SQUARE PEGS AND ROUND HOLES

Why Traditional Archers Often Don't Fit In

This is not the first time I have noted a certain divide twixt modern and traditional archery, and it probably won't be the last. On this occasion, however, I want to focus more strongly on the difference between the skills and purposes of these forms of archery. Moreover, and with this in mind, I will suggest that clubs, tournaments, targets and most of what is deemed the norm today are not appropriate for traditional archery.

Let us begin with the original purposes and skills of traditional archers. The two primary purposes were hunting and warfare. While accuracy was necessary for both, archers were never aiming for small spots as we do in modern archery. Strength as well as proper form were required of trained war archers, as was "rate of fire". Of course, one may argue that strength and speed are not necessary for the modern sport or for archery as a form of recreation. But in the same sense one can argue that there is no need for pinpoint accuracy either. The only reason there is a need for it is because we have come up with rules and a scoring system for the game of archery. Since hitting a small spot and accumulating points on a target face are the foundation of archery as a sport, equipment has been developed to enable archers to execute their shots with greater accuracy. These enhancements and modifications are not part of traditional shooting.

Target practice is nothing new. War archers throughout the ages have trained through target practice, but the goal was a little different. For example, in Saracen Archery, we read how archers would train to loose three arrows in quick succession to hit a target 3 feet in diameter in size 75 yards away. While this is by no means an easy feat, attempting to hit a target 3 feet in diameter is not the same as trying to hit a bullseye. 

We read also in Arab Archery that war archers would train by practising something called 'The Imitation Horseman'. The targets involved were discs the size of a shield and the size of a helmet, as these are what the archers were training to hit on the battlefield. Again, not easy to accomplish at long range, but still not the same as trying to hit a bullseye on a modern target face.

It is true that there are different categories for different forms of archery in many tournaments and competitions today, but all the same, the skills of traditional archery are not fully considered. I wonder whether target faces and scoring should be very different for traditional archery, while speed should perhaps also be taken into consideration. I think this would be a fairer way of measuring a traditional archer's skill, while also being honest about what accuracy and effectiveness really meant in archery before it became an Olympic sport. 

TRIPLE SHOT

"What is said of Menelaus is worthy of being related. He could take three arrows at once, and with one shot hit three men, by which manner of shooting he killed a great number of the enemy, and was himself almost the cause of their flight."

(Zosimus, Historia Nova)

FULL DRAW IN THE WAY OF ARCHERY

A problem for many archers - particularly those who practice traditional styles - is that once we have learned the basics, we do not have continued coaching to help us maintain and master good form and get rid of bad habits early on. I have been fortunate that other more experienced archers at clubs and field shoots now and then have given me invaluable advice. A more surprising source of help, however, has come from reading texts, and in particular a translation of a 17th century Chinese military manual: The Way of Archery.

While I am interested in and practice both Eastern and Western styles of shooting, this text is written in the context of Chinese archery, and so archers who practice different styles should bear this in mind, particularly when it comes to things like gripping the bow and loosing the arrow with the thumb draw. Other things are relevant to all archers.

One section of the text in particular has helped me address a couple of problems I have had with my archery. The first is the conspicuous movement of my bow arm on release whenever pulling around 30 ibs or more. The other is inconsistency in the power of my shots even when my form and release appear to be consistent.

Enter The Way of Archery and a passage on the meaning of full draw. I had not considered until I read this text that both problems I was having were related to proper joint alignment and the pre-draw. I could always "feel" when my shots were right in terms of power and alignment, but could not fathom exactly what was right about them until I read this:

"There is only one true path to reaching full draw, but a lot of people are not aware of it. Some people can reach full draw by chance. But because they do not understand how they were able to achieve it, they are not able to maintain it. After practicing a while, the problem of misaligning their joints creeps in. At first the problems are not severe because their joints are occasionally aligned. But then over time, their muscles get strained, and the joints that were almost aligned eventually become completely misaligned. In the end they cannot reach full draw at all! 

What is the right way to reach full draw? The basis of reaching full draw rests entirely in the bow shoulder settling down and rotating clockwise [for the right-handed archer]. Once the bow shoulder settles down, the bow-side and draw-side arms and the draw-side shoulder lift together and assume proper alignment with respect to the bow shoulder. The draw-side elbow bends all the way and points towards your back. You feel your back exerting most of the effort and your joints have reached their limit. You can hold the draw without moving. The arrowhead has a little room until it reaches the handle. This is what you can call full draw.

Nowadays, people do not know how to reach full draw. They rely entirely on muscle strength to draw the bow and think that it is enough for the arrowhead to reach the handle to call it full draw. They do not account for joint alignment at all. However, within a given day a person's strength will change. From morning to night, your strength diminishes gradually. If you rely exclusively on strength and try to measure your full draw length, then you would be able to reach full draw in the morning but fail to reach full draw by the end of the day! With multiple draw lengths, the distances which you are able to shoot will change accordingly. How can you achieve consistency? Only when your joints are at their limit can you consider it full draw. That is why people with long arms should use long arrows, and people with short arms should use short arrows. Strong people should use heavier bows, and weak people should use lighter bows. In all cases, the arrowheads of these properly-sized arrows will reach the bow handle, and only then will they be able to draw to a consistent length."

