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Old Basing Archers - Archers Glossary Category: Sport and Leisure > Archery Date & country: 15/11/2007, UK Words: 128

Actual draw length
The arrow length required by an archer measured from the bottom of the nock groove to the back of the bow at full draw, beginners should add about 1' (inch) to this to allow for improvement in strength and technique.

Actual draw weight
The amount of force required (in pounds) to draw the bow to your actual draw length, for bow types other than Compound. See also Draw weight .

Address
To assume a stance straddling the shooting line.

Anchor
The position were the hand that draws the bow string is positioned when at full draw.

Anchor Point
The point to where an arrows nock is drawn back to before release, usually the chin or cheek. Used to help with consistent aiming.

Archer's Paradox
When an arrow is shot from a bow (other than centre shot type) it will fly in the line of aim although the string propelling the arrow moves directly to the centre of the bow, the arrow in fact bends around the bow after release and after passing the bow returns to its proper line of flight. See Spine.

Arm Guard
see Bracer

Arrow
The missile shot by an archer from a bow. Consisting of; Nock, Shaft, Pile and Fletchings.

Arrow Launcher
A Shoot through arrow rest, either of fixed or drop away design.

Arrow Rest
A small attachment fixed to the side of the bow used to support an arrow.

Back of the bow
The side of the bow furthest from the archer when the bow is held in the shooting position

Bare Shaft
An arrow shaft without Fletchings of any kind. Usually used in bare shaft tuning.

Bare shaft tuning
Part of the tuning process were one shoots a bare arrow (shaft with no fletchings) for comparison with fletched arrows.

Barebow
A bow without any bow sight or stabilisers fitted, also a style of shooting.

Belly of the bow
The side of the bow closest to the archer when the bow is held in the shooting position.

Blunt
An arrow fitted with a large flat rubber pile used for Popinjay shooting.

Boss
A backing for a target face made from compacted straw, foam or fibre. See Butt

Bouncer
An arrow that when shot rebounds from the target. Under GNAS rules an additional arrow may be shot, but FITA rules that the arrow can only be scored if arrow holes on the target face are marked (an unmarked hole in the target face being the Bouncer).

Bow
A projectile weapon used to shoot arrows. There are numerous bow designs, the three most common being; Long bow, Recurve and Compound. Basically a long thin strip of wood or other material with a string between each end.

Bow Arm
The arm used to hold the bow.

Bow Hand
The hand that holds the bow.

Bow Sight
A device mounted on the bow to assist an archer to aim at a target with greater accuracy, with horizontal and vertical adjustments.

Bow Sling
A strap attached to the bow, wrist or fingers, preventing the bow from being dropped on release, allowing the archer to use a relaxed bow hand.

Bow String
The string of the bow used to transfer the energy from the bow to the arrow, usually made of Dacron, Fastflight, Dyneema, Vectran or any other suitable material.

Bow Stringer
Cord with saddles at each end to fit over limbs, to facilitate the safe and easy stringing of the bow, and to prevent damage to the bow or archer.

Bow Tuning
see Tuning

Bow Window
The recessed area above the grip, which if made deep enough allows the bow to be set up for centre shot.

Bowman
[1] An archer. [2] Classification used in the UK to show the level of skill of an archer. See classification

Bowyer
A person who makes bows.

Brace
To string a bow

Bracer
A protective covering placed on the inside of an archers bow arm, used to protect the forearm from a slap of the bow string.

Bracing Height
The distance from the string to the back of the bow {sometimes plunger button depending on makers specifications) taken at 90 degrees to the string inline with the arrow rest.

Butt
An earthen mound used as a backing for a target. See Boss

Button
See plunger button

Cast
The ability of a bow to project an arrow, the greater the cast the greater the speed and distance the arrow will travel.

Centre Serving
The wrapping thread wound round the centre of the bowstring where the nocking point is located, used to protect the string from both arrow and fingers/release aid.

Centre shot bow
A bow designed with the sight window cut deep in the riser to allow for an arrow to be shot through the centre line of the bow.

Chest guard
A protective covering worn on the bow arm side of the chest to prevent the bowstring from catching on clothing.

Chrysal
A transverse stress fracture of a wooden bow caused by repeated crushing of the fibres.

Clicker
A device attached to the bow which gives an audible warning when the required draw length has been reached. The 'click' to often used by archers as a signal to release.

Closed Stance
The position on the shooting line where an imaginary straight line to the target passes through the toes of the rear foot (the one furthest from the target) and behind the toes of the front foot.

Clout
A brightly coloured flag placed near to the ground and used as a target, the distance usually being 180 yards for Gentlemen and 140 yards for Women.

Clout round
A clout round consists of 36 arrows shot in ends of 6 arrows at the clout. Arrows are scored at the point of entry in the ground from the centre of the clout stick, within a radius of 18 inches = 5 points, 3 feet = 4 points, 6 feet = 3 points, 9 feet = 2 points, 12 feet = 1 point.

Cock feather-Fletching (vane)
The feather/fletching (vane) at right angles to the string when the arrow is nocked on an arrow with three Fletchings. Usually of a different colour to the other fletchings to ease nocking the arrow.

Composite bow
A recurved bow made from several materials laminated together (e.g.. wood, sinew and horn).

