Prebook Weekend Archery Lessons for 2020 and Get 10% Off

Hello Would-Be Archers (and Returning Archery Students)!

Are you looking to prebook weekend archery lessons for 2020 ?

Well, good news. Book now and you can get 10% off the weekend rate for archery lessons*.

* Notes

• Offer only applies to weekend archery rates.
• Offer applies regardless of whether a person is signing up for 1 lesson or 10.
• Offer can also be used to purchase archery lessons as a gift for a friend or family member. Ask about my Archery Gift Vouchers.
• Offer is good until December 31st 2019. After which normal rates apply.
• Offer does not stack or combine with other discount offers for Seniors or Canadian Military Veterans.
• Offer only applies to archery lessons beginning in 2020, from January to December 2020.

So for example if you signed up for 10 weekend lessons (normally $780) the price would be $702 instead.

50 lb Horsebow balanced on three arrows. Just waiting to be shot.

Pin Float Vs Reticular Drift

Q

Hey Charles!

I was speaking to a fellow compound shooter and I mentioned how hard it is to aim sometimes when the sight pin keeps moving around. He referred to this as "Pin Float".

Is Pin Float different from Reticular Drift or are they basically the same thing?

Regards,
Jeffrey H.

A

Hey Jeffrey!

Basically the same thing.

Reticular Drift is a term largely used by military snipers to describe when they are aiming through a scope and the crosshairs keep moving about while they are trying to perfect their aim.

In archery we also use the term Reticular Drift, but when we do we are talking about aiming off the arrowhead and likewise attempted to perfect our aim while the arrowhead is moving about.

Pin Float is a bit more specific to compound shooting, as compound sights usually have 3 or more pins to choose from (with the pins usually set by the archer to 20 yards, 30 yards, 40 yards, etc). When shooting at 20 yards they would use the 20 yard pin. While aiming if the pin is moving around, making it difficult to aim, it is called Pin Float.


So how does an archer prevent Reticular Drift or Pin Float?

The short answer, you don't. It never truly goes away.

Reticular Drift is caused by the archer being in motion. The archer is breathing. Their muscles are contracting in order to maintain their draw length. The more the archer is moving the worse the Reticular Drift will be. eg. If the archer is shaking in some manner the Reticular Drift will be really bad.

However there are ways to minimize its effects.

One, use proper archery form. This will reduce shaking.

Two, learn how to breathe into the belly (as opposed to the chest) so that the shoulders are not moving up and down when you breathe.

Three, build stronger back and shoulder muscles so that they are more relaxed when put under pressure.






SOMEWHAT OFF TOPIC

In video games archers are often depicted as being super steady with the bow and there is no Reticular Drift at all.

However there is one video game I do want to applaud, because the realism in the archery depicted in the game is amazing. "Kingdom Come Deliverance" has the most realistic archery I have ever seen in a video game.

The hero (Henry) starts off in the game being horrible at archery. When Henry is first shooting he is horrible at it and the Reticular Drift is so bad it is very difficult to aim. However as the player gets better at aiming their Archery skill goes up ranks from 0 to 20, and their Strength ability and other scores likewise goes up. The Strength ability/etc is necessary in order to be able to use more powerful bows in the game properly.

Now I have heard people complaining about the game and whining about the archery system being so difficult... but frankly these people have been coddled by games like Skyrim where the character automatically is perfectly steady with their aim. They don't get that archery is supposed to be difficult. But, once the player has gotten Henry's Archery skill up and his Strength score likewise up, Archery is arguably the best combat skill in the game because it allows the player to kill enemies from distances (often while staying hidden), whereas the other combat skills require getting within melee range - in which case the swordplay system is likewise hard at the beginning to simulate Henry sucking at it.

Does the Reticular Drift in the game make it harder? Yes, at the beginning. And it never truly goes away either, it just decreases significantly as Henry gets stronger and better at archery. But that is the whole point. The game is based on reality as much as possible. Even the castles/locations are real places in Bohemia where tourists can visit. So for example the archery range in the image below next to the castle walls? You can visit the location and go there. There is no archery range there (at least not any more), but you can visit the castle.

Disclaimer - Nobody paid me to write this. I am just a fan of the game. I prefer realism in my books and my games.

