Archery is no different from other activities, which involve a proper hand and eye coordination. The same principle applies to bows; one should not use a right-handed bow if they are left-handed. This can be similarly compared to writing with one’s left hand when they are in fact right handed; thus resulting in an illegible handwriting and incoherent movement.
Though the vast majority of the world’s population is dominated by right-handed people, resulting to manufacturers creating products, which are mostly meant for right-handed people; there are still the left-handed population, which has the same ability as those of the right handed. That is why there are also products, which are specified for left handed people.
It is fairly easy to identify a right hand or regular bows from that of a left hand bows. Though contrary to common belief that the hand is what determines the bow, it is actually the dominant eye, which influences the handling and accuracy of the archer.
The right hand hunting bow is held by the left hand and drawn by the right; the riser’s arrow stabilizer or the arrow rest is also located on the right portion of the bow. However, the left hand hunting bow is held by one’s right hand and drawn by the left while the arrow’s stabilizer or the arrow rest is also located on the left side of the riser.
Apart from the aforementioned, there are no other visible differences between the right hand and the left hand hunting bows. In this day and age, there are even hunting bows, which are interchangeable for use of either the right- or the left-hand orientation. However, for those who have cross dominant eyes, meaning that their eyes are equally dominant, they can simply choose a bow, which they are most comfortable with; and simply weigh it on the strength and stability of their arms as to which has the greater pulling power and which has the better grip.
In the end, left hand archery comes down to how one uses the bow. There are a number of hunting bows available for both the right- and left-hand orientations. What is important is for one to be able to obtain the proper bow, which is proportionate to their bodies as this will ensure the efficiency of the usage of the actual bow. Regardless of their hand or eye dominance or orientation, with enough practice and experience, one will get used to their comfortable side of the bow.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Modern And Traditional Archery
With a history characterized by hunting and combat techniques, archery is the practice of using a piece of equipment called a bow to shoot arrows at a target. Throughout the years, it has become a sport of precision, leading to numerous competitions, as well as a spot in the Olympics. The title given to a person who is an expert in the practice is an archer. For some, archery is like an intense game of darts that involves more equipment, as well as increased physical skill.
Modern vs. Traditional Archery
The start of archery is thought to have emerged about 5,000 years ago. The first use of the bow was probably used for hunting, while its recognition as a tool for war came later. In ancient times, early man threw projectiles at their enemies. It is the bow that replaced this technique.
There are many different types of archery that has evolved from traditional archery. Classical archery was prominent among the Macedonians, Greeks, Persians and Indians, which often took up a large part of their armies. When directed effectively, masses of soldiers could be taken out with precision. Advanced armies took archery to horseback, allowing a swift execution of war plans.
In Medieval European times, archery was used in times of war, but was not as popular as you may think. On the contrary, archers received the lowest pay and were often looked down upon. Since it didn’t take much to fashion a bow and arrow, this contributed to the negative perceptions of the archers. It was viewed as a weapon for the lower class.
Asia and the Middle West used archers on horseback in their military force. In the Kingdom of Bhutan, archery is the national sport of the land. One of the differences in Asian arrows is they are less stiff than the arrows from the west. Today, competitive archery is popular, significantly straying from the traditional archery of the past. The use of archery as a form of warfare has been discarded and mostly only hobbyists hunt with a bow and arrow. Modern archery involves competition.
Competitive archery consists of shooting arrows for accuracy points from varying distances, quite popular in Europe and North America. Both indoor and outdoor venues hold archery competitions with different rules. For example, there are varying time limits. Indoor competition allows only 2 minutes to shoot 3 arrows. Archery equipment demands special attention to safety rules and use. You must receive proper instruction on how to hold a bow and shoot an arrow so that you do not hurt yourself or others.
Modern Archery Competitions
The color of the archery board for competition is white, black, blue, red and gold. There are two rings each per color with corresponding point values. The end score of a competition is computed by adding the total of all scores made by their arrows. If an arrow lands on the line between two different point values, the higher sum will be granted. Despite these rules, there are still disputes that call for the assistance of a judge.
There are many different types of bow shapes and sizes. During competition, the only type of bow that can be used in the Olympic games is called a re-curve bow. When you are ready to further your interest in archery, there are plenty of other details to take note of. For example, archers in competition often wear bracers that protect the arm. Tabs protect the drawing hand. Chest-guards protect clothing, as well as the body of the archer. All of these things, coupled with the archer’s stance, hand-eye coordination, release form and grip will all contribute to either the success or failure of an archery competition.
Modern vs. Traditional Archery
The start of archery is thought to have emerged about 5,000 years ago. The first use of the bow was probably used for hunting, while its recognition as a tool for war came later. In ancient times, early man threw projectiles at their enemies. It is the bow that replaced this technique.
There are many different types of archery that has evolved from traditional archery. Classical archery was prominent among the Macedonians, Greeks, Persians and Indians, which often took up a large part of their armies. When directed effectively, masses of soldiers could be taken out with precision. Advanced armies took archery to horseback, allowing a swift execution of war plans.
In Medieval European times, archery was used in times of war, but was not as popular as you may think. On the contrary, archers received the lowest pay and were often looked down upon. Since it didn’t take much to fashion a bow and arrow, this contributed to the negative perceptions of the archers. It was viewed as a weapon for the lower class.