In addition to the original text, which goes into much more detail about this and other aspects of archery, this particular volume (by Jie Tian and Justin Ma, published by Schiffer), includes modern photographs to demonstrate technique plus notes and annotations by the translators and editors which are very useful. On page 26 and 27, for example, we have four images demonstrating the process from pre-draw to full draw, and the following explanation:

1. Start with the bow and arrow pointed to the ground and draw-side shoulder hunched.

2. Draw the string back as you lift your bow arm, making sure the bow shoulder blade is settled down the whole time.

3. Use your back and shoulders to push down your arms to reach the end of the draw.

4. Now you are at full draw and ready to release.

I acquired a copy of 'The Way of Archery: A 1637 Chinese Military Training Manual' because I am interested in historical archery and old books and ancient manuscripts on the subject. What these authors have done, however, is taken an old Chinese text (the original Chinese is included in the margins) which is already useful in itself, and added modern photographs and annotations so that it can be used as an instruction manual for modern bowmen, particularly those who practice Eastern styles. I can not recommend it highly enough.

BYZANTINE ARCHERY

Think of horseback archers, and likely what come to mind are the Huns, the Ottomans, the Scythians, the Parthians, the Persians, the Avars. Few are aware that remarkably skilled horseback archers were just as vital to the success of the military campaigns of the Byzantines. 

It was largely the excellence of the Byzantine Empire's military organization and the martial abilities of its cavalry and bowmen that enabled it to withstand assaults from Persians, Avars, Franks, Slavs, Arabs and many others for more than 500 years between the 6th and 11th centuries.

This excellence was due largely to reforms of the emperor Mavrikios (582-602) codified in an outstanding military manual, the Strategikon, which remained considerably unadulterated for the next 500 years. Well before the Strategikon was written, when the Byzantines were fighting the Goths in Italy in the mid-sixth century, they were already doing so with the tactical edge of mounted archery. An eyewitness, Prokopios, described the skill of the Byzantine horseback archers as follows:

"They are expert horsemen, and are able without difficulty to direct their bows to either side while riding at full speed, and to shoot an opponent whether in pursuit or in flight [the rearward “Parthian shot”]. They draw the bowstring along by the forehead about opposite the right ear, thereby charging the arrow with such impetus as to kill whoever stands in the way, shield and corselet alike having no power to check its force."

The Strategikon depicts an army radically different in structure from the classic Roman model, most obviously because of a fundamental shift from infantry to cavalry as the primary combat arm. The primary type of soldier was neither an infantryman nor a cavalryman but rather both, and a bowman first of all. He required training in both foot and mounted archery with powerful bows, in using the lance for thrusting and stabbing while mounted — with unit training for the charge — and in wielding the sword in close combat. 

Few historical sources give so much detail regarding the training of troops as does the Strategikon, which provides us with specifics of the practice required for these lancer-archers. We read, for example, that the archer was to practice quickly alternating from shooting one or two arrows, to pulling out the spear from its back strap, to replacing the spear, to taking out the bow again:

"On horseback at a run (gallop) he should fire one or two arrows rapidly and put the strung bow in its case, if it is wide enough, or in a half-case designed for the purpose, and then he should grab the lance which he has been carrying on his back. With the strung bow in its case, he should hold the lance in his hand, then quickly replace it on his back, and grab the bow. It is a good idea for the soldiers to practice all this while mounted."

"He should also shoot rapidly mounted on his horse at a run [galloping], to the front, the rear, the right, the left.”

"They should be trained in rapid shooting with a bow... in either the Roman or the Persian manner. They should be trained in shooting rapidly while carrying a shield, in throwing the small javelin a long distance, in using the sling, and in jumping and running."

While it is clear that these special tagmata of mounted archers were trained in the sword and shield, the lance and the sling, the primary weapon was the composite reflex bow, the most powerful personal weapon of antiquity. The composite reflex bow was effective because it accumulated much energy but was equally resistant, so it was a good idea to choose a bow whose string could be pulled back quickly and confidently even on the fortieth arrow, and not just the first. Hence the injunction to use “Bows suited to the strength of each man, and not above it, more in fact on the weaker side.”

Weaker archers with weaker bows could compensate for lack of power with technique:

"We bend the bow toward the ear, sometimes to the neck, and sometimes we draw the bowstring to the breast. Drawing the bowstring back to the ear makes for the most powerful shot".

Power was not everything. Three things were deemed of equal importance in Byzantine archery: accuracy, power and speed:

"In archery we have three goals: to shoot accurately, to shoot powerfully, and to shoot rapidly".

None of these characteristics should be emphasized at the expense of another. What use is rapid shooting without accuracy against moving targets? What benefit is there in an accurate shot that lacks the power to pierce the heavy armour of the enemy? 

