Happy New Year! With the passing of 2013 I thought it was high time that I put fingers to keyboard and put together a quick review of my year in archery. Actually, it isn't quite a year as the first lesson of my beginner's course was on 26 January, and a lot has happened since.
Looking back, I think I can say that I have made some good progress. I am never going to become an Olympian and there is plenty of room for improvement. However the improvement in my handicap over the last year (80 to 53) was one of the best in the club so I am quite pleased. As I did not have a handicap at the start of 2013, I am not eligible for the GNAS Handicap Improvement Medal, but Mrs EA is one of the four members who will be having a shoot-off this weekend to decide the winner.
So what were the best bits of my first year in archery? Above all, I have to say that the very best part of last year was meeting and shooting with a great bunch of people and making some very good friends. There is nothing to beat having a chinwag between ends, and it's nice to get together away from the field, too.
Also high on my list is having entered three external competitions: two outdoors and one indoors. If you haven't shot outside you club yet, don't be daunted and have a go - the organizers are usually very helpful and the more experienced archers are always encouraging to newbies. If you are with other members from your club so much the better.
At this time of year it as also fashionable (me? fashionable?) to outline your goals for the forthcoming year, so here goes.
1. Improve my consistency
2. Achieve my 2nd class classification
3. Regularly shoot at 70m and above
4. Enter at least three outside competitions
The first of these is the least measurable of all of the goals, so I had better explain what I mean. Over that past three or four months I have not been able to shoot as often as I would like and I have noticed a definite downturn in my performance from my best of last summer, and this is borne-out if you look at the graph on my shooting records page. Some of this is definitely down to poor technique and the return of bad habits, but I also think that I am pushing my current equipment to its limits, especially at 60m and above, so I will be looking to upgrade my arrows from aluminium XX75 to aluminium/carbon composite. In a few months I may also upgrade my limbs in terms of both draw weight and quality.
I am hoping that the lighter arrows will give me better consistency at longer distances and thus enable me to shoot lower handicap scores. Second class requires shooting at a handicap of 50 and, at my best, this is definitely within reach. The jump to first class (handicap of 44) is a much bigger ask, and requires consistent shooting at 70m, so this may be a step too far. However, it will not stop me having a go! If you are wondering where I got the classification figures, I used Google to find this page.
Last year I volunteered as Field Crew at the Surrey County Championships, which takes place over a weekend in July, and this year I intend to enter. I turn 50 at the end of January so I will be eligible to shoot in the Masters class, which is a 70m round. Senior archers under 50 must shoot a 90m round, which will probably be beyond me at that time. There are a number of other competitions that I will also enter. I am unlikely to win any silverware, but I will enjoy the day.
Finally, I think I should add one more goal:
5. Don't leave it more than two months before your next post!
Good shooting!
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Monday, 14 October 2013
From 18m to 80yds
Just when I thought is was all getting a bit samey, I managed to shoot for new rounds for the first time in the space of a fortnight, ranging from an 18m indoor round to an 80yd outdoor round.
The first new round was a FITA 18, which we shot at our club's temporary indoor venue. Whilst 18m is the shortest distance I have shot indoors, it comes with the additional challenge of having a 40cm face , rather than the 60m face used on Portsmouth rounds at 20yds. Being a new distance for me, I had no sight marks, but just made an estimate from previous 20yd figures. At 10 dozen, the round is the same length as a Portsmouth, but expected scores for a specific handicap are much lower for a FITA 18 than for a Portsmouth. I am still trying to work on my technique and concentrating on using my back muscles and sometimes this goes horribly wrong, but I was pleased with my score of 402, giving a handicap figure of 52 - my best yet and much lower than my current indoor running handicap.
The following week was another indoor FITA, this time a FITA 25. As the name suggests, this is shot from 25m but, unlike the FITA 18, at a 60cm face. The expected scores for a specific handicap are much lower than for a Portsmouth, but slightly higher than a FITA 18. (I don't envy those folk who have to calculate these handicap figures!). My score this time was 382 (55 h/cap) so not as good as the FITA 18, but still my third Class E score.
