The Sportswoman's Library, Vol. 1 of 2

by Unknown

The other equipment required is an arm guard or bracer with straps, cut out of one piece of brown leather,—the leather bracers lined with silk having elastic fastenings are no good—and a belt with a quiver to hold six arrows, as the first shooter at a target at a big meeting should always have six arrows to shoot with, to avoid delay in the beginning. On this belt should hang a tassel for wiping dirty arrows, a pencil and scoring book, a little bag containing glove, extra string, a piece of wax and some silk to whip the bow string when necessary. It is also useful to have a knife, and a pair of scissors.

As to the question of gloves or tips, I always recommend a kid glove, a size larger than the ordinary wear, with pieces of smooth leather—not soft or spongy—neatly sewn on to the three first fingers, care being taken not to put the leather below the first joint of the finger. Many people, however, shoot with either knuckle or screw tips, which are bought ready made of the bow maker. If tips are used they should fit the fingers accurately, all three being of the same thickness. It is important to have two gloves or sets of tips for shooting in case of accident, and they should be exactly alike. Other necessaries are a waterproof bag for bow, and a wooden box with spaces for arrows.

The usual distances shot by women are sixty and fifty yards, four dozen arrows at sixty yards and two dozen at fifty yards, being what is called the National Round. Of late, shooting at seventy yards has been re-introduced, six dozen arrows at that distance followed by four dozen at sixty yards and two dozen at fifty yards, being named the Hereford Round.

The targets are four feet in diameter and are made of twisted bands of wheat straw fastened together with tar cord, then covered with painted canvas. There are five concentric rings painted on them, the centre gold, which scores nine, the red seven, blue five, black three, and white one, and in scoring, the arrow counts as being in the highest colour which it touches. The targets are supported by iron or wooden stands, the centre of the target being four feet from the ground, and slightly tilted back. They should not be placed at the exact distance it is intended to shoot at, but from two to four yards further back, a mark being placed in the ground at the correct distance for the archer to stand on, and no one should be allowed to stand in front of the targets except the archer who is actually shooting. It is important that quiet should be maintained behind the target, and archers, especially at public meetings, should assist the captain, whose duty it is to see that order is kept.

The ground should be as level and smooth as possible, and the targets should be placed exactly opposite each other; if more than one pair are in use, the ground will require squaring, in order that the pairs may be exactly opposite each other.

The directions given for the position for shooting hold good at all distances, and no alteration ought to be made with the exception that the left hand must be raised higher at the longer distance, greater elevation being required in order to obtain a sufficiently high flight. It is a great mistake to draw to a different place on the face, or not to draw the arrow fully up, at the shorter distance. Always draw the arrow till the pile reaches the bow and your hand the right place, viz., under your right jaw below the axis of vision of the right eye.

Having described most of the details to be attended to, we now come to the all important subject of how to shoot. I must first of all impress on all beginners that it is absolutely necessary there should be nothing on the dress which could by any means catch or interfere with the string. Nothing is more suitable than a plain tailor-made dress, or a skirt and blouse, the latter with no frills. The sleeves should be sufficiently easy to allow the elbow perfect play without being too large. In putting on the bracer care should be taken to keep the sleeve smooth, any fulness being drawn to the back of the arm, and the top of the sleeve pinned back out of the way.

Standing. Take up your position on the shooting spot, with feet six or eight inches apart, standing easily in an upright position, with the shoulders in a direct line between the targets. Care should be taken that the knees are perfectly straight, the balance of the body being on the heels, and the position of the shoulders must be obtained by moving the feet and not by twisting the body.