The success of the Byzantine archers, no less than the Huns, was their ability to execute powerful shots with precision and speed:

"He should be trained to shoot [the bow] rapidly on foot, either in the Roman [thumb and forefinger] or the Persian [three middle finger] manner. Speed is important in shaking the arrow loose [from the quiver] and discharging it with force. This is essential and should also be practiced while mounted. In fact, even when the arrow is well aimed, firing slowly is useless."

I am not altogether certain of the exact draw method of the Roman and Persian techniques mentioned here and further above. A similar but slightly earlier text on Byzantine archery, written around the early 6th century, may shed some light on the matter: 

"Some archers draw the bowstring with the three middle fingers..."

This sounds much like the Mediterranean draw most Western archers today are familiar with, but it seems to match the above reference to the Persian draw.

"...others with only two. Of those who use two, some will press the thumb upon the index finger..."

This is a technique I had previously never heard of, but the archer, Alexander Stover, has produced an interesting video on the subject, which you can view here.

"...and others just the opposite..."

Just the opposite from the thumb upon the index finger would be the index finger upon the thumb, which sounds just like the thumb draw used by Eastern archers, and which also seems to match the above reference to the Roman draw.

..."The last draws the bowstring back further and fires the arrow with greater force." 

"Each man should practice each one of these methods, so that when the fingers that he has been using become tired from the continual tension, he may use the others".

All the evidence suggests that these lancer-archers of early medieval Byzantium were truly remarkable and versatile bowmen who were used to great effect in a variety of situations in Byzantine warfare. Yet by the late 9th century, East Roman archery was in decline, giving the emperor Leo VI cause to complain in his Taktika (a revised version of Mavrikios' Strategikon) that the Byzantine archers were a shambles, compelling the East Roman army to hire "barbarian" (non-Roman) archers to fight for the Byzantines. 

Perhaps this is why 'Byzantium' is not the first thing to enter our heads when we think of the notable horseback archers of antiquity.

SARACEN ARCHERY AND SPEED SHOOTING

I have been reading Saracen Archery, which is freely available as a PDF here. I was led to this by Lars Andersen's viral Youtube video on the subject of speed shooting.

I became interested in finding evidence of speed shooting in the past and its application in military warfare. With the fad in speed shooting engendered by Lars Andersen's video, I became intrigued by the concept, particularly given my doubts regarding Andersen's historical claims. Indeed, some things said in the narration of the video are false, and are proven to be so by the very historical texts he cites (Arab Archery and Saracen Archery). 

For example, how he could say that target archery was unknown in the past and that the back quiver is a Hollywood myth when both are mentioned in those texts is beyond me. 

But I was also curious to know whether the impressive speed shooting which Andersen demonstrates so accurately was possible with bows which ancient archers would have used for warfare. It is clear from both archaeological and literary sources that war archers of East and West would shoot bows with draw weights of 100 - 150 ibs. Is it really possible to shoot 3 arrows in less than 2 seconds with a bow requiring such strength and still consistently hit one's target? 

Enter Saracen Archery, and two passages (from pages 141 and 142 in the text linked above) which describe both the speed at which the average Saracen war archer was expected to shoot (3 arrows in 1.5 seconds) and the practice of getting a good grouping from 75 yards (the desired diameter of the grouping was 3 feet). 

The poundage of the bow and the flight speed of the arrows are not mentioned. I only know from my own experience that arrows shot at a target 80 yards away with a 30 ib bow take about 3 seconds to land in the desired spot. If we put the following two passages regarding grouping and speed together, it is possible to conclude - though with no certainty - that Saracen archers would shoot 3 arrows before the first arrow even landed, and they no doubt did so with bows weighing over 100 ibs!

In the literature and legends of many countries there are stories of almost incredible shots achieved by archers, and in modern times some remarkable shots have indeed been made. Such feats, however, may be regarded as isolated cases representing the perfect shot out of many thousands made. In our text, on the other hand, we have a rare and important guide to the standard of accuracy expected of every archer. He is required to group his arrows within a circle roughly 3 feet in diameter at 75 yards. The ability to do this with wooden shafts and without the aid of a sighting device such as can be fitted to a bow by the modern archer demands a very high standard of accuracy and bespeaks a well-trained and experienced bowman. It is nevertheless within the reach of anyone who will practise with diligence. 