The following weekend we were back outdoors. The weather was overcast, but totally windless, so I made the brave decision to have my first attempt a Long National at 80yds. If you have read my previous post on my adventures at 70m, you will know that it was not altogether successful! However, I did remember that I had adjusted my sight for the shorter indoor distances, so I moved it back to allow for the longer distance. The first two or three sighters fell well short, even when my sight was set so low that the sight pin risked fouling the arrow on release, so I decided to aim higher than the gold and managed to get some arrows on the boss. I eventually found that aiming at the fabric of the flag above the boss gave me a fairly consistent hit rate, but I found myself still aiming at the gold from time to time.
After the four dozen at 80yds, the two dozen at 60yds seemed relatively easy and I ended up with a score bang on my running handicap, which pleased me no end. What does puzzle me is that on subsequent rounds starting at 60yds, it seemed an awful lot harder than coming down from 80yds to 60yds. I guess it is that old chestnut of archery being all in the mind!
The first new round was a FITA 18, which we shot at our club's temporary indoor venue. Whilst 18m is the shortest distance I have shot indoors, it comes with the additional challenge of having a 40cm face , rather than the 60m face used on Portsmouth rounds at 20yds. Being a new distance for me, I had no sight marks, but just made an estimate from previous 20yd figures. At 10 dozen, the round is the same length as a Portsmouth, but expected scores for a specific handicap are much lower for a FITA 18 than for a Portsmouth. I am still trying to work on my technique and concentrating on using my back muscles and sometimes this goes horribly wrong, but I was pleased with my score of 402, giving a handicap figure of 52 - my best yet and much lower than my current indoor running handicap.
The following week was another indoor FITA, this time a FITA 25. As the name suggests, this is shot from 25m but, unlike the FITA 18, at a 60cm face. The expected scores for a specific handicap are much lower than for a Portsmouth, but slightly higher than a FITA 18. (I don't envy those folk who have to calculate these handicap figures!). My score this time was 382 (55 h/cap) so not as good as the FITA 18, but still my third Class E score.
The following weekend we were back outdoors. The weather was overcast, but totally windless, so I made the brave decision to have my first attempt a Long National at 80yds. If you have read my previous post on my adventures at 70m, you will know that it was not altogether successful! However, I did remember that I had adjusted my sight for the shorter indoor distances, so I moved it back to allow for the longer distance. The first two or three sighters fell well short, even when my sight was set so low that the sight pin risked fouling the arrow on release, so I decided to aim higher than the gold and managed to get some arrows on the boss. I eventually found that aiming at the fabric of the flag above the boss gave me a fairly consistent hit rate, but I found myself still aiming at the gold from time to time.
After the four dozen at 80yds, the two dozen at 60yds seemed relatively easy and I ended up with a score bang on my running handicap, which pleased me no end. What does puzzle me is that on subsequent rounds starting at 60yds, it seemed an awful lot harder than coming down from 80yds to 60yds. I guess it is that old chestnut of archery being all in the mind!
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
All Change
After an August of holidays, reduced archery and worsening scores, I decided it was high time I got my technique sorted out. Mrs EA has noticed on many occasions that I tend to shake at full draw which, of course, is not a Good Thing. What I needed was some proper coaching, and the ideal opportunity arose a couple of weekends ago, when my daughter (older than my son, so hereinafter referred to as EA Jnr Snr) had the second of her three sessions of an intensive beginner's course. Andy was there because Beatriz was leading the course, and also there was DS, whose daughter was also on the course.
David was keen to do a walk-back test and I joined-in with Andy assessing my draw technique (as well as doing the walk-back test myself). The weather was wet so drawing around arrow groups on wet paper faces with a Sharpie posed a challenge, but we found that coloured chalk works well in this situation. Andy explained that the test gives a good indication of any adjustment needed to the position and tension (springiness) of the pressure button; the shape of the line drawn through the position of arrow grouping shot from increasing distance indicating the adjustments needed.
