Nov. 16, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
629 
Airdhiceir j 
Drawing the Short Bow. 
BY DR. EDWARD B. WESTON. 
Mr. Rendtoref, of Lake Forest, Ill., has been 
shooting for only two seasons, and for several 
weeks in that time was unable to draw the bow 
on account of an accident to one of his hands. 
Never having attended a public meeting his 
scores have not become generally known. When 
a few of them were recently published, the arch¬ 
ery world was startled by what he had accom¬ 
plished in so short a time. The comments on 
his tackle and methods were very interesting, 
and will probably lead to considerable discussion 
and perhaps to some dissent from the older 
archers. 
Though Mr. Rendtorff is a young archer he 
has read and thought much on the science of 
the sport, and his opinions would carry weight, 
even if his scores had been small. 
Being a tall, powerful man, he uses a heavy 
bow, shorter than the usual length, and long- 
heavy arrows. Being perfectly able to use a 
strong bow he can get a better loose than with 
a light one, though a heavy bow is not neces¬ 
sary to command the ranges of the American 
round. 
Some archers would differ with him in re¬ 
gard to the length of bow. 
W. A. Clark has made 63 hits with 72 arrows 
at 100 yards. We believe this number of hits 
has never been equalled in this country. Mr. 
Clark, owing to a gun shot wound received in 
the Civil War, has a short arm. He uses a 25- 
inch arrow, which he draws about eighteen 
inches. And still he can make a higher score 
•with a 6-foot bow than with a shorter one. 
Mr. Rendtorff shows the skillful archer that 
he is by his ability to change his point of aim 
-when shooting at 80 yards and using arrows 
•which are so nearly alike that the slight differ- 
■ence between them can only be detected by their 
•flight. The average archer could not do this. 
But the thing which interests us most in Mr. 
Eendtorff’s comments is the statement that in 
•aiming at all ranges up to and including 80 
yards, his direct vision is on the gold, and his 
•indirect vision on the point of aim. This differs 
with the practice of nearly all archers. This 
•subject was considered in the Christian Science 
Monitor, May 25. 
The Rev. Fyre W. Hussey, in Badminton, 
and other prominent archers, considers it a good 
•method at the shorter ranges, where the point 
of aim is on the ground in front of the target, 
but as it is not so good at 100 yards, where the 
point of aim is above the target, the method 
used at the shorter ranges should be sacrificed 
to the one best adapted for 100 yards. 
It hardly seems logical to give up the method 
Test at four, ranges, for the one which may be 
best at one range, and that the one cared least 
for by most archers. However, it should not 
~be difficult for an archer who has shot much to 
use a different method of aiming at the long 
and at the short ranges. 
Suppose we are shooting at 60 yards, and 
our point of aim is 20 yards in front of the 
darget. There may or may not be something at 
that place for us to use as a “point.” It must 
be on a straight line from the archer to the 
target. If the point of the arrow and the direct 
vision are held on the “point of aim,” and the 
shot perfectly made, the result will be satisfac¬ 
tory. 
As soon as the arrow leaves the string, one 
almost always watches it. Often one looks up 
an instant before the arrow has left, and if he 
does the bow hand also moves up and the shot 
is spoiled. This does not often happen when 
direct vision is fixed on the gold, for the eyes 
do not have to be moved in order to watch the 
arrow in its flight. 
But to whichever place your direct vision 
is turned, be sure to hold it there until the 
arrow is well gone. * 
In the early days we were taught to look 
intently at the gold and shoot. This is the hunt¬ 
er’s method. One instinctively looks at the ob¬ 
ject he is trying to hit, whether he is shooting 
a gun or throwing a ball. However, if we look 
at the gold directly and intently we must not 
forget that there is a “point of aim” to be seen 
indirectly. And if we can find no “point,” we 
can by practice readily and accurately estimate 
a distance from the target to where “the point” 
should be. We know of archers who have 
adopted the method of aiming followed by Mr. 
Rendtorff after having for years used the ortho¬ 
dox one, and at once have greatly improved 
their scores. 
And we believe some do this without know¬ 
ing it. Otherwise how could a good archer move 
several feet sidewise while shooting an end ? It 
is not so easy to fine “points” that he could find 
a new one every few seconds. He probably un¬ 
consciously estimates a distance. 
Since the above was written we have re¬ 
ceived from Mr. Rendtorff his first double York 
round score, made in the last week in October. 
lOOYds. 
80 Yds. 
60Y 
ds. 
Totals. 