In terms intelligible to the modern reader the standard of rapidity the author sets for the archer is the ability to discharge 3 arrows in about 1/5 seconds. This is a fast time and one's first reaction is surprise that such a high standard, which few, if any, Western bowmen of today could attain, should be expected of the general run of Mameluke archers. It is nevertheless an attainable standard as is evident from the achievement in modern times of Saxton Pope who did succeed on a number of occasions in shooting 7 arrows in 8 seconds (Elmer, Target Archery, pp. 428-30). Accuracy naturally diminishes with increased speed, and field trials suggest that it is difficult to exceed 8 well-aimed shots per minute. Nevertheless, it cannot be doubted that Muslim archers could shoot at high speed and, given a large enough target, hit with all shots. During the Second Crusade William of Tyre, who must have been conversant with the performance of his own bowmen, remarked more than once on the dexterity of the enemy archer, 'The Saracen cavalry... began to shoot thicker and faster than one could believe possible' is a fairly typical comment of the period (Smail, Crusading Warfare, pp. 76-77 and nn. 8, 9). In contemporary military science the rate of projection of missiles, when multiplied by their weight or explosive force, gives what is termed 'fire-power'. If we may be excused an anachronistic and, in the context an admittedly incongruous, use of words for a nevertheless legitimate purpose, the fire-power of a crossbow shooting 2 x 800 gr. missiles per min. would be 1,600 gr. per min. and might be compared with that of a hand bow shooting 8 x 400 gr., or 3,200 gr., per min. Fire-power combined with mobility is a point upon which modern military teaching lays great stress, and it is this combination that undoubtedly contributed to the effectiveness of Muslim horse-archers in their heyday. That 3 arrows could in fact be regularly shot in about 1.5 seconds we do not question; we only regret that we are not told exactly how the arrows should be held in order to shoot with such elacrity.

THE ADVANTAGE OF FEATHER FLETCHINGS

When I first took up archery, I was taught that the cock feather should always face away from the riser, or else the bow would deflect the arrow slightly and possibly tear off the plastic vane. What I was not told, until a year later by another archery instructor, is that when using arrows with feather fletchings, this is not an issue, since the malleable nature of feathers means that they do not cause deflection when the arrow passes the bow, unlike plastic vanes. 

A few weeks later, when I considered attempting speed shooting but found that taking care to have the cock feather correctly placed slowed down the process too much, I put this theory to the test. What I was told about feather fletchings proved true: it made no difference which way the cock feather faced, since there was no notable deflection. 

With this in mind, I am going to start working on blind nocking. That is to say, nocking the arrow without looking at it, but getting the arrow in place by feel alone, while looking ahead at the target at all times. This is, of course, how horseback archers would have to nock arrows. While it is not necessary in any other instance, it may well be helpful for speed shooting. A pointless activity speed shooting may be, but it might be fun nonetheless. 

REVISITING THE THUMB DRAW

Japanese and Korean archers release the bow string with the thumb, while the arrow is placed on the outside of the bow. To keep the arrow from flying off to one side (due to the way the arrow flexes on the string's release), the archer twists the wrist of the bow arm away from his body. Here is my first attempt at practicing this method, which to my amazement, immediately yielded positive results.

FIELD ARCHERY

Field archery is so challenging, and yet so relaxing. Challenging because you are always adjusting to different distances and footing. There is no possibility of getting into a routine shooting from the same spot to get a tight grouping: you have one shot at each target or distance.

Relaxing because you are not only doing archery, but taking a peaceful stroll through the woods at the same time.

Beautiful!

AN ANCIENT METHOD OF AIMING

Shooting "barebow" (no sights, stabilizers, clickers or other artificial gadgets) makes accuracy and consistency harder to achieve, particularly in field archery when one has to adjust to different distances and footing. 

But there are methods more natural than modern mechanisms to help the archer adjust to divers distances, such as the gap method (having a gap or distance between the spot and the tip of the arrow for a given distance), string walking (adjusting the position of the hand on the string according to the distance) and face walking (altering one's anchor point depending on the length of the shot). Depending on the category of field archery one is taking part in and the relevant rules and prohibitions, some archers use markings on their bow or string as indicators of aim and elevation according to the distance of the target. However, in some categories, such indicators are forbidden.

Enter the old manuscript, Arab Archery, and a method of working out a point of aim that would no more disqualify a traditional archer for cheating than the gap, string walking and face walking methods. It suggests using the knuckles or fingers of the bow arm as indicators:

[Look] at the target with the left eye in relation to the knuckles of the left hand. In the case of a short range the archer should look at the target from above the third knuckle of the index finger of his left hand. If the arrow then falls short because of the lightness of the bow or the heaviness of the arrow or the weakness of the archer himself, he should raise the third knuckle of his index finger into alignment with the target- If the range be long and the bow strong, he should aim at the target in the same manner as prescribed for the short range. If the arrow then falls short because of its weight or because of the weakness of the archer or because of the long range, he should align the third knuckle of his index finger with the target- If the arrow should again fall short, he should raise his left hand a little and look at the target from between the two knuckles at the base of the index finger and middle finger. If the arrow once more falls short, he should raise his left hand a little more and look at the target from the point bisecting the knuckle at the base of his middle finger. If the arrow should again fall short, let him look at the target from between the two knuckles at the base of his middle finger and ring finger- If the arrow should still fall short, he should raise his left hand a little more and look at the target from between the two knuckles at the base of the ring finger and the little finger. If the arrow should even yet fall short, he should raise his left hand further and look at the target from his forearm. If the arrow should exceed the mark, he should bring his left hand downward little by little, just as we have described in the case of raising it.