Asia and the Middle West used archers on horseback in their military force. In the Kingdom of Bhutan, archery is the national sport of the land. One of the differences in Asian arrows is they are less stiff than the arrows from the west. Today, competitive archery is popular, significantly straying from the traditional archery of the past. The use of archery as a form of warfare has been discarded and mostly only hobbyists hunt with a bow and arrow. Modern archery involves competition.
Competitive archery consists of shooting arrows for accuracy points from varying distances, quite popular in Europe and North America. Both indoor and outdoor venues hold archery competitions with different rules. For example, there are varying time limits. Indoor competition allows only 2 minutes to shoot 3 arrows. Archery equipment demands special attention to safety rules and use. You must receive proper instruction on how to hold a bow and shoot an arrow so that you do not hurt yourself or others.
Modern Archery Competitions
The color of the archery board for competition is white, black, blue, red and gold. There are two rings each per color with corresponding point values. The end score of a competition is computed by adding the total of all scores made by their arrows. If an arrow lands on the line between two different point values, the higher sum will be granted. Despite these rules, there are still disputes that call for the assistance of a judge.
There are many different types of bow shapes and sizes. During competition, the only type of bow that can be used in the Olympic games is called a re-curve bow. When you are ready to further your interest in archery, there are plenty of other details to take note of. For example, archers in competition often wear bracers that protect the arm. Tabs protect the drawing hand. Chest-guards protect clothing, as well as the body of the archer. All of these things, coupled with the archer’s stance, hand-eye coordination, release form and grip will all contribute to either the success or failure of an archery competition.
Archery Basics
The skill of shooting an Arrow using a Bow was in the bygone ages a military weapon and also a hunting method before the invention of gunpowder. It is mainly confined now as a competitive sport used for target shooting.
A bow is a weapon that shoots arrows using the elasticity of the bow. The bow is made of a strip of flexible material with a cord linking the two ends of the strip to provide tension from which is propelled the arrow which is a straight shaft with a sharp point on one end or have flints and usually with feathers attached to the other end.
The modern day 'Target Archery' involves shooting arrows at a target from a pre-set distance. A Recurve bow is the only type of bow allowed to be used. Archery competitions may be held indoors or outdoors. Indoor distances are 18 m and 25 m. Outdoor distances range from 30 m to 90m depending on the seniority and 70 m is being used in the Olympic Games. Competition is divided into ends where an archer shoots either 3 or 6 arrows per end, depending on the type of round. There are 20 ends of 3 arrows in a round for indoor competition, but outdoor rounds generally involve more arrows per round. At the end, the competitors walk upto the target to score and retrieve their arrows.
Targets are painted with 10 evenly spaced concentric rings, which have score values from 1 through 10 assigned to them. Targets are colored as follows:
Outermost 1 ring & 2 ring - white
3 ring & 4 ring - black
5 ring & 6 ring - blue
7 ring & 8 ring - red
Innermost 9 rings & 10 ring - gold
There is an innermost ring, sometimes called the 10X ring or the Bull’s-eye.
The score for each arrow depends upon where it hits on the target. The highest score, a ten, is awarded by shooting an arrow into the two inner most circles. The bull’s-eye ring is typically as a tiebreaker with most X’s winning. Missing the rings on the target results in a zero score and in case of Line breaker where an arrow just touches a boundary line will be awarded the higher score. Scores are tallied at the end of each round or volley of arrows by summing the scores for their arrows which are recorded on a score sheet.
Archers have a set time limit in which to shoot their arrows. For indoor competition is 2 minutes for 3 arrows. Signaling devices such as lights and flags prompt the archers when it’s time to shoot.
A bow is a weapon that shoots arrows using the elasticity of the bow. The bow is made of a strip of flexible material with a cord linking the two ends of the strip to provide tension from which is propelled the arrow which is a straight shaft with a sharp point on one end or have flints and usually with feathers attached to the other end.
The modern day 'Target Archery' involves shooting arrows at a target from a pre-set distance. A Recurve bow is the only type of bow allowed to be used. Archery competitions may be held indoors or outdoors. Indoor distances are 18 m and 25 m. Outdoor distances range from 30 m to 90m depending on the seniority and 70 m is being used in the Olympic Games. Competition is divided into ends where an archer shoots either 3 or 6 arrows per end, depending on the type of round. There are 20 ends of 3 arrows in a round for indoor competition, but outdoor rounds generally involve more arrows per round. At the end, the competitors walk upto the target to score and retrieve their arrows.
Targets are painted with 10 evenly spaced concentric rings, which have score values from 1 through 10 assigned to them. Targets are colored as follows:
Outermost 1 ring & 2 ring - white
3 ring & 4 ring - black
5 ring & 6 ring - blue
7 ring & 8 ring - red
Innermost 9 rings & 10 ring - gold
There is an innermost ring, sometimes called the 10X ring or the Bull’s-eye.
The score for each arrow depends upon where it hits on the target. The highest score, a ten, is awarded by shooting an arrow into the two inner most circles. The bull’s-eye ring is typically as a tiebreaker with most X’s winning. Missing the rings on the target results in a zero score and in case of Line breaker where an arrow just touches a boundary line will be awarded the higher score. Scores are tallied at the end of each round or volley of arrows by summing the scores for their arrows which are recorded on a score sheet.
Archers have a set time limit in which to shoot their arrows. For indoor competition is 2 minutes for 3 arrows. Signaling devices such as lights and flags prompt the archers when it’s time to shoot.
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