Compound bow
A bow that uses a cable system and eccentric wheels/cams mounted at the limb tips, when drawn produces peak weight at mid draw and let off to 50/65% of peak weight at full draw.

Creep-Creeping
See Forward loose

Cresting
A combination of coloured rings applied to the arrow shaft forward of the fletchings used for identification and to mark ownership.

Doinker
A damper (usually rubber) fitted between the stabiliser rod (long or short) and tip weight, helps to absorb the high frequency vibrations at the tip of the stabiliser and stop them travelling back along the rod to the bow and archer.

Draw
To pull the bowstring back with the draw hand whilst holding the bow steady with the bow hand.

Draw hand
The hand that holds the bowstring.

Draw length
The distance from the nocking point to the pivot point of the bow at full draw, sometimes measured to the back of the bow .

Draw weight
The force (usually in pounds) required to draw a bow to a given length. Normally indicated on the lower limb, i.e. 38lb at 28 inches

End
The number of arrows shot (usually three or six) before the archers go to their targets to score and remove their arrows.

Equipment line
A line at least 10 yards behind the shooting line, were all tents and other shelters shall be placed.

Face
see Target Face

Fast
A warning cry to STOP shooting immediately. Usually called out when someone or something! strays into or behind the shooting area

Feathers, Flights
see Fletchings

Field Archery
A form of archery shot outdoors in a wooded area, with targets of different sizes set at varying distances and elevations to the archer, the archers walk from target to target.

Field Captain
The person in charge and control of shooting on the archery range.

Finger Tab
A piece of leather or synthetic material worn over the draw fingers to protect them from the bow string and to aid in a smooth release.

Fishtailing
The side to side motion of the nock end of an arrow in flight.

Fistmele
The distance from the grip to the bow string measured by placing a fist on the grip with the thumb extended towards the bow string. The normal method of checking the bracing height for Long bows.

FITA
Fédération Internationale De Tir à L'Arc, The international governing body for the sport of archery.

Flatbow
A bow with limbs of a flat section usually made from fibreglass and wood laminations.

Flemish loose
A loose using only two fingers, usually the first and Index fingers.

Fletchings
The feathers/flights added to the nock end of the arrow shaft, to aid directional stability of the arrow in flight. Normally three per arrow although some archers use two or four.

Flight shooting
An archery competition in which the object is to shoot an arrow the furthest distance.

Flu Flu arrow
An arrow with large feathers and large blunt pile used for shooting birds or targets thrown in the air.

Follow Through
That all important part of shooting. Starting with the release and ending with the arrow hitting the target, and so easily forgotten!

Foot Markers
Small markers placed on the ground to mark an archers position on the shooting line to aid in maintaining a constant alignment with the target.

Forward loose
Allowing the draw hand to move forward towards the bow immediately prior to or during loose/release.

Full Draw
The position where the bow string is drawn back and the draw hand anchors in relation to the head and neck.

Gold
The centre colour of the multicoloured target used in target archery. Also the highest scoring zone on a target face.

Grand Master Bowman
The highest G.N.A.S. classification for an archer in the UK.

Grand National Archery Society
The governing body for archery in the UK

Grip
The part of the bow handle where the bow is held, on some bow designs the grip is removable allowing one to adjust their hand position on the handle.

Ground Quiver
An arrow holder that either sits on or sticks into the ground, some can also hold a bow.

Group
The pattern of an archers arrows close together in the target.

Handle
The centre section of the bow less the limbs. Also the part you hold.

Hanger
An arrow that has not stuck in the boss but instead hangs from the target face.

Heeling
When an archer places pressure too low on the grip, maybe caused by too low a wrist position.

Holding
Maintaining full draw whilst aiming.

Instinctive shooting
Shooting without the aid of sights.

Judge
The person responsible for the implementation of the rules of shooting at a tournament, also when requested will make a decision on any line cutter calls.

Lady Paramount
The official in charge of a tournament and usually presents the trophy's

Launcher
see Arrow Launcher

Let down
To return the bow to the position before being drawn without releasing the bow string.

Limbs
The flexible part of a bow above and below the handle that stores energy when the bow is drawn and released into the arrow when loosed.

Line cutter
An arrow in the target face that is either touching or has cut the dividing line between two scoring zones, and is scored at the higher score of the two zones.

Long bow
Traditional type of bow made from either a single wood stave or two and joined at the handle. The staves are shaped to form a 'D' section and tapered from the handle to the tips of the limbs, and either have horn nocks fitted to the limb tips or self nocks cut into the limbs.

Long rod
The longest of the stabiliser rods, fitted to the back of the bow below the grip.

Loose
To let go of the bowstring at full draw, ideally by relaxation of the fingers holding the bow string.

Mediterranean loose
The style of loose used by most finger release archers, and consists of placing two fingers below the arrow and one above.

Mongolian loose
A style of loose where the thumb is used to hold the string and is locked in place by the forefinger, a thumb ring is worn to protect the thumb from the string.

Self bow
A bow made from one piece of wood.

Self nocked arrow
An arrow that does not have a separate nock fitted, instead the nock is cut into the end of the shaft.

Shaft
The body of an arrow to which the nock, pile and fletchings are fitted.

Shooting line
The line which archers stand astride when shooting, also a reference line for the various target distances.

Sight
see Bow sight