%&' & I d like to start by welcoming all the new members who have joined us this year. Whether you are new to archery, having just completed your induction course or an old hand; Mayflower is happy to have you shooting. As with any new situation it can be a bit daunting when you first come along what exactly are we doing and how do things work?! " # $ To answer this question I m happy to have been able to put together a question and answer session that our webmaster and one of our members recently had via e-mail in the hope that the questions and answers will prove useful to all. It also goes to prove that if you need to know something you should ask. Mayflower members as a rule are very friendly I m over the field most Saturday afternoons and am always happy to help where I can. Here s hoping for a dry, warm summer and good shooting. & '%() A taster session of Field Archery has been arranged for Thursday 14 June 2007, starting at 6.00 pm NA This will be at the Panther Bowhunters ground, in Temple Grove Woods, Bakers Lane, Galleywood, Chelmsford. Contributors this issue: KM: Keith Miles MV-Mitch Vaughan NA-Nic Adams RE Rachel Elvidge RG Roger Glover RM-Robert Markham SF Steve Fenton Photos courtesy of Robert Markham and Tim Barber From time to time various Mayflower archers ask us about Field Archery and how they can gain some experience; well this is your opportunity. We have arranged with the committee of Panthers that, on that evening we can have a special course laid out to give you experience of shooting roundals, animal shapes and 3Ds, marked and unmarked distances. Don t believe all that you have heard about Field Archery, it is not scary, just friendly fun and much less formal than Target Archery. There are no whistles to control shooting, no green/white dress code and no judges (unless they are shooting as well). You must wear bright sensible clothes and good footwear for your own protection. Regarding your shooting equipment that is up to you just your normal target set-up is fine. If you want to shoot Barebow, that is also fine, but do set your bow up properly to do this (Continued on page 2)
(Continued from page 1) Shooting distances will be fairly short, 5yds up to a maximum of 40yds (less for juniors) Steve Fenton, Roger Glover, Nigel Norris and Mitch Vaughan will be your guides and mentors, together with some Panther archers if needed. If you have any questions or concerns, just have a word with any of us beforehand We will be making a charge of 5 per person, which includes a day membership fee for non- Panther members You have tried Field Archery on our field, now come along and experience the real thing in the woods If you are interested, please contact me in advance, so that we can ensure we have sufficient guides *+# Well the AGM was held this week with the usual blinding turn out. We really packed them in the room, with standing room only. We are thinking of hiring the Albert Hall next year to get every one in (I wish!). For those not there, we managed to get two new Child Protection Officers, David and Wendie, an additional General member - Alex and a new Club Captain - Nigel, Junior Liaison Officer - Steve. Sadly we had no one to take over the vacant positions of Secretary, Equipment Officer or League Secretary. The Alan Cavaye trophy for outstanding contribution to the club during the year went jointly to Roger and Steve for their hard work with the juniors. Junior Club Captain was awarded to Michael (Markham), with best junior boy award going to George, Best junior girl to Katie Ward, Best lady to Charlotte, and Best senior gent to Michael Judd. I think I've got those right? MV if I have missed anything the other two who were at the meeting could let me know Other bits: Club fees to remain the same Option of black lower garments (Trousers or skirts) was agreed - not sure how we voted that one in, should be pleasantly warm for the summer, I think it was because of the juniors who struggle to find whites but will have black school trousers (mmmm.!) Suggestion to raise club fees by direct debit next year - we will test the feeling of members in this years renewal Consideration given to falling numbers at the indoor venue ( 600 light on fees collected this year to cover hire costs) - we may have to restrict access to just the Sports Hall next year Suggestion to have a structured shooting programme for next years indoor season, perhaps with regular club competitions I think that's about it, perhaps if I have missed anything the other two who were at the meeting could let me know! (Ed: Since this was written we have recruited a league secretary details of all committee members can be found on the last page) RM
