‘Team building’ can be a term that evokes a chorus of groans and a feeling of dread around the office. Usually involving ‘trust falls’, pointless games and awkward icebreakers, what should be an office adventure usually ends up being rather dull. This year, why not do something completely different and learn archery together as a team?
On target for a great office day out
Aside from Scout camp, it’s unlikely that many of your team will have tried archery, especially as adults, and it really is a great sport to give a go for so many reasons.
Archery is such an all-inclusive sport. At a low level, it requires very little cardio and can be taken part in by those who may have limited mobility.
Although it can be enjoyed by disabled persons, it is also great for improving coordination, strength and muscle building for people of all abilities.
There are both indoor and outdoor versions which means that you are not relying on the Great British weather being on your side.
A bit of healthy competition is good for office morale and you may help a colleague discover their hidden talent in the world of archery! Set up games, competitions and tournaments and the day will be far more fun (and achieve a whole lot more team bonding) than a third party company organising the usual day of activities.
Types Of Bow
There are various types of bow in archery, but the type you’re most likely to use in an archery day is a recurve bow (where the limbs bend back towards you when the bow is unstrung), or a compound bow (made up of different materials). These come in different lengths depending upon your height, and there are left / right hand variations, too. These are typically provided for you on these big ‘experience’ days out. If you get caught with the archery bug, you can of course head to our archery supplies store and grab your own…
The various types of Archery for beginners
The concept of archery is pretty similar across the different types – use a bow and arrow and aim at a target – however if you look closer at the different areas of archery there are many differences.
James from the Pellpax team takes aim
Target Archery – This is the type of archery that most people imagine. The archery target has ten rings and you get more points the closer your arrow gets to the bullseye. Men stand 100 yards away from the target and women 80 yards, and fire a recurve bow or compound bow.
Clout Archery – Clout is very similar to Target in many ways, however men stand 180 yards away and women 140 yards and the target is actually a flag on the ground. Again, different landings will earn you different points.
Flight Archery – Flight is the long jump of the archery world where the aim is to get your arrow as far away as possible. This is not quite as common as it requires a whole lot of space.
Field Archery – Field archery uses a longbow and is often done in woodlands. The focus is more on ‘realism’ and is more like hunting than a competition, although the aim isn’t to hit animals of course!
Any form of archery would be great for a day out, although it is probably best to start with either Target or Clout to learn archery at a base level. Target is suitable for indoor use and is the most common form so it is easy to find!
Where can you do it?
You can check out Archery GB for more information but there are hundreds of archery clubs across the country. Whether you choose to go to a dedicated archery club such as St Helens Archers or one of the many corporate event companies who can offer you a package deal.
If Barbara from accounts or Steve from IT suddenly find themselves wanting to become regular archers, why not point them in the direction of our archery supplies sale?
Check out our archery equipment store to get your crossbows, compound bows and accessories today.
Our very own James carrying arrows back from the target.
Given that this summer is a turning out to be a wonderful season for sport, such as the Archery World Cup in Odense later this year, we decided to take a closer look at how you can join your sporting heroes and become a competitive archer……
Types Of Competitive Archery – Target Archery
First of all, it’s important to note that there are several different types of competitive archery. There’s World Archery Federation rules, formerly known as Federation Internationale de Tir a l’Arc or FITA style archery. WA rules are covered by ArcheryGB in the UK. This is what is used in major international tournaments like the Commonwealth Games, and it comes under the bracket of modern ‘Target Archery’.
This type of archery is relatively new in the lineage of this historic sport, and comes in different forms. WA archery can take place in indoor competitive spares or outdoors, with the former taking place over distances of 18 to 25 metres. Outdoor competitions vary in distance from 30 through to 90 metres. Two types of bows are typically used, either recurve or compound bows.
The competition is divided up into what are known as ‘ends’, sets of arrows which are fired in groups of 3 to 6, and within a fixed amount of time. The targets they are aiming for are made up of 10 circles arranged inside one another, and valued from one through to ten. The central ring is also known as the X ring, and is valued at 10.
