Glossary

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A
Anchor Point	Consistent position of drawing hand when the bow is at full draw
Arbalist	An archer who shoots crossbow
Arrow Plate	Protection, just above the bow handle, where the arrow passes
Arrow shelf	Flat horizontal area cut into the bow just above the bow handle
Archers Paradox	Flexing of the arrow as it passes the bow
Ascham	A tall narrow cupboard for bows and arrows. Named after Roger Ascham
Ascham, Roger	Tutor/Coach to the Royal Family and Author of Toxophilus 1544
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B
Back of the Bow	Face of the bow on the opposite side to the string
Barebow	Class of shooting where sights are not permitted
Belly of the bow	Face of the bow on the same side as the string
Best gold	Award given to the archer in a competition who’s arrow is nearest the centre of the gold.
Blunt	Flat headed pile used in popinjay shooting
Boss	Name for the target
Bouncer	An arrow that hits the target and rebounds from it
Bow arm	The arm attached to the bow hand
Bow Hand	The hand in which the bow is held
Bowman	Third highest classification of GNAS
Bow sling	Strap which stops the bow jumping from the hand on release
Bow Windo	Cut out in the riser above the handle, allows the arrow to rest centre shot
Bracer	Shield, known as an arm guard, protects the forearm of the bow arm
Bracing Height	Distance between the string and a specified point on the bow (usually the throat of the handle)
Butt	Target or Boss, original a mound of earth to shoot at
Button	Adjustable spring loaded contact for the arrow above the rest
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C
Cast	The efficiency and power of the bow which is passed into the arrow
Centre Shot	The position of the arrow when it is on the arrow rest and perpendicular to the string and the centre line of the bow
Clicker	An audible indicator fixed to the bow to assist with a consistent arrow draw length
Clout Shooting	Competition where archers shoot at a flag (Clout) on the ground, up to 180 yards
Cock Feather	The fletching fixed on the arrow at right angles to the nock slot
Composite Bow	A bow with limbs laminated from several materials
Compound bow	A bow with eccentric wheels/cams on the ends of the limbs for cables
Creeping	Allowing the arrow to move forward from full draw prior to loose
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D
Dominant Eye	The stronger eye, usually the aiming eye
Draw	To pull or draw the bow string
Draw Force Line	A straight line from the bow hand pressure point (on the bow), through the fingers, forearm and elbow of the drawing arm
Draw Length	The length of arrow draw by an individual archer
Draw Reference Point	The position of the hand and string relative to the face at full draw. (see Anchor Point)
Draw Weight	The force required to pull a bow to full draw length, measured in pounds
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E
End	The number of arrows shot before scoring and retrieving, usually 3 or 6 arrows.
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F
Fast	Warning shout to stop shooting in an emergency
Field Captain	Person controlling the shooting
F.I.T.A.	Federation Internationale de Tir a l'Arc, Archery's international governing body. The name is also used for a number of specific shooting Rounds
FITA Star	A tournament where archers can gain awards (stars) for specified scores
Fletching	The flights fixed to the arrow, usually made from feather or from various types of plastic
Fletching Jig	A device use to position fletchings on arrows in the correct positions
Flight Shooting	Shooting for the longest distance
Follow Through	The movement which take place in the archer and equipment immediately following the loose
Foot Markers	Small discussed to mark archers foot positions on the shooting line
Freestyle	Recurve bow, using sight/draw length check/button and stabilisers
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G
GMB	Grand Master Bowman, the highest GNAS classification
GNAM	Grand National Archery Meeting, premier tournament since 1844
G.N.A.S.	Grand National Archery Society, Archery's national governing body
Gonfalon	Banner of a club, county or group of archers
Grip	The part of the bow held in the bow hand
Group	The area covered by an archer's arrows in the target face.
Grouping	Having arrows land within an area of the target face.
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H
Hanger	Arrow that does not penetrate the boss, but hangs down the face of the target
Heeling	The practice of applying bow hand pressure low on the bow grip
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K
Kisser	A small disc or device fitted to the string and drawn to the lips as a draw length check
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L
Lady Paramount	Traditionally appointed to preside at tournaments and to present awards
Loose	The action of releasing the bow string when shooting
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M
MB	Master Bowman, second highest GNAS Classification
Mono Filament	Single strand or thread, normally used for serving on bow strings
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N
Nock (1)	The slot on the fletched end of the arrow used to position the arrow on the bow string
Nock (2)	The grooves at the end of the bow limbs into which the string sits
Nocking Point	The place on the bow string where the arrow is placed
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O
Over Bowed	Term used to indicate the bow weight is too great for the archer
Overdraw	To draw the pile of the arrow beyond the arrow rest
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P
Petticoat	The outer edge of the target for which there is no score
Pile	The metal point of an arrow
Pinching	Gripping the nock of the arrow between the fingers
Pin-Hole	The exact centre of the target face, usually marked with a cross
Popinjay	Shooting at artificial birds on perches on top of a 90 foot mast
Pressure Button	See Button
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R
Release Aid	Device used with a compound bow acting as a trigger to release the string
Riser	Rigid centre section of a bow to which the limbs are attached
Round	Formal standard number of arrows shot at one or more distances in competitions
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S
Serving	Thread wound around the bow string at nocking point, end the loops
Serving Tool	Device used to apply serving to the bow string
Shooting Line	The line which archers stand astride whilst shooting
Sighters	Arrows allowed at the start of a shoot to enable sight adjustments
Spin Wings	A curved type of plastic fletching
Spine	The measure of an arrows flexibility
Stabilisers	Rods and weights fitted to a bow to reduce bow movement
Stacking	Steep increase in bow draw weight at or near the end of the draw
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T
Tackle	Collective word used to describe an archers equipment
Take Down	A type of bow which has removable limbs
Target Captain	Person in charge of archers on a target, especially when scoring
Target Face	Paper or fabric coloured target with scoring areas, fixed to a the front of a boss
Target Stand	The support for the boss or target
T.F.C.	Torque Flight Compensators, flexible couplings for stabilisers
Tiller (1)	Bowyers process to balance forces applied to limbs when the bow is strung
Tiller (2)	The difference in the measurements between the sting and the limbs just above and just below the riser
Torque	A turning force applied to the bow at full draw
Trajectory	The flight path of an arrow
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U
Under-Bowed	Term used to indicate the bow weight is too light for the archer
Unit Aiming	Maintaining the relative position of the arms, head and shoulders by aiming using movements at the waist
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V
Vane	Another name for plastic fletchings
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W
Waiting Line	A line behind (usually 5m) the shooting line where archers wait to shoot and retire behind after shooting an end
Wax	Used to seal a bow string and bind the strands together
Worst White	Award given to the archer whose arrow hits the outermost scoring area of the target
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