AMERICAN ARCHERY 



Recreation is the Official Publication 

 of the National Archery Association 



Something About Archery 



BY GEORGE E. COGHILL, PH. D. 



In the choice of a man's recreation one should 

 choose that which not only gives him sufficient 

 muscular exercise and full respiration, but 

 which will give him, also, as large an amount 

 of pleasure as possible; for the pleasurableness 

 of an exercise is one test of its value. During 

 his period of recreation a man's care and worry 

 should be completely submerged by the gush 

 of youthful enthusiasm. Only under these 

 conditions does physical exercise yield even 

 its full physical value. But there should be 

 more than the physical consideration entering 

 into the matter of recreation. One's recreation 

 should possess something of an artistic and 

 aesthetic value. It should be of such a nature 

 that through participating in it and through 

 love for it one will become a more cultured 

 gentleman. 



All of these requirements are ideally met in 

 the most historic of games — archery. As to 

 muscular exercise and respiration archery is 

 fully adequate, and especially so because it 

 can be followed from childhood to old age. 

 As the muscles strengthen the bow can be 

 adjusted to the increasing strength. As old 

 age approaches and the muscles begin to tire 

 under the arduous work of the younger man, 

 the bow can again be fitted to the man, while 

 the muscles themselves and the eye need not 

 lose their cunning. Indeed, it is a noteworthy 

 fact that many of the leading archers of all 

 times have been men of advanced years. In 

 fact, the fascination of the long bow seems to 

 grow stronger in the faithful archer as his 

 years advance, even as Robin Hood, through 

 the lattice of his chamber, shot his last arrow 

 to mark the spot of his grave. 



But to illustrate the nature of the physical 

 exercise which is involved in the pursuit of 

 archery, it might be said that, in shooting a 

 Single York Round, which is 72 arrows at 100 

 yards, 48 arrows at 80 yards and 24 arrows at 

 60 yards, the archer must walk 2,080 yards if 

 he uses two targets, and twice that if he has 

 only one target. If he uses a bow which pulls 



forty-five pounds, which is the ordinary weight 

 for men, he has drawn, in all, 6,480 pounds. 

 This work has been done by a direct pull across 

 the chest, an exercise which puts all the muscles 

 of the back and shoulders in most perfect tonus, 

 and forces the most perfect respiration. In 

 fact, no form of exercise could surpass archery 

 for the purpose of straightening up stooped 

 shoulders and expanding the collapsed chest 

 and lungs. Nothing can take the place of 

 archery for the man who is confined over a 

 desk in his daily work. 



But there are other important features of 

 archery from the purely physical point of view. 

 To make a successful shot with the bow one 

 must bring every muscle of the body under 

 most perfect control and into most perfect 

 coordination with the eye. This factor itself is 

 of important educational significance — the 

 factor of self-control at a trying moment. 

 When the bow is full drawn every muscle must 

 be in the highest tension, the body in absolute 

 equilibrium, the bow held as if in a vise and 

 the point of the arrow on the mark. Then the 

 string must bound from the fingers without 

 a waver or jerk. These are only some of the 

 elements of archery, and there is a lifetime of 

 study in them. 



As to the pleasurable features of archery 

 much might be said. The long walks between 

 targets afford opportunity for cultivating most 

 delightful companionships. But the archer 

 frequently participates in his sport alone, nor 

 is he likely to become lonely at it. The quick 

 recoil of the bow and the flight of the arrow are 

 most exhilarating. The study of the arrow's 

 flight and the point of aim and the allowance 

 to be made for the wind all become a delight 

 to the archer; and, finally, when victory comes 

 and the arrow, lifted on a curve of superb 

 grace, descends upon the face of the target, the 

 archer's soul knows no keener joy. 



But much as may be said of the physical and 

 pleasurable features of archery, the story would 

 not be half told if the aesthetic element in the 

 sport were omitted. In this respect archery, 

 we believe, stands far superior to all other 

 sports. In antiquity, certainly, and in historic 