The base for archery targets is made up of cloth stuffed bags or foam. They vary in diameter, from 40 centimeters, which is used in 18 metres indoor competitions, to 122 centimeters, which is used in 70 to 90 meters WA competitions, such as the Commonwealth games and other major sporting events.
Field Archery
This form of competitive archery harks back to older versions of the sport, and as such, takes place outside, often in territory which is unmarked, over a variety of distances. The major body governing this sport is NFAS (National Field Archery Society) in the UK, and NFAA in the USA.
NFAS operate their competitions typically in woodland, over distances which are unknown, and aimed at 3d targets and paper animal targets. They use 10 types of bow, including longbow, crossbow, compound limited and barebow, and cover adult, junior and under 12s, holding events up and down the UK.
Clout Archery
This runs along GNAS (Grand National Archery Society a.k.a ArcheryGB) rules in the United Kingdom. It’s similar to traditional target archery.
The basic idea is to drop arrows over a long distance into a series of circles, arranged inside one another, around a flag which marks the centre. The Clout in the name consists of the 36 arrows which
A recurve bow, with sights, in action
are fired in a group, as part of the competition.
Getting Involved
Unsurprisingly, the best way to get involved with competitions is via the relevant UK body. ArcheryGB has 45,000 members and represents 1,300 clubs. It is the national governing body for the sport from grass roots to elite competition level, and runs a variety of courses from beginners to coaching and advanced level. To get started, you can use their Club Finder. These provide a good starting point for both recreational and competitive archery. There is support for disabled archers.
Meanwhile, NFAS focuses on promoting traditional field archery as a sport, from shooting events, all the way up to coach training and competitions. As with ArcheryGB, you can apply to be a member on their website.
Grab Your Gear
Archery equipment can be hired from a variety of sources if you just want a taste – clubs can often help with this. Those who wish to commit to the sport will find affordable entry level equipment for around £100 to £300, with second hand equipment also available from a variety of sources (it’s best to have this checked by a professional before purchasing). You can contact our staff via telephone or email for advice on what archery supplies to get.
James from the Pellpax team takes aim
Stay Informed
In order to become the best, you’ll need to keep up to date with the biggest names and the best writing on archery. We regularly publish archery content here at Pellpax on our blog, and you can also head to the ArcheryGB website, which is regularly updated with news about the sport. They also produce Archery UK, their own magazine. Then there’s Archery360, which produces great content, and Bow International, another fantastic resource for archers.
Events
For a calendar of the big sporting events this year, including the World Archery Cup, which takes place in Odense in September, check out this guide provided by the World Archery Federation. Big events also take place in Dublin, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Shanghai and Las Vegas in 2016, too.
At Pellpax, we work hard to ensure our staff expertise is some of the best in the industry, so they can provide excellent customer service. We believe training is vital.
Our very own James Hancock carrying arrows back from the target.
That’s why, in April this year, Pellpax sent three of the archery shop sales team – James Hancock, Chris Roberts, and Jake Kirk – to Eaton Vale Scout and Guide Activity Centre in Norwich to take the Archery GB Instructor Course. It was led by highly knowledgeable official Archery GB instructors Andrew Hood and Abbie Stewardson. Blogger and writer Hazel Randall joined them to participate and observe proceedings….
I was delighted to be included in the event. Everyone on the Archery GB Instructor course was there to learn how to teach archery to a group of beginners. The instructor, Andrew Hood, demonstrated a beginners’ session.
Andy is not only an excellent archer – he’s a first-class teacher. Understanding that experience shapes the way we perceive and interpret the world, Andy adapts his sessions to the needs and ability of each student. His instruction has a fluid quality that reaches the most distant individual.
Introduction
Andy introduced himself – name and credentials – and asked for the names of all the students. He told us that the aim of the session was to learn how to shoot. We were asked if we had any medical conditions that might affect our shooting. “You don’t need to shout it out,” Andy told us. “Just come and tell me privately.”
