone's hand is to dispose of them. 10.If an arrow has hit a hard object so that the point has been pushed into the shaft, be sure itis filed down and rubbed with sandpaper until it is smooth and then waxed before it is shot again. Watch for any mows that may have this splintering at the point end, if such an arrow is shot before being repaired, theplintering will follow up the shaft when it enters the target and the arrow will be ruined. Also, there is danger in getting slivers in the hand on the release. Ike of the Bow I. Never draw a bow without an arrow in it, as it may be over- urawn and cause the bow to break or the string to slip from the fingers and break the bow. 2. Never draw a bow, even without an arrow in it, while someone is in front of it The bow may break and the pieces fly forward with force that would cause injuries. 3. While bracing a bow, keep the fingers from getting between the string and the bow at the upper end. Keep the hand firmly placed, palm down on the top of the how, keeping tha arm straight until you are certain the loop is definitely in the uppe, nock of the bow before removing the hand. If the loop of the string slipped out of the nock, the bow would snap back, hitting the archer in the head. 4. Hang bows on bow racks or place them on ground quivers made for bows as well as arrows. No part of the bow should ever touch the ground, as the dampness removes the cast from the bow and there is also danger of the bow being stepped on. 5. Check the fistme,;distance from belly of bow to string when braced) to be sure it is six inches. If it is less than this, the string will slap your wrist. 6. Brace the bow correctly, applying pressure only where it should be applied. 7Unbrace the bow when you have finished shooting. Technique I. Avoid injuring left arm at the elbow by paying caroul atten- tion to correct position of the left arm at full draw. SAFETY RULES 55 .7 4 2. Avoid bruising left shoulder by using a very light bow and training both shoulders to move down and back on the draw, instead of hunching the left shoulder 3. Armguards and finger protection are "musts." Tender fingers may require tincture of benzoin to toughen the skin. Apply before fingers become sore. 4. Keep bowstring close to the left arm on the draw so that at full draw the string comes dose to the armpit. 5. Keep forefinger of the bow hand around the bow grip, with the thumb on top of it, to avoid possibility of injuring the finger or making the arrow fly high. For Counselors or Instructors 1. Know all of the above safety rules and be sure your students know them and their complete meaning. Emphasize the most im- portant ones before shooting begins; during shooting, return to them, studying them more in detail and making constant reference to their being used. 2. Set up the archery range, and organize and plan your archery program and procedures so that all possible causes for accidents are . 4 removed. 3. Conduct supervised practices at all times. Have every student begin to shoot on a signal and retrieve on a signal on all targets. 4. Make every student and archer "safety conscious." Bows and arrows are weapons. Remember this when you put them into the hands of students. 5. There is no safe place in front of the shooting line. Although arrows glance off to the left more frequently than they do to the right, they can accidentally glance off in either direction. The only safe place is behind the shooting line. 6.Insist upon aringuard and finger tab IZ is better for a camper or student not to shoot at all than to shoot without armguard and tab, as only discouragement can remilt. 7. Check on what each student is wearing to be sure there is nothing in the path of the bowstring on the release. 8. Demonstrate the penetrating power of an arrow by shooting one into a soft piece of pine woo,' placed on the target. 9. Make each camper responsible for her own safety practices and those of the archer in front of her on the shooting line. This is the only way to insure safety, since the instructor cannot watch every ntuber of the class every minute. 10. Caution students about arrows that drop from the bowstring. These should be reached with the bow and pulled back of the shoot-
56 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES ing line. Caution them about reaching over the line to pick up an arrow, particularly beginners, who do this frequently.
Target Archery Range i. When different ranges are required for a group that is shooting at the same time on the same field, use one common shooting line and have the targets set as shown in the sketch. Advanced Intermediate
Beginners 20 30 40 50 60 yds. yds. yds. yds. yds.
Shooting line 2. Check all doors on an indoor range and possible entrances to the range, especially between the shooting line and the targets and behind the targets. Pave doors locked. Avoid any possibility of pass- ersby going behind the targets, even at a distance, or trespassing between the shooting line and targets. Outdoors, have at least 20 or 30 yards of clearing behind the targets, if possible. 3. Have ropes surrounding the archery range. 4. Bow racks and quivers, points of aim, and toe markers should be available, as well as tassels to encourage students to take care of the tackle. Helping students individually to place their points of aim correctly can make for more hits and less danger to the arrows. 5. Make each student feel she is an important part of an archery safety committee so that she feels a delinite responsibility for the safety of others as well as for herself. 6. A safe archery program can be conducted only if an instructor or counselor knows the subject thoroughly. To attempt to teach without adequate training and experience is an unsafe practice in itself.
Field Archery Range I. All the above rules apply on the field course. Different loca- tions may requii e special rules. Be sure to become familiar with SAFETY RULES 57 these before shooting on a cotase for the first time. Abide by all local rules. 2. Release an arrow only if y'm can see clearly your target and area beyond. 3. Advance beyond shooting position only after signal has been given to go. 4.If shooting is not supervised, call "timber" before drawing the bow, to make sure the complete area i; clear. 5. Before going behind target to ret:ieve missing arrows, have one of the group remain in front of the target to be sure the other archers hold their shooting. If you are shooting alone, tie a "flag" to the top limb of your bow and stand it against the target in clear sight of other archers. The bow alone is not sufficiently conspicuous. 6. Help your archery companions and spectators learn about safe archery practices. You may save a life and it could be your own! 7Protect the wildlife and natural beaut,es of the course as well as yourself, your fellow archers, and s'eta toss.
For Bowhunters I. Safety to other hunters, to oneself, to hve;tock, and to prop- erty must be uppe most in -very bowhunter's mind at all times. 2. Keep hunting arrows in quiver while going to your stand or leaving it. 3. Keep a safe distance from your hunting companion while walking through rugged terrain to avoid injury from arrowheads in case she stumbles or falls. 4. Mark each arrow clearly with your name and ad tress. 5. A good hunter must be a good archer, a good co tservationist, and above all, a good sportsman. It takes practice and ;orm to be a good archer. 6. Endeavor to correct any unsafe act by a thouglhess or per- haps uninformed hunter you may witness. 7. Wear safe hunting clothes with respect to style and c -dor. 8. Check locally all legal requirements and rules of 'he area before you go hunting. 9. Take map, compass, and first aid kit with you. 10. Be aware of other hunting parties nearby. Know them. loca- tions and movements.
58 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLE.; Intermediate Archery Instruction
MARJORIE SIEGLER ANDERSON St. Cloud State College St. Cloud, Minnesota What is an "intermediate archer?" Should a student be considered in this bracket simply because she has completed a class inbeginning archery? Or does the term "intermediate" imply that the student has learned well the techniques of target shooting and is ready to move into new experiences in archery? Students generally enroll in intermediate archery with varying degrees of skill and experience. Approximately half of the students have completed a beginning archery class. Most display averageskill, but they are eager to become better archers. It is not unusual to have several very fine archers and a slightly greater number of poorly skilled archers. One of the main objectives of all the students taking the course is to either learn target shooting techniques or toutilize the class period as a practice period to "sharpen" the arrow for the deer season. Many hunters enroll in the class with miminium basic knowledge and skills of target shooting.
Target Shooting To accommodate this variance in skills and experiences, the first unit of the course covers target shooting. After the initial intro- duction with emphasis on safety and basic skills, the students practice as a class group the seven fundamental skillsstance, cock- ing, drawing, anchor point, aim, release, and follow-through. The procedure is repeated several times with emphasis on particular fun- damentals where needed. A person-to-person check is made as students continue to practice at their own pace. All of this work is done in the gymnasium rather than on the field, to better utilize the time which would be lost in moving frc m the gymnasium to the field and back. About eight periods are devoted to this unit. Approximately tw. . weeks are spent on target shooting. During this time, individual coaching isgiven. However, the student is encouraged to ar lyze her own errors through the kinesthetic per- ception principle. On occasion, when a student has beenhaving difficulty, she is asked to deliberately assume the incorrect technique as well as the correct one. In most instances,the student is then able 'o recognize where the trouble:lies and how to correct it. This procedure is essential for a student to progress. INTERMEDIATE ARCHERY INSTRUCTION 59 Itisphysically impossible for the instructor to observe each student as much as she would like during classes. Intricate deviations in skills are likely to occur from class period to class period, possibly even from end to end. Secondly, kinesthetic perception is important in archery if the sport is to be continued as recreation. At this stage, the student is not able to take advantage of the instructor's experi- enceindetectingskilldeviation.hence,ifsheisto make constructive scores and, consequently, continue through archery with success and satisfaction, she must learn to be her own coach. Most target shooting is done from 40- and 50-yard ranges. Mini- mum shooting is done from 20- and 60-yard ranges, the latter because of limitations of the shooting area. Individual scoring seems sufficient to keep students motivated. However, to add variety to the class, balloons are placed on the targets for several class periods. Students will discover that breaking a balloon is more challenging than simply hitting the scoring area.
Clout Shooting During one or two periods of the course, the class a sually goes to the football field for an experience in clout shooting. The football field is selected because the space is much greater. Targets are set up at both ends of the field so that more time can be spent in shooting.
Field Archery The third unit of intermediate archery is conducted in a forested area where a simulated course for field archery is set up. At the first class meeting, when the course outline is presented, the announcement is made that each of them will be responsible for preparing a target for the field archery experience. Sometime during the second week of the course, the students indicate to the instruc- tor the animals they have choosen to make. A maximum of nine targets is made, since it has been discovered that students rarely get around to more than nine targets in one class period. Students work together in small groups to prepare the targets. Those students who do not make targets assume more responsibility in setting up the course. The only instructions given to the students are: (a) the official size of the bull and spot, (b) the size of the animal, and (c) the materials to be used. Students are advised to make the animals life- sized, with the exception of pheasants, squirrels, and rabbits, in which cases a slightly larger than life-size is needed. Cardboard is 60 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES
no two will be alike. this presents a constant challenge for the con- scientious archery instructor.
A FEW FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS Some of the most common faults that beginners develop and a few suggestions for ....orreLling them arc 1. Drawing aFault1 ension in the string hand and pinching the nook causing the arrow to fall away from the bow, Correetton. Stilve for relaxed fingers. The fingers should merely actas "dead hooks" on the string with the upper back and suggested for the material and crayon or paint other than water- colors is recommended because the targets are exposed to adverse weather conditions,
The Target Area After a discussion of important factors in setting up a target course, the class goes out to the area to survey its possibilities for setting up targets at varying ranges and for use of the terrain to include a variety of shots. The students are asked to keep in mind safety when three or four groups are moving about and the place- ment of targets to minimize possible loss of arrows. Students who are free the period before the archery period set up the bales of hay, slip the targets under the binding cord, and tie on larger targets with additional string, white markers are driven into the ground so that the number of eaci, post and the number of shots to be taken at each one can be clearly seen. White arrows are placed on trees so that the archers are aware of the easiest route to the next post Generally, the setting up of the course takes one class period with all students assisting. The transition from target archery to field archery is initiated when the students move from the arcIiery range to the wooded area. At this point, six basic techniques wench differ from those of target archery are introduced to the student.? These are (a) the feet are slightly farther apart than for target archery, (b) the anchor point is high on the cheek, (c) the head is tilted, (d) the bow is slightly inclined, (e) both eyes are open for aiming, and (f) the arrow is released a fraction of a second earlier than in target archery. Stu- dentsfirstpractice without equipment; then they practice with equipment, but do not release the arrow. Finally, they shoot at the target. Movirg slowly step by step in this fashion enables the instruc- tor to check individual variances in technique. Field shooting experiences are the highlights of the course for intermediate archers. They are able to enjoy hunting with one dis- tinct advantage their game is waiting to be shot.
A Moving Target However challenged students may be with the simplified version of field shooting, they welcome the opportunity to try their skill at amoving target. A moving target can be improvised by placing several layers of cardboard in the center of an old tire. Suspend the tire by a rope from a sturdy branch of a tree. The tire can then he INTERMEDIATE ARCHERY INSTRUCTION 61
each shot. Any change in the position of the lower jaw will change the trajectory of the arrow. ('hewing gum is taboo! b, Fault. String not lined up with the center of the face. Correction: Ilave the student touch the string to the center of the chin and to the tip of nose. if possible. c. Fault: Anchor not de.,mte. Op/Tee/ion, Guide the student's hand to the proper anchor point. Finphasize having the string hand come to the same spot on every shot, A consistent, positive anchor is vital to good shooting. d Fault. Moving the face out to meet the string and drawing hand. CorrectionAt the beginning of the draw, the face shot". be turned to the target and kept in this position until after the arrow is released. moved back and forth by means of a second rope tied to the side of the tree.In this way the operator is able to control the rotary movement of the tire. As a safety factor, the operator stays behind a barrier or has enough rope to be well out of the range of the arrow paths. Students are taught the technique of shooting at a moving target by observing the path of the swinging tire and anticipating the length of time it takes the tire to swing in an arc. The interval of time existing between the time the arrow is released and its contact with the target is comparable to a ball player throwing a ball and a running teammate catching it, or the hunter shooting a gun and the time between the trigger pull and the downing of the bird. Through these comparisons, the students are able to comprehend the necessity of aiming ahead of the target just how far is a matter of trial and error. There are many other ways in which an intermediate course in archery for college students might be made interesting and challeng- ing. One could include archery golf, roving archery, and shooting at animals on a moving track.
