So far in my life I have had a small amount of practice in
archery, I’ve taken a small class and I’ve practiced with my recurve bow in my backyard. In the book Archery Fundamentals by Douglas Engh, the first two
chapters of the book are focused on what the equipment is, and how to choose
the right one effectively.
Picking the right bow is a very important element however according to Engh, “No single bow is perfect for all uses. Archers usually
decide what kind of archery appeals to them and then choose the equipment that
best matches that goal. Many archers eventually own several types of bows” (4).
The three types of bows are a longbow, recurve bow, and compound bow. The
difference is that a longbow is a single piece of wood carved into shape giving
the user a more authentic feel, the type of bow Robin Hood uses. The recurve bow of course curves back, the tips
of the bow come back around giving a smoother release and power transfer, as
well as the bow itself is often able to be taken apart. A compound bow on the other
hand uses a variety of wires and mechanical wheels to take off some of the
weight so that you don’t have to hold the full weight the entire time and
possibly struggle holding it while aiming. It takes off the weight once you
pull it at first and then puts it back in upon release. As stated before I have a recurve bow but I now understand that I may need to get multiple more bow types to suit all of my needs.
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| Me doing the test using an arrow instead of the yard stick first |
On the topic of arrows Engh states that the
specific arrow size needed for each person is slightly different. However, you
can figure out what an appropriate length for you would be by putting a
yardstick against your chest and pointing it out. Once you have this you put
your arms out to see how far they reach on it, and then take the measurement
you get and add two inches to get the arrow length you need, this is also
called your draw length (16). I found this very helpful to me personally
because before I was using whatever arrows I had, in this case half of them
were right and the other half were a few inches too short, crippling me from
reaching full draw length giving me a weaker shot. Of course there are multiple
other parts of an arrow that can be different such as width, head type, and flexibility
but this is a good starting point because others will depend on what type of
target you are shooting at and what type of bow you have.
What type of bow do you use and why? If you don't do archery what type of bow do you think you would want to use and why?
Engh, Douglas.Archery Fundamentals. IL: Human Kinetics Inc, 2005. Print
I have a couple of different bows, but my favorite is a traditional English long bow made from yew wood and backed with rattlesnake skin. I've actually shot since I was a little, little kid and in high school I was first in state. I like traditional Native American style bows, more for the challenge they represent and the connection with my culture than anything else. The one I mentioned above is my favorite, because my dad made it for me from scratch in accordance with Native tradition. I do like compounds for their ease, but I prefer to keep it old school and back to the roots.
ReplyDeleteI tend to use recurve bows, simply because that is what's available. I do occasionally get a compound and find them a bit easier to aim. I was always curious how to find a good sized arrow, thanks for including that, I've been trying to figure that out for a while. I would like to try to find a longbow to shoot, they seem interesting and of the three you've mentioned it's the one type of bow I haven't shot before.
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