Andy then asked the students about archery experience. If a student has had a go before, then preconceived knowledge and learnt behaviour may affect their ability to follow instructions. In this case, particularly, experienced performance shooters posed the greatest challenge. This course was not about shooting well – it was about learning (or relearning) each minute step of archery protocol as set out by Archery GB.
Our own James Hancock, holder of many shooting titles, had the difficult task of temporarily shedding his ingrained, automatic habits in order to adopt new sequences. James told me that many
James takes aim
aspects of this course were enlightening, in that he became aware of details that needed to be explained to beginners – details so familiar to James that he was unaware of their importance to a novice.
It is important that an instructor fully understands every aspect of the activity – far more than he will ever share with his students. Andy told us what we needed to know, when we needed to know it. He didn’t overload us with information, and he repeated each point clearly.
After the introduction, everyone trooped from the classroom to the archery range. As he gathered his equipment together and pottered into the sunshine, Andy whistled softly to himself. By the time we were all gathered together, two other people were humming or whistling that same tune. His natural charisma and leadership were infectious. This happened on two other occasions, and when I mentioned it to Andy, he said, “You see how easily people are influenced by what they hear; they probably don’t even know they’ve heard it.”
The waiting line
Andy told us that the waiting line is a rope stretched across the range, parallel to the targets. Its purpose is safety. The rule is: don’t cross the line until your instructor invites you to do so. If you cross the line once, you receive a warning. If you cross it a second time, it’s an early bath!
Tell students what to do – don’t tell them what not to do
Andy explained: “Running on the archery range is strictly forbidden. So don’t run makes sense – until your students are hopping, skipping, and jumping all over the place, and your life suddenly becomes a nightmare of blood, death, and paperwork. The correct way to move around on an archery range is to walk. So the best instruction to give students is: walk.”
Chris Roberts from the Pellpax team takes aim at archery targets
The bracer
A bracer protects the shooter’s inner forearm from the bowstring. The word bracer is probably unfamiliar to young children, and easily forgotten. The term arm guard carries overtones of danger and pain – why else would you need a guard? So Andy referred to the bracer as an arm thingy; it’s just a thing you put on your arm.
We were asked to hold up the hand we write with (remember that these sessions are designed for children), and a bracer was put into our dominant hand. We were shown how to put the bracer onto the opposite arm (the one that holds the bow). To check that we were wearing the bracer on the correct arm, we were asked to raise our dominant hand again, to check that no bracer was being worn on this arm. (In case you’re wondering – yes, there was at least one!)
Arrow length check
Arrow length is an important safety check. It is safest for everyone to use long arrows, avoiding the possibility of somebody tall using an arrow that is too short.
The Pellpax archery team learning about arrow length
A person’s arm span is virtually equal to his own height. So a tall person will have a longer arm span than a short person. When an archer draws back his bowstring, the longer his arms, the further back the string (and arrow) will go. So if the arrow is not long enough, it will be drawn back beyond the riser (middle section of the bow). There have been some very nasty accidents involving pierced hands and arms, caused by using short arrows.
The shooting line
When students are introduced to the shooting line, understanding the rules is crucial for safety. Students might be told: stand behind the line. But what does this mean?
It might mean, stand anywhere behind the line. But if a student shoots from a couple of feet behind the line, others – who are standing forward of the shooter but behind the line – would be in danger. Stand behind the line might mean, put your toes on the line and face the target. In this case, an extra lesson must be taught in taking up the correct position.
Although the idea of the shooting line is to be behind it, Andy finds that the clearest and safest way to teach this element of archery protocol is to instruct students to stand with feet parallel, one either side of the shooting line, the arm-brace arm towards the target.It is made clear that only one foot is over the line and that equipment is not to be handled until you are in this position.
This choice of words results in a steady stance, a safe shooting position, and elimination of the risk that a student will wander around with equipment or step over the shooting line.