62 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Advanced Archery
MYRTLE K. MILLER New Jersey
Officia reports reveal that archery in 1955 was the fastest grow- ing sport in the schools. Statistics also show that the sale of archery tackle was near the top in a survey made of sports equipment sales. This phenomenal growth creates an increased demand upon physical educators to have archery practiced in a safe, sane and successful way. Articles in DGIVS Guides have given readers ways of presenting the sport, basic techniques, etc., but it is necessary for the physical educator also to furnish aids to improve even the advanced archer. As in any other sport, the higher the rung reached on the ladder of achievement, the more difficult and challenging is the task of improving. The human machine, of course, never really attains com- plete perfection, which makes us realize there is always work to be done, regardless of the degree of proficiency in any skill. It takes considerable practice and concentration on fora' to have an archer improve his, let us say, American Round score from 300 points to 400, it takes greater effort to improve to a 500 point round. Tc approach a score of 600 calls for still more attention to the fine points of shooting, but to approach the 700 point "realm" now required to be in the top brackets in national competition, the archer may have few flaws or inconsistencies in his complete shoot- ing form. By the time the student lens reached the advanced level he will be shooting Columbia Round scores around 450-500 pretty consist- ently.By the time he has reached this point, his conscientious practice of seven steps of shooting (Archery-Riding Guide, June 1954June 1956) has become a pretty fixed pattern, the stand, nock and primary draw hardly needs further concentration, How- ever, to improve he must concentrate more diligently on these three steps.. Aim... Secondary draw , ..Release (or Loose). The primary draw is merely the physical means of drawing the bow string back to bring the nock of the arrow to a definite anchor or spot on each shot. This is the first part of the aiming step because it actually aims the back end (or nock) of the arrow. The primary draw is a pushing and pulling action, bringing into use the upper arm, shoulder, and back musclesthe forearm, hand, and fingers of the drawing hand should be completely free from tension. ADVANCED ARCHERY 63 The advanced archer no longer needs to concentrate on the primary draw The atm is his first point of concentration. The an- chor is comparable to the back sight on a gunbut, on a gun itis a mechanical thingin shooting a bow, the back sight is established by the human "machine" in the anchor. In target archery, the most popular anchor is that of placing the forefinger under the jawbone with the string touching the middle of the chin and the tip of the nose. For field archery or bow hunting a higher anchor is usually used, with the forefinger placed just under the cheekbone. Thus, whether aiming instinctively or with a sight, the arrow point can be seen nearer the object to be hit. In field archery, the distance and size of the targets vary in practically every shot and speed is often necessary. This higher anchor for field archery and bowhunting must also be consistentthe same on every shot. The same care in all of the other points in technique must also be applied for successful field shooting and bowhunting. Aiming the point of the arrow is extremely important. Accuracy in aiming is a must for good scores Whether the archer uses the sight method of aiming or point of aim, the point of the arrow must be accurately aimed at a very definite spot. If POA is used itis not enough to see arrow point on the POA ...it should be seen in a definite position with respect to the POA,preferably the whole POil sitting on the tip of the arrow. If a sight is used, the sight must be seen not just on the gold, but at an exact spot on the gold. Perhaps seeing the "bead" at the top of the gold would be more accurate for an individual than seeing it in the center of the 91/2 inch gold. The aim must be identical on every shot. High scores cannot be made without careful aiming. Few archers actually aim with as great ac- curacy as is possible. Aiming is done at the most difficult part of the shot and itis easy to be careless about it, but to be an advanced archer the aim must be accurate. One more point the advanced archer must consider during the aiming step is string alignment. Assuming the head is held in correct position and the bow is vertical, the bowstring should be seen lined up so near the center of the bow that no space or window is seen between the bow and the bowstring at full draw. If itis more defi- nite for the individual to see the string aligned directly along the left side of the bow, this sight picture is satisfactory. The important thing is that the individual archer sees exactly the same sight picture on each shot. lie should see the bowstring aligned in the same place on each shot with no space between the string and the bow. The string w..I appear blurred due to the closer.ess of the focal roint to the eye. The next point of concentration for the advanced archer is the secondary draw. The purpose of this secondary draw is to keep the 64 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES arrow back at full draw throughout the aiming orholding step until the release takes place. This is possible only through the conscious use of the upper back muscles. To keep the arrowback at full draw the shoulders are slowly moving backward and the shoulder blades are approaching each other. These upper backmuscles actually will be "opposing" the weight of the bow being drawn, and unless this muscular energy is greater than the energy in the bow being used, the arrow will creep forward before tPrelease takes place. If this happens, itis obvious the pressure behind this arrowwill not be as great as it would have been had the arrow been released while atfull draw. Itis assumed, of course, that the archer has the correctlength arrow for his individual draw. Let us suppose anarcher draws a 25 inch arrow. If his bow is 22 pounds at 25 inches and he releases the arrow when it is drawn the full 25 inches, he willhave 22 pounds of force behind that arrow, sending it to the target. However, if in his secondary draw he allows his back muscles to become lazy and the arrow has crept forward during the aiming orholding step, there may be only 18 to 20 pounds of pressure behindthat arrow, Assum- ing the point of the arrow is aimed at the same mark, and all other things being equal, this arrow will obviously fly lower that the one that was sent to the target with the full 22 pounds of energy behind it. This secondary draw calls for a very high degree of neuromuscular control and is one point the archer must concentrate onregardless of how advanced he may be. The muscular action in this secondary draw is a slow concentration of the upper back muscles which in- creases the shoulder spread just enough tokeep the arrow at full draw during the aiming process. A mechanical draw check is often used on a bow to help the archer know when the arrow is completely back. However, nature will supply a draw check if we watch for the appearanceof a thin line of flesh that will appear between the point of aim and thepoint of the arrow. If a sight is used, this natural draw check will appear Just above the point of the arrow. Using the drawcheck on each shot will result in accuracy in the height of each shot since itcontrols the pressure or force behind each arrow as it is sent tothe target. The third point of concentration for the advanced archer is the release, or loose. When the archer is certain the arrow is accurately aimed and at full draw position, he will experience afeeling of "readiness" to let the string slip from his fingers. The release is not a muscular action, but rather a reaction to the muscular action which has taken place during the aiming step and secondarydraw. The archer at this point just lets the fingers relax toenable the string to slip smoothly from them. The less interferencefrom the archer on ADVANCED ARCHERY 65 the release, the better the release will be. The right hand and elbow should move back alongside of the neck in the release, the shoulder blades move toward each other until nature stops the action. The amount of "spread" in the release depends upon the anatomical construction of the individual archer, particularly in the upper back. With most individuals this reaction movement stops when the right hand falls just about below the ear. Relaxation is also the secret to a good left hand loose. The wrist, hand, and fingers of the bow hand relax at the same Instant the string leaves the fingers of the drawing hand, and the bow is allowed to do what It wants to do. ilc..c.yer, the archer must guide the direction and make sure that perfect alignment is kept dire' ;tly with the center of the gold. The bow hand moves slightly forward toward the target in the release because the bow arm has been putting some pressure Into the bow at full draw. Any movement of the bow arm right or left, or any pressure on the bow grip on the right or left sides of the bow will make the arrows fly right or left. Alignment with the center of the gold is all-important from the very beginning to the end of the complete shot. The bow arm must also maintain the same level held at full draw; allowing the bow arm to move up or down would cause the arrows to fly high or low. It takes diligent coaching on the part of the instructor, and con- scientious practice on the part of the student to reach the level of an advanced archer. However, the satisfaction derived from attaining this achievement makes the effort worthwhile Archery, through its own merits attained a greater growth than any other sport tn the schools in 1955. Statistics in the sports world reveal that in the sales of sports equipment archery placed first in dollar volume. This should be a challenge to all physical educators to keep abreast of the Vines, to become familiar with the sport of archery as It is practiced today. (There've been many changes m the last few years') The responsibility of filling the great demandssupplying the educational needs brought about by this vast growthlies in the hands of the physical education profession. Efforts made to fill this need will be well rewarded. In supplying the educational needs to students in archery, the physical educator can be assured of giving the student a skill and an interest which can be enjoyed throughout life. If stu- dents approach the advanced level, this satisfaction serves as a bonus for the instructor who has helped to bring about this achievement and the lasting joy that goes with it.
66 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES After the Basics What?
LYNNE KNIPPLER Great River, Long Island, New York Once the basic shooting techniques have been presented and are being practiced, many teachers feel that the teaching of archery is completed. All that apparently remains to be done is to have the student diligently practice the fundamentals, and scores will conse- quently rise as good form is strengthened. To a degree this is true, but it does not mean that the archery teacher can go on vacation just because all students are releasing six arrows each end. As difficult as beginning archery is, the next steps become increasingly more com- plex. The reason for this is the great variation in rates of progress. Several students may be matched in background. coaching. and amount of practice and yet all may exhibit different levels of skill.
The Problem After the basics- -what? is a question which many teachers ask, and itis a question not easily answered. The problem of inter- mediate archery is twofold: (1) an increase in skill level must be achieved through continued practice using correct form, supported by sound coaching in basic techniques, and (2) there must be moti- vation which excites the student to achieve. It can be highly tedious and boring to shoot am after arrow and only achieve a random scatter. But when those arrows begin to hit exactly the right spot Pilch time, excitement and interest begin to build. One of the great- est motivations in archery comes with the first six golds an archer shoots. The thrill of this experience acts to motivate the archer to repeat the act. Unfortunatelythere is no easy way to that first perfect end. The teacher, therLforemust be creative and devise stimulating and interesting methods to help the student achieve this goal.If the approach is correct, the student will have fun while increasing her skill.
Improving Skills The archer must continue practicing, for it is only through prac- tice that she will improve her skill. At all levels, the instructor should frequently reemphasize the major points in good shooting technique. Individual coaching will be a primary teaching method used during AFTER THE BASICS-WHAT? 67 along the Imes of a telegraphic or mail meet. Whenconducted by the students, such activities teach them how regulationtournaments are run.It may even motivate some students to seekout-of-school opportunities for competition. Novelty events which demand precision in shootingshould be used freely. The use of small target faces,small aiming spots placed on the target faces, animalfaces, and balloons all require good shoot- ing technique and careful aiming for success. Thearcher must use all the skill she has developed to win tic-tac-toeand bingo type games With some encouragement and guidancefrom the teacher, the stu- dents can create their own novelty events.Make certain; however, that any novelties used do not foster carelessness inshooting. Archery golf and field archery can be adaptedfor use in most programs. If a large field is available, amodlied clout round should definitely be added to the class schedule Clout has greatappeal to men archers. By providing a wide variety of shooting experiences,the teacher will find that her opportunity for coaching andimproving the skill level of students is increased. Students who wantto succeed in hit- ting a balloon, a deer, or a rabbit arelikely to be more receptive to coaching than those who are confronted withthe same five-color target day after day. The teacher shouldremember, however, not to become so involved in the event that sheforgets that coaching must be continued during each class and thatstudents must be constantly reminded that good form and conscientious practice areessential for their success.
AFTER THE BASICS-WHAT? 69 The Use of Visual Aids in Archery
HIAWATHA CROSSLIN Ferrum Junior College Ferrum, Virginia An effective principle to follow in teaching is to '`teach things, not words "1 There being no one way only to do a satisfactory piece of work requires resourcefulness and ingenuity on the part of the instructor in the selection of methods and techniques of presenting activities to the students. There came with the turn of the twentieth century an emphasis placed on visual aids. According to Dent, it was first thought that the most powerful factor in the educative process was the eye. The following illustrates this trend of thought. In the early stages of the development of the use of visual aids, it was thought that the eye was all - powerful in the educative process. Sonic were enthusiastic enough to state that 80 to 85 percent of all we know is learned through the eye. Others sur- mised that it would not be long until texts would be replaced by pictorial substitutes for the printed word. Later it was found that some of these speculations were a bit extravagant, if not absurd, and that the other senses are very important in receiving a clear impression of the material to be learned. It was found that the sense of touch aided materially in giving the correct concepts of objects-specimens-models. In other cases taste came to the rescue. And the sometimes unadorned ear is being recognized as highly important to learning. In fact, there are few psychologists who would attempt so to control all other factors that the true learn- ing power of each of the senses might be segregated and mea- sured.2 The question that arises at this point is what are visual aids? According to Iloban "a visual aidis any picture, model, object or device which provides concrete visual experience to the learner for the purpose of (1) introducing, building up, enriching, or clarify- ing abstract concepts: (2) developing desirable attitudes: and (3)
IN, L. Ileopingarner and G. S. Wehrwein, "Visual Instruetio:. Through Lantern Slides and Motion Pictures" (Austin. Texas: Universitof Texas. May 25, 1917), p. 7. 2llent. Aucho.Visual Handbook. (Chicago: Society for Visual 1 dueation, 1939). p. 1. 70 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTiCLES stimulating further activity on the part of thelearner."3 Koon lists other visual aids such as photographs, specimens, maps,graphs and charts,postersandcartoons,steieographsandotherthree dimensional pictures, lantern slides, film strips, slide forms, stereop- ticons, exhibits and .rotion pictures.4 Physical educators, though not the first to employ thisform of instructional aid, have since the second decade of thetwentieth century been most successful in the use of certainof the above aids. One of the best forms, of course, has been the"demonstration," which is not Included in the types listed. Space does not permit dwelling upon the adequacy of visual aids in all phasesof physical education: therefore, this paper will be devoted to their usein the successful teaching of archery. Certain principles must be accepted and applied if visualinstruc- tionis to an adequate technique in presenting theactivity of archery. What the values of visual aids are may be summed up(1) in the function of their degree of reality: (2) in the natureand extent of the student's previous experience; (3) by the objectivesof instruc- tion in the particular situation; and (4) by theintellectual maturity of the learner,4 The forms to be selected for use in archery is the next step, Certainly a demonstration by the instructor presenting the activity of shooting in a continuous manner is good, but if this ispreceded by illustrations of the various kinds of bows and arrowsincluding the history of e. h type, a stimulus is provided Another stimulus is the handling of the ockle, which Involves not only the eyes and ears, but also touch. There should be no"do not handle" sign, for, as J, Nash says this is "a teachablemoment" and the correct manner of stringing, unstringing, and handling maywell Is2 taugl.at this time, Certain cautions and dangers mayeasily be included which will make a deep impression on the student.Also to include any humorous incidents that have come to your attention assists in providing stimuli. At this point itis %ye o turn to a bulletin board if inside to stress certain phases. This board may containcommercial advertise- ments if appropriate. If there are any inaccuraciesthese should be pointed Jp, or the poster should not be used. It is agood idea to sketch in the correct form using a color that will show.The bulletin board may contain actual photographs either in action orin still-
31Ioban et al,Visualizing :lie Curriculum. (New York The Cordon ('o., 1937), p. 9. 41bid.. Pp. 22.26, THE USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN ARCHERY 71 form to provide study for the group. The advantage ofhaving time to observe and study are provided by these. Cartoonsare very effec- tive. Lantern slides or "condensed pictures" are small in bull:,may be carried easily, and can be shown in any space whichcan he darkened and which has a curtain hanging. The picturemay readily be made large enough for the whole group tosee it easily. They provide a great deal of interest and show the strenghts and weaknesses of the students shooting. Charts, graphs, and maps are used in vai_ousways as stimuli. One effective use is the charting of archers bystates (using the national or state records) to show the popularity of archery. In theprepara- tion of material for use in books the pictures and sketches must be educationally planned from the teaching standpoint. It shouldalso be attractive to see, and practical from the point of view ofadmini- stration. These points are clearly shown by Powdermaker.5 The most adequate form of visual aids is the movie, providedthe action is in slow motion to make accurate observation possible. There has been a growing movement toward the production01 edu- cational motion pictures by physical education insti'actors which is very stimulating.6 The student is provided with the opportunityto see what is right and what is wrong in her own actionas well as in the action of her classmates. Reasonable expectations in the teaching of archery, if these tech- niques are employed, are the development of good attitudes,a keenness and alertness in observation, learning relationships,unob- servable action of self disclosed, and in theuse of leisure time there may be a blending of the school work with actual life whichin itself is stimulating,
5Therese Powdermaker, Visual Aids for Teaching Sporty(Ness York: A S Barnes & Co , 1940). p. 1. 61Ioban et al.,op, ea ,pp 135-143.