! +,& The West Midlands Archery Society double FITA Star, usually marks the start of the outdoor season with the first Star of the summer. Travelling to the picturesque grounds of Lilleshall on Friday afternoon, were myself Michael and Alex Purser, in hot pursuit by car no.2 driven by Steve Fenton with George, Phil Glover and Rayleigh s John Guiton. Brilliant timing ensured that we arrived in the bar at the Telford Travel Inn together. An appeal was made at assembly by Ted Burnham who is volunteer coordinator for the Archery World Cup being held in Dover from 31 st July 5 th August. Ted is desperate for some volunteers to help out either for the whole week or just one of the days. If you are able to lend a hand you can download a volunteer form here or contact Ted at archerted999@btinternet.com (Website : www.archerygb.org.uk) The weather for Saturday was near perfect with a wind free and sunny day. Michael had managed to pick up some kind of bug and was unable to shoot, spending most of the day snoozing in my tent. I suggested to Alex his goal setting for the rest of the year was probably too high for a FITA score of 1200 and suggested he modify this to 1150. He proved me wrong by shooting a huge margin over his previous best to finish with 1155 and earned his senior 6 Gold End badge in the process! "#$ % A great performance also from George who shot a mighty personal best of 1295 (Gents FITA) which was a first senior Master Bowman score. Phil struggled with punching his trigger but switched to a back tension release and managed an excellent score of 1323. All of this humbled my own mediocre score of 1008. Conditions on Sunday were quite different with a very strong cross wind and very little sunshine in the morning. Shooting was difficult and this was reflected in the scores which were down on the previous day. Alex managed 1018, Phil 1311, George 1254. Michael perked up and decided to shoot the Lady s FITA and managed a respectable score of 1133. He also had a cracking 50m distance with a score of 292, taking the county record by 1 point. I decided to save my embarrassment and retire at the end of 90m having put a couple in the grass. It was good to shoot with young Tom Barber who at just 15 managed a whopping Gents FITA score of 1266 on Saturday ahead of a trip to Cyprus with the GB Team. We wish Tom and all of the GB team every success next weekend. Our thanks to WMAS and Walsall Company of Archers for another superbly run shoot and for my part, it s back to the drawing board to work on my dreadful loose some more!! %&' ' SF The RRAC held their Pagoda shoot on the 15 th April, and this year it was their biggest ever, with 198 archers. The rounds offered were Albions or Windsors, I shot an Albion. Someone had given me directions so I actually managed to find the place with no trouble for once, I even tackled the North Circular, and didn t get lost once. This is a great venue; the shoot is held in the shadow of the Kew Gardens Pagoda at the London Welsh rugby club, so there is a licensed bar and food was served at breakfast and lunch. (London prices though! ;) ) The club seems a friendly place, and despite being a record status shoot, the atmosphere was relaxed and fun. I was shooting with lots of Greenwood Osterley archers who all seem a great bunch and we had a lot of laughs. The shooting line was roomy and well set out, with the Windsors in a separate area. I managed to hit the target, and even though I scored about 200 less than all my target companions, I still managed a 1 st class score, so I was very happy. Even better, a big, cool South African bloke won some pansies in the raffle and he couldn t take the teasing so he gave them to me! RE
& '%-#. Ed: Note for new members this is part 8 of an ongoing series by Mitch Vaughan, an experienced archer and chairman of the Essex guild of archery coaches. If you would like to read from the beginning you can find all the previous parts, along with back issues of this newsletter on our website at www. mayflowerarchers.co.uk. Ok enough from me back to Mitch: To set the scene on stabilisation, shown below are a couple of bow set-ups to give you some idea of how stabilisation systems have changed over a period of some 30 years The picture on the left shows a home made stabiliser system on a bow from the 1960s, while below for comparison, is a longrod, V bars and hydraulic extender set-up on a bow from the late 1990s. Many newcomers to archery ask why we use such a wide range of stabilisers on our bows or any at all. In this article I will try to explain what the stabilisers do and what the differences are between the designs. At this stage I will not delve too deeply into the mechanics of stabilisation, I will cover that in a later article. If the bow is shot without any stabilisation, the archer will find it difficult to get good arrow grouping, particularly at longer distances. One of the reasons for this is the archer is trying to control movement of the bow during shooting. Without proper stabilisation for example, the top limb of the bow will tend to kick back and possibly hit the archer on the head or face. Therefore, most archers will tend to grip the handle more