ARCHERY

WHAT IS ARCHERY?

- Archery is the practice or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows. It is the art of propelling
arrows with the use of a bow. The word comes from the Latin arcus meaning ‘bow’ or
‘arch’.

HISTORY OF ARCHERY

- Archery is one of the oldest arts still practised. Historically, archery has been used for
hunting and combat and was invented in the late Palaeolithic or early Mesolithic periods.
The oldest signs of archery’s use in Europe date from around 10,000BC, while in Asia
and the Middle East evidence suggests archery originated even earlier. In modern times,
it is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity.

- Although archery probably dates to the Stone Age (around 20,000 BC), the earliest
people known to have used bows and arrows were the ancient Egyptians, who adopted
archery at least 5,000 years ago for purposes of hunting and warfare.

OBJECTIVES

- Competitive archery – that is, archery that involves archers aiming arrows at a target –
has various forms, but all have the same aim: to shoot your arrows as close to the centre
of the target as possible.

- In the Olympics competitors aim at a target from a distance of 70 metres, and rounds
include a ranking round where the overall scores determine the athletes’ rankings priors
to a head to head elimination format.

EQUIPMENT

- Bow

- Arrow ( arrow shaft should not exceed 9.3mm and the diameter of the tips should not
exceed 9.4mm)
 - Protective Equipment

 Finger protection

 Chest protectors

 Arm guards

- The target used in Olympic archery events measure 122cm in diameter – but all contain
10 concentric rings which represent the different scoring sectors.

• The outermost two rings are white, three and four are black, five and six are blue,
seven and eight are red and nine and ten – the innermost rings – are gold. The
tenth ring also has an inner ring (known as “inner 10” or “X ring”) which is
sometimes used to decide ties.

HOW TO SHOOT

1.) Stance
Stance prior to shooting the bow: Stand upright with feet shoulder width apart, and feet at 90
degrees to the target.
 2.) Grip - Keep a relaxed grip on the handle.

3.) Place The Arrow On The Bow

Turn the bow so that it is horizontal and the arrow rest is facing upwards. Place the arrow on the
shelf of the arrow rest. Push the nock of the arrow onto the string between the two brass
nocking points, ensuring that the cock fletch is pointing upward. Bring the bow back to vertical.
 4.) Finger Position

Position the fingers on the string with the index finger above the arrow and two fingers below.
The string should sit in the last crease of your fingers (nearest to your fingertips)

5.) Draw

Do not grip the arrow with your fingers. Pull back the string using your back muscles. Pull back
the string so that the index finger of the pulling hand is under the chin, and the string touches
your nose and lips.
 6.) Aiming

Using your dominant eye, look down the arrow and align it with the target. Don’t overthink the
aiming. The harder you try, the more elusive your target becomes.

7.) Release

Relax your grip on the string and allow your fingers to slip backward. After shooting,
maintain your body position.
SCORING

- Scoring in archery is very simple: you just add up the number of points based on where
your arrows hit the target. The highest score for a single arrow is 10 for hitting the inner
gold ring, while the least (for hitting the outer white ring) is one point. Arrows missing the
target altogether do not score at all.

- In Olympic competition athletes must shoot 72 arrows in 12 phases, with the overall
cumulative score deciding their ranking. They then go into a head to head knockout
competition where they must simply score more than their opponent. Tournaments vary
in format and the number of arrows competitors must shoot and the distance to the
target.

INJURIES

- The drawing arm is particularly vulnerable to overuse injuries. This can be caused by
training too much, often combined with not enough rest and recovery time. Shoulder,
finger and hand injuries are also frequently reported.

- In the shoulder, the rotator cuff muscles are most susceptible to injury. Together, these
four muscles stabilize the shoulder joint and shoulder blade. When the arm is held above
the head or behind the back impingement may result. Repetitive activity in this position
can lead to irritation of these muscles, causing pain.

- An archer´s neck, chest and back are also vulnerable to injuries and pain.