72 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Correct Errors in Shooting Early andOften
LYNNE KNIPPLER Great River, Long Island, New York
Many of the shooting problems which aichers developcould be ;,.oiled if corrections were made early and oftenenough at the beginning of the individual's shooting experience.The most effective way to achieve success m shooting is to avoidrepetition of faults so that they become habit.Itisnecessary for the instructor to repeatedly emphasize the most important points in the executionof the skill. Group cues, repeated frequently, can accomplishmuch to rein- force the learning of proper techniques and will keepstudents thinking positively while learning how to shoot. Thefollowing sug- gestions will help considerably to keep faults at aminimum and will speed prowess I. The use of toe markers on the shooting line willhelp to keep students in proper stance for shooting and is an importantsafety factor. 2. The flocking point, marked at the correct place onthe bowstring. will help to prevent errors in nocking which willaffect the flight of the arrow. 3. Use of lightweight bows, with arrows of the properlengtl. for the individual, is essential. Shooting a bow that is tooheavy and arrows that are too long will create manyproblems and tend to discourage the beginner. Using arrows that are too short causes serious accidents and makes correct bow armposition impossible. 4. Ai-innards and finger tabs are a must for the protectionof the archer as well as for the prevention of errors whichdefinitely occur if they are not worn. 5.It is essential to wear suitable clothing, void ofanything that will interfere with the path of the bowstring. A snug fittingT-shirt or sweater is ideal. Avoid heavy, bulky sweatshirts,jackets, or any- thing with buttons, pins, or pockets that would obstruct the path of the bowstring on the release. Any interference willaffect the flight of the arrow and can cause injury. The teacher must be aware that all of these points can impedethe student's progress and cause unnecessary faults in shooting. Once the basics of shooting have been learned. the archery instructor willfind endless need for making individual corrections and giving continued coaching helpsEach student will have her own problems an,d since CORRECT ERRORS IN SHOOTING EARLY & OFTEN 73 IIIIIIRMIIII 5. FollowThrough a.Fault:Dropping the bow arm. Correction:Emphasize the importance of holding the release position, keeping everything in alignment, until after the arrow hits. b. Fault: Bringing the string hand away from the neck. Correction.Guide the string hand to keep it close to the neck. This will keep the hand in alignment with the center of the gold. c. FaultNot holding the follow-through position long enough. Correction:Keep the after hold position several seconds longer than necessary to ensure completioi. of the shot The archery teacher and coach should be able to readily spot errors and make ( orrections. Emphasis on good for n and z guiding hand to help the student get the feel of the action are the most essential points in giving students a good start in archery, These call for close observation of the fine points in shootingas well as detect- ing the obvious errors. The prevention of developing had habits is the greatest contributior a teacher can give her students after the techniques of t;,.! sport have been learned,
76 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Don't Let Your Class Suffer from "Archery Apathesia"
BEVERLY GOSSELIN LEE Columbus, Ohio MARYANNE M. SCHUMM East Stroudsburg State College East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Do your arrows ache and quivers quake? Do your students sag from that tired drag Of shooting at targets day after day With never a change coining their way? Try the field anchor! Hide that sight! Give them the thrill of shooting "Flight." Throw away old faces, put a stake and flag out ... Watch how they'll love archery goll and clout. Here are two useful ingredients in concocting the necessary archery vitamin pill. You will find that they take only alittle or no extra work but bring results.
CLOUT SHOOTING
Technique Sighting Devices. Most sights for clout shooting aremounted on the lower limb of the bow, on the same side asthe sight used for target shooting. The greater distance of the targetrequires a higher arrow trajectory. To achieve the correcttrajectory, the angle of the bow must be raised which necessitates loweringthe sight to keen it on the aiming point. This sightshould probably be placed on the lower limb of any lightweight school bowwhen shooting at a dis- tance greater than 50 yards. An economicalsight may be construc- ted by placing a piece of adhesive tape onthe lower hnib and inserting a large head common pin in theside of the tape at the proper height. Another style sight is atoothpick held in place by a rubber band. Aiming. The draw is made as in target archery.When full draw is reached, the upper body and bow, as one unit, aretilted back, away DON'T LET YOUR CLASS SUFFER FROM "ARCHERYAPATHESIA" 77 from the target, until the sight rests on theaiming spot. The clout sight should be aimed at the point where the flagsti indicating the center of the target, enters the ground. Variations
Short distances. When facilities prohibit a regulation clout range, the shooting distance may be shortened by the use of weighted arrows or flu-flus. The same techniques may be used and benefits derived as at the longer distances. Shooting with different types of arrows may also be introduced as a novelty event. Dollar Deal. Using target staples, affix one or more dollar bills to the ground on any part of the scoring area (preferably the gold). An arrow completely penetrating a bill wins that hill for the shooter. Novelty. Although clout shooting is primarilya distance event, novelty events may be run in a limited indoor area by theuse of special arrowsweighted or flu - flus prepared to decrease flight dis- tance. Weighted arrows may be made by attaching plastic whiffle golf balls to the pile end of a regular target arrow. Flu-fluarrows have additional feathers attached to increase wind resistance, result- ing in a short, abruptly terminated flight. They can be easily made by taking featherless arrows and spiraling a single 10 inch feather around the upper shaft of the arrow, gluing it permanently into position. It may help to pin both ends of the feather onto the arrow while the glue is drying. A clout target may be simulated by placing a 48 inch target and face flat on the gymnasium floor. Use of nipfs and protected:arrow tips may be necessary for increased safety and floor protection.
ARCHERY GOLF Equipment Balls and Stands. To indicate each of the golf holes, a hollow rubber softball may be supported on a wire stand 12 inches high with a small platform on top to hold the ball in place. The objectis to knock the ball off the stake with as few shots as possible. Special Arrows. Included in the quiver should be a flu-fluor blunt point arrow for use on an approach shot or hoimg-out to prevent the arrow from skidding a long distance along the ground. Technique Flight Shot. The first shot from the tee area should go as far down the fairway as possible. To achieve the greatest arrow distance, 78 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES the bow should be held at approximately a 45 degree angle inrela- tion to the ground This position is best attained by amethod similar to that used in clout shootingtilting the upper bodyand bow back and away from the target after full draw has been reached, Inthis situation the elbow joint of the bow arm can be used to estimatethe 45 degree ar.gle by sighting it on the horizon. Approach Shot When nearing the hole it is desirable to estimate the remaining distance and make the type of shot whichwill bring the shootei as close to the ball as possible. This shot wouldafford a particular advantage to an instinctive archer who isable to judge various distances, Holing-Out. In knocking the ball from the stake, it is good to use a flu-flu or blunt point arrow to reducethe chance of overshooting a great distance. Different draws may also be used to prevent over- shooting, A half draw with the bow in a vertical or horizontal position is most frequently used. In addition, the natureof the terrain may require the use of a high looping lob or "blooper"shot, with the bow on a horizontal plane, Give in proper dosage. Be careful not to spill' To pep up any program Make use of the apathesia
DON'T LET YOUR CLASS SUFFER FROM "ARCHERY APATHESIA" 79 Competition in Class Time
ARDEN JERVEY JIM STANGELAND Long Beach City College Long Beach, California A varied program of events in the archery class can provide incen- tive and effort for betterment of skill. Some of these techniques should be useful in your classes
Average Arrow
I. For purposes of grading and easily recognizing improvement, the use of average arrow is an efficient method. 2, If students don't have the same number of arrows, average arrow gives a good indication of actual score. 3. Procedure. The total number of arrows a student shoots is divided into the total score. 4. Average arrow can be taken at separate distances for a combina- tion of distances.
Work Up I. The purpose of work up is to get on target #1. 2. Put three or four students on a target. 3. The group at each target has individual contest for one end. 4. The winner of each group moves up one target and the loser of the group goes down after each end. 5. One week participation for high school is recommended. 6.If a he results, go back to the person who shot highest on the previous end,
Handicap Teams
1. handicap teamscanbe used fc,r any type of round or archery activity 2. After students have turned in scores for at least one round, stack the cards from high to low. 3. Next class period, have the students line up from high scorer to low scorer. Call out the scores and tell the students to write them on the back of their new cards. 80 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES i
4. Have the first four people go to target #1, the high scorer acting as team captain; the next four people in line to target#2, etc. 5. During the period, the instructor adds together the previous total for team #1. She tells the captain they have n,, handicap. 6. The Instructor adds the four totals for team #2. She subtracts the total from the total of team #1. The handicap score for team #2 is 80 percent of the difference. The handicap is given to the captain of team #2. 7. This procedure is followed on down the line, each time subtract- ing from the totals of team #1. 8. After the tournament is completed, the team captains add the four new scores plus the handicap and give this to the teacher. Winners are announced. Handicap teams are good because they allow the poorer archers to win if they shoot above their avernge. 10.If a student is absent it is recommended that the team captain be given the old total score of the absent Individual with a minus 10 points.
Color Shoot I . The students try to shoot all of one color. For example, four blues would beat three reds. 2. After each end, while walking from the targets, the teacher asks if anyone has higher than four of one color. If affirmative, the teacher asks who has the highest and how many she has. 3. Tallies of wins can be kept in the roll book and at the end of the semester the three students can be announced. 4.Itis fun sometimes to make one of the colors a wild color. In other words, the teacher could say that white could be any color so if a student had two whites and three reds it would repicsent five reds. Six of one color is best, five of one color is next, and four of one color next, etc.
COMPETITION IN CLASS TIME 81 u'S
Ye Able Archer
MARY MARQUIS BERRY Universit. of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Have you triedclout, flight,field archery, archery golf and huntir; er heard of them' You've missed half the enjoyment archery to offer. The fun of target shooting may be increased tenfold by using your skit! in other ways. With each new event you add interest, ability and even mar, . rchery friends. When you have learned to liah1ks a bow, and can usually hit the target at a giv,st distance, you may look around for something new to try. Here are - few suggestions Clout It's iun to shoot an arrow into the air, and have a few moments elapse as you carefully try to follow your arrow to its targL It's fun to watch the air currents carry your arrow and to correct your aim as nearly as possible for wind drift. Spectators enjoy a clout shoot too, as it *lkes longer for the arrow to get to its target, and the target is much target. fhe same bow and arrows may be used for clout as for target shooting, except that the bow must be strong enough to carry the arrows totheir target. Men shoot "6 arrows at 180 yards, while women shoot the same number at either 140 or 120 yards. The target hes flat on the gro-nd, is 48 feet in diameter with 9 3/5 foot center, and has a short flag flying from its middle. The rings of the target are made with either lime or tape. Scoring is the same 9. 7, 3, 1. Except for the techniques for clout are the cline as those used for target snooting One must aim under her bosnand, lining up some part of her bow with the flag in the target. A rubber band holding a match that may be aimed with the flag in the target will do the trick, and it's easily adjusted if you're over or under shooting. For a group and novelty shoot, the distance may be vaned to suit the area available or the limited cast of your bows. But if you've reduced tile distance, make the target a bit smaller to simulate stand- ard conditions.
Flight Flight, in archery is shooting for distance No element or need for accuracy is involvedonly distance. Thus, the technique and equipment required are quite different. Bows ilen srally are short in length, have greatast, and are usually fairly strong Arrows must 82 SELECTED ARCHERY ART'CLES in
be light, yet stiff enough to stand in the bow, and in place of feathers, small feather-shaped pieces of celluloid are used for light- ness. The bow and arrow are angled into the air, the string quickly pulled back the greatest safe distance, and plucked loose. Arrows may be somewhat longer than normal, but care must be taken not to overstrain the bow Flight shooting requires a good deal of special practice and equipment, and the technique is so different from target shooting that flight archas usually aren't champion target archers, and vice versa. llowever, if space is available, distance shoot- ing meets or events might be held, using regular equipment and not-too-changed techniques. Great care must be taken not to over- draw bows when eagerly attempting to gain distance. Archery Golf Archery on a golf course can be played quite as nicely as gc If -and with similar scores for an equal number of '`holes" Long drives may embody flight techniques, while the putts (the target being beside the hole) call upon one's best field archery or roving ability. Many archers use flight equipment for the drives and ordinary target equipment forp,roaches and putts Each shot b a stroke, and on sonic courses if you're only an arrow's length Boni the hole, one stroke is added and the player tees off at the next hole.
