International Field

Archery Association

High School Teacher

Archery Instructor

Sport Specific Course

Produced for IFAA by: Lynne and Peter Fairhall
International
member of

TAFISA
Acknowledgement
This course has been put together by Lynne Fairhall (Level Two Field Archery Coach and IFAA
Master Coach) and Peter Fairhall (Level Two Field Archery Coach and level 3 IFAA Coach) from the
experience they have had teaching archery for school sport in Australia since 1997. This will be a
dynamic document designed to change when information and teaching methods are updated.

Minimum Qualification Requirement of School Teacher

1. Be a Current PE or accredited Sports Teacher
2. Must be Over 18 years of age.
3. Must have Child Protection Check (if required by local legislation)
4. The teacher must attend an IFAA Instructor Course, complete the required paper work and
be certificated by the IFAA Director of Training and Coaching.
5. Must update their accreditation every four years.

Course Out Comes

a. This course is to help teachers to pass on the correct information and archery techniques
to their students in a safe and disciplined manner.
b. To bring the current archery at schools protocol to a higher level with more instruction of
the sport specific module and knowledge of the working and safety aspects of all archery
equipment.
c. To help maintain a high level of knowledge and keep them up to date by re-accrediting
teachers every year.

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 Sport Specific Course
Contents
Description Page

Part One: Bows 3

a. Explanation of Bows and their Components 3
b. Make up of a Bow 5
c. Maintenance of Bow 5
d. What is a Dry Fire & What Damage can it do 5
Part Two: Arrows 6
a. Explanation of Arrows and their components 6
b. Relationship between arrow spine an Bow poundage 6
c. Maintenance of Arrows 7
Part Thee: Other Archery Equipment 8
a. Hip Quiver 8
b. Arm Guard 8
c. Finger Tabs 8
d. Bow Stands 9
Part Four: Set up of an Archery Range 10
Part Five: Safety Rules 12

Part Six: Shooting Sequence 13

a. Shooting Sequence 13
b. Eye Dominance 13
c. Shooting Sequence Detail 14
Part Seven: Aiming Sequence 23

Part Eight: Ten Week Shooting Program 24

Part Nine: Glossary of Archery Terms 26

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Part One: Bows
a. Explanation of the bows and their components:
- Longbow
This is usually thought of as a traditional bow and is made from either one piece of timber
or laminated timbers. The Longbow was the bow of choice for the English armies in
medieval times. There are still many archers who use the longbow but it is a very difficult
bow to master.

- Recurve Bow
This is also a traditional bow used in ancient times by the Mongols and Middle Eastern
tribes. The Recurve bow is still very popular today and is the only bow allowed to be used
in the Olympics. Recurve bows can be made of wood or a metal and wood or carbon
combination. The most popular recurve bow is called a takedown bow which allows the
user to take the limbs off the riser (Handle) for easy storage and cartage. The modern

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takedown recurve is a great bow to use for beginners. It is easier to use than the
traditional longbow and can be used by archers of all strengths and draw length.

Basic “Standard”
Recurve Bow Modern Recurve Bow

- Compound Bow

This is a very advanced bow which has been

around for approximately forty years. The
compound bow is designed to be specific to
the user as the draw length and poundage
are set for the individual. This bow is now
being used in the Commonwealth Games.
The compound bow is mainly for use by the
individual and not for group training.

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b. Make-up of a Bow
- Limbs – Check for damage, cracks, delamination, twisting.
- Riser- Check for cracks, delamination, limb pocket damage.
- Arrow Rest – Check to see it is safe and mounted correctly.
- String – Check for fraying, broken strands.
- Serving – Check to make sure serving is still intact and not unwinding.
- Nock Indicator – Check to make sure nock indicator is in the correct position and not
loose.

c. What is a Dry Fire & what damage can it do!

A “Dry Fire” is shooting the bow without an arrow nocked (clipped) onto the string. When
the bow string is drawn back energy is created, if there is no arrow to absorb the energy
when fired this energy has to be dispersed somehow. With a “Dry Fire” the energy goes
back up the string and down into the limbs of the bow. The bow makes a loud cracking
noise and the limbs can break and split. Never “Dry Fire” any bow as it will not only
damage the bow but also the user.

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Part Two: Arrows
a. Explanation of Arrows and their components:

Wood: Wooden arrows are primarily now used for those who shoot traditional equipment
eg: Longbows and wooden recurve bows. They are inconsistent and splinter easily.

