Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 147 i Bow International

Welcome to the last Bow of one of the more difficult and complicated years in living memory. The year 2020 will be long remembered as the year of corona; a year where not much happened that didn't involve a screen, a year where something almost infinitesimally tiny managed to stop pretty much the entire Western world in its tracks. As I write this, archery is halted again as the UK is back under lockdown, and the virus is rampant again in many countries. But finally it looks like vaccines are on the way, testing is starting to become more commonplace and there are a handful of green shoots of recovery on the horizon – although no one is pretending to know the long-term impacts on aspects of public life and…

UNDER £20 FIVICS SCOREBOOK AND PEN Fivics have made this specially designed scorebook that comes with an arrow themed pen. Each page has space to score and plot 18 arrows and a box at the bottom of each page for notes. This is a perfect gift for archer looking to improve their archery by scoring and plotting, now they can do it in style. • £7• Available from JVD• jvd-archery.com ARCHERS LANTERN KG Archery have made this archery themed lightbox, showing a silhouette of a barebow archer cut from the wood, allowing the light to shine through when a tea light is placed inside. Not all gifts for archers have to be functional; this decorative item is a great example of archery home décor! • £12• Available from KG Archery•…

CHASER PYTHON RISER Fairly new to the market, the Chaser Python is an up and coming riser, developed over a period of two years with the Chinese national archery team. With a GMX-esque design and a beautiful finish, this riser would be a great gift for any archer looking for something slightly different. • £570• Available from Merlin Archery• merlinarchery.co.uk TELL SECTIONAL TARGET This lightweight sectional target is easy to manoeuvre and store, making it perfect for archers looking to kit out a home range over the winter season. It’s very durable and the sections make it easy for one person to put together and each individual section can be replaced as the target wears out over time. There are also smaller versions available if a full size target isn’t…

In recent years, the well-known Korean firm Cartel has rebranded itself as Epic Archery. They produce a variety of products, and their catalogue boasts some very impressive looking kit. The rods I will be reviewing were unveiled in the 2019 catalogue for release in 2020, and they are now available at multiple retailers in the UK. The catalogue states that the “Epic Fusion EX Carbon stabilizer is designed to provide reliable performance, guaranteeing your shot accuracy with a minimum investment”, and I put these rods to the test in order to investigate these claims. I tested these rods against my own Fivics Phoenix 1500D rods that I’ve been shooting for about 18 months. It may be a complete coincidence, but the Epic Fusion EX rods look remarkably similar to these…

To recap, this goal of achieving the Olympic qualifying scores of 640 and 605 for men and women respectively without putting the rest of your life on hold is a hard challenge, but it is not insurmountable. In part one we looked at motivation and making a plan. Part two was a detailed equipment review and a look at some common shooting errors to make sure your equipment and/or your form were not losing you cheap points. In this issue we will look at what I think is the most overlooked piece of the jigsaw puzzle - bow fitness. Let’s be honest – nobody really likes fitness training. There are many ideas and training programs available for archers, so here I will suggest some shorter training routines that are proven…

NIMES AND LANCASTER GOING AHEAD, VEGAS SHOOT MAYBE In a positive sign for the sport, two of the major indoor tournaments on the calendar scheduled for 2021 have opened for registration. The Nimes tournament in the south of France and normally a stage of the Indoor World Series, is accepting archers for entry on the 15th January. This tournament is limited to 850 participants, where 1100 participated last year. The French tournament has been authorised to go ahead under the current French government regulations with some rule changes to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Each archer is being given more space on the shooting line, and athletes can only bring one accompanying person, who must be preregistered. There will also be no spectator access in 2021 – although the event…

ASTRA SHOT TRAINER Archers need to keep up their strength over the winter when it may not be possible to shoot a full distance at a club, so the Atra shot trainer makes a great gift. This device teaches the archer to release the bowstring while maintaining shot strength and direction, and may also be used for bow drills and reversals. • £57• Available from Custom Built Archery• cbarchery.co.uk EASTON ARM SLEEVE This Easton arm sleeve is a stylish way to keep clothes out of the way and provide a consistent surface to put an arm guard on. It can also be useful during the outdoor season to prevent the classic armguard tan line that every archer has experienced at one point or another. • £38• Available from JVD• jvd-archery.com…