Andy started looking at my drawing technique and suggested I try changing a few things:
1. Position my front foot slightly ahead of my back foot to give a little stabilizing stiffness in the torso when at full draw;
2. Straighten my bow arm - it was slightly crooked;
3. Use my shoulder as a unit to draw, rather than just rotating from the shoulder joint;
4. Move my drawing hand past my face at cheek level instead of below the chin, and than come down to the anchor point, moving the right shoulder blade in and down;
5. Move the clicker in towards the riser to allow for longer draw using the above;
That's a lot to change in one session, but I persevered and tried to remember each of the points for every shot - and sometimes succeeded. Dave was also practicing at the field that day and also offered some advice. The first was to prepare for the shot with a couple of Zen breaths before setting up for the shot. I had read about this before, but Dave's explanation made it clear and it did seem to have a positive effect. Secondly he looked at my bow hand and suggested a small change to the way it was positioned on the riser. It is not much different to what I had been taught on the beginner's course all those months ago, but I had developed a bad habit since.
As well as assessing my technique, Andy was also looking at the results of the walk back test, and we learned that the position of my button was fine, but that it could do with being a little firmer, so I put an extra half-turn into the adjustment. We also looked at why my arrows were not flying straight, especially at longer distances and, after checking with a bow square, Andy suggested that the nocking point was too low, so we decided to move it. However, in cutting-off the dental floss, Andy managed to nick the serving, so he did a splendid job of re-serving the string before applying a couple of temporary nocking points. At this time, the beginners had finished, so I had to leave to take EA Jnr Snr home and have some lunch before returning with Mrs EA.
Back at the field in the afternoon I de-fletched a couple of arrows ready to do a bare shaft test with Andy. This test gives information that helps in adjusting the nocking point to the right position, and demands shooting a few fletched arrows and one or two unfletched arrows. The relative positions of the fletched and bare shafts give an indication of whether the nocking point is too low or too high.
After a few iterations of changing positions, we reached a nocking point position that was giving satisfactory results, so the nocking points were made permanent by the application of superglue. During these iterations, we managed to get a nocking point so badly wrong that one of the bare shafts went too high,hit the target frame and rose 20m vertically up in the air before falling (thankfully) further down the range. The result of this was one very bent arrow, which was used by Andy to instruct me in the use of the straightening jig.
Since that day I have shot two indoor (Portsmouth) rounds and two outdoor rounds, and I have been trying my best to put into practice what we covered. During the latest outdoor session I had one of those 'light bulb' moments, where I actually understood what Andy had been talking about and felt that I was in control and doing something right. My scores seem to bear this out, too, having shot below (outdoor) handicap for the first time in almost two months. I still shake a bit, but I feel far better about the way I am shooting.
David was keen to do a walk-back test and I joined-in with Andy assessing my draw technique (as well as doing the walk-back test myself). The weather was wet so drawing around arrow groups on wet paper faces with a Sharpie posed a challenge, but we found that coloured chalk works well in this situation. Andy explained that the test gives a good indication of any adjustment needed to the position and tension (springiness) of the pressure button; the shape of the line drawn through the position of arrow grouping shot from increasing distance indicating the adjustments needed.
Andy started looking at my drawing technique and suggested I try changing a few things:
1. Position my front foot slightly ahead of my back foot to give a little stabilizing stiffness in the torso when at full draw;
2. Straighten my bow arm - it was slightly crooked;
3. Use my shoulder as a unit to draw, rather than just rotating from the shoulder joint;
4. Move my drawing hand past my face at cheek level instead of below the chin, and than come down to the anchor point, moving the right shoulder blade in and down;
5. Move the clicker in towards the riser to allow for longer draw using the above;
That's a lot to change in one session, but I persevered and tried to remember each of the points for every shot - and sometimes succeeded. Dave was also practicing at the field that day and also offered some advice. The first was to prepare for the shot with a couple of Zen breaths before setting up for the shot. I had read about this before, but Dave's explanation made it clear and it did seem to have a positive effect. Secondly he looked at my bow hand and suggested a small change to the way it was positioned on the riser. It is not much different to what I had been taught on the beginner's course all those months ago, but I had developed a bad habit since.