Huntinf, Though not practiced by women so iruch, men delight in hunting. It's the oldest form of archery and is still very very popular Here is involved shooting at varying distances and at moving targets -a highly exciting game calling fo;the judgment and skill that comes from much practice. Heavy bows are used, anu the legendai y broadhead, or steel-mounted and barbed an ov,. A quiver of arrows and a brisk walk into the woods or across fields w the country may yield anything from squirrels and rabbits to the ',r- pine that hunt- ers with the Lestrifles so often fail to bag. Many states reserve hunting a :as for archers alone, and archers get their deer. Field Archery If you have neither the special equipment nor desire to hunt, there are many interesting and novel variations in which ordinary bows and arrows may be used. For instance, if a wooded areais available, a course may be set up, using painted animals for targets, and varying distances and angles from which to shoot progressively around the course. If you hit the heart of the annual, score two; if you hit the animal, sc,,re one. Ordinary archery targets may be use..,eplacing the target face with animals or other figures painted on paper. Vary the distnces from target to target, as well as the size and shape of the "animal," See if your hits become more than Just luck YE ABLE ARCHER 83 Clubs and Tournaments Make Your Archery Program Click
GRACE ROBERTSON East Northfield, Massachusetts School and college archery programs are onlyas strong as student support makes them. The more the students assistin planning archery activities and accept responsibilityin carrying out these plans, the better the total prop-am will be Stimulatinginterest in archery begins " classes where students should find that thesport is fun and that it challenges them mentally and physically. Thearchery instructor can assist this process in many ways through theuse of novelty shooting, class tournaments, and other specialevents. Once the interest of the students is aroused, however, it must bekept alive and continually reinforced to insure a successful archeryprogram. In college situations, the archery instructor usually hasa student manager who is a member of the WAA or WRA board. High school instructors can enlist the help of a GAA member who is particularly interested in archery to assist her with theprogram, One of the largest tasks facing faculty and student is publicity. Attractive bul- letin boards, posters, flyers, and news', 'per articlesare valuable. But the most important and most effective means of publicityis through personal contact. There is no substitute for word -of -mouth public- ity, particularly with the battle whi,..hisbeirc. waged3nmany campuses for students' free time. Practicallyevery school which includes archeryinitsclass schedules can find time for extra hours of shooting and instruction each week. This is essential, asitprovides the students with an opportunity to improve their shooting ability beyond whatis normally possible in classes, and leads, in turn, to greaterinterest as skills increase. If possible, these "open hours" should be continued throughout the winter. A simple, inexpensive backdrop of three layers of burlap hung approx!mately six inches apart makesan ade- quate backstop for shooting up to 20 yards. Greater distancesmay be simulated by the use of 36 inch, 24 inch, a- 116 inchtarget faces. Where indoor shooting space is not available.. mol, local facilities may provide a suitable area. Archery clubs in t.e vicinity which have indooi ranges might be willing to permit students touse their facili- ties in tl e afternoons. Probably the best single means of stimulating archeryin your school is to hold an archery clinic. This will bringlIlan expert in the 84 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES field who can explain and demonstrate various phases of the sport, and coach the students in target technique. This coaching is par- ticularly valuable ifit can be done in individual archery classes as well as in mass session. Such a clinic can add to the prestige of your school' an invitation to participate is extended to nearby institu- tions Assisting archery programs in these schools will provide your students with more trances for playdays and informal tournaments. In dddition to the clinic, movies cat. oe rented and shown for further variety. Local archers, proficient in a particular phase of archery such as hunting, can be invited to demonstrate and talk about their special ties. Merely awakening interest in archery, and even having students come out to participate is not sufficient A well rounded archery program, designed to teach each student what they wa.,: to know about archery and letting them have fun learning it, must be institu- ted or the interest w ! wane. 11..re is the place where the students can be put to work. A preliminary conference with your manager opens up possible types of events and dates for the season's pro- pain. At this conference, too, a potential committee of interested students might be drawn up. Your class rolls will be of value in this. The manager should contact these people and find out whether or not they are willing to serve. She might also put up 3 sign-up poster for the committee on the range. Ifthis is the first time that such a coninnUee has functioned, then initial task will be to determine the foi m they wish the archery group on campus to take. Will they establish the formal structure of a club, or will the group remain informal with perhaps ail honor club or a six golds clubs for students who achieve certain scores'? This will, in part, depend on the policy of the WAA or GAA involved. Perhaps the committee will feel that they wish to establish intra- mural competition on a class, dormitory, individual, or team basis, Again, the prevailing school pattern may be a guide. If there is no pattern, they may establish one that they feel will best tittheir situation. This group must then set up a tentative program for the seasonwhat tournaments it wishes to take part in. how many play days it wishes to hostess; what special events, such as a shoot and picnic to end the season, it wants to sponsor Specific activities will vary according to the situation: high school or college, all-gu: tr. coedThis committee, too, could set up a publicity campaign to bring its activities to the attention of the student body a campus carnival where they could have a booth, an a,embl: where they could demonstrate trick shooting, any oppc.tunity that they can find to show their program.Itis important that the committee realize the details of the work involved in the activities it plans to undertake, and that the work is divided up at this initial meeting so MAKE YOUR ARCHERY PROGRAM CLICK 85 that each student knows what is expected of her and how much time she is given to complete her task. As the archery instructor you will be called upon by the com- mittee for advice on everything from how to correct arrows that fly left to the correct wording for an invitation to a playday. In addition to your role as guide to the committee you will want to assist the program yourself, in and out of classes The weekly posting of scores, individual improvement charts, tournaments matching one beginners' class against another, or anything in this linethat will stimulate your students to improve their scores should help your program. A colored tassel system with the tassels awarded weekly on the basis of the previous week's scores, and the GAA award system, applicable to high schools, are other exam_)les of interest-stimulating devices. Another particularly good one is to offer a steak dinner to anyone who shoots six golds. (If the winners are too numerous for your budget you can increase the required distance.) Many students will become irterested in equipment and its repair Where the school regulations permit, a needy student might be permitted to repair school arrows and make strings. roan foundation of every extracturicular program is its open hour sclicL ule. Open hours as well as classes need varlet v. This is the place where students can learn and practice other than target tech- niques. Especially if the program is coed. tick archery and hunting sessions are a must. Novelt,-s are always fun. Described below are a few which may give you and your student committee some ideas. I. Caricatures Cardboard likenesses of faculty members or outstanding students make popular targets. 2. Wand shootA narrow wooden post (6 feet x 2 inches x 2 inches) is placed at an appropriatdistance for your group's ability. Only direct hits count. 3. Robin flood shoot Team of 4 on each target After first end (or more) total number of golds On each target are counted. Target with lowest number is eliminated. This team may then "heckle" other shooters in any way except by personal contact. Continues until one target wins. 4. Reverse scoring Scores of target col( rs arc reversed with white 9, etc. 5. Determine scoring value after shooting After each end is shot, tile peison in charge announces what arrows are to count for that end, i.e., all arrows landing on a line score 3 Other arrows do not count. 6. Shooting Irwin dit erent positions- Sitting, kneeling, standing on a'hair, holding the bow parallel to the ground, right handed arctic' shooting left handed or vice versa, and others can be used for varlet y. 86 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES I
7. Moving targets-- Cardboard animals or other targets can be hung from a rope and moved back and forth accross the shooting area by means of a pulley system. 8. Roving -Numbered or illustrated cardboard cartons can be placed around the range. each \vith a separate shooting line. They are shot at in turn, and perhaps from different positions 9. BingoCardboard target in the form of a bingo card. To win. archer must make five in a row in any direction. To simplify, give a free space in the center or reduce to tic -tae -toe target. three any way. 10. Miniature archery golfSet up in the same form as the regu- lar game but with targets that will permit the passage or entry of arrows. Scored by the number of shots required to complete the course. The preceding paragraphs have given various suggestions for making your archery program click. The necessity of having ,tudent support has been pointed out. Your big Job as the instruct ir is to gain their initial support, you must start the arrows shooting.
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MAKL VOJR ARC9ERY PRO gRAW CLICK 8'
TOMNICAt_all111M=M 'V Archery The I ntramura! Prugram
BERNICE FINGER Alabama College Montevallo, Alabama
Archery as a recreational sport offers an opportunity for a varied and in cresting program from the viewpoint of types cf organization, range of groups who may participate, and content of program.
Organizatii..
Ail intramural program in arcl-ery lends itself readily to two types 01 organization, namely- the club organization, and the traditional seasonal program. The archery cluboffers the better type of organization to develop skit and a lasting recreational interest in this sport. The club n ay be ortaniz.1 in a fashion similar to that often used by swimming clubs on.: .1 Inc clubs. This type of organizdrion frequently requires a minimum _I egree of skill for eligibility to mem- bership in the senior club. The applicant demonstrates his skill by participating in a series of events set up by the club and scheduled as tryout periods. Thr type of organization usually provides also a mum club which serves as a leeder for the parent club. Membership in the iunior group is open to all interested In the sport and requires no minimum achievement.I he two clubs may either meet separately or together far scheduled shoots, depending upon the sizes of the groups and facilities which are available On the other hand, the club may have no eligibility requirements for membership Under this plan, tire club exists and meets at regu larly scheduled times, thus bringing together at one tune a group of people with a common interest. In this type of club, the program of activities should be geared to the needs and interests of the various skill groups. The seasonal plan for an intramural archery program can be orga- nized along the line of other seasonal sports programs In this type of org,ainzation there would be need 01 a practice period followed by the tournament period. the needs of the various levels of skill should be provided for in the tournament program.
Groups Participating Archery is so flexible that it can he enjoyed by many with phy- sical limitations a well as by the most robust of athletes It appeals 88 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES to age groups of both sexes from Junior high school throughthe university. (Sinze this article deals with the intramural program and since this type of program is almost always associated with schools, the above reference to age groups is made with respect to school programs excluding the out-of-s:hool club programswhich know no age limit). The type of organization set up for the archery intramural pro- gram should take into consideration all the groupsof people who might be interested in this sport and should be developed according to the potentialities of the specific situation. In high schools, col- leges, and universities where both bcys and girls and young men a. .1 young women are interested in this snort, theintramural program should be so organized as to brng these groups together. In this event, the program should provide coeducational events as well as eventsforeach groupindependently. The socialexperiences provided in such a corecreational progr..ii are not to be forgotten as a significant part in any program that is educationallysound.
Program of Activities The actual program of activities is the secret of success in the archeryprogramwhateverthenatureofthesituation,the participants, or plan of organization. The program should be varied and comp.;nsive enough to meet the needs and interests as well as to stimulate and challenge allskill groups represented. For the beginner there should be practice periods with expert ,7oaclung. There should be novelty everts as well as competitive events at the shorter standard distances. The beginnershould b encouraged to keep his own record of progress in both practii e events as well as scheduled competitive events. 1,,expensiveindivid- ual record books could be provided for this purpose.For those beyond the beginner class, opportunity for practice and competition should be providLd in all the standard rounds. The more advanced archers should keep their own records of progress in each event, 9:-.1 expert coaching shouldbe available to them Competitive e% cuts can be worked outin each class of competition on an inc ividual and team basis. Archery lends itself to interclass competition, ,nte;solority, interfratermty,independent teams, and coeducational teams. Yearly recordsfor established units of competition may serve as an impetus to get a program under way from year to year. Whatever the local organizationof the athletic program might be, the type ofarchery season as indicated above could be readily incorporated whether there be a point system, per ARCHERY THE INTRAMURAL PROGRAM 89 cent participation system, or an assocation of the most informal organization In addition to the regular target events, a well rounded program might include some of the following: A. Standard Con,petitive Events I Team shoot for women 2. Team shoot for men 3 Team shoot for men and women 4. Pope Young Round 5. Clout shoot 6. Wand shoot 7. Butt shoot B. Novelty Events I. Archery golf competition bet ween archers and golfers 2. Hiawatha shoot 3. Shooting for distanceflight shot- t 4. Roving C. Special Events A .egular meeting of the club could be pepped up or a special shoot could be scheduled for the special days of the year. Examples. I Circus day using balloons, clowns. "clay ducks." and the hke instead of regulation target faces, This event might be conducted as a "white way" with program of events giving clvace to all levels of skill. 2. Halloween replace target faces with witches, black cats, pumpkin jack-o-lanterns, apples on strings. 3. Thank giving turkeys wild game 4. Christmas deer. Santa Clauses. Christmas trees 5. New Yearshorns, bells, zaps 6. Valentines Day hearts. cupids DIfthe school islocated in a community in which there is an archery club, the program of events of this group could be drawn upon to supplement that of the school. F. Hunting with the bow and arrow might prove to be of great nterest to those in sonic sections of the country where this sport is not uncommon. Especially in schools where there are young men interested in the sport. this aspect of the game ,., ght be promoted. Sonic states have set aside special days for g,,,, hunt- ing with the bow and arrow. F. Films could he used to enrich the club program in several aspects of archery. The climax of the program for college women might be partici- pation in the National Telegraphic Archery Meet sponsored annually by the American Archery Association. 90 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES The intramural archery program should be well publicized throughout the school system. Advance notices of coming eventsas well as publication of team and individual records in all classes of competition as they are made and broken from year to year serve to promote interest on the part of others to join in the fun of archery.
PRCHERY-THE INTRAMURAL PROGRAM 51 "Why Don't YOU Sponsoran Archery Clinic?"
EDITH V. ANDORFER Wilson College Chambersburg, PennsyNuoia We all sense the growing emphasis that is being placedupon indi- vidual sports and th t e both in school and in later life. The Increasing number of participants, as evidenced in the past few years' attendance at the national archery tournaments, is an indication that archery is becoming a very satisfying outlet for individual as wellas family recreation. There is no age limit. On^ does * have to be an expert to enjoy t!-is sport. The sponsoring nstrui should keep these throughts in mind during the planning of her clinic. A.chery needs to be more widely promoted. One way thiscan be done is through clinics and playdays.
