Digital Scoring, New Limbs, First Competition

Finch

Member
So, almost a month has passed since I wrote anything about my journey to reasonable success at my chosen sport. Obviously I still have a long way to go!

A few weeks ago I was celebrating a PB at 488 using 38lb Soul Black Flash limbs with my WNS riser. I mentioned in my last post that I was shooting over-bowed. After some searching and an agonising wait I finally received some lighter limbs. I went with KAP Winstorm Carbon Foam limbs at 32lb. I have now managed to shoot them twice - a two weeks in Scotland and the archery club AGM meant I missed half of the last six club nights, but, the new limbs, the weight at least, feels much better. I can hold the full draw longer, slow my shot down and actually aim at the boss rather than release and hope. As for the difference between CF and CW (the Soul limbs), I can't tell. Pfft. It's not important right now. What is important is that I can actually feel and tell where my form (or lack of) is letting me down.

I was shooting next to a much more experienced (Level 1 coach) archer last night and he was able to give me a couple of pointers:

  • Draw hand moving down at release occasionally - sending arrows high.
  • Bow shoulder collapsing at release, pulling the bow left and screwing the shot.
  • Nodding dog (only once!) putting a shot at the bottom of the Portsmouth target.
So, I have stuff to work on. I am happy with that. He reckons that with work my shooting will improve dramatically, I am definitely not a lost cause!

Bad not great form and lighter limbs mean that I got nowhere near my 488 PB last night. Just a 463:

Scoresheetfinch301019.png
Which brings me onto digital scoring. The last few times that I have shot I have been scoring with another archer. One of the old boys in the club ripped into me for using my calculator to do the sums and I got embarrassed and started doing it in my head. I really wish I hadn't as the recorded score turned out to be wrong by between 8 and 10 points once I had inserted the round into the archery app on my phone. I am by no means awful at mathematics, but, when you get about 5 minutes to total up 60 arrows for two archers then I am going to rush a little and make mistakes.

To pre-empt some comments: the 5 minutes is a self-imposed limit. At the end of a shoot we do a chocolate challenge. I was skipping this to do the scores so that I could still assist with packing the bosses and net away at the end of the shoot.

Last one for now, I have my first competition (Link to Event Website) on Sunday 03 November. With the lack of shooting in the last three weeks and it being my first comp, I am really rather nervous. My intention is to go along and take in the atmosphere, shoot and enjoy the experience. I don't expect to place anywhere high up the rankings, I just really don't want to make a complete tit of myself!
 

Emmadragon

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
I would have said, how you add up is your business, not anyone else's, and if he's not happy seeing you adding up with a calculator/phone/whatever, he should focus his attention elsewhere...it does annoy me how some people get in other peoples faces about stuff. You're a grown adult, and if you're not interfering with his enjoyment of the sport, or being dangerous, why should he interfere with yours?
 

Finch

Member
I used the wrong word in my original post, i should have used "ribbed" instead of "ripped". It was a generic humorous comment as he was passing. I took it more seriously than I think it was meant. What worries me now is that i have done another archer out of points (I haven't checked) and possibly a PB for that shoot. :(
 

LionOfNarnia

Supporter
Supporter
One mans' ribbing is another mans' abusive behavior.

It's not up to you to have to decide what the true intent was, it's up to him to make it plain that it was not an 'attack'.

- Anything else is 'gamesmanship' &/or 'oneupmanship' at the very least.

Although 'taking every opportunity available' for gain is all too common in this world, it doesn't have to be in club archery, does it?
 

Whitehart

Well-known member
There are far too many mistakes on score sheets at tournaments that lead to delays in prizegiving. I always double check my sheet at the end with a calculator before signing even when I have been the scorer.

To save time do you add up as you go? Apps are great as a back up as long as proper scoring procedures are followed first.

Finally don't forget if your arrows were matched to your 38lb limbs then they will be too stiff so mistakes and errors in form will be magnified in lower scores.
 

Finch

Member
There are far too many mistakes on score sheets at tournaments that lead to delays in prizegiving. I always double check my sheet at the end with a calculator before signing even when I have been the scorer.
WHich is why I really do not want the responsibility of scoring at the comp on Sunday! I don't want to be responsible for someone else potentially missing out on a prize.

To save time do you add up as you go? Apps are great as a back up as long as proper scoring procedures are followed first.
We only get two hours for the whole session including set up and packing away so we only get one 10 minute break at "half" time on a Portsmouth. Unfortunately I am a vaper so like to pop out for few minutes for a nicotine boost. Walking off-site, vape and walk back takes 8 minutes or so. This only leaves about two minutes to do the half time scoring and get ready for the second half.

Finally don't forget if your arrows were matched to your 38lb limbs then they will be too stiff so mistakes and errors in form will be magnified in lower scores.
You're absolutely right. Unfortunately I can't afford a second set of X7s at the moment. I think the current ones are 2116s and they seem to be performing OK. Certainly one of the other coaches is shooting 2316 with 30lb limbs without a problem. I have a savings plan to purchase some RX7s in the new year and will ensure they're matched.

I can confidently say that any wayward arrows are due to me and not the equipment - at the moment...
 

Whitehart

Well-known member
Sorry this is a big mistake that all archers make especially those newish to the sport (it is not right that they don't matter at this stage), your arrows are far too stiff (even for 38lb) and will magnify all your release errors unless of course you have a 33" draw and 200 plus grains in the point :) Fletchings hide a lot but when worked too hard give up and you really don't know whether it is you or the arrows. Soap box moment over. Questionable if RX7's would be any better unless you go up in draw weight regardless of all the claims Easton make. Probably better off getting a set of Easton Jazz the right spine and work on your form, the better your release the more tolerant spine choice can be within reason, as you are not creating as much horizontal movement on the string at release.
 

Corax67

Well-known member
The club member was wrong to admonish you for using a calculator - how you add up is entirely up to you, using electronic aids or not is fine. Most of us at club use apps to score our rounds and all of these allow us to email the score sheets to our records officer who is only too delighted to get them this way since he doesn’t have to double check everyone’s maths.

I use ArrowNautics which suits me down to the ground and if I’m at a competition with a judge who gets sniffy about the “electronic device” rule I will simply photograph the score sheet at the end of each distance and input the scores from this picture to check the addition for my own peace of mind..

Shooting Portsmouth last week at a local club all the scorers were completing the 6 arrow sub-totals as the ends were shot then the 30 arrow score during the 10 minute break, they all seem to be very well versed in this routine and most used a calculator pp on their phones to check their calculations.

Do whatever works for you and ignore busybodies who interfere, either that or tell them they can score and see how quickly they back off.


Karl
 
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