Aluminium: Aluminium arrows are more consistent than wooden arrows and are more
flexible when they hit a hard surface. They tend to bend rather than break and are a better
choice for using within a coaching program.

Carbon: Carbon arrows are lighter and stronger and are preferred by established archers.
They will shatter when they hit a hard surface so are not conducive to the novice archer.

b. Relationship between Arrow Spine & Bow Poundage:

Arrows have a stiffness or spine which determines their flexibility. This flexibility is matched to
the poundage of the bow. The higher the poundage of the bow, the stiffer the arrow has to
be. If an arrow is too flexible when shot out of a high poundage bow the bow will not
recognise that there is an arrow and a “Dry Fire” situation will occur. The bow will explode and
the arrow will snap which may cause it to penetrate the bow hand. When purchasing arrows
for your bows an “Arrow Chart” must be used to make sure you have the correctly spined
arrows for the poundage of the bow.

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 c. Maintenance of Arrows
Nocks - Check to make sure nocks are not split or damaged.

Fletching - Check fletching to make sure it is intact.

Points – Check to make sure points are still intact and not loose.

Arrow Shaft – Check to make sure that the shaft has no creases, holes or damaged sections –
discard any damaged arrows.

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Part Three: Other archery equipment

a. Hip Quiver – To keep arrows safely stowed at all times and so the students are not
walking around with arrows in their hands.

b. Arm Guards – To protect Students who have hit their arm with the bow string.

c. Finger Tabs – To protect the Students fingers whilst shooting.

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 d. Bow Stands – To place bows & quivers on when not in use.

Manufactured Bow Stand

Handmade Bow Stand

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Part Four: Setup of an archery range

The Archery Range on school premises must meet the following criteria.
a. The area where the archery range is set up must be a level area. There should be
approximately twenty metres from the area where the students are assembled behind the
bow stands to the target butts. There must be a clear area of no less than forty metres
directly behind the target butts for stray arrows to fall. There must be no pathways
directly behind this area and there must be no areas where other persons can walk freely
onto the archery range.
b. There must be a clear shooting line (sport cones)
c. There must be stands for the bows and quivers to be kept on when not in use
approximately one metre behind the shooting line.
d. There must be a clear line (sport cones) where the students wait approximately one metre
behind the bow stands.
e. The target butts must be able to catch the arrows substantially without damage to the
arrows. Butts and stands can be purchased from reputable archery equipment dealers.
f. The butts should be placed approximately 1 metre apart with a maximum of three butts to
start and four butts once the teacher has experience with set up and running of the sport.
Two archers are able to shoot into the one butt.
g. Targets are placed in the middle of the butt.
h. There should be no more than 6 archers on the shooting line at one time. Once the
teacher has experience with set up and running of the sport a maximum of 8 archers
should be the limit.

Target Butts must be approximately one meter apart

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Manufactured Target Butt

Home-made Target Butt

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Part Five: Safety Rules

Basic safety rules.

These Rules must be read out to the students before they touch the archery equipment.
1. Do not Fire your bow without an arrow in it. This is called a “Dry Fire”. The bow will break
if you “Dry Fire” the bow.
2. Point the bow at the targets while loading and after it is loaded.
3. You must not point your bow in any other direction.
4. Your arrows are to remain in your quiver at all times, unless they are being fired.
5. Before you commence shooting you must be standing on the Shooting Line.
6. A whistle system is used to indicate when you can commence shooting & when you can
walk forward to collect your arrows.
7. One Whistle – Indicates you may start loading your bow & firing your arrows. Once you
have shot your arrows walk back to the bow stand & place your bow onto the bow stand &
wait at the bow stand.
Two Whistles – Indicates you may walk forward & retrieve your arrows.
8. While collecting your arrows, stand to the side of your arrows & pull them out of the target
one by one. Place the arrows back into your quiver before you start to walk back to the
bow stand.
9. Once you are back at the bow stand you can pass your quiver to the next student in line.
10. DO NOT RUN – at any time.
11. You are not allowed to bring the arrow back to the eye. This is dangerous as the nock at
the back of the arrow may break & go into your eye. Anchor only with the top (index
finger) in the corner of your mouth. This will keep the arrow in line with your eye but not
near your eye.
12. If your arrow falls forward over the shooting line do not lean forward to pick it up. Pick up
the arrow when you walk forward to retrieve your arrows from the targets.
13. Shoot only the target directly in front of you. Do not shoot on angles across other archers.
14. If you have a medical problem or a disability please let your instructor know. Your ability
to shoot well may be affected by any problems you have.
15. For students wishing to shoot their own equipment approval must be obtained from the
instructor. The instructor will inspect your equipment and if they deem it unsafe you will
not be able to use it.
16. Under no circumstances are Broadhead arrows to be brought onto the range.
17. DANGEROUS BEHAVIOUR WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