tightly, both before making the shot and after release. This is not good practice as it usually leads to the archer twisting or torqueing the bow, causing the arrows to fly off line. Much of this can be overcome by use of stabilisers. Making the shot is normally split into three phases: Phase 1 - Aiming the bow Phase 2 - Releasing the arrow and Phase 3 - The follow through, when the arrow leaves the bow Phase 1, aiming, requires the stabilisation to help the archer hold the bow steady on the target, that is; to provide good balance to keep the bow steady. Phase 2, release, the arrow is being driven forward by the string as the limbs release their stored up energy and return to their resting position. The balance and inertia will be very significant during this phase. There needs to be sufficient weight forward of the archer s bow hand that the bow will roll forward and provide clearance for the arrow as it leaves the bow. There will also be vibration caused by energy transfer between the archer, the arrow and the bow. This may be great
' (Continued from page 4) enough to disturb the arrow in flight, or the archer, so will need some additional damping. Phase 3, the follow through, may directly affect the arrow flight if any part of the bow or archer comes into contact with the tail of the arrow before it completes its clearance. COMPONENTS USED IN STABILISATION This is an ever-expanding field, the pros and cons of the design and use of some of the most commonly used ones are listed below. Long rods This picture shows a range of Long Rods. At the top are two taper rods with end weights. The shorter one being homemade from a golf club handle and a piece of aluminium rod Next is an aluminium parallel rod, filled with powder. In the centre is another parallel rod, but partially filled with elastomer and with a moveable weight. Below this is a carbon triple rod design Bottom but one is a quad carbon rod, with no weights. The bottom one is another quad carbon rod but with a magic mushroom damper on the end These are a prime example of putting a small weight a long way from the bow to be most effective. These provide balance, put the Centre of Gravity (C of G) forward of the archer s hand and help to resist turning or torqueing of the bow. They also absorb some vibration, the amount varying with design and materials. These vary in length between 26 and 34ins but some people use them up to 50ins long. Tapered rods were once very popular, but the simple aluminium ones can induce vibrations back into the bow, sufficient to disturb aiming. Carbon rods have largely overcome this problem. Parallel rods are more popular now, but they were originally designed for heavier compound bows. Hollow aluminium tubes can ring and so increase noise and vibration. Filling them with foam or a fine powder overcomes this, but will only be effective over a limited frequency range. Carbon tubes are lighter and as the material is inherently a good damping medium, they are a much better option, but more expensive. Carbon Multi-Rods are a good alternative to parallel tubes and are available in a wide range of designs. They make good use of the vibration damping qualities of carbon and by their design can control a wide range of frequencies. Having multiple sliders and weights means they can be tailored by the archer to suit individual preferences. These can be effective without an end weight, but as lack of an end weight puts the C of G closer to the bow, they need to be longer to be fully effective when used this way. A further advantage is that the open design presents a smaller area to be affected by the wind. Short rods These have the same design principles as long rods, but being shorter (usually 8 to 12ins) can be placed in a wider variety of positions on the bow. However, they are (Continued on page 6)
( (Continued from page 5) less effective and increase mass more for a given moment or inertia. To increase their weight and damping they are often oil filled. They are quite good for fine-tuning the balance of a bow. A single short rod is often fitted to the top of the riser, in conjunction with a long rod. This gives some control around the vertical axis and helps to reduce vibration in the sight. v Bars The picture at the side shows a selection of short rods and balance weights. The top four are all parallel aluminium tubes, 10 to 12ins long. The top one is powder filled, the others, oil filled. Next are a couple of aluminium taper rods. Below these is a carbon triple rod, followed by a parallel carbon rod. The short rod next, is a mercury filled damper and below this are two homemade steel counter weights. At the bottom is a 32ins long rod, for comparison. This picture shows a compound bow with V bars. In this case they are set flat, i.e. in the same plane as the long rod in side view. Often they will be angled down to obtain the preferred balance This is a special application of short rods, usually used in