Next comes the draw. Raise the bow hand, drawing on the string slightly; take a preliminary sight; then the draw is taken almost the full distance, the full aim is caught, and the arrow is released when drawn to the fullest extent. Another way is to raise the bow, draw to the fullest extent, take aim by moving the hand on the bow handle up or down as the need dictates; loose the string by straightening the fingers while the hand is drawn entirely back.
The archer should never shoot more than three arrows in succession without resting. The fourth and succeeding flights are apt to be inaccurate if the arms are the least bit tired. Always be sure to shoot every arrow carefully—never hurry.
The bows and arrows should be well taken care of. They should be cleaned and wiped thoroughly after each use. Never use a blunt arrow; it will not hold in the target. The bow should always be unstrung after it is used and strung before using again.
The arrow should be uniformly nocked at the same point upon the string in order to insure accuracy. Thus, it is desirable to wrap the string at the proper point with a different colored thread.
Games.
The most ancient form of archery is the so-called roving game, which consists of roving about and shooting at marks from various distances. Another form is flight shooting—seeking to cast an arrow the greatest possible distance.
Modern archery, however, is practically confined to target shooting. A target is a flat disc, varying from eighteen inches to forty-eight inches in diameter. It is marked by concentric rings or bands of different colors. From center to the outer ring the colors are gold, red, blue, black, and white; the latter is usually banded by a narrow strip of green. The dimensions are: gold nine and six-tenths inches, and the width of each of the other rings is exactly half that amount.
Tournament.
The archer standing at a prescribed distance shoots at the target, trying to make as many hits as possible and to place the arrows in the gold. Three arrows are usually shot at a time, then three more. The six arrows form an end. A given number of ends form a range, while two or three ranges form a round.