If we choose to do archery it’s not to do a lot of physical training - we prefer to shoot arrows, right? But it’s always possible to be stronger without shooting. Because archery is a unique and specific sport we have to develop specific conditioning in order to shoot well. This routine should not last more than 20 minutes, not including warming up or stretching afterwards. The main goal of these programs is to improve physical performance capacities by resisting fatigue during training and competition, and to help you you shoot every arrow with 100% quality. Not only that, a routine like this will help to increase self-confidence. These exercises help to reduce the risk of muscle tears on the bow arm with specific exercises for the supraspinatus & infraspinatus…

Q I measured my draw length consistently using an archery position against the wall and came to be 26.25". I've read to go down to the nearest: 26". Other pro shops suggest going up to 26.5". I'm confused as to which I should select. A Correctly measuring your draw length for a compound bow can be difficult; there are several methods you can use in order to find a good starting point, although this is unlikely to be your final draw length. Some trial and error is required in order to perfectly fine tune the draw length for optimum results, but the two main methods used for measuring up for an initial draw length are: 1) Stand with your back against a wall and raise both your arms so that…

This is a quiz very much for serious fans of the worldwide sport. There's not been a lot of new pics this year for obvious reasons, so this is a selection of Dean Alberga's best from the last few years. All you have to do is name the archers in the photographs, and you could win a superb set of Epic stabilisers. Last year a very tiny (very tiny) proportion of entrants got everything right, despite the fact that this is definitely solvable with a bit of sleuthing. Try your luck!…

The launch of new archery app, Archer’s Toolbox, a ‘one-stop shop’ for archers, clubs, counties and regions has proved a big hit - gaining hundreds of new users in just a few days. The app, which is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play, is set to boost the return of archery in the UK by digitising the submission process of scores, potentially saving clubs hundreds of pounds each year in printing costs. Dave Leader, from UK retailer and training centre Aim4Sport, the company behind the app said: “I’m so excited that Archer’s Toolbox is live as it’s been a journey that started almost five years ago, when I set out on a mission to produce an app that was better than the one that…

LAST CHANCE ARCHERY BOW WEIGHT SCALE HS3 The HS3 is the latest and greatest tool for checking peak weight and holding weight. With new weight functions (including a luggage/fish function!) this model is the most diverse of its kind. They claims it's even more accurate now, too, and has a new hook and new handle. Does both pounds and kilograms, of course. • Around 100 EUR• Available from JVD• jvd-archery.com VANGUARD TRIPOD When you have a great scope, you don’t want to risk putting it on a cheap tripod and have it blow over in the wind. This Vanguard tripod is strong and sturdy, and easily adjustable with a scope on it. It folds down small enough to fit inside a bow bag, and comes with its own carry case…

SCHOOLGIRL APOCALYPSE (2011) Original title: Sera-fuku Mokushiroku DIRECTOR: JOHN CAIRNS THEY SAY: "SAKURA IS They say: "Sakura is your typical Japanese school girl that lives in a small town in the mountains. One day at school, during archery practice, her teacher and classmate start acting strange." 12 Ignore the slightly NSFW translation of the title, this is an arthouse zombie action flick with a slightly improbable production story, that somehow comes together into a highly watchable piece with some nice woozy impressionistic touches and a Sergio Leone backnote. It's a coming-of-age movie of sorts, and if you like a lot of zombies getting impaled by arrows, you're in for a treat. Realism rating: way above average THE SACRED ARROW (2014) ORIGINAL TITLE: WU CAI SHEN JIAN DIRECTOR: PEMA TSEDEN They say: "Two Tibetan…

Archery practice in the 1500s was governed by statute and, with certain exceptions, all males were required to take part, with – it has to be said – variable enthusiasm, there were those who actually enjoyed the experience and took great pleasure from the activity. For these enthusiasts special areas were prepared and set aside: in south London in St Georges Fields, Southwark, and in the north, Finsbury Fields, an large area of green space north of what is now Finsbury Square on the edge of the City Of London. Although the two were similar in scope, purpose and number of shooting ‘Marks’ the presence of the Honourable Artillery Company at Finsbury gained it the greater attention. Originally marshy, uneven and largely wasteground, it was cleared and prepared for archery…