conjunction with a long rod. In this way the C of G is brought back towards the bow riser to keep the bow horizontal during the shot. This is often referred to as a spherical system and offers bow control in three directions, depending upon the angle at which they are set. Nowadays it is quite common to use a short extension bar between the bow and the V bar mount, which produces a more complex Ellipsoidal system, with effectively two centres of rotation. The use of V bars on recurve bows is well accepted, but their use with compounds is more controversial. With the trend towards the use of short axle bows with highly reflexed risers they are certainly well worth considering. Counter Balance This is a short rod placed just under the rear of the grip and was popular on recurve bows when twin short rods were used for stabilisation. It is now more popular for use on compound bows as a rearward extension from the long rod position. In this way it can help to fine tune the balance of the bow and provide additional vibration damping. It needs to be very short to avoid contact with the string and buss cables when used with reflexed compound bows. TFCs This stands for Torque Flight Compensators, which is something of a misnomer from years past, as they have no direct effect on either torque or flight and don t offer compensation for anything. They are often seen connecting the short rods to the V bars or the bow. More properly, they should be called isolators or vibration dampers, as their main function is to de-couple the short rods, that is to stop vibrations from the rods being transmitted to the bow and thus to the archer. This used to be necessary with the whippy taper rods, but with today s stiff parallel rods they do not offer so much benefit. They are usually just rubber washers under compression in a cup with a screwed cap. As they are adjustable it is possible to make them soft so that the rods can move freely, or so hard that they offer no isolation and just act as connectors. (Continued on page 7)
(Continued from page 6) Doinkers This is a brand name that has come to describe an add-on devise to reduce vibration during phases 1 and 2 of the shot. They are self-contained units and are usually added to the end of rods (the picture above shows on one the end of the long rod), to replace the existing weights. A Doinker consists of a metal weight bonded to a block of elastomer (rubber). The rubber acts as both a spring and a damper. As the vibrations travel along the rod, they make the rubber spring vibrate and also the end weight. The vibrations are therefore passed through the rubber twice. Their energy is absorbed by the rubber because of its damping properties, and so do not return back down the rod. By careful selection of mass and rubber type, it is possible to tune out the worst vibrations in the system. The various Sims Laboratories devices, often referred to as magic mushrooms, are designed to do a similar job. By using a specially formulated elastomer and eliminating the metal weight, they are much lighter in weight. Harmonic Dampers This picture shows a harmonic damper built into the riser of a compound bow (it is the gold coloured disc). Often the manufacturer will give you a choice of materials and weight, to find out which is most effective with your set-up. The second picture shows a pair built into a cable guard These are mechanical systems for controlling and limiting vibration by using a secondary mass that will vibrate out of phase with the primary vibration source. They are an integral part of the Mathews Solocam bow. In this application, the dampers consist of short cylindrical weights fitted into holes in each end of the riser, using voided rubber mounts. The mounts are designed to cause the vibration in the riser to undergo a 180-degree phase change as it passes to the weights. This causes the weights to start vibrating to cancel out the riser vibration, thus reducing the overall vibration in the bow. How these stabilisers work and how to evaluate them, I will explain in future articles. In the meantime don t rush out and buy an expensive set-up without knowing what to do with it. If you can borrow a long rod, by all means give it a try as this on its own can be very effective. But do work with a coach or experienced archer as you use it. SF )/+ As mentioned on the front page there has been an interesting dialogue between a relatively new member, Keith Miles and our webmaster, Robert Markham. In an attempt to answer the same questions from other new (or newish) members the questions and the appropriate answers are given below, with thanks to both. Background KM: I have been a member of Mayflower for two seasons following my attending at the beginners course in 2005 and have typically only shot on club Saturday afternoons in summer as I am unable to attend the indoor shoots on Friday evenings so maybe I don't get to know the background that could answer some of my questions. How does Mayflower work? During my first outdoor season I was told about the distance badges presented by the club and just assumed that beginners should work to get their distance badges before (Continued on page RM 8)