1.Before the Clinic A. Draw up first announcements to b= mimeographed on physical educationdepartmentstationeryifpossibleInclude the folloNN:ag information m this first announcement
1 What is the event? (Clinic and/or playday) 2 Who is sponsoring It? (P.E. Dept or archery club) 3. Date (Month, day, and year) 4. Time (From when to when) 5. Purpose? (Stimulate interest and improve skill) 6. Who is invited? (Teachers, students, physical education majors, camp counselors, etc.) 7 Program? (to include): a. Names of guest instructors, IC :my. (Position and where they are from). b. Statement of purpose Instruction in teaching tech- niques, rules. how to select equipment, etc. c. Tournaments (open to all): Target, clout, golf, roving, field archery, if available. (1. Demonstrations of target technique as well as skill for other archery variations. e.Displays (books and tackle). fVisual aids (movies, slides, filmstrips, etc.). 8. Registration fee. Items covered by it, i e., lunch, target fees. 92 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES 9. Statement the second announcement will come soon. 10. Signature of sponsor and school or club. 13. On the mailing list, include all schools, colleges, and clubs in wide area, perhaps using school and club directories for your state and neighboring states Send letters to physical education director or principal. C. For second announcements, if possible, have an archery photo- graph "cut" made. Any photoengraver can do this. The second announcement should be arranged attractively so that it makes good bulletin board material as well as being instructive. It should include headline of event, sponsoring group arid date, and an hourly schedule such as the following. 10:00 A.M. Demonstration of target shooting technique 10'30 A M. Columbia round mixed team tournament 10.30 A.M. Teaching archery technique 11.30 A.M. Tournament rules a .d regulations 12 00 P.M. Lunch 1:30 P.M, Movies, film strips, slides. 2:00 P.M. Teachers practice coaclung own students 2.30 P.M. flow to select and buy archery equipment (tackle manufacturers) 2.45 P.M. Demonstrations of archery; golf, clout,field shooting, roving 3:00 P.M. Archery golf Golf course ('lout shooting Archery course Field shooting Field course 4:30 P.M. Further demonstration of techniques in target shooting. Send photo cut and text form to the printer, have galley re-' turned, correct it and then, to press! D. Lally in the organization, establish student committees, per- haps using your archery manager as the general manager. These committees should include: publicity, program, lunch, finance, registration, hostess, and range assistants for target shooting, clout, golf, field, and roving or for t.s many events as will In included in the day's program. Also select Lady Paramount and scorers. If your school does not assume the responsibility of marking the range, putting targets and bales of hay up, etc., arrangements will have to be made for this too. E. Decide what the fees are to be. The price might be different for some attending than for others, depending upon ho' many come for just the clink, just come to Fhoot, how many wish lunch, etc. It is essential that the clinic and playday finance itself wherever possible from these fees. WHY DON'T YOU SPONSOR AN ARCHERY CLINIC? 93 F. Enclosedin the envelope w'th the second announcement should be an addressed mimeographed return postcard to this effect: (am) I (am not) planning to attend the araery clinic, which will be held '? at ? . Ishall send ? students and 1 teachers,prospective teachers, physical education majors, students, camp counselors Signed School The due-date for these cards should be included in t,..., second let ter, G. Make arrananents with nearby school and/or clubs to borrow targets for the tournaments if necessary. Rent or borrow bales 01 straw for a field archery c( arse. If you are going to have one. 11. Send announcements of clinic plans to Archery World. I.Arrange with publishers or individuals to borrow archery books, pamphlets, and iagazines to be displayed, J.Contact, well in advance, if desired, some manufacturers of archery tackle. They will probably be glad to set up displays of all the latest archery tackle and gadgets the day of Die clinic. K. Arrange lunch for all at a nearby place, if possible. II. The Day of the Clinic A. Register everyone who attends the clinic and playday. Those ''ho are going to shoot should be assigned to a target at the tile they register in order to mix the teams. B. "L i to have the following included m the program at sene time during the day 1. Actual demonstration of championship formintai get shooting by a champion as one of the first events. 2. Also, early in the day have the proper teaching progression presented to the whole group in a way that all can partici- pate in the mimetic drills, and actually have some group coaching. This is important since many people who attend these clinics are eager to learn about techniques and will undoubtedly carry those teaching methods and progressions back to their own school situations. 3. Try to obtain movies ofsonickind which show the essentials of archery technique for beginners 4. Italsoincreases interest to include a movie on the re- creational aspects and variations of archery. Movies and 94 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES other visual aids may be presented to the teachers andin- structors athe sat e time ,heir students are participatingin the various tournaments. 5. At the end of the clinic, the scores and results should be announced and awards presented. (Suggest practical items be given, such as arrow wipers, finger tabs, armguards, quivers, etc.) 6. Acquire archery technique charts from DGWS. III. After the Clinic A. Send follow-up articlesto archery publications, giving the number of persons who attended, who they were, where they were from, tournament results, etc. B. A letter to each person who attended the clinic should be sent soon after the clinic has been held. It should contain results of all scores, addresses of places where all the visual aids which were used might be obtained, and the names of all archery tackle manufacturers who displayed products. C. Compile a report on your clinic for future use byyour school or by others. It is strongly urged that the groups which are invited to all clinics include both men and women, also Juniors wnenever possible. Care should also be taken to obtain good people to conduct your clinic, ones who can present material graciously and accurately to the group about teaching methods and technique as well as being able to demonstrate in good form.
WHY DON'T YOU SPONSOR AN ARCHERY CLINIC? 95 Aids in Running an Archery Tournament
LU RA R. WI LSON Greene Central School Greene, New York It becomes the lot of each of us in physical education at some time to organize or to prepare our students for participation in an archery tournament. Many of us have never become archery en- thusiasts so we know little about such tournaments. Not one of us would ever consider sending a group of girls to participate in a hockey playday who knew nothing about hockey rules and regula- tions; but this seems not to hold true in archery. I've attended, and so have you, tournaments conducted by physical education people Nr;here many of the participants violated most of the skill rules, many of tIrsafety rules, and all of the rules of tournament etiquette. Since this situation exists it behooves us to do what we can to correct .1 All of us, in our physical education course in college, were expos.:,u to the basic steps of shooting; beyond that point, many of us k' ow very little.I shall try in this article to give you some of the aids that we all need so badly.
Teach for Participation Archery is not a spectator sport. It is definitely for the partici- pant. Since it is an individual sport with a strong appeal and much carryovervalue,,itmust be presented enthusiastically and not casually as a leftover for the "weak sisters" in you,. program. Instruc- tions should be given for all so that there is a universal desire to participate in an irtra- and extramural program. Archery can be done alone in your own backyard but most of its fascination lies in competition and in meeting friends who are "bitten by the same bug." I know of no other sport where rivalry is so keen and yet there is such a feeling of friendliness among the contestants. When teaching, always consider each practice session as a small tournament. Follow tournament rules and regulations. Make safety rules a part of archery so that the two always go together in the mind of the participant. For example, all archers shoot at the same time and at the same distance, and retrieve at the same time. I've seen this simple safety precaution violated many times so have you! The wonder is that more people haven't died as a result. When archers at one target are shooting, wlule the people at the next target 96 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES 2 are retrieving, what is to prevent a flinch which will put an arrow through the back of the girl at that next target? Teach the participant the correct method of scoring.Mimeo- graphed score sheets are simple to make. Your school office can run off all you need for a season in 15 minutes. Two girls on each target should be scorekeepers and record the value of each arrow indivi- dually, starting with the highest. Always have one girl act as target captain and draw arrows.If this simple procedure is followed in practice sessions,itis not an innovation when encountered at a tournament. Be sure to teach the proper scoring for rebounds (7 points at 60 yards or under) and penetrations (an arrow passing through any part of the scoring face counts 5). Teach girls the correct way to Judge arrows that cut two colors. Be sure they know that an arrow that cuts two colors must be counted for the lower score if a single arrow has been touched or drawn from the target before the questionable arrow is discovered. Teach the students how to retrieve arrows that fall in front of the shooting line.In practice, see that students use the now to pull the arrow back while standing in their shooting position.Never let them walk out to get it while shooting is in progress. Teach the participants to step back thek,ards from the shooting line when they have finished shooting.This a tournament regula- tion which becomes habitual when practiced at all times. If you work with high school girls, the reason for this rule is apparent. There is no age when girls are so giggly or talkative, and the archer on the line can be easily distracted. When the student learns to do this simple thing in the first class session,it becomes a part of archery. Teach the participants that quiet on the shooting line is a regula- tion.It isa courtesy that they expect from their fellows and, there- fore, one they owe in return. Avoid direct coaching while the student is in the act of shooting for scores.Tournament regulations specify that no coaching may be given while a person is shooting. Save your direct coaching for prac- tice sessions when the girls are not shooting for scores. They should not become too dependent upon :^.. as a coach they need to develop their own critical analysis. Teach them the meaning of the whistle. Useoneblast on the whistle to start shooting andoneto retrieve at all times. Use two blasts for an emergency so that they understand that it weans to stop shooting immediately. When archery skills have been properly taught and the above rule of archery etiquette is firmly entrenched. the resulting archer is one you would gladly have as a participant in any tournament. AIDS IN RUNNING AN ARCHERY TOURNAMENT 97 Organize Your Tournament
The fast step in the tournament you are to organizeis to decide what round or rounds are to be shot. With high school studentsa team round has definite appeal the responsibility for winning does notrest on one individual but on a group. The team round recognized by the National Archery Association is 96arrows at one distance, 50 yards for women, and 40 yards for intermediates (boys and girls). In many places, a Junior Columbia Round is usedon the basis for a team round. Each team is composed of six girls and the highest four scores are totaled for the teamscore. Allowing six girls to shoot then totaling the top four scores allows a larger number to participate and makes allowance for the archer who is havingan "off day. Once the round is selected, invitations should be issued witha request for replies.Itis essential to know how many are partici- pating to make proper preparations. Planning for 150 archers and having only 110 appear can be disconcerting. Selection and preparation of the field is next on the list. Thegrass should be short and free from stones around the target. All lines should be visible and the targets firmly staked to the ground. Unless your range is in a secluded area where there will be no spectators, it should be roped off 10 yards in back of the shooting line andon either side to prevent accidents. All targets should be numbered for ease in identification, This also facilitates target assignments. Itis well with high school or college groups to havea scoring committee set up to issue scorecards and pencils at the beginning of the tournament and then collect and tabulate at the end. I've found that a short novelty event, such as a balloon shoot, while the tabula- ting is going on breaks down tension and buildsup friendliness among the group. Archery is fun; do everything you can to make it so.
98 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Aids for the Archery Tournament Official
OLIVE U. CROUCH Former Secretary National Archery Association Greenwich, Connecticut The National Archery Association says the duties of the Lady Paramount or field captain shall be: "to call the archers together for competition; to direct, oversee, and manage all competition and the conduct of the archers during that time; and to interpret and enforce the traditional and statutary rules of archery, in which her decision shall be final." Here are a few helpful suggestions for anyone invited to be the field captain or Lady Paramount at an archery tournament. If it is a tournament at which you are not well-known by all the contestants, make it yotir business to become a friend to all so that every archer on the lint, will be thoroughly at ease and relaxed. Do all you can to keep your participants relaxed and calm because they are trying to shoot the best scores, and a state of confusionhelps no one do his best. On the day of the tournament, see that the targets are definitely assigned so that the contestants may practice at the distances they wish, always keeping in mind the safety angle. The rule book clearly states the procedure tc be followed under the heading "Practice." Keep in mind that seine archers may be shooting on a field and under conditions they might never have experienced in the past and their first practice may be very important to them. Be sure to check the time in order that at !east two, and preferably three ends at the greatest distance may be practiced by all contestants before official scoring begins Try to start on time but be generous and considerate on this point if necessary. Beginning a few minutes after thespeci- fied time 'ray be necessary at times. Remember the traffic problems today ofteiinse unavoidable delays. Also, the range may be new to some col.fesar, and those few moments of extra practice maygive them , confidence they need. There is no rule covering late entries toameet. Be sure you have an understanding with those in authority before the tournament begins. At many major meets an archer is allowed to enter the tournament if he is late, without practice, and then is allowed to make up the ends he may have mussed immediately following the completion of the round by the other contestants. If time and situation does not permit this, the ends missed must be sacrificed and scores recorded for ends shot only. AIDS FOR THE ARCHERY TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL 99 Be generous in your interpretation of the rules. For instance, at the start of the tournament, the rules say "the archers take their assigned places at the shooting line." This does not necessarily mean that the archers must be posed on the shooting Line before the signal is given to shoot the first end. Keep in mind that no two persons are born with the same temperaments. We all have seen archers who are utterly calm, and we know others who are nervous and jittery at the beginning of a tournament although they may have attended dozens of tournaments over a period of years. For them, be sure you make an earnest attempt to do everything possible to follow the rules under the heading of "Shooting" in the rule book. Keep the spec- tators "at least 20 yards back of the shooting Line." And a speciator is any person not competing. Be sure the archers themselves "remain at least three yards back of the line of shooting when not shooting." All excess equipment belonging to the contestants is at least four or five yards behind the shooting line to be out of the way. Itis a good idea to check to see that the target mates of each targethave chosentheirtargetcaptain,scorers, drawers and checkers, etc. While the rules do not state this, it is customary that the first named on the scoresheet is the target captain and he or she calls the value of the arrows and does the drawing. It might be pertinent to suggest here that the value of an arrow be called before the arrow is drawn from the target. It is easy to miscall uninten- tionally the value of an arrow, and this procedure gives you ami.le opportunity to correct any possible error in calling an arrow's value. The second and third named archers on the scoresheet usually record the scores on duplicate scoresheets. The last named person on the scoresheet checks the calling of the arrows as drawn, and then takes from the target captain the set of arrows and places them in the quiver of the contestant to whom they belong. After the scoring, all target mates should retrieve any missed arrows. At the beginning of a tournament, talk to your contestants; point out a few of the unusual happenings on unfamiliar or new rules. Remember that it is the duty of the target captain to look over the target for arrows close to the lines before the target or arrows are touched by anyone or any object. After decisions are made as to close arrows, the :.:7,(!c captain will then pull out and reinsert the "close arrow" into the correct circle. An arrow that has rebounded from the target is picked up and handed to the target captain who puts it into the red ring of the target. The same rule applies to arrows that have penetrated through the target. The target captain places the arrow into the blue ring. Where there are four persons on a target, two shooting at the same time, it is customary that the first two named on the score- sheet shoot first and they are all followed by the last two named, spacing themselves far enough apart for comfortable shooting. 100 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Many archers use the point of aim as compared with the sight method of shooting. Often the point of aim shooters are hurried in their P.O.A. adjustment. Make them feel that you want them to take the time to set their points accurately. If it is necessary to hurry the tournament at all, it's better to speed them to and from the targets. Remind the archers that an arrow which has left the bow and fallen beyond the shcoting line may only be shot if the archer is able to reach it with her bow while standing in her shooting position. Archery takes on necessary changes as it progresses: not only the sport itself but the equipment, number of participants, etc. It is up to the tournament official to keep abreast of the times and be re- freshed on the tournament rules by following those of the present day. There are a number of helpful and usefulitemsthatevery efficient field officer should have with him. Essential first aid items such as bandages, adhesive tape, tincture of benzoin for use on blistering fingers, aspirin, and tissue paper are important, and you may wish to add to this list some kind of sunburn lotion. If an archer should break his bow while shooting and receive injury, here is the first aid treatment to be given: make an ice pack and apply directly to the injury. (Frequently cold soft drinks are served on an archery range and here you will find the necessary ice.) Keep the patient quiet and have him lie prone on the ground. When lie has sufficiently recovered, remove him preferably on a stretcher and see that he is examined by a physician. The first aid procedure was prescribed by the late Dr. Robert P. Elmer.' Be sure you know how tie scores are decided, even though there may be a scoring committee that handles this. You might be asked about this so remember that the highest score at the longest distance decides this question; the number of hits has no bearing on the matter. Consult the rule book for further details on this question. Keep a written record of the actual starting and finishing times of the rounds shot as well as the number of contestants participating and other pertinent or unusual incidents. This information can be useful when formulating programs for future tournaments. An experienced field official should know how long it takes to shoot and score all rounds. If you are going to be an arches official, try these suggestions. The participants will be enthusiastic and cooperative because they are having fun. But always remember that safety is the first duty of every official and every archer.