As well as assessing my technique, Andy was also looking at the results of the walk back test, and we learned that the position of my button was fine, but that it could do with being a little firmer, so I put an extra half-turn into the adjustment. We also looked at why my arrows were not flying straight, especially at longer distances and, after checking with a bow square, Andy suggested that the nocking point was too low, so we decided to move it. However, in cutting-off the dental floss, Andy managed to nick the serving, so he did a splendid job of re-serving the string before applying a couple of temporary nocking points. At this time, the beginners had finished, so I had to leave to take EA Jnr Snr home and have some lunch before returning with Mrs EA.
Back at the field in the afternoon I de-fletched a couple of arrows ready to do a bare shaft test with Andy. This test gives information that helps in adjusting the nocking point to the right position, and demands shooting a few fletched arrows and one or two unfletched arrows. The relative positions of the fletched and bare shafts give an indication of whether the nocking point is too low or too high.
After a few iterations of changing positions, we reached a nocking point position that was giving satisfactory results, so the nocking points were made permanent by the application of superglue. During these iterations, we managed to get a nocking point so badly wrong that one of the bare shafts went too high,hit the target frame and rose 20m vertically up in the air before falling (thankfully) further down the range. The result of this was one very bent arrow, which was used by Andy to instruct me in the use of the straightening jig.
Since that day I have shot two indoor (Portsmouth) rounds and two outdoor rounds, and I have been trying my best to put into practice what we covered. During the latest outdoor session I had one of those 'light bulb' moments, where I actually understood what Andy had been talking about and felt that I was in control and doing something right. My scores seem to bear this out, too, having shot below (outdoor) handicap for the first time in almost two months. I still shake a bit, but I feel far better about the way I am shooting.
Monday, 22 July 2013
Surrey Archery Weekend 2013
The weekend of July 13 & 14 saw Surrey Archery Weekend, a two-day event held at Kingston University sports ground in Tolworth, and only half a mile from where we live. This was the first World Record Status event I had attented and certainly the largest. Although there was Double FITA Star over two days, there were a number of single-day rounds with English Archery Federation Championships on Saturday and the Surrey County Championships on Sunday. Both Mrs EA and EA jnr entered the Surrey Champs but, sadly, I am not quite at the stage where I can shoot the Men's distance of 90m, so I volunteered as Field Crew.
It was an early (7:30) start on Sunday morning, however the journey took less than 5 minutes by bicycle. All of the fifty bosses were already in place from there previous day, but new faces had to be fixed in the correct position. The other vital job was to fill containers with water and place them along the shooting line. The forecast temperature was 29°C so they could be used by the competitors to wet towels or hats to keep them cool. By 9am the temperature had already reached 22°C.
Competitors were arriving at the same time as the field crew, but the bulk of them started arriving about 30 minutes later. I took a few minutes out to unload our car and help EA jnr set up his kit and have it checked by the judges. They noticed that not all of his arrows were labelled, so we did a quick job with stickers from the toolbox and had them rechecked - OK this time.
As this event was being run under FITA rules, there was a timed practice session and all shooting was electronically timed, with buzzers indicating the start and finish of each end. The other difference to the club sessions I am used to is that each shot must be marked on the face so that the judges can decide if a bouncer is genuine or not.
Mrs EA was shooting a Ladies FITA (70,60,50,30) while EA jnr was shooting a Metric III (50,40,30,20). The first two distances were shot on 122cm faces and the final two distances on small 6-ring faces, which only have scoring rings from 6-10.
Field crew duty during the shoot was confined mainly to locating arrows that had missed the boss and moving the bosses between distances. The Kingston University ground staff had done a brilliant job of marking-out the field, making moving bosses much easier than it could have been. At the lunchtime break, all of the bosses needed refacing, with small 6-ring faces being used on most bosses: four per boss for compounds and two per boss for recurve. The water containers were refreshed, too.