Hedge Mazes for Exercise

Want an unusual way to get exercise?

Take a group of friends to a hedge maze and have a race to see who can get to the middle first - and part 2, who can get out first.

I took the following photos on September 1st. I took the photos on the way in, and then my wife and I had a race on the way out.

But in theory you could do it multiple times, in and out, until everyone is tired and wants to do something else.

The place we went to also sells homemade ice cream, so not exactly the healthiest post-maze option. But certainly tasty.

Backyard Archery Legality Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

#1. Where can I do archery?

#2. Is it safe and legal to do it in my backyard or similar locations?

#3. Is there a designated place to do archery in my city?

#4. Where else can someone go to do archery?

#5. Is it possible to get permission to shoot inside certain buildings?


Answers


 #1. The short answer: Anywhere that is safe and legal to do so.

The long answer is more complicated as it varies on your location and local laws.

In Toronto it is illegal to do archery in a public park, unless you have a permit or if it is a designated area that is purposely for archery. This is governed by Toronto Bylaw 608-4.

608-4. Firearms and offensive weapons.

• A. While in a park, no person shall be in possession of or use a firearm, air gun, cross bow, bow and arrow, axe, paint guns or offensive weapon of any kind unless authorized by permit.
• B. Despite Subsection A, bows and arrows may be used in designated areas in accordance with posted conditions.

So with respect to public parks a person can do archery if they either (A) get a permit or (B) only do archery in the designated locations (eg. The Toronto Archery Range located at E. T. Seton Park).

Now we should also note it is also possible to do archery on private property. Such locations are typically private archery ranges located at universities, indoor archery ranges, archery tag locations, etc.


#2. Yes and No. It depends.

Depending on the city you live in it is usually legal to do archery in your backyard, garage, basement, or other indoor facilities. What really matters here is two factors:

1. Whether your city has banned any kind of outdoor shooting, release or throwing of items considered to be weapons. Some cities have outright banned the "release" or firing of such weapons. eg. Toronto has banned it in public parks, but there is no general ban.
2. Whether you have taken steps to ensure the safety of your neighbours, passersby, etc. If the archer is recklessly shooting in a place with no safety precautions, then that is illegal regardless because it is Reckless Endangerment with a Firearm.

Imagine for example if someone was doing archery in their front yard and people walking by on the sidewalk are in danger of being injured (and possibly killed). Well then that constitutes Reckless Endangerment with a Firearm, which carries a penalty of a $4,000 fine and possible prison time.

So the backyard, garage, basement, etc is definitely safer, but in the case of a backyard the archer should also be taking steps to ensure that it is even more safe. eg. High fences would be ideal, shooting on a downward angle at a target placed on the ground, and exercising clear safety rules.

The safest alternative obviously is to only be shooting indoors in a garage, basement or similar location. eg. I know of several people who have convinced their employers to let them shoot in their warehouse during their lunch break, using stacks of old cardboard boxes in the warehouse as targets - cardboard doomed to recycled anyway.

That doesn't mean however that it isn't possible or legal to shoot in a backyard however. The person doing so simply needs to take various safety measures so that if they are ever asked by police about their backyard archery practice that they can prove that they are doing it in a safe manner that is not endangering anyone.

So for example a neighbour could phone the police and complain, and when police investigate and interview you then you would be able to show that you are using high fences, arrow netting, shooting on a downward angle towards a target on the ground and similar precautions. The police would then determine that there is no point in arresting you as you've proven that you've taken the necessary safety precautions and that you are not shooting recklessly over any fences and into the properties of your neighbours.

#3. In Toronto, Yes.

In Toronto we are fortunate to have the Toronto Archery Range, a free public archery range that is open 24/7 all year long. It is, to my knowledge, the only free public archery range in North America. (Burnaby has a similar public archery range, but it isn't free to use.)

You can learn more about the Toronto Archery Range by visiting:
http://www.archerytoronto.ca/Toronto-Archery-Range.html

Are there any other "designated areas" in Toronto where you can do archery outdoors? No, but there are a few indoor archery ranges that are privately run by universities and archery tag locations.

Very few cities have their own outdoor archery range. eg. Montreal has one, which I believe is privately owned. (If you know whether this is true or false please correct me in the comments.)

