Archery - Equipment

The basic equipment required for Archery in Olympic Games are as follows −

• Armguard − A guard for protecting the arm from bowstring when the arrow is being released.

• Arrow − Arrows have maximum diameter of 9.3mm, although most arrows around 5.5mm were used for a faster flight and a lower wind drift.

• Bow − The draw weight of the bow for men should be around 22kg and for women it’s around 17kg.

• Bowstring − It is used for the bow. Mostly, the string is made of high-tech polythene which is generally stronger than steel.

• Chest guard − Plastic or leather is preferred, to put clothes away from the bowstring while releasing it.

• Shooting glove or Finger tab − Leather cloth for protecting finger while releasing the arrow.

• Fletching − To fly straight, a feather type material is put at the end of each arrow.

• Handle or Hand grip − The bow handle.

• Quiver − A container worn around the waist for holding the arrows.

• Nock − The rear end of an arrow is attached with a plastic holder that keeps the bowstring in its position.

• Sight − A machine placed on the bow that aids the archer’s aim. Other name is bow sight.

• Stabiliser − Weight on the bow mounted to stabilise it during and after the shot.

• Target − The target provided in the Olympics is 48inch in diameter, at 70meters away from the archer. The centre of the target is 1.3meters above ground. There are 10 rings of which the centre ring is of 4.8inches in diameter. Another ring of 4.8inches in diameter which serves as a tie breaker in the qualification of world record is also placed as the target.