Home › F › Fig (DRAWING all the loose This)

Fig (DRAWING all the loose This)

14.-DRAWING all the loose. This is, however, merely a question of raising or lowering the left hand, as the right should always be in the OLYMPIC GAMES, 1908. MR. W. Don, WINNER. same place, and practice alone will enable the archer to find the right spot. The bow being drawn as explained above, and still OLYMPIC GAMES, 1908. MR. H. B. RICHARDSON. as they were before it (Fig. 16). Of course the whole operation takes far less time to perform than to describe, as the arrow should not be held longer than is absolutely necessary to get the aim, nor should it be loosed till the aim has been obtained. Care must be taken that neither the right hand nor elbow is allowed to drop, and that the former does not leave the chin.

The left hand should also be kept up till the arrow has hit the target or the ground, as the archer will thus be enabled to ascertain if it has shifted during or after shooting. The importance of always drawing to the same spot cannot be too strongly insisted on, and this cannot be accomplished unless some part of the face is touched, the chin for choice. The right hand should never be brought behind the eyes, but should always be in front of them, or a correct aim cannot be obtained. The distance between the 1ight hand and the eye acts as a backsight does in a rifle, the point of the arrow corresponding to the fore-sight. For this MISS Q. NEWALL, OLYMPIC GAMES, 1908. WINNER OF THE NATIONAL ROUND. reason, it is necessary that the head should be erect, and that the hand should be brought to the chin, not the head brought down to meet the hand, as if this is done the arrow must fly low to the left. It is also necessary that the right hand should not leave the face at the moment of loosing, as should it do so, the left hand will be pulled out of place. How important it is that the left hand should be kept steady will at once be understood, as should it be moved up or dropped the arrow will of course go high or low, and any lateral motion would equally prevent its going straight.

A common fault is to allow the right [ARCHERY hand to move forward when the arrow is drawn up and while the aim is being taken.

This is called "creeping," and must be guarded against, as it gives a forward loose which takes all the vitality out of the arrow's flight. Dropping the bow-hand and allowing the body to turn on the hips at the moment the arrow is loosed are also faults which must be avoided. a Attention must be paid to the string, and should any symptom of weakness be observed, new one should at once be fitted, as the fracture of the string will often cause that of the bow; indeed, a careful archer should always have a spare string P