It has also been said that the archer may fix his aim by means of the fingers of his left hand by pointing the arrowhead at the center of the target. If the arrow should then fall short, he should raise his hand and align the index finger with the top of the target. If the arrow should again fall short, he should align the middle finger with the top of the target. If the arrow should still fall short, he should align the ring finger with the top of the target. If the arrow should again fall short, let him align the little finger with the top of the target. Finally, if the arrow should even yet fall short, he should align his forearm with the top of the target. If the arrow should exceed the mark, he must bring his left hand downward little by little, just as we have described in the case of raising it.

While I have yet to put this method to the test, it appears to be just as sound as the other natural methods of adjusting one's aim. And the beauty of this one - particularly the knuckle version - is that most people will not even know you are using any method at all!

CANTING THE BOW

There are some things I was taught when I took up archery which hold true for all styles of archery, but others are taught with only modern archery in mind. Alas, traditional archery is something I have had to teach myself, with only what I learned in clubs and from other archers as guides, as well as my own experience. One aspect of modern form which did not lend itself so well to traditional archery is the upright angle of the bow and the grip of the bow hand.

When I took up traditional archery, with bows sporting quite a different design to modern recurves, I discovered problems with my form which I struggled with and still struggle to amend. My main quibble is my bow arm jerking when I release the string. While a loose grip with a modern recurve bow - designed to sit comfortably in the palm of the hand - facilitates such a grip without dropping the bow, a traditional bow (such as a horse bow or longbow) or a field bow with a flat grip (such as my favoured KG Osprey) does not lend itself so well to conventional methods.

Canting the bow is useful when shooting a weapon without a shelf, as it prevents the arrow slipping while pulling the string, but I have found it useful also for maintaining a loose grip. Canting the bow allows the bow to rest upon the thumb, with the forefinger wrapped around the bow to hold it in position. This method facilitates a looser grip without tension in the arm forcing it to move upon release of the string.

If you shoot a bow with a flat grip and you struggle to keep your bow arm still when releasing the arrow, I would recommend canting the bow to allow for less tension in your bow arm. Adjusting the bow this way does effect the flight of the arrow, but one need only to practice and learn to cant it at the same angle every time to acquire consistency.

THE OPPOSING TARGETS

I have attempted to recreate an ancient method of archery practice, based on a text from the manuscript, 'Arab Archery'. 

This is the first step towards mastering shooting from all directions on horseback. It begins on foot, shooting at targets ahead, behind and either side of you without moving your legs. From there the archer moves on to shooting on horseback while stationary, then while galloping, and finally while charging.

Just this first stage was remarkably difficult, even at this short distance (ten yards) particularly when shooting to the right. I would surmise that the anchor point would have been the breast, as it seems impossible to use the face as an anchor point when shooting to the right without moving one's legs. Shooting ahead was also difficult. Surprisingly, shooting behind was not has hard as I imagined.

The greatest difficulty I encountered was shooting with a thumb ring with my arrows in the draw hand (as the text suggests). Shooting with arrows in the bow hand was considerably easier.

A WEAPON OF PEACE

A short video I made inspired by a couple of short texts I love on how archery has happily gone from an art of war to an art of peace.

SHOOTING WITH A THUMB RING

Another bit of footage of me shooting my 25 ib Hungarian bow...

...this time with a thumb ring.

AN INTRODUCTION TO ARCHERY

The following is a compilation of selected passages from the book 

"Bows and Arrows"

How they are Best Made for all Kinds of Target Shooting. 

Including Chapters on Shooting, Accessories and Competitions

By James Duff, 1927.

As I was reading through the book, available from the online Archery Library, I found the material regarding techniques interspersed with passages about stringing the bow and necessary accessories for the archer. I therefore decided to take all the passages relevant to technique and put them together, adding headings of my own for the sake of clarity.

* * *

INTRODUCTION: FIND YOUR OWN STYLE

JUST as it is out of the question to lay down hard and fast rules for the archer to follow in making bows and arrows, so is it impractical to set rules to be followed implicitly in order to shoot correctly. Just as trees do not grow alike, so do people differ from each other. And although the majority of writers on the art of shooting with bow and arrow do give specific rules to follow, I believe the exceptions are so numerous that a better way for the beginner is not to depend too much upon such instructions. Each archer is bound to develop a certain amount of his own natural form. To work against this in an endeavor to faithfully follow the instructions that some writer gives, is to handicap instead of to help progress. Far better it should be for the beginner to read carefully what experienced archers have found from long study and practice, and then apply this information as best possible in acquiring some proficiency. If some good archers can be observed in action, so much the better. It is a fact that an archer can learn more from one day spent at a national archery tournament, watching other archers, than from reading all the books ever written. But even in watching others the beginner should not permit himself to become a blind imitator.

The beginner's physique may not be like that of any one of the experienced archers whom he admires. Naturally, therefore, he cannot hope to learn to shoot in precisely the same manner. He is bound to develop his own style to some extent, and he should not discourage himself in this. In the long run his own style may turn out to be one of the best assets he has as an archer.