If you know of other cities or towns that have their own public archery range please post it in the comments.

#4. Outside the city limits.

If you leave the city limits of Toronto there are a variety of places where a person can do archery. Private archery ranges are at the top of the list, but a person could potentially also rent a small chunk of land from a farmer and build a small private archery range for use by themselves and their friends.

If you have family who owns farmland or a cabin up north or similar property you could ask your family if its okay to visit and shoot on their property. eg. I keep a recurve bow and assorted equipment at my parents' farm just for this express purpose, this way I don't have to bring archery equipment with me when I visit, it is already there.

#5. Yes, it definitely is possible.

Although it is difficult to obtain, some locations will sometimes allow archers to shoot on their premises. Especially if it is for a publicity stunt.

The photos below are of Canadian archery champions Wayne Pullen, Ron Lippert and Sheila Brown shooting inside the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto prior to the 860 foot long shopping mall being opened. The photos were taken by Globe and Mail photographer Tibor Kelly in May 1976. (It is from the cover of the May 17th 1976 issue.)

In order to be able to shoot in the Eaton Centre the three champions had to don hard hats in case anything fell on them. We assume the construction crew was on lunch break at the time they took the photos, and the three champion archers and the Globe and Mail photographer certainly had the permission of the Eaton Corporation. These aren't the kinds of photographs you could get without obtaining permission first.

The photographs are from newspaper clippings saved by Sheila Brown. We can all thank her for having the foresight to save a copy of this historical moment in Toronto archery history.

Gap Shooting, An Intermediate Archery Skill

Q

"New to traditional archery. Am I the only one to use the part circled to aim? Is it a bad habit I should break?

Justin M."




A


Hello Justin!

It is called Gap Shooting.

Rare for a beginner. It is more of an intermediate skill that archers learn after they have been shooting for a longer time period.

Gap Shooting is useful for shooting at moving targets; Aiming off the arrowhead is slower to adjust your aim compared to Gap Shooting which lets you keep your eye on the target.

Gap Shooting is not so good for shooting long distances as it means you are aiming above the target and often cannot see it any more because the bow is physically in the way.

If you learn both styles of aiming (traditional aiming off the arrowhead and gap shooting) it makes you a more versatile archer.

Some archers even put marks and/or dots on the side of the riser next to where they are aiming so they can improve their accuracy. This is known as a "Gap Shooting Cheat Sheet". It isn't really cheating, it just makes it easier to remember exactly where you are aiming.

In the example to the right is a "Gap Shooting Cheat Sheet" which uses an alternating dot pattern, making it easier to remember which set of dots you are using for aiming purposes.

The archer then aims to the side of the marks or dots, using the gap between the target and the side of the bow as a measuring device. An archer using a right handed bow with too much gap would see their arrow go to the right. Too small of a gap and their arrow goes left. (For archers using a left handed bow the reverse would be true.)

Happy Shooting!

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca

Recommended Exercises for Archery

Q

Thank you for getting back to me. You have given me a lot to consider and just as soon as I finish organizing my schedule for the next while, I will be in touch to arrange to book [archery] lessons.

Meanwhile, I’d like to improve my strength and endurance, and would welcome any exercise suggestions and recommendations you offer.


Joy F.

A

Hey Joy!

Okay, here is a list of posts to read.

I strongly recommend the Warm Up Exercises / Stretches. You may want to ignore the weightlifting exercises and focus on the stretches. Don't do anything that is too challenging (eg. headstand pushups is not for everyone).

Yoga is also very good.

Warm Up Exercises and Stretches
http://www.cardiotrek.ca/2013/04/archery-warmup-exercises-stretches.html

More Advanced Stuff / Weightlifting
http://www.cardiotrek.ca/2013/04/how-to-train-for-archery-at-home.html

Weightlifting Tips for Archers
http://www.cardiotrek.ca/2013/05/10-weightlifting-tips-for-archers.html

More Weightlifting Tips for Archers
http://www.cardiotrek.ca/2015/06/10-weightlifting-tips-for-archers-part.html

If you have additional questions feel free to ask.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca

Awa Kenzo

Loud Pro Sports Games can cause Hearing Loss

Spectators at pro sports games (eg. pro football, baseball, basketball, etc) need to protect their ears while enjoying the action, say Canadian experts.