* (Continued from page 7) they were chosen to represent the club in competitions. I now know this is incorrect but, as I say, I just assumed it. I thought that, like other sports clubs, an archer had reach a certain level of competence before he/she was chosen by the Captain to represent the club. RM: The distance badges were introduced to help beginners (Junior & Senior) to develop confidence at reaching each distance before progressing. It was never intended that this should stop an archer being more ambitious and entering competitions if they wish to do so. The Club cannot (and wouldn't wish to) stop anyone entering an open shoot. Most outdoor shoots for adults will have a minimum distance of 60 yards, that is why the badge scheme works up to that distance to build confidence. Achieving these badges up to 60 yds, should for a committed senior archer be quite possible within a season I would think. The only archers 'chosen'to represent the Club, are those participating in the outdoor league matches. There are usually about six of these during the year and the archer shoots at a starting distance of 80 yards, which will rule out most members (even those who have completed the badge scheme) for a couple of years. Most shoots in the county and outside are 'Open'which means anyone can attend and it is rare to nominate a team prior to these events. Usually, if there are sufficient individual entries from members of a certain Club, they will find themselves entered for any team prize, by default. The Captain, to my knowledge, has never selected a team at Mayflower. KM: Last season I attended the Wicken archery weekend and then slipped a disc in my back which meant I could not take full advantage of the outdoor season so I did not shoot as much as I would have liked. % )$%% Archery questions KM: I now assume that to improve my grading as an archer I should attend published competitions, both inside and outside the club, and have my scores recorded. Is this correct? RM: No need to attend any competitions to improve your 'grading'(handicap + Classification) all you have to do is to shoot recognised rounds. These scores are submitted to me as s Officer and I calculate the handicap and classification for each round and post them on the website. I have written an article explaining the handicap system which is on the 'Resources'page of the web site. KM: How do I find out which competitions are suitable for my level of competence to improve my grading? RM: I would suggest asking an experienced archer at the club. Any rounds where you can safely hit six arrows a time at your maximum distance would be suitable for getting a handicap. An explanation of the 'Rounds'and distances is on the 'Resources'page of the web site. A list of competitions that we feel may be suitable for club members (usually in Essex) is also published in the newsletter. KM: As I am sure I would not have time to enter every competition available to me I would like to know which ones would the committee recommend as the most suitable. RM: I don t really think the Committee can easily recommend competitions without knowing what maximum distance an archer can comfortably and consistently hit without missing. How far up the distances did you get with the badge scheme? If you made 60 yards, then you might like to try any Western or National rounds (60yds + 50yds) - May 13th - Pilgrim Archers, May 27th Noak Hill Archers, June 23rd - Oakfield, 19th August - Grays Power, all of these are in Essex and are listed (Continued on page 9)
+ (Continued from page 8) with entry forms on the 'Tournaments in Essex'page of the ECAA website that I also run (www.ecaa.org.uk). If you are happy to travel outside of Essex, a fairly full list of tournaments around the country is on the 'Tournament Diary'page. If you let me know which ones you enter, I will gladly explain the format, rules etc. when I see you next. KM: Are all competitions individual or are there any where teams from the club are entered? If so, how are the teams chosen? RM: All competitions are generally individual, but many will make awards for teams as well. Teams are not generally picked, as mentioned above. If we have enough archers attending, one that tends to give more emphasis to teams is the May 13th Pilgrim shoot. KM: Club colours were discussed at the AGM. I have ordered a club shirt from you but have not yet received it as you said you had not got enough orders at this time. Can I enter competitions without it? RM: Apologies for the delay. We needed a Club decision to commit to what amounts to over 700 to be tied up in stock, or return everyone's cheques. The minimum order is 50 items which cost over 900. I have now received a