11)r. Robert P. Elmer, author of Target Archery. AIDS FOR THE ARCHERY TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL 101 Atypical Archery for the Physically Handicapped
HENRIETTA GREENBERG KRUMHOLZ Bay City Texas
Archery is fun, and certainly can help contribute to the happiness and well-being of the physically handicapped boy. girl.or adult. There are innumerable reasons for including archery in the physical education, recreation, or camping program of the physically handi- capped. First, it will provide them with a skill that has muchcarry- over value; also, they can enjoy participation with physically normal friends. Archery equipment is not considered expensive and for this reason can be included in most school, camp, or recreation depart- ment budgets, Archery students may, in turn, purchase their own equipment and enjoy the sport long after class activities have ended. Availability of space is an important factor to consider in deciding whether an activity can be offered. The small spacenecessary for the construction of an archery range is certainly an advantage. Selecta site where pedestrians will not be walking nearby. Also consider clearance to the rear and sides of the range. Arrows will be easily lost in tall grass or weeds and will be broken if hit into treesor buildings. Too, physically handicapped students may not have the extraenergy necessary for spending long periods of time looking for lost arrows. Availability c: the range is another factor to consider. Manytypes of handicaps restrict the amount of walking the studentmay do and for this reason the range should be easily accessible; a levelarea should be provided. Some provisions should be made for rolling wheelchairs to and from the area. Archery is not too tiring an activity and affordsan opportunity to develop good posture and strengthen weakened muscles. An archery class can be so conducted as to take care of even those children with no locomotive ability. At the sr,,,,e time, itcan provide wholesome competition that need not be of too excitinga nature. Equipment should provide for both those withvery weak shoulder and arm muscles and those who have developedvery strong shoulder and arm muscles as a result of long periods of walkingon crutches. Arrows must be long enough, as control may be lacking for a rather long period of time. A piece of taut elastic may replace the bowstring during the learning period, when the correct draw is being taught. Without the resistance of the bowstring, correct technique 102 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES will be mastered without it proving nearly so tiring. The bowstring will replace the elastic as soon as the drawing technique has been mastered, the elastic being brought back in use whenever an error in technique need be corrected. Chairs or benches should be provided for those who are not shooting. Itis very difficult for a person with braces or one with poor balance to sit down and get up from the ground. Persons with very poor balance or with little muscle control may shoot with much greater ease and more accurately from a sitting position, Whenever possible, the handicapped student's physican should be consulted as to the advisability of her participating in the sport. This may be of particular importance in the case of students with heart trouble. During this consultation, the instructor may receive in- formation concerning particular needs of the students strengthen- ing particularly weak muscles, use of certain muscles, posture needs. etc. The particular student's technique in shooting would then be altered to best meet her individual needs, The emotional stability of the student may also be considered and her participation in even mild competition discussed. Students using wheelchairs may be taught to shoot while sitting in their wheelchairs, while those on crutches niay stand balancing on their crutches while shooting. An arm amputee may learn to draw and aim while another student holds the bow in position. The student drawing will. in turn, direct the student holding the bow to lower or raise it or to move it to the left or right for a better shot. The instructor or the physically normal student may assiste cere- bral palsy cases by helping them steady the bow during the time they arc shooting. These boys and girls niay have better success in shooting fron a sitting position. The student who fatigues easily may also have greater success while shooting from a sitting position. These students who fatigue easily or who have difficulty with loco- motion may also find it difficult to gather their own arrows. In these cases, the students may be recording scores or helping with organiza- tion while their arrows are brought in. Care and repair of equipment certainly siiould be included in the course, and the handicapped student will be given additionalconfi- dence in her know ledge of and responsibility toward taking care of the equipment. Archery tournaments may Le included or serve as a climax to the course. They should be so conducted as to not create great excitement. Those who have been r structed to abstain from competition may serve as tournament ofiicials, Physically handicapped boys, girls, and adults enjoy being part of a group and engaging in activity with others. Archeryoffers a splen- did opportunity for them, not only in participation but they can actually excel. Treat the students as nearly likethe physically ARCHERY FOR THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED 103 normal student as is possible. They like to be able to do for them- selves, and even though the effort is great, the feeling of a job well done is adequate compensation, If special accommodations are necessary, carry them out in a matter of fact attitude toward the students' abnormalities. The teacher must have sympathetic under- standing without the feeling of pity and depression which often accompanies lackof understanding. She must be alert to the students' needs without attracting attention to them watching for broken braces, worn crutch tips or other difficulties which might present themselves. Archery is fun, and there is no reason why the physically handi- capped student or camper should not re,eive the joy that comes from active participation. There is no reason why they should not have that feeling of a job well done! Let's provide a well planned program of archery instruction through our schools, camps, and recreation programs. Let's go a step further and provide facilities and equipment which may be enjoyed in their leisure hours. Letus be able to say, "A job well done."
104 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES An Aiming Device for Teaching Archery to the Blind
J. LAVERE SHAFFER University of Maine Orono
Sports participationisoften taken for granted andis not commonly recognised as a vital "safety valve" for the handicapped as well as the nonhandicapped. A research survey reveals that partici- pation in sports by the visually handicapped has been successful and has afforded rewarding experiences.Wrestling, track and field, bowling, gymnastics, swimming, and even golf, fencing, and archery are areas in which the visually handicapped do participate. Archery, to be satisfying, must ensure a potential of success for the participants. The purpose of this study, then, was to develop a practical aiming device specially adapted for the blind which would facilitate the development of skill and enhance archery as a new and challenging sport. With this in mind, the investigator experimentally designed and constructed an archery aiming device having potential as an effective aid for the blind. A limited pilot experimental demonstration pro- vided data for implications and recommendations. To evaluate the effectiveness of the developed aiming device, shooting records were planned using three methods of aiming: Method I - normal sighted: Method 2 pole: Method 3 - photo- electric cell. The normal sighted method of aiming is to shoot normally, with no adaptations. The pole method, developed by Thomas W. Taylor, uses a pole as a guide for the blind person's hand. In his article, "The Unseen Target," I he explains in detail the procedure used. lie also carefully describes adaptation of target faces and a method of retrieving and scoring arrows. The investigator has used these excellent ideas. The photoelectric cell method is the experimental aiming device developed by the investigator. The Teela-Wooket Archery Camp Seven Step Technique of Shooting was used by all participants. The experimentally developed and adapted equipment involved in designing an aiming device and its use by the blind archer included
'Thomas NV. Taylor, "The Unseen Target," Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, 24:6,15, June 1953, AN AIMING DEVICE FOR TEACHING ARCHERY TO THE BLIND 105 (1) photoelectric relay unit. (2) adapted bow and lightsource attach- ment. (3) electric projector pointer. (4) modified bowstring, and(5) foot pegs Standard equipment used included (1)aluminum arrows, (2) quivers. (3) arniguards, (4) finger tabs and glovesA standard range was used with six set-ups for the experiment.
Photoelectric Relay Unit
the Welch Photoelectric Relay Unit, a basic piece ofequipment in most physics laboratories, was used in the development of the aiming device. It operates when a light is flashed on the photo cell, then relays current to ring a six volt bell. Bow and Light Source Attachment
The bows were equipped withan electric projector pointer which was mounted on the handle of the bow, The Zorn Jr. electricProjec- tor Pointer, normally battery operated,was wired so the flow of electric current would be steady and long-term.A Sawyer six volt electric transformer was wired to a block of woodthe sue of two number D flashlight batteries and inserted intothe pointer to supply current. The electric cord passed througha hole cut in the pointer cap for this purpose. A light bulb with an arrow-shaped filament provided a small, parallel light source toactivate the photoelectric cell of the photoelectric relay unit. An aluminum, fan-shaped plate was screwedinto the upper limb over the handle of the bow on the nonwindow side tosupport the electric projector pointer. It extended four inchesin front of the bow and had a1/4 inch wide slot cut along the frontendge, Two pipe straps held the pointer to the bow, with the front pipestrap fastened into the slot with a wing nut to allow itto be moved up or (10W0 for sighting a dju st men t.
Bowstring
A double flocking point on the bowstringwas indicated by two'/ inch strips of adhesive tape both above and below the flocking point for the arrow. These were 1 /8 inch in diameterto permit easy loca- tion of them by the blindfolded archer.
Foot Blocks
Foot blocks made of wood were constructedto form three sides of a box which each archer used to mark her foot positionwhen it 106 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES was correctly established. They were placed on both sides of the shooting line to assure a comfortable width in stance and a parallel foot position in relation to the target,
Experimental Shooting Procedure The experimental shooting was conducted as follows
I No blindfolds, shot two trial rounds normally, using vision. 'h. Blindfolded, shot two trial rounds with the pole method. 3. Blindfolded, shot two trial rounds with the photoelectric cell method. Two participants worked together as partners during the experi- ment to assist each other with the two experimental shooting methods. Each pair of partners shot Trial I using one of the three methods of aiming. They then rotated to the other tvo stations to complete TrialI. The order of rotation was varied in order to confound thepracticefor improvement factor of a particular method of aiming. Trial 2 was conducted in a similar planner with pairs of partners starting at stations different from their starting station in Trial I. The following description cards were reviewed with the arclms to insure understanding of directions.
POLE METHOD OF AIMING I. Instructions to Assistant. a. Place the polein a pos-tioin front of the shooting line (target side) so the archer's 1, )vi arm will comfortably reach it in a full draw position. b. Place the foot blocks in a stance position on the shooting line. cWrap a piece of adhesive tape around the pole at an approxi- mate h9ight for ahning. d. Guide the archer's hand to the pole. e. Check the archer to avoid overdraw of arrows. f, As archer becomes accustomed to aiming, guidance cues should be verbal, i.e., Move your arm left Rain. your hand Lower your hand 2. Instructions to Archer: a. Straddle the shooting line, placing your feet inthe foot blocks. Partner stands with you as assistant. AN AIMING DEV.CE FOR TEALOING ARCHERY TO THE BLIND 107 b. Put your blindfold in plate. c. A modified Scho last`sound, consisting of 4 ends at 20 yards and 4 ends at 15 yaIs, will or scored folhwing the learning
session. d. The knuckle of f: mi.;le: of the bowhand should touch the botton sse:t a1he tape as a guide. e. Upon rele:ise of rro ke cont :et with the pole. flimphaQiz, -,econdardray,. to eliminate creeping.
PHOTOELECTRIC METHOD OF AIMING
1 Instruction', to Assistant: a.Place It e foot blocks in a stance position on the shooting line. b. Place the photoelectric relay unit 20 feet in front (target side) of the shooting "me with the photocell on the right side and facing the shooting line. c. Stand in the foot blocks and hold the bow, with the bowstring as a guide, and align the bowstring, center of gold, and center of photocell. d. Move the unit to the right, so the left edge is 24 inches from the alignment line just established. e. Turn the electric projector pointer on, and adjust the elevation with the wing nut to an approximate height. f. Guide the archer's hand so the light beam contacts the photo- cell. g. Then give only verbal cues, i.e Move your arm left Move your arm right Raise your arm Lower your arm 2. Instructions to Archer: a. Straddle the shooting line, placing your feet in the foot blocks. Partner stands with you as assistant. b. Put your blinr-'d in place c. A modified S(11.)lastic Round, consisting of 4 ends at 20 yards and 4 ends at yards will be scored. d. Wait for a steady sound, then release. As judged by the investigator, the eight participants in the pilot demonstiation were skilled archers capable of consistent shooting in the normal situation as students in physical education archery classes and in archery club. Skilled archers were used because the aiming device was to be tested, rather than the teaching method. The Rank-Difference Correlation Method was used to establish reliability for the three methods of amun3. 108 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Six out of eight participants shot higher scores using the photo- electric method than they did using the pole method with those scores averaging 64.6 points higher than all the participants asing the pole method. The experimental aiming device was successful as indicated by the pilot demonstration, however, it should be tested bv a larger group of subjects and by blind subjects. The six set-ups as designed for use in this study could be made available for such additional testing. If other archery enthusiasts are interested in further research in this area or additional information pertaining to the experimental aiming device, please direct inquires to LaVere Shaffer, University of Maine, Women's Physical Education, Orono, Maine.