Scores were collected from the scoresheets on the line and entered into iPads by volunteers from the Metropolitan Police Cadets. This meant that the running scores for the first two distances could be posted shortly afterwards. EA jnr was pleased to find that after 50m and 40m he was in second place, with another junior from our club close behind. Lunch for the competitors was a picnic in the shade and my daughter joined us to eat and to watch the afternoon session.
After lunch the temperature soared to 32°C and lots of people took advantage of the water buckets to soak towels or hats. Thankfully there were much fewer misses at the shorter distances so the field crew got a bit of a break. However after the final distance we had to swing into action to remove the faces, take down the bosses and frames and take them to the waiting transport. Finally we took down the safety fencing. During this time the juniors decided to have a fun water fight - perfect for a hot afternoon.
Field crew duties over, I helped pack away kit into the car before joining the rest of the Nonsuch Bowmen team for the results and presentations. We also managed to get a team photo in our new club shirts. EA jnr's score qualified him for EAF green (700) and white (800) junior Cross awards and we were able to claim them there and then. It was whilst waiting for the results that my daughter made it known that she had enjoyed the afternoon so much that she would like to do a beginners course. Will this make her EA jnr snr?
The results and awards took quite some time, given the number of pounds and bow styles. Although Mrs EA was not placed, she was pleased with her performance and valued th experience. EA jnr, on the other hand, was was surprised to placed in Silver medal position for the boys Metric III having being overtaken by his club-mate in the afternoon. The boy who was leading throughout was in eligible for an award as he was from out of County. Unfortunately the organisers only had a Gold medal ready so EA jnr will get his in the post in due course.
Other members of the club were also placed or claimed trophies, and even those who didn't shot well.
Next year I intend to enter as a competitor rather than crew. Although I still won't be able to shoot 90m, I will have had another birthday ando become eligible for the Masters rounds at 70m. There are clearly some benefits to turning 50 other than Saga holidays or Sun Life funeral plans!
Postscript:
The club has an award for the best handicap-adjusted score by a member shooting in the Surrey Championships. EA jnr was gobsmacked to be awarded this shield after shooting yesterday!
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Adventures at 70m
A couple of weeks ago I decided to increase the draw weight by winding in the limb bolts from the minimum setting that I had been using since March. Since then I have not scored any rounds, but spent a few sessions on the practice range trying to improve my draw and release technique, and to get used to the increased poundage. Music concerts, illness and family holidays also conspired to see me at the club less than I would have otherwise been.
Last night I decided to be adventurous and attempt 70m for the first time, shooting a FITA 70 round. This was not an altogether rash decision, as I had already shot 60m with the lighter settings, so I was sure that I would be able to at least reach the target. For the first couple of arrows I got Mrs EA to check where they were landing, and found that I needed to move my sight right in to the riser and on the very lowest vertical setting before I hit the target reliably.
When I say 'reliably', that is overstretching the truth a tad; the scoresheet appears to tell a different story:
Dozen 1 : 2 hits, score 7
Dozen 2 : 6 hits, score 28 [vast improvement]
Dozen 3 : 8 hits, score 30 [even better...]
Dozen 4 : 4 hits, score 19 [hmmmm....]
Dozen 5 : 7 hits, score 31 [bouncing back...]
Dozen 6 : 7 hits, score 28 [getting dark]
Total 143 (62 handicap)
So I scored with less than 50% of my arrows, and most of my misses were low. In fact I didn't manage any degree of consistency throughout the round and cannot say that I had a 'group' of arrows at any time. It is fairly clear that I am pushing the capabilities of my current equipment at this distance and I suspect that, at the speed they are travelling, my arrows are much more susceptible to the wind than some thinner, faster arrows. I conclude that the type of arrow and draw I am using and my current draw weight are not really suited to much over 50m, so I will be sticking to shorter distances for the foreseeable future. It is tempting to rush out and buy some heavier limbs and 'better' arrows to make things a little easier, but then I remember that I have only been at this game for four months and can probably gain more by developing my technique at the shorter distances with my current equipment. I suspect that this kit will see me to the end of this outdoor season and through the winter indoor season, when I hope to be able to do justice to any upgraded kit.
