How to become a good archer?

Amateur or professional, the archer must know the discipline he exercises. Simple notions such as practice in a regulatory framework and the correct use of the bow are to be taken into account.

The place

Archery is always practiced in a suitable and regulated place. The archer is placed in an area called "no shooting" located just in front of his coat of arms. A line drawn on the ground indicates the place where he must put his feet in order to shoot. Located in front of the "no shooting", the coat of arms may have a different size depending on the distance and type of shooting.

Generally, the blazon and the target are confused. However, the target is defined as the base on which the coat of arms is placed. The target may consist of wood, moss or straw. Conversely, the coat of arms is defined as the sheet on which are represented colored shapes for counting the points. For the safety of all, archery is practiced in clubs.

The term "bend his bow" means: putting the bow in tension by tying the loops of the rope to the branches of the bow. Needing a lot of concentration and precision, this action actually amounts to arming its bow. Conversely, the term "bowing out" means: removing the string from the bow to put it to rest. The "bow hand" defines the hand that holds the string. The "rope hand" defines the hand that handles the string. In the same logic, there is also a "shoulder of bow" and a "shoulder of rope".

The target

Before starting to shoot, it is important to define his "lead eye". Orienting the vision, it is the eye with which the archer will aim at the coat of arms. Generally, it corresponds to the most skillful hand. The straight line from the steering eye to the aiming point is called a "firing line" or "firing line".

The shot

When the archer is on the ground, he knows how to bend his bow and aim, it only has to learn to shoot! The "volley of arrows" means: shooting several arrows in a row. When the archer manages to place his three arrows in the center of the coat of arms, he has "made a thirty". When the arrows are gathered on the coat of arms and they touch one another, one can speak of "stacking arrows".

When the archer acquires an excellent level, he can sometimes "break wood" or "play Robin Hood". This means that he breaks one of his arrows by drawing another. Even if he shows his power by realizing this master stroke, he still loses points! Finally, a "missed" is simply an arrow that did not hit the target. In common language, this action can also be called "making green" or "making a straw".