In this connection, let it be remarked here that among expert archers whose ability is about the same, some will be found shooting in one way peculiar to them, others in different ways. 

Drawing each arrow the same, having established a permanent or perpetual method in shooting, and practice having improved the loose, attention to the point of aim becomes uppermost. And now here is where archers are prone to differ from each other. In shooting, each arrow describes an arc in its journey from the bow to where it falls. The trajectory is the height of the curve of the arrow above a direct line from the shooter's eye to the target. This is determined by two things; first, the cast of the bow; secondly, the loose of the shooter. The same bow and arrow may be used by two equally good shooters, and yet it will be noticed that one will put a higher curve on his arrow than the other will. Assuming that they both hit the mark, one may shoot the arrow on a curve which will be fifteen feet above a direct line at the apex of its flight, where the other shooter will send his arrow on what apparently is almost a perfectly flat flight.

With this introduction, let us get to the actual shooting.

STANCE

First, how to stand. The generally accepted position is facing nearly at a right angle to the target; that is, with the left shoulder pointing at the target. Thus when the bow arm is extended it points nearly straight sideways, and right out level with the shoulder. Actually, the bow hand is held about a foot forward of a direct line across the shoulders of the shooter. Otherwise the position would be strained, especially the neck muscles. We are told that the great advantage of this position is, it minimizes the natural tendency to move the bow arm toward the left immediately upon releasing the string; this being quite a common fault not only in beginners but as well in experienced archers. The result of it is, more arrows pass along the left side of the target than get over on the target or to the right of it.

However, my observation has led me to believe that while this may be the best form it is not absolutely demanded, as sometimes the best archers take the poorest position in shooting, far from the spectacular position which this style of shooting tends to cultivate. Nevertheless, the beginner will do well to adopt this position. Certainly there is none better to recommend.

GRIPPING THE BOW AND NOCKING THE ARROW

Take the matter of holding the bow. Two great archers differ on this. One makes the statement that the archer should squeeze the handle as if he would crush it, and the other, a champion many times over, states that he holds the bow loosely in the hand with excellent results. Here again, you see, it is futile to lay down hard and fast rules for shooting. What answers perfectly for one man will not fill the bill for another. It is safe to say on this point, however, that an average grip that gives complete control of the bow at the moment of release is perhaps the best for the average shooter. Such a grip is used by the great majority of really good archers.

The proper position for the arrow to ride as it leaves the bow, is directly above the handle and not on the handle. The correct nocking place on the string is something to establish and use regularly. It is a good plan to add a little colored silk to the whipping on the string on each side of the nocking place. To locate this nocking place on the string, take a carpenter's square for a guide and, with the bow braced, place a mark on the string directly opposite the riding place of the arrow.

The odd feather on the shaft, or as we call it in archery, the cock feather, is always placed so that it will not touch the bow in passing. As previously remarked, this feather usually is of a distinctive color so as to be easily recognized. Where the feathers are all of the same color, as in peacock feathers, the cock feather is easily found by looking at the nock, being directly at a right angle to the direction of the notch.

ANCHOR POINT

If the beginner can refer to a number of pictures of prominent archers in shooting position, he will see that they all or nearly all draw their string hand just under the jaw and directly below the eye. This position—with the bow fully drawn—is known as the anchor. The beginner should make it a rule to adopt as soon as possible a certain anchor of his own. This should be regularly assumed for every shot. Only in this way can the beginner discover his errors and correct them. If a different anchor were assumed for each shot there would be no knowing what was wrong if no success was attained. But with the anchor being constantly the same the beginner soon learns to place his arrows by varying the point of aim and improving the loose. The loose, by the way, is the precise manner of letting go the bowstring in shooting.

The shooter should early find his own particular anchor, and use it regularly. I reiterate this purposely. Nothing is of greater importance to making progress than to get a fixed anchor and use it regularly. This simply means finding a place as near to directly under the eye as possible where the nock is to be drawn regularly. This in order to give a direct line between the nock of the arrow and the point of aim. This anchor should always be below rather than even with the chin. Practice will soon educate the shooter as to just where it should be.

Most pictures of archers of long ago show the arrow being drawn to the ear or thereabout, but it may be some artist took the liberty to set this style in pictures. It is bad form in archery to-day, for it tends to throw the arrow off the direction desired. Nevertheless, if accurate allowance can be made for the arrow being thrown to one side, there of course is no reason why good results should not be obtained by this method. Again, archers have been known to draw the arrow to the chest, in order to get elevation at the longer ranges. The only objection to this method is the draw is liable not to be always to the same precise point. There would be no harm, however, in having a mark of some sort there for the thumb to find.

AIMING

Some beginners in archery who are familiar with firearms have the desire to look along the shaft in shooting. This is impracticable of course, except at very close ranges. Something is to be said too against closing one eye in order to sight, in holding the point of the arrow on the point of aim. However there is no harm in it if the shooter insists and sees as well with one eye as with two. If he shoots better that way, who can object to it? We must take into consideration that the eyes of no two individuals are apt to be just alike, and we must remember that each archer will surely do best by what best suits his particular case. In shooting at a moving target, as in hunting, then both eyes open should be the better way as the shooter will have a wider range of vision, and perhaps a little clearer. But there seems to be very little sound objection to one-eyed shooting on the target range, except that closing one eye is needless.