But it was worth trying!
Last night I decided to be adventurous and attempt 70m for the first time, shooting a FITA 70 round. This was not an altogether rash decision, as I had already shot 60m with the lighter settings, so I was sure that I would be able to at least reach the target. For the first couple of arrows I got Mrs EA to check where they were landing, and found that I needed to move my sight right in to the riser and on the very lowest vertical setting before I hit the target reliably.
When I say 'reliably', that is overstretching the truth a tad; the scoresheet appears to tell a different story:
Dozen 1 : 2 hits, score 7
Dozen 2 : 6 hits, score 28 [vast improvement]
Dozen 3 : 8 hits, score 30 [even better...]
Dozen 4 : 4 hits, score 19 [hmmmm....]
Dozen 5 : 7 hits, score 31 [bouncing back...]
Dozen 6 : 7 hits, score 28 [getting dark]
Total 143 (62 handicap)
So I scored with less than 50% of my arrows, and most of my misses were low. In fact I didn't manage any degree of consistency throughout the round and cannot say that I had a 'group' of arrows at any time. It is fairly clear that I am pushing the capabilities of my current equipment at this distance and I suspect that, at the speed they are travelling, my arrows are much more susceptible to the wind than some thinner, faster arrows. I conclude that the type of arrow and draw I am using and my current draw weight are not really suited to much over 50m, so I will be sticking to shorter distances for the foreseeable future. It is tempting to rush out and buy some heavier limbs and 'better' arrows to make things a little easier, but then I remember that I have only been at this game for four months and can probably gain more by developing my technique at the shorter distances with my current equipment. I suspect that this kit will see me to the end of this outdoor season and through the winter indoor season, when I hope to be able to do justice to any upgraded kit.
But it was worth trying!
Thursday, 13 June 2013
A Week of Contrasts
It has been an interesting week! Saturday was the Nonsuch Bowmen new members' day, where everyone shot at shorter distances so that the newer members have a chance to shoot with some of the older hands. This year, the club decided to seek sponsorship for the event in aid of the charity SeeAbility, who provide residential care for the daughter of two of our club members. The round for the day was a Short National, plus shorter distances. I was very happy to shoot a score of 417, which qualified me for my Third Class badge. Following the shoot we had a barbecue, with yours truly on burger-flipping duty and new and old members getting to know each-other. The latest count indicates that we have raised over £1000 for SeeAbility.
Tuesday started badly, but not as bad as it could have been. Shortly after dropping my daughter off at school for a GCSE exam, I had a collision with another car with the result that my car was a write-off. On the positive side nobody was injured, but I felt quite shaken. I was in two minds whether to shoot on Tuesday evening, but Mrs EA persuaded me that it would take my mind off things. The round was a Short Metric, which I find quite challenging, being 50m on an 80cm face, but I was glad I turned up as I was awarded my Third Class badge. We made it a family affair with EA jnr being awarded his First Class badge, and Mrs EA her Six Gold End badge. I struggled through the round, not enjoying it very much, but when when it came to looking at my total, I found that I had bettered my PB for the round by 40 points and shot below handicap. Strange how your mind can trick you sometimes!
Wednesday was a bit of an adventure for me. I had booked a day off work to shoot in the Take-a-Break competition, organised by Guildford Archery Club, and my first experience of shooting away from my home ground. My round was a Windsor and, being a shorter distance, was not eligible for any of the day's main prizes, but I was there mainly for fun and not for glory. There were another three gents shooting the same round. The club was well represented and Mrs EA was shooting at an eligible distance. It was nice to shoot with archers from other clubs, and discover the minor differences in things like calling scores and club organisation. At the end of the day I scored just below a third class score and just below handicap, which was fine considering the stiff wind and rain later in the day. The whole day was thoroughly enjoyable and it was an experience shooting with around sixty other archers of all abilities and I was to find out later that I had the best score for the gents Windsor, so can be doubly pleased.
