For beginners and advanced archers...

Technical archery terms

Riding/Arrow Riding

“Arrow riding” refers to a situation where the arrow does not leave the arrow rest or bow window cleanly during release, but instead “rides” along it or slides.

Causes:

  • Incorrect nocking point
  • Improper spine
  • Faulty center-shot alignment
  • Poor fletching setup
  • Technical errors in release

Consequences:

  • Unstable arrow flight
  • Increased grouping spread
  • Lateral or vertical deviations

Detection:

  • Observed in a bare-shaft or paper test
  • Wear marks on the rest or bow window

Right-handed Archer

A right-handed archer is an archer who holds the bow in the left hand and draws the string with the right hand.

Characteristics:

  • Arrow rests on the left side of the bow (for recurve or longbow)
  • Dominant aiming eye is usually the right eye
  • Mirror image of a left-handed archer

Important:
In archery, the shooting side is primarily determined by the dominant eye, not by the writing hand.

Right-spiraled feather

A right-spiraled feather is a natural feather whose curvature, when mounted correctly, causes the arrow to rotate clockwise in flight (as seen from behind).

Significance in arrow construction:

  • Natural feathers come in right- or left-spiraled variants
  • All feathers on an arrow must have the same spiral direction
  • The spiral direction determines the arrow’s spin

Effect:

  • Stabilizes the arrow through rotation
  • Promotes a smooth, steady flight
  • Especially relevant for angled or helical fletching

Technically, whether the feather is right- or left-spiraled is less important than ensuring all feathers on the arrow are consistent.

Riser

The handle – also called the riser – is the central component of the bow. It connects the two limbs and forms the technical base of the entire setup.

Functions:

  • Holds and secures the limbs
  • Mounting point for sight, button, arrow rest, stabilizers
  • Determines balance and stability
  • Affects shooting behavior and ergonomics

Materials:

  • Aluminum
  • Carbon
  • Wood (on traditional bows)

On modern recurve bows, the riser is often equipped with adjustment options (e.g., tiller, limb alignment).

Robin Hood

A Robin Hood in archery refers to a shot where an arrow hits an already embedded arrow—often splitting it or striking near the nock. The term comes from the legend of Robin Hood, who was said to have split one arrow with another.

What happens:

  • The trailing arrow hits the leading arrow precisely
  • Often destroys the nock
  • The shaft can split

Significance:

  • Expensive for your equipment 😄
  • Sign of extremely tight grouping

Scope

A scope is the front aiming element on a sight, mainly used in the compound bow. It is a small housing containing:

  • Aiming point (pin or dot)
  • Optional magnifying lens
  • Bubble level

Functions:

  • Enables precise aiming
  • Allows control of bow tilt via the bubble level
  • Maintains a consistent sight line

The scope is aligned through the peep sight on the string.

Screw-in Point

A screw-in point is an arrow tip with threads that screws into an insert in the arrow shaft. It is currently the most common type used for training and competition arrows.

Features:

  • Interchangeable
  • Available in various weights (e.g., 80–200 grains)
  • Easy to install and remove

Advantages:

  • Ideal for tuning (FOC adjustment)
  • Weight can be flexibly adjusted
  • Quick replacement if damaged

Selfbow

A self bow is a bow made from a single piece of wood—without laminations, glass overlays, or modern composite materials. It is considered one of the most traditional bow types.

Characteristics:

  • Made from a single piece of wood
  • No glass or carbon reinforcement
  • Often handcrafted individually
  • Usually flat or D-shaped cross-section
  • Well-known examples include historical longbows or simple flatbows

Nature/Feel:

  • More craftsmanship and individuality than industrial precision
  • Very natural shooting feel
  • Highly dependent on wood type and workmanship

Seniors

Alterseinteilung des DSB für Bogen Wettkämpfe. Schützen der Klasse Senioren sind 66+ Jahre alt.

Serving Jig

A serving tool is a device used to apply servings (wrappings) on a bowstring. It is used for:

  • Center serving
  • End serving
  • Nock point serving (rarely)

Functions:

  • Maintains even tension on the serving thread
  • Produces clean, tight wrappings
  • Allows for precise work

The serving tool holds the thread spool and enables controlled wrapping of the tensioned string.

Serving Thread

Serving thread is a special, highly abrasion-resistant thread used to wrap bowstrings. It is mainly used for:

Properties: The thickness of the serving thread affects how securely the nock sits on the string and the durability of the wrapping.

Shaft

The shaft is the central component of the arrow – the long, load-bearing element between the tip and the nock. It largely determines:

  • Weight
  • Stability
  • Spine (flexibility/bending behavior)
  • Flight characteristics

Materials:

  • Wood
  • Aluminum
  • Carbon
  • Hybrid (Aluminum/Carbon)

The choice of shaft must match:

  • Draw weight
  • Draw length
  • Bow type
  • Intended use (Target, 3D, Field)

Sight

A sight is the aiming aid on a bow, used primarily with recurve and compound bows to aim precisely at different distances.

Components:

  • Sight bar / extension
  • Elevation adjustment
  • Windage (side) adjustment
  • Sight pin / scope

The sight is adjusted up or down depending on the distance to compensate for the arrow’s parabolic flight path.

Spin Vanes

Spin vanes are very light, thin plastic vanes that impart strong rotation to the arrow in flight. They are usually slightly curved or flexibly shaped so that the arrow quickly stabilizes into a spinning motion.

Characteristics:

  • Extremely lightweight
  • High rotational effect
  • Fast stabilization
  • Commonly used in recurve and competitive archery

Note:
Because of their low weight, spin vanes have minimal impact on the overall arrow weight, making them ideal for target shooting.

Spine

Arrow spine indicates how stiff or flexible an arrow shaft is. It is crucial for proper tuning between the arrow and the bow.

Static spine:

  • Measured in a standardized way (load applied at the center of the shaft).
  • Deflection is given in thousandths of an inch.
  • Examples:
    • 500 spine → softer
    • 400 spine → stiffer
    • 340 spine → even stiffer
  • 👉 The lower the number, the stiffer the arrow.

Dynamic spine:

  • The actual bending behavior of the arrow during the shot.
  • Influenced by:
    • Shooting technique
    • Draw weight
    • Draw length
    • Arrow tip weight
    • Bowstring