Archery
Have you ever seen someone shooting a bow and arrow and thought about how interesting it looks? Archery is a sport and an art that has been around since the beginning of time and can be a great pastime and activity for many people. But archery can be a little confusing to understand and get started into, so let’s go over some of the basics!
What is archery? Archery is the sport and practice of using a bow to shoot an arrow. The word comes from the Latin word arcus, meaning bow or arch. Archery in the past has been used in the past for hunting and combat, and in today’s world, it is still used for hunting purposes, as well as for sport and for fun. A popular place that archery can be seen being practiced and in a competition setting is the Olympic Games. It is gaining in popularity every single year thanks to its place in mainstream media and competitions, as well as all of the added benefits a shooter receives from practicing archery.
Benefits of Archery¶
Getting into archery can help a person in many different aspects of their life. One big thing that can help improve is your focus. Archery requires a person to practice their mental strength, and by practicing archery, your focus and mental training will greatly improve. Another benefit is the physical strength that you will work on. Archery will help to strengthen your arms, core, chest, shoulders, and grip. Drawing a bow back works all of these muscles, but since shooting is so fun, you won’t even realize you are also getting a work out at the same time. Lastly, archery is relaxing. It is fun to go and shoot a bow, and this will help you to relax and relieve some stress from everyday life.
What Types of Bows Are There?¶
Since archery has been around so long, there have been some significant advances to technology when it comes to bows and arrows. There are a few different types of bows that you can choose from to get started into archery. The first type of bow, and possibly one of the most popular, is the recurve bow. Recurve bows are named for their distinct shape and were historically used by horseback riders, and nowadays are the tools of choice for Olympic archers.
The next type of bow that is very popular is the modern compound bow. These were first introduced in the 1960s and use a system of cables, pulleys, and cams to create resistance and help make holding a heavier draw weight much easier. Because of their modern technology and materials, they are generally much more accurate and have better arrow distance and speeds. Compound bows come in many shapes and sizes, depending on the size of the archer and their experience level.
Compound and recurve bows are the most prevalent in today’s world, but there are still a few more types of bows, including longbows, crossbows, Kyodo bows, and fita bows. Fita bows are very similar to recurve bows and are primarily used for competition purposes. FITA is a form of target shooting competition that is used in international events and is governed by Federation International de Tir a lArc (FITA). Longbows are some of the oldest bows around, and are probably the most basic design, while crossbows are different than all the other models in being shot horizontally instead of vertically. As you can see, there are many different kinds of bows out there in the world of archery!
Every bow is different, and many are used for different purposes. While compound bows are used in some competitions, the majority are used in hunting purposes around the world. The same can be said in reverse for recurves. While many people do use them to hunt with, most recurves found around the world are used for competition and sporting purposes. This is primarily because of the added benefits a compound bow gives while hunting an animal, as a hunter can be at full draw for longer periods of time. They can also shooter faster and more accurately, resulting in a clean, quick, and ethical kill. Every type of bow can be used for fitness purposes, as they all require some effort to use and to shoot. Recurves, while not as accurate, requires a bit more skill to shoot and that is what makes them a popular choice in competitions. This gives a level playing ground to archers to test their skills against one another.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to get started into archery and plenty of different types of bows that you can shoot. What is your favorite type of bow, and why do you shoot? If you are not into archery already, hopefully, this will help persuade you to give it a try. You just might find your new favorite hobby!