Taking his stand before the target and placing the arrow in its proper position, the shaft to the left of the bow and resting on the knuckles of the left hand, and the nock in its proper position on the string, the archer is ready to draw.

Before doing so, it is advisable to take a look at the proposed point of aim. This in order to prevent a search for that valuable aid while holding the bow fully drawn. The point of aim, it must be remembered, very likely will not be the target itself. The beginner will find it a help to have some marker, such as a golf ball, to put on the ground between him and the target, for his point of aim. The placing of this guide will govern the length of the arrow's flight, all other things being perfect.

Perhaps it is well to add a few words of explanation on the point of aim. This, in effect, calls for shooting by the method which in artillery fire is known as indirect firing. Supposing an archer stands 60 yards from his target, he may place an aiming mark on the ground at a distance of 50 yards from him. This mark, of course, is directly in line with his target. In shooting, having nocked, swung his bow from horizontal to vertical and drawn up his arrow to the head he will slowly raise his bow hand until the point of the arrow reaches that mark which he has placed on the ground 10 yards short of the target. That will be the aim at which the arrow is loosed; the line of sight is directly from the shooter's eye across the point placed on the ground at 50 yards. Now, assuming that the arrow hand is always drawn to precisely the same anchor at the shooter's jaw, it will easily be understood that the distance shot will be regulated by the elevation of the bow hand. Therefore, it will pay the beginner to give early and close attention to the exact elevation given the bow hand; that is to say, he must acquire absolute regularity of elevation while continuing to shoot at the same mark for the same distance.

DRAWING AND RELEASING

Raising the bow arm, not with a rush nor yet too slowly, and adjusting the string hand to its proper anchor, and simultaneously turning the bow vertical, the archer sights the point of the arrow until it rests on the point of aim. Then the arrow is released, and if the shot has been well made, presumably goes to the mark. Here are the requisites for a well made shot:

1) the bow arm must not waver at the moment of delivery.

2) the loose must be a perfect one.

3) the point of aim must be in the correct place.

4) the arrow must be properly drawn.

In drawing the bow the archer takes the nock of the arrow between the index and second fingers, holding the nock lightly. The fingers must be bent sufficiently to enable drawing up the bow, but never should be hooked too much. The third finger is commonly used to help in, drawing up the bow, but there is some objection to its use among the skilled archers, the reason for which has been given previously.

The release as ordinarily used is simplicity itself, but the perfect release is an art to be acquired. There are two methods known as the slip loose and the snap loose. The latter is accomplished by drawing the arm back somewhat smartly as the fingers are loosed, thus in a manner giving a snap to the release. The slip loose is accomplished by opening the fingers, and is the easiest of the two to acquire. Each archer will have to determine for himself which is the easier to accomplish and which produces the best results as far as he is concerned. To simply open the hand, or rather extend the fingers sufficiently to allow the string to slip off the fingers, is claimed to be slow. To snap the fingers off without taking the hand away from the anchor is claimed to be much the better method, and especially makes for a decidedly lower point of aim. The latter, by the way, is something which the average archer is always in search of, particularly when shooting at the longer ranges.

The beginner will have to practice a great deal to become proficient in making the release, or loose, as nearly the same as the last one as possible. He will do well to use three fingers for drawing the bow, even though most archers feel that the third is somewhat in the way at times, as it seems to take the greater part of the load in drawing the bow up.

With these the archer will have attended to the principal points that go to make good shooting; but he will not by any means have approached any of the refinements requiring attention if he has championship ambitions.

COMMON PROBLEMS FOR BEGINNERS

Shooting to the left is a sore fault with many a beginner, and with some oldtimers too. The old hand, however, has the advantage of knowing what is wrong and how to get out of the trouble. The beginner is not so well off.

An experienced archer can detect the trouble by watching the shooter in action. He may try the arrows, and find them weak in spine. The only remedy for that is for the shooter to make the necessary allowance to compensate the throwoff. Or he may detect the shooter in some error.

Throwing the left hand as the arrow is released, which also causes shooting to the left, is common in beginners. It can be permanently cured by concentration and careful practice.-Yet I have often watched archers shooting at a mark placed several feet to the right of the target rather than go to the trouble to cure themselves of a bad habit. No good archer will ever advise such a lame expedient.

Drawing the right hand away from the anchor position simultaneously with the loose likewise results in shooting to the left. The hand should not leave the face during the release, nor immediately afterward.

The right arm should be held horizontal not only when the string is drawn but it should be kept right there until the arrow has sped beyond the bow. To drop the arm will probably put the arrow over the target, while to advance the arm may cut down the flight to half the distance.

