Tabla de contenidos para Issue 143 en Bow International

How are you holding up? That's the question that I'm hearing, and asking, most often over the last couple of months. Rest assured, it's been plenty tough here at Bow Towers too. This situation has tested the fortitude and the mental health of introverts and extroverts alike. I've also been unable to shoot beyond a few yards until this week, but the archery world really won't miss me on the line, at least, and there's been plenty of things to worry about other than shooting. For some time, as the editor I have been mostly editing remotely anyway, so my working pattern bringing you your soaraway Bow every six weeks or so hasn't changed a great deal. But of course, everything is different, for everybody. As some of the practicalities…

The release of the bowstring has always been considered as the most important element of an archer’s technique as it predetermines athlete’s performance. It is the cornerstone of archery technique as well as its most complicated element. Biomechanical analysis shows that the release can be executed in a few fundamentally different ways: • with strain in the extensor muscles to the fingers • by relaxation of the finger flexors • strain of the extensors with simultaneous relaxation of flexors By the end of the 1960s, in the circle of coaches from different countries, there were a few fundamentally different views both on the best ways to release the bowstring and the movement of the hand with the bow after the shot. A lot of reputable coaches asserted that in the…

Here’s an Olympic recurve setup from the Lancaster Archery team that will help archers of all levels shoot out of this world. The Galaxy Solstice riser coupled with Galaxy Gold Star carbon/foam limbs will produce a high-quality, high-performing bow that can be used by archers of all experience levels. The 25-inch, forged and machined aluminium ILF riser, and the Gold Star ILF limbs are incredibly durable, smooth to draw, and capable of producing world-class arrow speeds while recovering quickly for a vibration free shot. Archers who have shot the Gold Star limbs rave about their speed, accuracy and lack of vibration. The Shibuya Caruno stabilizer, side rods and V-bar will help balance the bow perfectly for optimum performance; the high-modulus carbon rods are among the lightest on the market, so…

Keeping the bow arm stable is vital in recurve archery, but it's surprising how quickly the strength can drop off – especially if you've been out of the game for a few weeks. In this article, archers and coaches Naomi Folkard and Gunther Kuhr let you know how to keep things strong. The shoulder is one of the more complex joints in the body. It's sometime likened to a golf ball on a tee, but the ground on which the tee is sitting in can move! It's worth spending a little time looking up exactly how the shoulder works; the humeral head sits on the glenoid which is formed out of the outside corner of the scapula. Bear in mind that the scapula itself is able to move in any…

For the past few years the subject of my ongoing historical research project has been the archery societies of the late 18th century England and Wales. The revival of archery practice at the end of the century formed the middle ground between the old traditions and laid the foundations for the great revival of the Victorian era and beyond. The interest in this particular area lies in the fact that there has never been a single study attempting to bring all the facts and figures together to form a more coherent picture. Evidence is fragmented or scattered, and secondary writing on the subject is often inadequate, and at times biased. The most important primary source is the societies’ rule books. COMPOSITION OF THE RULE BOOKS The rule book is a…

One of the more durable cliches in the news media over the past three months has been stating that we are living in 'unprecedented times'. As a cliche, it has a strong element of truth to it. Most of the apocalypses we thought we were likely to face in our lifetime were immediate and catastrophic, something literally or metaphorically slamming into the Earth. Instead, a tiny package of cunning cells has upended the world in curious ways; forcing governments into difficult decisions, ruining the plans of billions, and causing who-knows-what kind of effects we will feel in a year or ten's time. It's not hard to feel that archery is suddenly not so important in the scheme of things, with livelihoods ruined and difficult choices to be made, finally properly…

INTRODUCTION Whether we're shopping online or in store we are affronted by hundreds of vanes of all sizes and shapes. This can often lead to option paralysis. The confusion leads a lot of archers of all levels to make poor decisions when it comes to making a purchase. Having a basic grasp of a few key facts and physics principles will put you in a position where you'll be able to short list your new vane candidates. Incidentally, you might prefer to call them fletchings - and that's fine too. Fletchings is a much older word and is more commonly used in Britain, whereas vanes is the universal term in North America and much of the rest of the world. North America is where a lot of them are made…

Chances are, by now, you'll never want to hear the word 'coronavirus' ever again, unless it's in a historical context. But inevitably, you know this will be with us for a while yet. Almost every national or international outdoor competition this year has been cancelled, and it's not even certain the indoor season will restart on time either. While a handful of clubs may be gradually reopening as of this writing, it's obvious that club archery as we know it is going to look very different this year. But what does it look like if you don't have your own garden (with enough space so that you don't accidentally shoot the neighbours) or the ceiling height in your own house or flat is not sufficient? How can you still call…