Sports Equipment

Archery is a precision sport. It makes use of a bow and an arrow. The objective is to be able to shoot the arrow as close as possible to the archery target. It takes years of training and practice to be good at the sport.

Aside from having a keen eye, an archer must also have high concentration skills and a steady arm. In competitive archery, the archer must assume a correct stance where the feet are shoulder-width apart and the body is directly facing the target. The bow should be held in the hand opposite the archer’s dominant eye. The arrow is released by relaxing the fingers but keeping the arm steady.

There are many types of targets used in archery.

The materials that are used in targets are very different, they can be as simple as a sheet of paper, or made out of a heavy-duty laminated foam that can withstand target arrows and also broad-head arrows. There are targets that can be mounted on a bale of hay that are made out of a simple type of fiberglass and can be used over and over. There are also targets made out of burlap bags that are stuffed with hay or straw.

There are foam targets, institutional targets, and freestanding targets. For some targets the use of a target stand, or target easel are necessary.
The targets are marked with 10 evenly spaced concentric rings, which have scoring values from 1 to 10 assigned to them. The 10th ring can also be called the X ring for indoor competition. For outdoor competition the X ring is used as a tiebreaker. The archer getting the most X rings is the winner. There are also different size faces on the targets.

Remember…using the correct arrows will prolong the use of a target.

Shooting at targets in archery can be fun for both the beginner and the experienced if all the safety precautions are utilized.

There are different types of targets used in archery. There are targets for competition and you also have targets for field archery.

Target archery is the most popular form of archery - shooting at targets at set distances for accuracy. In target archery the targets should be placed in a safe area, in front of a hill or have some type of backstop so if the arrow misses it, it won’t fly too far past the target.

In field archery targets are placed in a wooded area at different distances. The natural surroundings of the woods help in the safty in shooting at field targets.

Using the proper equipment will make this sport more fun and a lot safer!