AN AIMING DEVICE FOR TEACHING ARCHERY TO THE BLIND 109 Teaching the Blind StudentArchery Skills
DOROTHY HYMAN Glassboro State College Glassboro, New Jersey
Every student enrolled at GlassboroState College is required to take physical education for twoyears, including students who are physically handicapped. The feeling inthe physical education departmentisthat everyone should experiencesome form of physical activity, therefore, we conductan individualized physical eduk ation program which meets twicea week for one hour. On one occasion early in the program,a blind student walked into the class ready to participate in some type of activity.I was completely panic stricken because I was unsure what to offerher. For the first several meetings we tried exercises ar,bowling with a plastic ball andpins. Neither activity interested o, challengedthe student then we tried archery, using the following procedure: 1.1 obtained the right lengtharrows foi my student and a light bow that she could pull. I had to considerthat what little strength she had concentrated in her left shoulder andarm due to learning to go around with a cane. 2.I then proceeded to show her howto nock the bow to the arrow. In explaining the difference between the cockfeather and the hen feather, it was just a matter of feel. Shewas also able to feel the hock indention. 3. At first, the arrows were placed infront of her, which made it possible for her to pick themup easily. Eventually the arrows were placed in a quiver, whichwas strapped around her waist. She was now able to manipulate the arrows as though shecould see. 4. The next step was foot position.At this pointit became apparent that if I could create an atmosphereof familiar surround- ings for my student, she would beginto feel adequate Therefore, it was necessary to construct a footboard that wouldput her feet and her bod) in the same aligned position withthe target each time. 5. After her feet and bodywere in proper alignment, she was asked to nock the bow to thearrow. She then drew the bow until she felt the string touch her lips and her thumbwas anchored to the jawbone. These movements were repeatedmany times. Once more I waited for her to feel these movements.There were times that I had to hold the drawing arm in place for her andguide the bow arm in a straight up-and-down relationship to the floor.Tlus was stopped when I saw that she was able to makethese movements by herself. 110 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES 6. When it came to the actual shooting of the arrow, direction be o ie a problem. Bolding the bow arm straight up-and-down was an impossibility; therefore, I would stand behind her and direct the arrows. This created no independence on the part of my student. Thee. too, after all the arrows were shot, I had to lead my student to the target and tell her where the arrows hit. 7.I devised a towline. A rope was suspended from the middle of the top of the target to a nail that was attached to her footboard. This had a twofold purpose. It enabled my student to walk to the target by herself and permitted her to keep the bow straight up-and- down by placing it against the rope. 8. To create more independence, a system was devised so my student could identify her own arrows as they hit the target. This was done by covering each color of the target with an unusual tex- ture of material. Tile materials were sandpaper for gold, satin for red, terrycloth for blue, cotton for black, and the white portion was left as :s. Now in) student was able to approach the target, know how many arrows hit the target, and how many points she made. She would then go back to the footboard, record her score in braille, and be ready to begin the whole process again. One score was three gold, two blue, and one miss out of six arrows. My student came to me and said, "You have given me an opportunity to gain self-confidence." Icannot take full credit for this achievement. Without the efforts of a colleague and a member of the custodial staff, this would not have been accomplished.
TEACHING THE BLIND STUDENT ARCHERY SKILLS 111 Field Shooting Field Archery
ARNOLD 0. HAUGEN Iowa State University Ames, Iowa
Fieldarchery,inasense,isdoing what comes naturally. Originally, all archery was of a field vimety. Man apparently developed his skill in archery by randomly shoot- ing at various objects throughout the forests or glades. Aboriginal man's style of shooting probably was of the bare-bow variety (instinctive). Aiming devices such ai points of aim and sights are relatively recent inventions brought about by competitive shooting where arrow after arrow was shot at the same distance. Repetitive shooting from one dist ince came into general use after the inventing of gunpowder in the days when military archers were needed; England had laws to prevent shooting successive arrows from the same distance. Man's original type of archery faded in Europe with the disappearance of fie need for military archers and in America, with destruction of the American Indians' way of life. Field archery today owes its popularity to the early hunting activities of such archery greats as Maurice and Will Thompson of Georgia andlaterofCrawfordsville, Indiana; Saxton Pope of California; and Art Young of Illinois. The many delightful hunting experiences of these men made exciting reading and helped imrease interest in bowhunting and field shooting. Field archery, as we know it today, started primarily with the formation of the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) in 1939.Before that time,field shooting had really consisted of random roving. Since 19:19, field archery as a game has conic into being and now has a following in the tens of thousands, and national tournament attendance at times approaches 2,000.
High School, College Programs Field archery is well suited for physical education programs at both the high school and college levels. First, it offers a possibility for carrying the skill over into competitive sport in everyday life, In most states there is a trend toward p-eater participation in field archery.Second,the archery skills can be applied to bow and arrow 112 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES hunting, which now has a following of at least a third of a million sportsmen. A third advantage is that field archery takes a person outdoors where one can enjoy nature at its best, including the scenic beauty, flowers, birdlife, companionship, and the pleasures of shooting. Fourth, with archery courses usually laid out on relatively rough ground, participants are able to enjoy 'li lung, along with the physical exercise of snooting. These are the advantages in places where facili- ties are available for a regulation 14- target field round unit. Field archery can be taught satisfactorily without a regulation 14-target unit available. At Auburn University the "Flint Round" layout of targets, requiring a maximum of 30 yards, was used very satisfactorily. A series of straw-bale target butts were set at the base of a high bank adjacent to the gymnasium. The shooting distances for each butt (20 feet to 30 yards) were then staked. Students were instructed in the bare-bow style (without aiming devices such as sights or point of aim) of shooting. Other colleges are currently including classes of field archery with a general archery teaching program. This movement to broaden the scope and improve the quality of all types of archery is being pro- mot,1 by Operation Archery, a phase of AAIIPER's Operation Fit- ness USA.
Modified Flint Round In order to make it possible to shoot an indoor field round, even where only20-yarddistances are available, Operation Archery adopted the Modified Flint Round as the most suitable round for physical education purposes. The round, however, was set up with 12- and 18-inch faces instead of .)- and 8-inch faces, as called for in the official round. The layout, except for target face sizes, follows regulations for the Modified Flint as published in the Official NFAA Handbook. Shooting stations 1 through 7 can be marked with adhesive tape placed on the walls or at the outer edge of the floor. Usually a class must hustle in order that each student may shoot her total of 28 arrows ond properly score the results. Field archery rounds of course are shot on field faces. These have an outer 3-point scoring ring, an inner 5-point scoring ring, and a central aiming spot. Each end consists of 4 arrows with a maximum score of 4 hits for a total of 20 points. In scoring, arrows are not itemized separately as they are in target archery. You do record total hits and total score for each end (example: 4 hits for 16, 3 for 9, etc.). FIELD ARCHERY 113 OPERATION ARCIIERY "MODIFIED FLINT FIELD ROUND" (loud of7targets with 12-inch and 18-inch faces, total of 28 arrows)
Sh,..)ting Number Target Shooting Distance Arrows Size Ilits Score Station
17 yds. 4 18 in. 1st 20 ft. 4 12 in, 2nd ''..) ids. 4 18 in. 3rd 4 yds. 4 12 in. 4th 1 5 yds. 4 i 8 in. 5th 10 yds. 4 12 in. Gth 20,17,15, 1 at each 18 in 7th & 10 yds. distance Tot-1 28 Four arrows are shot from each of stations 1 through 6. Note that shooting at the larger face is from the odd-numbered and the smaller face from the even-numbered stations. The 7th and last end consists of 1 arrow shot at the 18 -inch free from each of 20-, 17-, 15-, and 10-yard distances. This is known as a 4-position shot (also called a walkup shot).
Bare-Bow Technique It is recommended that the bare-bow (instinctive) technique of shooting be taught in field archery. Target archery techniques, in- cluding the use of point of aim or sights, are taught in target archery sections so there is no need to cover them here. The fundamentals of good technique are just as important in field asin target archeryGood form and consistency in anchoring, aiming, holding, releasing, and following-through are essentials that must be drilled into the student until good form becomes automatic Aiming is included as a fundamental even though no mechanical devise is involved. Aiming is a matter of "feeling" or sensing that the arrow is properly directed to hit the mark at which the shooter is looking. Finally, field archery lends itself well to teaching in physical education. It can easily be taughtin a gymnasium with a maximum shooting distance of 60 feet. If an outdoor range is available, all the better.
114 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES
run off, the cards must be cut on a paper cutter. Instead of making dittoed copies of the bingo cards, the regular scorecard can be used by having the students or instructor fill in numbers in the squares before shooting begins (see Figure 3).
Observations This novelty shoot was done the eleventh week of a sophomore beginners archery class at Southern Illinois University. Three to four ends of six arrows each were required to complete a bingo; and eight to ten ends of six arrows each were required for a "black out" on the bingo card. Two games and almost one "black out" could be played in a 35-minute period indoors. The Appeal of Field Archery
ARNOLD 0. HAUGEN Iowa State University Ames, Iowa
Appeal from Prehistory Field archery is a natural for inclusion in physical education in- struction because itoffers an opportunity to relearn a type of archery practiced since time immemorial. It cannot be determined exactly how or when archery began, but archaeological evidence shows that the use of flint-tipped arrows goes back at least 25,000 years in southern France. Bows have been used in America since they were brought here as weapons by the first race of men to invade the continent, coming from Asia through the Alaska area about 20,000 years ago. Field archery, accordingly, originated in prehistoric times as a form of hunting archery. The degree of accuracy and the style of shooting used by the earliest aborigines is still a matter of speculation, but it is certain that ancient man developed an instinct for hitting the animal or the mark at which he shot. Today we refer to such instinctive shooting as bare-bow archery because the bow is bare of any sighting device. Such shooting is truly primitive shooting with a primitive weapon, which is perhaps why field archery is so fascinating and bowhuntmg appeals to so many people.
Carryover Values Field archery offers lasting values to the participant. In shooting, one learns not only the techniques of shooting but self-control and coordination as well. Shooting also teaches a valuable lesson in life because, if the shooter misses the mark, he has only himself to look to for the cause of the failure, Here is a sport which entices many participants to keep active in healthful outdoor physical exercise and which can be enjoyed for the rest of one's life. Bowhuntmg, com- petitive shooting, and ability to judge distance are additional carry- over values from field archery. As a sport, it is suitable for family participation, for everyone from children to grandparents. THE APPEAL OF FIELD ARCHERY 115 Shooting Area Today there are several rounds to choose from for teaching field archery. If space is limited or weather forces the class to work in- doors, the round used may .onsist of the Operation Archery Modi- fied Indoor Round, which rt quires shooting distances only up to 20 yards, or the 30-yard regular Flint Round. These rounds may also be used outdoor. They :eauire an area no larger than a tennis court. Where an unusedrea of about 10 acres is available, a regular 14-target fieldco,.:r,e may be set up. As a final test of skill, all archers will want to experience sonic shooting on a regular :field course where one is available For beginning field archers, the Operation Archery Modified Indoor Round has much to offer. Itis like the regular 20-Yard Indoor Round but utilizes 12-inch faces in place of the usual 6-inch faces and 18-inch faces in place of the 8-inch faces. The larger faces offer larger marks to shoot at and hit, thereby stimulating interest and courage in beginners. OPERATION ARCHERY MODIFIED 20-YARD INDOOR ROUND (total of 7 targets with 12-inch and 18-inch faces, total of 28 arrows)
Shooting Number Target Shooting Distance Arrows Size Hits Score Station
17 yds. 4 8 in. 1st 20 ft. 4 2 in. 2nd 20 yds. 4 8 in. 3rd 14 yds. 4 2 in. 4th 15 yds. 4 8 in. 5th 10 yds. 4 2 in. 6th 20,17,15, and 1 at each 8 in. 7th 10 yds. distance Total 28
Four arrows are shot from each of Stations 1 through 6. Note that shooting at the larger face .s from the odd-numbered and the smaller face from the evennumbered stations. The seventh and last end consists of one arrow shot at the 18-inch face from each of 20-, 17-, 15-, and 10-yard distances. This is known as a four-position shot (also caned a walk-up shot); distances for the walk-up shot differ slightly from the regular 20-yard Indoor Round. Where the round is set up indoors, the seven shooting station distances can be marked with numbered pieces of adhesive tape placed on the wails or at the outer edge of the floor. 116 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES Students just keep hustling if they are to shoot their total of 28 arrows and score results in a single class period. There is plenty of time to shoot with care and patience, but there is little time for idle chatter and inattention.
Bare-Bow Field Archery Teaching In order that students may have the pleasure of knowing and enjoying archeryinitsmostbasic and -primitive form,itis recommended that bare-bow (instinctive) shooting be taught. By learning bare-bow archery first, one has the best opportunity to get the most enioyment from this form of shooting. There are seven fundamentals for shooting which are basic to all forms of archery. They Include (1) standing, (2) flocking, (3) draw- ing(4) anchoring, (5) aiming, (6) releasing, and (7) following through. Bare-bow archery techniques, however, differ from target shooting in that the anchor point is at the side of the face, with the nock end of the arrow near the corner of the mouth, instead of under the tip of the clon as .n the case in target shooting. Bare-bow shooting also differs in aiming technique; aiming is mostly by intui- tion rather than by mechanically lining up with a sight or a point of aim. For teaching beginners to hit the mark more quickly at ranges up to about 30 yards, it is recommended that the pre-draw gap system of aiming be used.'This systemISbased on the fact that most bows worthy of use in teaching will shoot arrows that will fly on a level, with little or no trajectory, for a distance of up to about 25 yards. fins fact allow:; the archer to determine his aim for elevation even before he draws his arrow. As an example, the author, with his arrow flocked and the bowhand extended toward the target, and with the drawing fingers on the string but not yet drawing the string, can sight the tip of his arrow at an imaginary spot about 12 inches below a 12-inch face at 20 yards. If he then draws the arrows, anchors at the corner of the mouth, and releases the arrow without having allowed the bowhand to move during any pail of these three acts, he will usually hit at the desired elevation. You may have to adjust for your tackle and your style of shooting. but with practice you will find it will work for you, too.