Jake Kirk from Pellpax takes aim.
The STOP command
The STOP command is for potentially catastrophic situations. Anybody on the archery range can call it, and the command must be acted upon immediately. If an archer is at full draw when the STOP command is given, he must abort that shot. The first step is to point the drawn arrow at the ground in front of you. At this point the string tension must be released.
The terms release or let go may suggest following through with the shot, firing the arrow into the ground. But push the arrow forward describes the controlled manner in which an archer should keep hold of the arrow and slowly ease the string tension until bow and arrow are held separately, at which point they can be returned to bow stand and quiver.
Demonstration
Standing in the correct position, Andy picked up the bow and an arrow. Holding the bow in front of him, and keeping the arrowhead facing the archery target (i.e. away from everybody), he slid the arrow up the right side of the bow, over the top, and down the left side of the bow. A left-handed archer will do this the opposite way round (left to right).
He then fitted the nock onto the bowstring between the nocking points, and with three fingers (fore, middle, and ring) underneath the arrow, drew the string back until his forefinger touched the
An Arrow between nocking points.
corner of his mouth. He aimed and fired. This demonstration was done with commentary. Andy went through the process again, but without speaking. Our visual learning was now brought to the fore. Andy explained the power of visual experience by suggesting a scenario.
“Children are passing by the archery range en route to a canoeing lesson, and they happen to witness an archer walking straight from the shooting line to the target in order to retrieve his arrows. The children don’t really register what they see – they’re thinking about canoeing. But they’ve seen it; the memory is made.”
Guided shoot
Individually, we were guided through the shooting of three arrows. Physical guidance can be valuable in teaching. Having limbs put into position and torso turned at the right angle can give the nervous system a head start in the learning of new moves.
Retrieval of arrows
Following the instructor, we filed round the edge of the range to the targets. When you extract an arrow from the archery target, you need to consider three things. One: do minimum damage to the fabric of the target. Two: reduce the risk of losing the piles (arrow tips). Three: don’t stab anyone.
Andy placed a hand flat on the target, with the arrow between forefinger and middle finger(“or middle finger and ring finger if that’s more comfortable”), looked behind him, and pressed against the target as he drew the arrow out. This method of retrieval protects the target from tearing, and if the pile has come free of the arrow, you’ll find it wedged between your fingers. Looking behind you, of course, will prevent you from stabbing anybody!
After pulling our arrows from the archery target (or picking them up from behind it), we walked straight back to the shooting line (across the range), the arrows held in one hand, resting over a shoulder. There followed a period of free shooting. Andy asked us questions that tested our memories of what we’d learnt. There followed a review of the session from a teaching point of view.
Open and closed questions
Andy talked to us about open and closed questions. “Ask a group of kids, did you enjoy the session? and you know that the answer will be yes. Children know that’s what you expect to hear; they know that’s what their peers will say; they know there’ll be some sort of fuss or attention or adult fretting if the answer’s no.
But questions like what did you enjoy about the session? / what did you find difficult? / why did we teach you about the waiting line and the shooting line? produce thought-driven answers.Just as an ill-chosen phrase can give wrong (or ambiguous) information, so a badly worded question can smother real communication in pointless platitudes.”
Be specific
Andy demonstrated the importance of choosing apt vocabulary. We were asked to hold up our hands at face level, palms facing each other, a head width apart. Then we were asked to close our eyes and move our hands apart a little bit. When eyes were opened, it was obvious that interpretations of a little bit varied hugely – from less than a centimetre to about fifteen centimetres.
Presentation
Andy spoke at an even pitch and speed, and his delivery was clear and audible. He never conveyed impatience or stress or haste. Certain phrases were repeated several times over, allowing students to grasp new facts that might otherwise have skimmed over our consciousness like a miss-fired arrow. The day was enjoyed by all of the Pellpax team, and we all felt we had developed a knowledge of how to guide and instruct young archers taking their first steps.
