Glossary of terms | torquayarchers.co.uk

Glossary of basic Archery Terms

Anchor Point - the point to be touched by the draw hand or bow string when the bow is fully drawn and to shoot, a point on the archer's face, either the mouth, cheek, chin or Nose

Arrowhead - The front end of the arrow, also known as the head point or tip

Arrow Rest - The device used to hold the arrow against the bow until it is released

Bare bow - A bow that has no additional accessories such a sights, stabilisers etc.

Boss - The target base usually made from straw or compacted foam and holds the Target face

Bow Arm - The arm with which you hold the bow, if you are right handed it will be your left

arm and vice versa

Bracer - An arm guard, protective strap or sheath for the archer's forearm

Brace Height - The distance from the bow string to the pivot point of the bow's grip

Bracing Height Gauge - A ’T’ shaped ruler for measuring the distance form the bow string

Bouncer - An arrow that hits the target and bounces off it

Bow Stringer - The devise used to assist in stringing and unstringing the bow

Clicker - A gadget which clicks into place when the arrow is at full draw, ensures a consistent

length to the draw

Clout Archery - Clout archery is a form of archery in which archers shoot arrows

at a flag (known as "the Clout") from a relatively long distance

Cock feather - A differently coloured fletch that indicates the proper arrow alignment on the

string

Composite Bow - A composite bow is a traditional bow made from horn, wood and sinew laminated together, a form of laminated bow. The horn is on the belly, facing the archer, and sinew on the outer side of a wooden core.

Compound bow - A bow that uses a system of cables and pulleys to add leverage to the power

of the bow.

Dead Release - Keeping your hand at the anchor point when you let the arrow go and don’t

follow through

Draw - To pull or draw the bow sting back - full draw is the point at which you are ready to fire

the arrow

Drawing Hand/arm - The name given to the hand/arm used to draw back the bow

Draw length - The distance in which you are able to fully draw the bowstring back

Draw weight - Measured in pounds, this is the amount of force being applied when the archer

has the bowstring fully drawn.

Dry firing - Drawing and realising the bow with no arrow nocked. This should NEVER be done,

it can break the bow.

An ‘End’ - The round of arrows shot before they are collected and the score taken -usually

either three or six

Field Archery - A type of archery outdoors where you shoot your arrows at different targets over

different types of terrain, often in woodland with bulls eye or 3D mock ups of

animals

Field Captain - The name given to the person who is in charge of a field competition/tournament

Finger Tab - A leather piece that fits on your fingers to protect them when you

pull the bowstring back

Fletch - One of the vanes attached to the arrow to stabilise flight, either a feather, plastic

or rubber

Fletching - The name given to the set of three fletches, the vanes at the end of the arrow

Full draw - When the bow is fully drawn at the point just before the arrow is released

Group/grouping - This is when the arrows you have shot tend to be grouped together on the

target face - indicates consistent shooting

Index Fletch - An arrow has three fletches, one of these is a different colour = the index fletch.

It is positioned away form the bow when nocked and ensure proper arrow

alignment

Line cutter - A scoring arrow that cuts the line between two scores.

Longbow - A traditional wooden one piece bow with no recurve or shooting aids. It requires

more skill than a re-curve bow

A Miss - The arrow has missed the target rings - A non- scoring arrow

Nock - On the end of the arrow and is shaped to clip the arrow onto the bowstring

Nocking Point - Is the point on your bow string where the arrow should be nocked

Nock an arrow - Clip an arrow onto the bow string

Pull - The act of pulling the arrow from the target

Quiver - The receptacle for your arrows which can either be attached to you waist or strapped

over the shoulder or even on the ground

Recurve Bow. - Takes is name of the curvature of the limbs, is the most common type of

bow in target archery and has Olympic status ( also ‘take down bow ‘)

Release. - Releasing the bow string to send the arrow from the bow

Release. - When you fire your arrow when fully drawn

Sighters - Practice arrows shot to help you work out the sight mark for the distance

Riser - The centre part of a take down bow

A Robin Hood - An arrow shot directly into the back of another arrow, often results in damage

Stabaliser - This is an addition to the bow to add balance and reduce vibration, either a single

rod or a set of rods that attach to the riser on recurve bows

Stance - This is how your legs, body, arms and head should be positioned ready to shoot and is

key to good archery

Tab - See finger tab above

Take down Bow - Typically a recurve bow in three pieces, the centre and handle is called the riser and the two ends that clip into it are the limbs

Target Face - In Target archery the paper on the front of the boss with the coloured

rings which are numbered and used to create the score

Toxophilite - A person devoted to archery

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Torquay Company of Archers