H. 
S. 
H. 
S. 
H. 
s. 
H. 
S. 
49 
197 
47 
2S7 
24 
154 
120 
638 
48 
198 
46 
234 
24 
144 
118 
576 
97 
395 
93 
521 
48 
298 
238 
1214 
Archery Scores by Novices. 
Chicago, Ill., Nov. 8. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: It may be a question when an archer 
passes from the novice class to the higher ranks. 
Is it a question of time, or of skill? We should 
say that an archer who had shot a year was no 
longer a novice, whatever his skill might be. 
A man who had practiced for years could 
not be called a novice, simply because he was a 
poor shot. 
We report fine scores made by novices, for a 
number of reasons. Every one likes to read 
about them. It shows those who have taken up 
the sport that they can become good shots in 
a comparatively short time by patient, intelligent 
practice. 
Those who have never drawn the long bow 
may be divided into two classes—those who think 
it an easy, childish sport and are surprised when 
they try it to learn how mistaken they were; 
the other class is made up of those who look at 
the matter seriously, and dread the long time 
which they think must elapse before they can 
become fair shots. 
All should be encouraged when they see 
what has been done in a short time. No one 
should be discouraged because he has not ad¬ 
vanced as rapidly as some others have. Some 
grow faster than others. And remember that 
if you never make the higher scores, you may 
get more pleasure from the recreation than those 
who do. It is the doing, the trying, which satis¬ 
fies as well as the result. 
The following scores were made by archers 
young in the sport. 
Dr. . 0 . L. Hertig is a dentist, and a teacher 
in the University of Pittsburgh. He showed his 
good sense by taking part in the National arch¬ 
ery tournament in Boston last August, the first 
held after he took up the sport. 
The doctor wrote on the 22d of October: 
“My year as an archer was up on the 19th inst., 
and I celebrated by shooting an American round, 
making 87 hits, 487 score, and a team round of 
86 hits, 416 score.” 
He reported his best practice scores as fol¬ 
lows: Single York round, 99 hits, 459 score; 
double York round, 181 hits, 807 score; seventy- 
two arrows at 100 yards, 40 hits, 156 score; 
forty-eight arrows at 80 yards, 36 hits, 190 
score; twenty-four arrows at 60 yards, 24 hits, 
148 score; single American round, 88 hits, 514 
score; double American round, 168 hits, 918 
score; thirty arrows at 60 yards, 30 hits, 176 
score; thirty arrows at 50 yards, 30 hits, 194 
score; thirty arrows at 40 yards, 30 hits, 194 
score; team round, 87 hits, 451 score. An end 
at 60 yards, 9, 9, 9, 9, 7, 7, 6 hits, 50 score. 
Few archers do as well as Dr. Hertig has 
in their first year. All beginners should try and 
do better. But they will have to think hard in 
order to succeed. 
F. Nelson Clay took up archery in the sum¬ 
mer of 1911. He joined the Chicago Archery 
Club, but is now living in the East. He expects 
to attend the next national tournament. 
His rise was not meteoric, but steady and 
sure. We will let him speak for himself of his 
first four months in the sport: 
“From the start I kept careful memoranda 
of all scores made, both in private and in the 
meets. I seldom shot a team round by my own 
choice, but I was vitally interested in the Ameri¬ 
can round. 
“I began shooting July 12, 1911. On the fol¬ 
lowing morning I shot thirty arrows at 40 yards, 
making 16 hits, 88 score. My first American 
round was shot on July 16, 1911, at 5:45 a. m. 
Conditions were cloudy and damp; results were 
60 yards, 6 hits, 22 score; 50 yards, 15 hits, 57 
score; 40 yards, 20 hits, 88 score. I immediately 
‘whipped out’ my Spalding’s Guide to Archery 
to find out how I ranked as an archer. 
“The tournament records that I found in 
the guide incited me to spend most of my efforts 
on the American round. I shot early in the 
morning, before sunrise sometimes. I shot until 
dusk many an evening. I shot whenever I had 
an opportunity. I shot too, too much, as you 
frequently told me, to make good scores. Never¬ 
theless my health was never better, and I have 
rejoiced many a time that I ever met Mr. Blank; 
that he acquainted me with this fascinating, 
cleanly, health-giving diversion. 
“Just to give you an opportunity to study my 
case I present below the averages per month for 
1911, there having been about four months de¬ 
voted to this sport: 
“American round averages for first month. 
55 hits, 239 score; for second month. 68 hits. 