I Arnold 0 Ilangen and Harlan G Metca,f,Meld rchery and llowhun ring (Nev York: Ronald Press Co., 1963).
THE APPEAL OF FIELD ARCHERY 117 Scoring Field archery faces consist of two scoring rings and a central aiming spot. Hits in the outer ring each count three; each hit in the inner ring and spot counts five. The maximum score per target in field archery (four arrows are shot) is 20 points. or 140 points for all seven targets in the Operation Archery Indoor Round In the regular Field Round unit of 14 targets, the perfect score would be 280. Arrows cutting into two scot mg circles are given the hivher value.
Student Enthusiasm
If student enthusiasm buoys you up, try offering oneor more sections in bare-bow field archery. You will be amazed at its accept- ance and the demand for this form of archery. It has been done elsewhere with great success, so why not at your school? Teaching people to have fun and to create a desire to continue shootinga bow in years to come is most Important. Shooting top scores is only of secondary value.
118 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES .7
Schoolyard Field Archery
NELLE S. MARTIN Clinton High School Clinton, Wisconsin
Field archery is one of the fastest growing competitive sports in America. It differs from target archery in that the targets are placed at various distances and the archer must move about the course. there are three official outdoor rounds, each with specific types of targets and distances There are also modifications for inter- mediate and junior arcl,ers which incorporate the basic 14 targets as a unit, with two units constituting a round. If your school is consid- ering such a field course, the information may 1w obtained from the National Field Archery Association. Box 514, Redlands, California This article, however, is for the physical education teacher who has limited or nonexistent indoor facilities and is considering the use of t he out-of-doors With some ingenuity, an acceptable seven-target course can be set up on a baseball field in the fall or on the football area in the spring. Other practice or fringe areas can he included when uneven ground or minor obstacles are viewed as an advantage in selecting the site. Targets may be fixed or moveable. Hay bales make good all-weather butts: however, care must be taken to stack them in such a way that the binding twine will not be cut by arrows Field target faces may be purchased or made and fastened to the butts by means of long eaves-trough nails or twisted pieces of metal coat hangers. Pasting faces to heavy cardboard will prolong theii usability. Shooting posi- tions may be marked by means of short stakes driven into the ground and numbered or by using dry barn lime in a six-inch circle to indicate the spot Lime may also be used to mark target positions if stands must be removed after class. Each teacher should feel free to develop her own schoolyard held course while keeping in mind the following points. I. Seven targets should be laid out 2. Distances of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. 30. and 35 yards should be arranged in mixed order and blended into the natural ter- rain. 3 Provisions for 14 targets may be made by using two posi- tion stakes (e.g., red stake for the first time around the course and white for the second) SCHOOLYARD FIELD ARCHERY 119 Suggested held Archery Course-7 or 14 targets. d.Target faces of the black and white typ' or annual type may be used. Pictures from magaz'nes or student's sketches lend interest. Scoring is marked on the face three for the outer ring, five for the inner ring. and 5x for the spot. The "x" is recorded to aid in breaking ties and d -)es not add to the total score. 5. Targetfaces and distances shouldbestandardized as fohows. 24-Inch face with 12-inch bull and 4-inch spot at 30 and 35 yards, 18-inch face with 9-inch bull and 3-inch si of:t 25 and 30 yards. 1 2 -inch face with 6-inch bull and 2-inch spot at 10 to 20 yards 6-inch face with 3-inch bull and 1-inch spot at 5 yards. 6. Walk downs, fans, and four positions all lend variety. 7. Kneeling positions or standing with one foot resting on a log give further interest to natural terrain: trees, rocks, and posts make novel hazards 8Allow 20 yards clearance or a rise of ground behind all targets. 9. Archers should shoot in groups of four. 10Bales should be tied together and may be fastened to trees. posts, or backstops for use as butts. 11. A practice butt. with tile distance marners level with the ground to prevent mower injury. should be provided. The Scholastic Field Archers Round should be of interest to the physical education teacher whose outdoor facilities are too limited to attempt official archery rounds or a field course A few hay butts or target stands, 30 yards of distance, and a range width suitable to class size is all that is required. Lines should be made at distances of 10,20,25. and 30 yards. The rules for this seven-target unit are: 1. Any straight or recurved bow and any standard target arrow may be used. No crossbows or broadheads are permitted. 2, Groups of no more than four archers may shoot at a single target at one time. 3. Four arrows constitute an end. 4. All archers shoot from the same distance at the same time and the distances are changed for each end (e,g., first end, 25 yards; second end, 10 yards; third end. 30 yards: fourth end, 20 yards; fifth end, 25 yards: sixth end, 10 yards, seventh end. 30,25.20, and 10 yards, one arrow at each distance). 5. The scorecard should include the .rcher's name, the number of each end. the total points made on each end, the number of spots hit ("x"), and the total foi the seven targets.
SCHOOLYARD FIELD ARCHERY 121 Variety Novelty Events
DOROTHY A. JOHNSON Hood College Frederick, Maryland
Archery is one of many elective activities offered by the physical education department at Hood College during the fall and spring. The novelty events described in this article have been Felected from a mimeographed collection created by archery students in;le last two years. This collection is available to anyone interested in id.sis for archery classes and recreation situations. The author suggc,ts that developing your own collection of this tyde is worthwhile "rainy day" activity for an archery class. It results in group action within the class and stimulates creative thinking within the framework of a specific activity. All of the following events require the archer to have the usual equipment: box, six arrows, quiver, a rmeuard, and finger tab Archery Relay to Improve Skill Created by Prmalla Allyn, Jean Alarcon, Joan Shnunck I. i'quipment One target for each team. 2. Pk.Fition:Standing atF' ootmg line in correct position. Team members line up three 1,et behind the girl shooting. One person from each team shoots at a time 3. Distances: 20 yardsfirst round 30 yards -second round 40 yards- 'ord round 4. Number of players. more than five 'n a time with an un- limited number of tea r.N. 5. Scoring rules. 20 yards- Each person us six arrows and tries to hit the gold. As soon as the first archer hits the gold, she goes to the end of the line and the second person shoots. No more than six attempts may be made by each player. Since the object of the game is for each player to shoot one gold as soon as possible. the team winning the round is the team which first completes the shooting requirement. A team may finish shooting before the other teams, but if one of its players has missed the gold with all six arrows, it could not be the winner unless the other teams also have missed the gold. Arrows are retrieved after all teams have finished 122 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES 30 yardsThe same thing occurs except that a player may hit the red or gold. 40 yardsThe same as at 20 yards, but the player may int the blue, red or gold. Arrows going through or bouncing off a target do not count.
Archery Tic-Tac-Toe Created by Pat Anderson and Jeanne Perkins 1. Equipment. One target for each team covered with a tic-tac-toe board about three feet square. 2. Distance 40,30, and 20 yards. 3 Safety: All must stand behind the line and observe the usual safety rules. 4. Number of players: Five targets with four people per team. 5. Scoring. At 40 yardsThe first team to get three in a row gets 15 points. At 30 yards-10 points. At 20 yards 5 points. The first team to get 90 points wins. 6. Rules One person from each team shoots at a time. Each person shoots only one arrow for each end; two ends are equal to one game. If all four archers on the team fail to get three in a low after shooting the two ends, they retrieve their arrows and begin again until one team gets three in a row. 7. Penalties:Failure to observe the rulesfive points subtracted from total score for a major offense; three points for a minor one. Major offenseShooting too many arrows or stepping over the line. Minor offenseAny other infractions of the rules.
Balloon Pop Created by Sally Buchanan, Sarah Gallagher, and Barbara Stolp 1. Equipment: Cloth to cover targets. Balloonsfour of each color, red, blue,nd yellow, for each target. 2. Position. Standing at the shooting line in correct position, and at a 20-yard range. 3. Number of players: Four per target. 4. Scoring: One point for each broken balloon. 5. Penalties One point subtracted for each balloon missed andfor each balloon broken in the wrong row. NOVELTY EVENTS 123 6 Rules: Each participantshall shoot one arrow in her turn ateach horizontal row of balloons. Start at the top row. Object: To break all balloons of onecolor in one row using four arrows, one for each archer,then repeating for the next two rows.
Color Shoot Created by Jane Buckler
I. Equipinent One target for eachteam 2. Distances 20, 30, or 40 yards,depending on the experience of the archers. 3, Number of players: Five or sixplayers per team with an un- limited number of teams. 4. Position: Stand at shooting 'line incorrect position, 5. Rules and procedure: One personfrom each team shoots at a time, using all six arrows in herturn. The first person on each team shoots one arrow and goesto the target and scores this one will aim for that arrow.Then this archer, and all of her team, particular color. Each team may beaiming for a different color. If the first archer for a team should missthe target on her first shot, she shoots until she hits thetarget. The petticoat is considered a miss. Each miss, untilthe target is hit to establish anaiming color, scores as minus one point.Each hit in the aiming color counts color aimed for do not count,An two points. Hits not in the of the arrow which cuts twocolors counts as a hit if the higher two colors cut is the aimingcolor for that team. The individual scores on the team aretotaled to give the team score. When each team member has shot sixarrows and the score is totaled, the original first personbecomes the last, and the original second person becomes the newfirst archer. This first archer now shoots one arrow to establish the aimingcolor for her team. In case of a tie, the teamsinvolved will have their first archers establish an aiming color and shoottheir remaining five arrows. If a tie still existsafter the points are totaled, bothteams receive prizes. 6. Officials: A captain shouldbe appointed who will arrange the teams and the order of shooting.Her responsibility will also in- clude blowing the whistlefor the first archers to shoot and retrieve their first arrows, and toblow the whistle for each group of archers to shoot, and again toretrieve, their six arrows. SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES 124 Musical Arrows Created by Carol flottenstem and Rae Utz 1. Equipment: A record player, records, and a long heavy-duty, out- door extension cord will be needed. 2. Rules: All standard rules of safety should be followed. When the music starts, each archer shoots and continues to shoot until the music stops. At this time, the arrows are retrieved. The archer then moves to the next target. When the music starts, shooting continues. If all six arrows have been shot before the music stops, t`te archer steps back from the shooting line. 3. Target faces and scoring: #I Arrows which hit the reo count one point, all others, zero. #2 Arrows which touch any part of the animal count one point. #3Arrows which hit the white count one point, all others, zero. #4Arrows which hit the black count one point; all others, zero. #5Same as #2. #6Arrows which hit in the blue count one point; all others, zero. A scoresheet is needed for each archer which provides a space for her score at each target. Scoresheets travel with the archer A nonshooting scorer should be assigned to each target.
NOVELTY EVENTS 125 Archery Bingo
CAROL SWIM Bemidji State College Bemidji, Minnesota
Inthis indoor or outdoor novelty shoot, students shootsix arrows from a distance of 20 yards into the special target, trying to hit numbers to correspond with the numbers on the scorecards.
Rules The arrows must be shot into the scoring box to count, if they hit on a line no score is recorded. Only one arrow in each box will count unless a box is hit which has a choice of two numbers (see Figure 1). If one arrow lands in a box which has two numbers, eitherone or the other number may be used; but if two arrows land in a box which has two numbers, both numbers may be used.
B I 1 1 N G 0 20113 3 10 11 1723 1 7'T--- 9or 19 22 1 7 13 19 21
! -1 5 1 !12ior 11 f 8 1 2 6 re 1625 13 115 e or 22;or 242lor9 21 12 0 116 4 9 15 1824 I--T--- 2 I 14or 17 1723 231 5 8 12 20 2
Figure 1 Figure 2
Scoring
As arrows are removed from the target, the correspondingnum- ber is crossed off the scorecard. A game is won whenany row of 126 SELECTED ARCHERY ARTICLES numbers is crossed off. The row may be horizontal on the scorecard, orit may be a vertical low extending down the scorecard, or a diagonal one across the scorecard. If the archers are trying to "black out" the card, all numbers must be crossed off.
Equipment Targets. The special target can be constructed of regular br,wn wrapping paper 36 inches x 50 inches, marked off in various sized squares with numbers inserted in each square. (The wrapping paper was found to be very durable when the arrows were removed care- f Ily.) The numbers may be put on with crayon, paint, or a marking pen, and are arranged so that no numbers in a line on the cards are grouped on the target. When shooting outdoors, the special bingo target face may be round and made to correspond with the size of the official target (four feet in diameter). When shooting indoors, a square target may be made (see Figure I) and should be placed on the butt or straw backstop so that there is ample room on the backstop to catch arrows which miss the outside numbers. The square target face may be pinned or stitched on the straw backstop. Scorecard: A ditto or stencil can be made to hold four bingo cards (41/2 inches x 51/2 inches each): each of the four cards will have a different sequence of numbers Just as traditional bingo cards are different from each other. Figure 2 shows one of the four score- cards, while Figure 3 shows a different sequence, After the ditto is NAME- DATE ROUND_ _ ---7 Poets Scored Per Arrowletsscore _BilIN G 0 1 11 ...--4.-1 7 19 21 310 13 17 23 2 1 -9 F 24 20 Figure 3 4 6 ,-- 10n a complete regular scarr.:.ia I 5 8;12118 1168 :25-r-r-1- faur sequences and a line for tatals are included.)
131 I t1 6 o' -1---- 3 6 12 20 25 r 2 811 17 22 _ 1 7 LF 16 24__ 4 1 9 13 18 23. _ 5 [10,14 9 1 -,--- .6.....--...... -...-,,^L...... 1 ARCHERY BINGO 127