Next weekend I plan to 'wind-in' the limbs on my bow to increase the poundage. I have been shooting the bow with the limbs set to minimum poundage since I first put them on and now that I have achieved my Third Class badge, I feel it is time to make some minor changes. My arrows were chosen with a spine at the stiffer end of the range to allow me to move up in poundage, so I am hoping that going heavier will have a positive effect on their flight. I would also like to start progressing toward longer distances, so gradually moving up in draw weight should help towards this goal.
Sunday is a non-shooting day for me, but I will be supporting from behind the line when Mrs EA and EA jnr take part in a friendly, local inter-club competition. The event will be tinged with a little sadness, though, as one of the coaches at the host club lost his life in a car accident last week. He was well known to many local archers and will be sadly missed.
Thursday, 6 June 2013
The Archery Two-Step
(..or one step forward, two steps back)
I admit it. I am a geek (just as well, really - that's how I have earned my living for the last twenty-odd years). I like numbers. I like the way that using numbers can tell a story, and target archery really does boil down to numbers in the end, doesn't it? The really good thing about archery numbers is that they can be quite forgiving of the novice (that's me) but really very hurtful to the expert. I know that sounds a bit odd, but stay with me.....
Since I started shooting scored rounds, I have kept a record of my scores, which are available for all to see! I have found this really useful in judging my progress; not against anyone else, but against myself. Sometimes, at the end of a round, it feels as though I haven't really shot to my potential, and that I could have done so much better. Then I look back at my previous score for the round and find that I have beaten my personal best by some margin. Isn't it strange how the human mind can be so misleading?
This is all a little bit introspective, and it is human nature to want to measure your abilities against others as well as yourself. Comparing just the scores for a particular round is the obvious way of judging ability, but this clearly favours the more experienced or stronger archer over the novice or someone with the basic inability to pull a 40lb bow. Whilst it is fine for competitions, it does not recognise progress, which is why handicaps are so great.
Why are they great? Well, firstly, they level the scoring across the dozens of rounds available to target archers: scoring 371 for a Short Junior Warwick (2 doz arrows at each of 30yds & 20yds) is equivalent of scoring 642 for a Metric II (3 doz arrows at each of 60m, 50m, 40m & 30m). Both give a handicap of 60, allowing the archer to try different rounds. Secondly the handicaps can be used to adjust scores in tournaments and competitions, so that archers who shoot above their ability on the day are rewarded, whilst those who are having an off-day may go home with the proverbial wooden spoon (or the aluminium/carbon composite spoon for those who can't resist high-end kit).
In many clubs the records officer will maintain a list of handicaps for each of the scored rounds, and provide each archer with a 'running handicap'. This figure is the average of the previous running handicap and the handicap for the latest round, if lower. As the running handicap is rounded up, you need to better your running handicap by 2 or more to get it lower. An initial running handicap is set as an average of the handicaps of an archer's first three scored rounds and running handicaps are reset at the end of the season to the average of the three best handicaps over that season. In general, the running handicap for an improving archer will continue to go down, but someone who has lost form or ability may find their running handicap rise at the end of the season.
So what is this about one step forward and two steps back? My records page has a graph showing the handicap scored for each round and the running handicap at the time of the round (not after it), against the date of the round. Here is a snapshot of the graph at the time of writing:
After the first half-dozen rounds, there is a pattern : better handicap; worse handicap; worse handicap. Or one step forward, two steps back. This is remarkably consistent until the very latest rounds, where it does break down, but the zig-zag nature of the Round Handicap line just goes to show that progress is not linear, and you should expect the odd off-day - there will be a better one round the corner.
Over time the downward slope will flatten out and the two lines will converge, but the zig-zag nature of the round handicap line will still be there. That's why handicaps are forgiving of the novice - a high-ish handicap will benefit you against someone with a handicap in the teens. Those with very low handicaps need only miss with one arrow and all is lost. What's that you say? Really good archers never miss? OK, so they rarely miss, but even good compound archers sometimes hit gold on the wrong boss.....
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