cheque from the club for the shirts and hope we should have these in time to catch the good weather. General Questions KM: I offered my assistance to the Equipment Officer (Brian?) at the AGM and was told that an appeal for names would be put on the website but I cannot find this appeal. Has it been put on there yet? Are all competitions individual? RM: I do not recall being asked to put an appeal on the website at the AGM. A letter was issued to all members appealing for help prior to the AGM. Having written a personal letter to each member, I don t think a website appeal would really help. I do know that Brian has sent an email to all members asking for help with a work party day next Saturday, not sure if you are coming to that? KM: I was told at the very beginning that once I had paid my club subs and GNAS insurance etc. I would receive a regular magazine from GNAS. I have yet to be sent any magazine. Should I have been sent anything? RM: Yes you should be getting a copy of Archery UK, a glossy magazine sent by GNAS four times a year. I will ask our Secretary to contact GNAS to find out why you are not getting one. Conclusion and a suggestion KM:I have been given a lot of very good technical information about archery and some very helpful one-on-one assistance at club afternoons to help me shoot better but I don't feel I have been given any information as to the general organisation and how the whole system works, hence my questions above. Maybe I have not been around when such things were explained but could I suggest that a sheet is created which addresses the questions I have raised above, along with any further organisational information you think may be useful, which is then distributed with the other information given to new members. Maybe if such information was made available to new members from the start then it would be clear how to progress and there would be more entries into competitions from the membership. RM: Most members seem to find there way around things by asking other archers. Indeed, we have a couple of beginners who started just last summer and have won medals already at their first tournaments, which is encouraging. I do recall though that we used to issue a printed Beginners Guide to archery which may be a useful (Continued on page 10) SF
', '' & Chairman: David Mallett Club Secretary: Position vacant Membership Secretary: Robert Markham (see below for contact details) Treasurer: Julie Bishop Equipment Officer: Position vacant Competitions Officer: Martin Vidgeon-Hart Field Captain: Nigel Norris Junior Liaison Officer: Steve Fenton s Officer: Robert Markham General Members: Jim Gilbey Alex Purser Child protection officers: David Scorah Wendie Stevens Newsletter Editor: Nic Adams (Continued from page 9) thing to produce again. I will raise this as a question with my colleagues. (Ed: Copies of the beginners guide were given to all attendees at this years beginners course. If anyone has any other questions please send them in an we will attempt to answer them) + % Open tournaments Date Organisers Round Location Status May 27 Noak Hill Archers Western Rounds June 2 Racketts Archery Club Western Rounds June 16 Essex Target Junior Champs York, Bristol 1-5 June 17 Essex Target Senior Champs York, Hereford, Western Grange Rd, Harold Hill Woodlands School Basildon Grange Rd, Harold Hill Grange Rd, Harold Hill July 1 East Anglian Championships FITA s & Metrics 1-4 Ely, Cambridgeshire July 7 Junior National FITA Star, FITA s & Metrics 1-5 July 8 Junior National Championships York & Bristol 1-5 July 29 Essex FITA Champs FITA s & Metrics 1-5 Lilleshall, Shropshire Lilleshall, Shropshire London Road, Romford Sep 1 SCAS Junior Championships York & Bristol 1-5 Runwell Hospital Oct 14 Essex County Field Championships 2 x 14 Marked FITA West Hanningfield Local field shoots Date Organisers Round Location Status June 2 & 3 Panther Bowhunters FITA 24 Mixed 12 marked 12 unmarked, both days West Hanningfield July 1 Panther Bowhunters 2 x 20 3D animal single arrow only. West Hanningfield Open Oct 13 Panther Bowhunters 2 x 20 Marked 3D West Hanningfield Open Oct 14 Essex County Field Championships 2 x 14 Marked FITA West Hanningfield GNAS For details on any of the above check our website or contact Roger Glover. The next issue of the newsletter should be out around the beginning of August 2007. If you have anything you would like included please ensure that it reaches the editor before July 15th 2007. Mayflower Archers and contributors 2007 The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributor and are not necessarily those of Mayflower archers, committee or members of the club. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this newsletter mistakes can and will occur. The editor, Mayflower Archers, Mayflower Juniors and the committee cannot be held responsible for any article wrongly published or misread. Contributions may be edited for space or other reasons.