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Part Six: The Shooting Sequence

Shooting sequence.
a. Stand at the shooting line facing side on to the target in front of you. Your feet should be
shoulder width apart and your weight should be evenly placed between your feet.
b. Lay your bow on the side. Take an arrow out of your quiver and take it over the top of the
bow.
c. Clip the arrow onto the string underneath the brass arrow locator.
d. Put your bow in the upright position.
e. Place your top three fingers onto the string directly underneath the arrow. This is the
easiest way to start shooting as this causes no arrow pinch. Put your thumb and little
finger together.
f. Pull the string back until the top finger (index finger) is in the corner of your mouth and
your thumb is under your jaw. This is called your anchor point. Do not draw the bow string
past your mouth as this can be unsafe.
g. When releasing the string so the arrow goes forward, keep your hand on your face and
relax your fingers, do not throw your hand.
h. Relax and start again.

Eye Dominance
Everyone has one eye that is stronger that the other: this is called eye dominance.
For sports that require aiming e.g. archery & rifle shooting, it is important to find out the athlete’s
dominant or aiming eye. The dominant eye determines which hand the archer will shoot with.
For example if a person is “Left Eye Dominant” yet usually uses there right hand to write with then
that person needs to be drawing the arrow back to the left hand side of their face so that the
arrow is in line with the left eye which is their strongest, therefore aiming eye. This allows the
archer to automatically align with the target. The dominant eye is that eye which focuses on an
object while the other eye gives depth of field

To determine eye dominance the test below can be done:

Have the student face you and extends
both arms directly in front at shoulder
height with hands flat, fingers together
and palms facing out, linking the hands
together so that triangle is formed by the
index fingers and thumbs forming a small
opening. With both eyes open have the
student look at your eyes. The eye that
you can see through the triangle is their
dominant eye.
Eye Dominance Test

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The Shoot Sequence - Detail
1. Stance
To start with you will need to know the proper basic stance.

For this you should stand side on to the target with your
feet spread so that they are under your shoulders with
your weight evenly distributed between your feet. This
will give you the balance you will need for your shot.
The toes should be in a straight line to the target. This is
called the square stance, and you will be relaxed in this
position.

You should keep the body erect and the head should be able to be turned to the target with ease.
The head should also remain erect.

2. Nocking the Shaft

The bow needs to be held side on to nock it efficiently. Remove the arrow from the quiver, and
then lay it across the bow. Clip it underneath the Brass nocking point. The when you push the
nock onto the string the clip should be audible and you should see the nock securely clipped onto
the string. Then lay the arrow onto the arrow rest.

The shaft for ease of movement should be held between the thumb and the index finger at a point
about two inches in front of the fletching. This point allows you to have clear vision of the nock
and string.
REMEMBER: NEVER FILE YOU’RE NOCKS, GET A STRING THAT FITS YOUR BOW AND NOCKS OR
NOCKS TO FIT THE STRING.

Nock arrow underneath the brass nocking point

Lay Bow on side when loading the bow

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3. Bow Hand
The bow hand plays a very important part in shooting a bow. If the hand is gripping the bow too
tightly the bow will not perform properly. Simply hold the bow comfortably.

4. Shooting position
Place the bow in the upright position ready to draw the bow.

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5. Finger Placement on string
 The string should be located in the first joint groove of the fingers only.
 The fingers should be bent at right angles to the back of the hand.
 The little finger should be folded in towards the centre of the palm, and the thumb should
come down and rest on the nail of the little finger.

6. Drawing the Bow (pulling the Bow back)

Lift the bow up in front of you, level with the target, this is called the Pre-aim, and then start to
draw the string back to the anchor point. During this time the elbow should not dip down but
remain in a straight line. This is to stop unnecessary movement of the shoulder which may cause
injury down the track.

The bow and the arrow should be in a straight line with the elbow, forearm and drawing hand.

To maintain this STRAIGHT LINE OF FORCE imagine a spot on the back tip of the elbow and draw
the bow keeping this point moving around in a smooth arc.

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7. Anchor
A firm facial anchor is needed to be able to shoot consistently and aim correctly. Place your
thumb and little finger together and put your index finger into the corner of your mouth. This
keeps the arrow away from your eye while still keeping it in line with your eye. The arrow should
never be anchored above the bottom of your nose as eye safety is imperative.