According to Statistics Canada, over one million adults across the country report having a hearing-related disability. In the USA, it is estimated one in five teens have suffered permanent hearing damage / hearing loss.

"Each time your ears have been ringing, that is evidence of hearing loss. There's no recovery mechanism in place for the death of those inner ear cells," said Dr. Tim Rindlisbacher in 2014, director of sports health at Cleveland Clinic in Toronto, where he also works with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and Mississauga SteeIheads of the Ontario Hockey League.

What he means is that once damaged, the damage is permanent. Your inner ear doesn't heal itself. The damaged parts are effectively dead and useless.

Rindlisbacher believes that season tickets holders over a long period of time could be at considerable risk of noise-induced hearing loss from the various noisemakers, blaring music and loud cheering. Made worse if a person listens to loud music regularly or are exposed to noise at work. "Hearing protection would be a really smart idea," Rindlisbacher said.

Sound intensity is measured in decibels (dB), where a 10 decibel increase in sound is equivalent to a 10-fold increase in energy experienced by the ear. So 90 dB is actually 10,000 times more energy than 50 dB.

Simple foam ear buds are fairly effective, Rindlisbacher said. Costlier noise-cancelling ear buds can completely eliminate some noise.

The Seattle Seahawks, who defeated the Denver Broncos in Sunday's Super Bowl, hold the record for noisiest stadium in the NFL. An official from Guinness World Records recorded the crowd noise at a Seahawks game in the fall at 137.6 decibels.

Decibel levels

• Conversational speech: 60-70 dB.
• Hair dryer, vacuums, lawnmowers: 80-90 dB.
• Girls screaming at a rock concert: Can be over 100 dB.

Anything above 100 dB is very loud and sustained noise over 85 dB should be avoided.

Rindlisbacher is not alone in warning people that loud sports cause hearing damage.

Prof. Bill Hodgetts of the department of speech pathology and audiology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton published a study in 2006 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, titled "Can Hockey Playoffs Harm Your Hearing?" in an effort to raise awareness about noise when people are enjoying themselves at a game.

The noise of an entire NHL playoff game is the equivalent to sitting next to a chainsaw for three hours, says Hodgetts. When the home team scored, the noise was temporarily like a plane taking off.

Hodgetts recommends ear plugs for fans.

Wearing ear plugs to loud events could prevent hearing loss and the need to wear hearing aids later in life.

Anyone in the Vaughan or Woodbridge area of Ontario is recommended to get a free hearing test at Omni Hearing in Vaughan.

The American and UK Tennis Industry

There is a lot of money in the tennis industry. A crazy amount when you look at the numbers.

The American tennis industry alone has 18 million players and the industry worldwide has over 100 million players. Americans currently buy approx. 3.4 million new tennis racquets and 127 million tennis balls per year. In the USA the tennis industry is worth over $6 billion dollars*.

* Not counting the gambling that also goes on court-side, and also not counting the sponsorship deals that tennis players make on the side worth millions. eg. Roger Federer made $65 million USD just from sponsorships in 2013.

Tennis is also very popular in the UK, where the tennis industry is worth $2.6 billion. The global value of the tennis industry is in the 10s of billions. So if you counted the sponsorships, the 3rd party gambling, etc then it is worth even more.

Gambling in the tennis industry is so prevalent and common that some gamblers have even found a way to game the system by exploiting a loophole known as "Courtsiding". Courtsiding involves spectators watching a live game and then gambling on the results of individual serves by betting on the person who won the serve seconds before the umpire inputs the results of the serve into the system. Essentially the Courtsider already knows who won the individual serve, so they aren't really gambling like a normal person would as they already know who won the serve when they place the bet at the last second. What they are counting on is the umpire being slow to input the results of the serve into the computer, meanwhile the Courtsider (and often an accomplice) places the bet and seconds later the computers on the online gambling websites are updated with the results, but it is too late. The Courtsider has already won on the virtue of being a second or two faster than the umpire.

Courtsiding has also become so common many tennis events now ban cellphones and the use of bluetooth devices, so some savvy Courtsiders are now hiding their bluetooth devices under their long hair or hats. In Europe there are so many Courtsiders it is even skewing the odds, which means it isn't even profitable in most European countries.

