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.