The anchor should be firm against your face with the index finger in the corner of your mouth

8. Hold
The hold is that period between the anchor point and the release. It is during the hold period that
the final “aiming” process takes place.

The time span is not long, but so much happens in that time, you must make sure to use the hold
position to its fullest. When you have anchored, count slowly to five before committing to the
release, this is the time for aiming.

9. Aiming
At first the students will shoot in an instinctive way, focusing on the target with the brain
calculating where the tip of the arrow should be placed. The following aiming sequence will help
the students learn a gap system of aiming where they will learn where to point the tip of the
arrow either under, over or directly at the target at each distance.

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10. Releasing
To release the string and allow the arrow to fire all that is
required is for the student to relax their fingers. The
hand should remain in the anchor position at the side of
the face. This is called a static release. If the student
throws the hand sideways the arrow will fish tail. The less
the movement in the release the better the result of the
arrow.

The hand stays on the face when the string is

released
11. Relax
Once the student has executed the shot it is
time to relax and prepare for the next shot.

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Part Seven: Aiming Sequence

So the students can understand aiming it is important to go through the aiming process.
1. Set up the target butts with one small piece of cardboard with a black spot drawn on it
approx. two inches in diameter for each shooter. Put this at the bottom of the target butt.
Approx. half a metre above this place a small round competition target.
2. Discuss with the students the way the arrow flies on a trajectory. Most of them will have
realised in their first sessions that at close distances the arrow needs to be pointed under
the target to be able to hit the target. Due to the differing height of the students and their
differing arm lengths, each individual will have their own aiming point at each distance,
and this is called gap shooting.
3. Get each student, once at anchor to point the tip of their arrow at the black dot. They will
need to close their non-dominant eye and with the eye closed shoot four arrows. The
arrows should form a group. When all the archers have shot, walk forward and measure
the distance from the black dot to where the arrows landed. Transfer this measurement to
the target. You will find that the rule of thumb at close distances (5 and 10 metres) that
most of the archers will be aiming their arrows approximately 30cm or more below the
centre of the target to actually hit the target.
4. Shoot a few more rounds of four arrows using this aiming point. You may have to refine
this aiming point as the archer gets more proficient. This technique can be used for all
distances.

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Part Eight: Ten Week Shooting Program
This ten week shooting program has been devised to give the students the basics and to keep
them focused by providing a competitive situation. This gives the teacher an opportunity help all
the students achieve.
Week One:
 This is the session where the teacher explains the “Basic Safety Rules” and discusses and
demonstrates the shooting techniques and “Shooting Sequence”.
 The Students are then directed to the bow stands after an eye dominance test is done.
 For the first time the students shoot, the teacher helps each student individually with their
first shot. This way the teacher can make sure the students understand how to shoot their
equipment correctly.
 The teacher continually walks behind the students while they are shooting to make sure
they are anchoring properly.
 This Session is used to establish the basics.
Week Two:
 All students continue to shoot with supervision from the teacher helping the students to
achieve correct technique and form.
Week Three:
 The students should be getting better at the basics and establishing good form.
Week Four:
 The teacher explains the Aiming sequence to the students and then proceeds to help the
students their individual aiming points. This is done at a ten metre distance first and then
at five metres.
Week Five:
 Commence competition. The students remain focused and understand the need to keep
form while competing.
Week Six:
 Competition – Teacher keeps instructing and helping students to improve.
Week Seven:
 Competition - Teacher keeps instructing and helping students to improve.
Week eight:
 Competition - Teacher keeps instructing and helping students to improve.
Week Nine:
 Competition - Teacher keeps instructing and helping students to improve.
Week Ten:
 Novelty team competition & presentation.

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How to Run Competition
So that the students remain focused and are able to test their skill level competition is
important. This is introduced after you have taught the students to aim.

Each student has four arrows in their quiver when it is their turn to shoot. The cones can be
set at different distances e.g. 5, 10 and 15 metres, so that the students can shoot, always
together, at these different distances. On the Round IFAA targets the white middle of the
target is worth 5 points and each ring going outward is worth one less point e.g. 4, 3, 2, 1. The
outside of the round target is worth nothing.

The teacher scores the students each time they shoot, and the students cannot touch or
remove their arrows until they have been scored. Keep a record of each students scores over
the following weeks and reward the winning (top three) Boys and Girls at the end of term.

