Everything About Archery and the Necessary Equipment
By: David H.
Submitted: 2008-06-13 07:46:47 | Word Count: 578
Archery is a unique sport that has a rich history. This sport requires the archer to be familiar with a set of equipment such as the bow and arrow.
For most individuals, sports such as basketball and tennis can be a worthwhile hobby. But if you, for instance, prefer to focus on a sport that is more unique than what the others are playing, you may want to learn archery. Generally, archery is the sport that involves shooting arrows with a bow.
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Historically, archery was a practice used in hunting. While in fields and mountainous areas, people would use a bow and a set of arrows to hunt deer, fowl, and other animals for food. Similarly, this practice had been used during epic battles between tribes and other such groups. Today, archery is considered as a precision sport. Local and international archery games are being organized by certain countries. In the said games, each of the competitors are given a number of times to shoot a specific target. The participants would then vie for the title of the most accurate archer.
Like other sports, archery requires familiarity with the pieces of equipment used in the said sport. The first and arguably the most important of these equipment is the bow. This of course is the instrument wherein you would place an arrow to shoot it. A bow has several types: the shortbow, the flatbow, the longbow, the recurve bow, and the crossbow.
The shortbow is quicker to shoot than the other types. It is therefore more maneuverable. It is also easier to conceal. However, since its string cannot be drawn too far, it has a short maximum range. The flatbow has flat wide limbs that are almost rectangular in cross section. The longbow has narrow limbs that resemble the shape of the letter D. Longbows are tall, oftentimes having the same height as their users. The handle of a longbow is its widest part.
The recurve bow has the distinction of being the only type of bow used in the Olympics. Its limbs are curved forwards, which enables the archer to gain more power from the bow. The crossbow is the only class whose structure varies from the traditional bow design. Instead of vertically held limbs, the crossbow’s limbs are horizontally mounted. Thus it bears a resemblance to a fire arm.
Moving on, arrows are the next essential equipment in archery. An arrow is made up of a shaft that has an arrowhead on one end with fletchings and a nock on another end. The arrowhead is the main part of the arrow. An arrowhead can be just the sharpened end of the shaft. But more frequently, it is made of another material such as metal that is attached to the shaft. The fletchings are traditionally made of animal feathers, although modern fletchings are made of solid plastic. Fletchings maintain the arrow’s flight path and are placed near the nock. Arrows are traditionally made of wood. However, there are new types of arrows which are built from fiberglass, carbon fiber, and aluminum alloy.
Apart from the bow and arrow, there are other pieces of equipment used in archery. Bracers are used by certain archers to protect the inner part of the bow arm. These protective equipment are also used to prevent clothing from catching the string of the bow. Chestguards are also used by some archers to protect themselves as the bowstring is being released. protect
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