MEMANAH / ARCHERY

INTRODUCTION
• Archery is a sport defined by the use of bows
to shoot arrows at a target.
• Energy is stored in the bow by drawing it back,
which is then released by transferring the
energy to the arrow.
• The person who uses the bow to shoot the
arrow is called an archer, and someone who is
an expert or keen at archery is sometimes
referred to as a toxophilite.
 HISTORY
• Historically its origins lie in combat,
survival and hunting, although
today it has developed into a sport
that is practised in competition.
• Virtually every culture in the world
has a form of archery in its history.
 EQUIPMENT – TYPE OF BOW
1. The Longbow • Also referred as straight
bow, the tallest and typically
the same height or taller
than the person using it.
• Originated in Europe and
traditionally used for
hunting and warfare.
• Today, longbows are used by
archers who want a
traditional, wooden feel
from their bow.
 EQUIPMENT – TYPE OF BOW
2. The Shortbow
• Technically it is simply a smaller version of the
longbow.
• It is lighter and therefore more manoeuvrable than
the longbow, but this also means that it cannot store
as much energy and subsequently cannot shoot the
arrows at such a long range.
• Historically, West Coast American tribes used
shortbows for hunting.
 EQUIPMENT – TYPE OF BOW
• Relatively modern style of
3. The Compound Bow

bow, which was designed to

decrease the force the
archer must provide yet
increase the energy stored
by the bow.
• This means that the bow
stores the energy and then
“lets off” the pulling weight
at the end of draw length.
 EQUIPMENT – TYPE OF BOW
• Recurve bow curve in two
4. Recurve Bow directions - backwards near the
centre rise, and forwards at the
tips. This makes a smoother draw
and release than with other
straight bows.
• Made of laminated wood or
synthetics, and have a very small
handle which means that the limbs
can be shorter making the bow
easier to handle.
• Recurve bows have the greatest
engineering and manufacturing
quality of all bows today.
 EQUIPMENT – TYPE OF BOW
• The crossbow is a variation on
5. Crossbow
the typical design for a bow,
although the basic concept of
firing is the same.
• However, crossbows cannot fire
arrows. Instead, shortened
versions are used called 'quarrels'
or 'bolts‘.
• The limbs are not held vertically
as with other bows but are
mounted horizontally, and they
are either compound or a recurve
in design.
EQUIPMENT – TERMS
 EQUIPMENT – OTHERS
Sight—The sight can come in many forms, but the most usual Chest Guard—Protects the chest and keeps loose clothing from getting caught by
ones would be a circle with a cross-hairs or pin at its center. the string.

Finger Tab—These are used to protect the fingers

Sling—The sling allows the bow to rest in the archer’s
while drawing the bow.
hand without having to actually hold the bow.

Stringer—Recurve archers use this device to

string their bows. Compound bows are
Arm Guard—This piece fits over the bow arm, permanently strung and many longbows have
keeping the string from coming in contact with your built in stringers.
arm when the string is released.
 EQUIPMENT – TYPE OF ARROWS
• Arrow has a body, referred as the shaft, with a point or arrowhead fixed at the front.
• The arrowhead is what distinguishes arrows, dictating its purpose, and this is either glued onto
the outside of the shaft or inserted into the shaft itself.
• At the other end of the shaft is the nock and fletching, which consists of three vanes
(sometimes more are used) made from feathers or thin, soft plastic.
• These are equally spaced and glued onto the shaft, with one placed perpendicular to the bow
when it is nocked on the sting, and then capped with the notched nock, which is where the
bowstring contacts the arrow.
• Sometimes all the fletchings will be attached at a slight angle, which aims to introduce a
stabilising spin to the arrow. The shaft can be made from a variety of materials (see below).
• Arrows vary in length, weight and flexibility, and the type of arrow you use will depend on the
type of bow you are using and the archery you are practicing.
• If using a recurve bow, slender, lightweight arrows which have small vanes are favoured, due to
their great range and reduced wind resistance.
• Hunters tend to use thicker arrows with have larger vanes. You should try and use arrows that
are as similar as possible on each day of archery, as this means you will be able to shoot
consistent groups and develop an accurate shot.
EQUIPMENT – TERMS
ARROW
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
Archery Safety
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
How to stringing a recurve?
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
Body Post
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
BowHand
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS

Elbow
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS

Elbow
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
Shoulder
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
Anchor
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
Eye
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
String Alignment
 DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
Release and Finish