Photo of NSW Archery Coaching Academy end of term Inter-School Competition 2009

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Part Nine: Glossary of Archery Terms
Anchor This is also called the “Facial Reference”. It is the facial contact and final position the archer
brings the bow string to prior to aiming.
Arm Guard A purposely made piece of leather or vinyl worn on the inside of the bow arm to protect the
forearm from the bowstring during shooting. It protects the arm from being hit by the bow
string.
Arrow Rest An extraneous device on the bow to provide a contact point. It is also a resting point, or
shelf to support the arrow
Back of Bow The side of the bow that faces away from the shooter.
Bare Bow Shooting a bow without a bow sight.
Belly of Bow The surface of the bow facing the archer during shooting (also the face)
Bow Arm The arm that holds the bow
Bow Press A mechanical device used to relax the pressure on the bow limbs to allow work on a
compound bow, e.g. replacing cables
Bow Window The cut out section on the arrow side of the bow to allow the arrow to pass through or near
the centre of the bow.
Butt/Boss The backing that the target face is attached to and in which the arrow penetrates.
Brace Height A term describing the height in measuring the distance between the bow and the string
when the bow is strung.
Cams The irregularly shaped wheels at the end of the limbs of a compound bow.
Cant/Canting Tilting of the bow to the left or right
Compound Bow A modern bow with a system of pulleys and wheels designed to maximize draw weight
while minimizing the hold weight.
Creep Non-recoverable extension of the bow string
Creeping Letting the drawing hand (the hand on the string) edge forward when at anchor.
Draw To pull the bow string back to anchor.
Draw Weight The force (in pounds) needed to pull back the bow.
Dry Fire Shooting the Bow without an arrow on the string. If this is done the bow may explode.
Never shoot your bow without an arrow nocked onto the string.
End A number of arrows shot at one time, as required by the particular archery round being
shot at that time.
Finger Tab A manufactured piece of leather or vinyl worn over the fingers during shooting to protect
the fingers. It also allows for a smoother release.
Finger Shooter An archer who draws the bow back using fingers placed on the string.
Fletching The feathers or plastic vanes attached to the arrow to stabilize flight.
Follow Through Holding the release position after completing the shot until the arrow has hit the target.
Also analysis of the shot.
Form The structure of an archer while executing their shoot routine. E.g. an archer may have
good or bad form.
Glove A three finger glove specifically manufactured for fingers shooters.
Grip The handle of the bow. Also the way the archer holds the bow.
Launcher An arrow rest designed to be used for Release Aid shooters. The launcher aids in stabilizing
the arrow upon release.
Limbs The two ends of the bow from the riser outward. The limbs bend which give the
propulsion to the arrow when fired.
Nock The plastic device on the end of the arrow that attaches the arrow to the string.
Nocking Point The marked place on the bow string where the arrow nock is placed.
Over Bowed Using a bow that is too strong for the individual.
Over Draw Drawing the bow back too far, so that the arrow tip passes the face of the bow.

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Peg The marker used to set out where the shooter is to stand while shooting each
target on the field range.
Peep The small sight opening that is fixed to the string for the archer to sight through.
Plucking Flicking of the string with the fingers on release, leading to a sideways force on the
arrow. The string should be allowed to simply roll off the fingers.
Point/Pile The tip on the end of the arrow.
Quiver A holder to contain the arrows.
Recurve Bow A type of bow with curved back limbs
Release To let the bow string slip out of the finger tips. Or to depress the trigger on a
release aid to release the string.
Release Aid A mechanical device used to hold and release the string.
Riser The central part of the bow. This is the solid and unmoving part of the bow.
Round A fixed number of Standard Units defined for a specific tournament, usually two
Standard Units.
Serving The thread wrapped around the bowstring at the ends and middle of the string to
prevent fraying of the string.
Shaft The main body of the arrow.
Sling A piece of cord attached to the fingers of the bow hand to help prevent bow
torque.
Spine Refers to the stiffness of the arrow. The spine of the arrow must be matched to the
draw weight of the bow.
Stabiliser A weighted rod attached to the front of the riser that absorbs the shock on release
of the bow.
Standard Unit A fixed number of targets to be shot with a defined number of arrows per target.
Torque Movement of the bow in the hand often caused by the archer gripping the bow too
tightly.
Trajectory The curved path the arrow follows to the target.
Vane A plastic or natural “feather” on the end of an arrow.
Windage The amount of drift in the flight of the arrow caused by the wind.
Window The cut out section on the arrow side of the bow to allow the arrow to pass
through or near the centre of the bow.

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