Pinching the arrow is a habit at times acquired for no apparent reason. It shows up promptly enough in the trouble the shooter has in holding his arrow in position against the side of the bow. The habit is not easy to overcome; except that if much shooting is done it some-times results in a corn between the fingers just at the side of the nail which becomes rather painful and is about as good a cure as any. A pinched arrow means a bad shot in most cases.

SMALL TARGET PRACTICE

I have been working on improving my accuracy at short distances. In particular, I am trying to become accustomed to the subtle differences in movement when moving from one target to the next, which is quite necessary in field archery. Below are a couple of very short videos I made for fun from filming today's practice shoot.

I am using the KG Osprey Field Bow and wooden arrows. Links to both of these are in the description of the first video

Trying to hit the centre of each target:

Grouping on one target:

THE BRITISH ARCHER

Passages from The British Archer or, Tracts on Archery by Thomas Hastings (1831)

The first passage concerns target practice, and it confirms my own experience that trying to move to longer distances before one is consistently excellent at short distance is a pointless exercise. The second passage concerns both the importance of having the right frame of mind for accurate shooting, and the method of achieving the correct distance and straightness for the arrow's flight.

OF SHOOTING AT MARKS

The archer may proceed to shoot at marks, after he has attained a thorough command over his bow, viz. in bracing and unbracing it, and in the five points of archery just treated on. The shorter the distance, (say from about ten to fifteen yards, which agrees with the Persian method already noticed,) the better for the young archer to commence his practice, and at which, he may in a short time become so expert, as to hit the smallest mark. Nothing is so likely to prevent a person from becoming an expert archer, as by commencing the practice of shooting at very distant marks.—The bow-arm, and the eye, must in the beginning of the practice of the bow naturally want that steadiness and experience, which can be acquired only by first shooting at short distances.—Without sufficient practice and experience, long shooting, can be called nothing else, but random shooting. A command over the bow, can be obtained only, by degrees and steady attention. As the young archer finds his improvement, he will be better enabled to increase his lengths to thirty and to sixty yards, which latter has been said to be the key, to all distances within range of the bow. In practising at marks placed at distances from thirty to fifty and sixty, and upwards to one hundred yards, the young archer should always bear in mind, that the best shooting is always the most graceful, because, that which is most graceful is the most perfect; and that it is not enough for him, to be able to hit the mark, but, that his hitting should be attended with the utmost steadiness of flight in his arrows. Great advantage may be gained, by practising at the same time at different distances within one hundred yards, which will accustom the archer to various addresses, or degrees of elevation of the bow, necessary for the destined mark. By thus varying the distances, a much greater confidence is acquired in the art of shooting than could ever be attained by keeping to one fixed length. At private, or at public meetings, it is the usual practice to shoot at targets ; and the distances commonly adapted, are, for the ladies, fifty or sixty yards, and for the gentlemen one hundred yards.

OF TAKING AIM, AND SHOOTING STRAIGHT, AND KEEPING A LENGTH

"No instrument can be more affected by the animal spirits, than the bow." Coolness, attention, and confidence, should ever be present with the archer ; for without these requisites, he cannot expect to attain to any great degree of excellence in his art. Possessed of these, he can take a proper, steady aim; without them, he cannot. At the moment of taking aim, much judgement is required, for the care that is necessary to insure " the keeping the length," is different from that which directs the arrow straight. The first is by the draft and elevation of the bow; the latter is by the eye and mind acting together upon the object of the aim. It should be remembered, that however an archer may find it expedient to give elevation, or otherwise, at the moment of taking aim, (in which he will naturally be directed according to the distance of the mark and strength of his bow,) he should ever accustom himself to keep his eye constantly fixed on the object aimed at. This is indispensably necessary to straight shooting. Ascham particularly insists on this point; he says however, " some, and those very good archers, in drawinge, loke at the marke, untill they come almost to the heade, then they looke at theyr shafte, but at the very lowse, with a second sight, they finde theyr marke againe. This waye, and all other afore of ane rehersed, are but shiftes, and not to be followed in shootinge streight. For leaving a man's eye always on his marke, is the onlye waye to shoote straighte, yea, and I suppose, so redye, and easye a way, if it be learned in youth and confined with use, that a man shall never misse therein. Some men wonder whye, in casting a man's eye at the marke, the hande should go streighte; surelye if he considered the nature of a man's eye, he would not wonder at it. The eye is the verye tongue wherewith witte and reason doth speake to everye parte of the bodye. This is most evident in fencing and feighting. The foot, the hande, and all wayteth upon the eye. The eye is nothing else but a certaine window for wit to shoote out her heade at. The chief cause whye men cannot shoote straight is because they loke at theyr shafts."

Thus it appears from Ascham, (our high authority) and the truth of which may soon be confirmed by experience, that the only advantage to be derived by looking at the shaft head at the loose, is, in order for a just elevation, to keep the length, or proper distance of shot; but which as this author justly observes, " yet hindereth excellente shootinge, because a man cannot shoote streight perfectlye, excepte he loke at his marke, draw and loose equally, and keep his bow arm steadily and firmly fixed at the time of loosing."