Now you might think, wait, why don't they just have a delay or something to prevent people from doing this? Except nobody knows when the tennis players will win the serve so you can't predict when that will happen. So they can't make a delay as it is too unpredictable.



Many of these online gambling sites (aka bookie websites), especially those in the UK, like Toals and others allow people to bet on almost anything. Sports, politics, many different topics. You can probably even bet on whether the UK will have a no deal Brexit. At present that looks like a guarantee.

Personally I think the only thing I would ever gamble on is horse races, and only for fun. Less than $20 for a single day at the track. Why?

Because I used to work at a racetrack when I was younger. I like horses. Someday I would like to have my own horse farm and do horseback archery.

I also know that in Ontario the horse racing industry is propped up by gambling. Without gambling the industry wouldn't even exist.

So if I lost $20 at the race track that is basically a donation to support Ontario's horse racing industry. Go there, watch the horses, eat some food, donate your $20, and then go home. Enjoy the entertainment of watching the horses thunder past.

That said I am taking my son and wife to the Hanover Racetrack (a small racetrack in Grey County, Ontario) this weekend, where we will get to see the "horsies" go thundering by.

Earlier in the day we will be visiting family and petting kittens.

And then the day after we are going to a petting zoo.

An animal filled Labour Day Long Weekend. Visit family. See kittens, horses and the petting zoo. Wanna bet we will have fun doing all that? You betcha!

Youth Recurve Bow / Youth Archery Equipment

The following is a follow up email I sent to a client after teaching his daughter this past weekend. After the lesson he had a series of questions about purchasing equipment that I answered, during which I mentioned my Archery Equipment Checklist.

 

Hey I!

Good meeting you both on Saturday!

If you are considering buying equipment here is that equipment checklist that I mentioned after the lesson:

http://www.cardiotrek.ca/2017/04/archery-equipment-checklist.html

The biggest change is that you will be looking for a youth recurve bow instead of an adult recurve bow given in the example. When your daughter is 12 roughly she should be tall enough for an adult bow, in which case you could sell the youth bow and buy a new one. (The good news is used archery equipment, if you take good care of it, usually has a fairly good resale value of about 80% of what you paid for it.)

So for example you could get something similar to a Samick youth bow in 14 lbs. (She was shooting 12 lbs on Saturday, but an extra 2 lbs will be okay.)

Youth Samick Recurve Bow - Priced at $159.85 CDN on Amazon.ca

If you have any follow up questions feel free to ask. Have a great day!

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca

2-in-1 Archery Hand Guard / Arm Guard, Product Review

I purchased the armguard / handguard shown in the above two photos for use with longbows and horsebows a few months ago and I have been wearing it during that time period whenever I am shooting any of my longbows, flatbows or horsebows that don't have an arrow rest.

The handguard protects your hand from the fletching ripping into your skin as the arrow goes past your hand at a hefty speed. The flatbow I have been testing it on is 36 lbs, while the horsebow I have been using lately is 50 lbs.

The armguard is also excellent (and easy to put on and adjust with the drawstrings), although it only covers the forearm. Some archers who habitually hit their elbows or even their biceps may want a larger armguard that offers protecting for their elbow or bicep. I fortunately don't have that problem.

Fashion wise it looks very good and the colour I got even matched my thumb release glove I got years ago, thus whenever I am shooting with a thumb release on my horsebow they at least match.

Price wise it was only $19.99 CDN on Amazon.ca. Visit the following product listing:

• www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07P9GDS5M/

Now there are probably fancier handguards out there, just like there are cheaper handguards out there, but a two-in-one solution for $19.99 CDN that is both a handguard and armguard, and it works very well and easy to adjust... well that is a very good deal.


Notes

This product review was not sponsored. I simply wanted a new armguard / handguard that I can use with my various longbows and horsebows, both for my personal use and for my archery students to use.

Now that I have confirmed that this one works well I may in the future buy a left-handed version for any left eye dominance students who want to learn longbow or horsebow.

Are you looking to learn how to shoot horsebow or longbow? Sign up for 3 or more archery lessons in Toronto and make a request to learn a specific style (or multiple styles).