Scoring better at longer distances

[Furface]

Hm. 8 hours?
Anyway. Assuming 2 details. At FITA timings of 4 minutes per six arrows (or 2 per 3) that comes to 3hrs 12 minutes to be allowed for shooting. Then we come to scoring. If we allow 5 minutes walking and scoring for each end at the longer distances, and 3 minutes for the same at shorter distances (and this feels like rushing things), then we add in another 2 hrs 12 minutes. Then we can add in two periods for moving targets forward - depending on the size of the field, lets add another 30 minutes for this. So now we are up to six hours. Add in an hour for lunch (during which the faces also have to be changed, as well as targets moved). So we are now at 7 hours. And, in my experience, a 9:30 start usually gets finished around 5. Not much extra time for sighters. And GNAS does not give anyone a "bum deal" in this respect. Again, in my experience, because there are no traffic lights involved, we get less of the "look at me" brigade playing chicken on the amber.
As for FITA rules. Again Hm! FITA allows for "practice" on the tournament field, but 3.19.1 states "practice targets will be set up at the first distance" and "Practice will be for a maximum of 45 minutes, but may be less, and the competition will start as soon as possible". Now I read this as stating that practice will only be before the round, not between distances. Sure, there may be a practice field, where archers can practice at all distances, but this is a facility only laid down for specific events. And its use must be within the time constraints of the overall event. Again, the main difference from GNAS is that there is only one end of sighters. As the purpose of sighters is surely mainly to assess windage, there is no great loss.
Returning to timings, it is not generally realised that, in many countries, a FITA round is generally split over TWO days, with a double over 4!
Sorry to rabbit on at great length, but I do believe that GNAS gets it in the neck rather too often.

[Barry C]

The bum deal I was refering to... If korea gets sighers for every distance, its not fair GNAS doesnt allow us the same luxury, or is that the fault of tournament organisers or ignorant judges?</p>

Getting sighters would certainly boost my score by 20 points. </p>



GNAS deserves all the stick it gets, it totally sucks.</p>

[English Bowman]

Barry C - 8/8/2005 1:13 AM



The bum deal I was refering to... If korea gets sighers for every distance, its not fair GNAS doesnt allow us the same luxury, or is that the fault of tournament organisers or ignorant judges?</p>

Getting sighters would certainly boost my score by 20 points. </p>

Have you got sight marks? If so, why will it improve your score by 20 points, you should be able to put your sight on the mark for the shorter distance, making any adjustment for weather etc based on the last distance you shot and be spot on straight away. I can do that with a recurve and I only shoot it about once a year. I can also do it with my longbow. So why can't you? If you don't have sight marks for all the distances you shoot, why not?

GNAS deserves all the stick it gets, it totally sucks.</p>

Sorry I couldn't disagree more. Without getting too personal, you should look at your attitude. That is the thing that "sucks"
You can't get the scores you want, so it's obviously the coaches at fault, if not them, it must be the rules, after all sighters at each distance would add at least 20 points to your score. Look at your own attitude, a coach can only teach someone who is prepared to learn, and a society will only give you what you put into it.
If you don't like GNAS then join the Archery Association or start your own. If you have constructive criticism, then do something about it. Make your point to the GNAS by writing to Archery UK or turning up at the AGM; you are entitled to do this.
GNAS do a good job of promoting all aspects of the sport from beginner to Olympic medallist (And yes we do punch above our weight in international competition) and from field to target to clout and flight etc. I admit as a society the GNAS isn't perfect and there is always room for improvement, but try being a little less anti and a little more positive.
Who knows, it might improve your shooting too.
I'm sorry if I have offended anyone here. (Including you Barry) but I will not stand by to see GNAS getting flack like this. Constructive criticism is a good thing, and leads to discussion; I can disagree with someone but respect their opinions. Comments like “it sucks” help no one, improve nothing and should be left in the school playground
Rant over

Daniel

[Barry C]

Hey thanks for telling me I suck Though I am sure in real life you must be somewhat more polite... </p>

Sight marks can change all the time, wind, temperateue, how im feeling, etc etc... Also sometimes the distances are slighty out between practice fields and tournament fields. I only shoot in the mid 1100's so I'm not yet at a consistant enough level to have every eventuality covered. I'm certain these sighters would benefit even a 1350+ shooter though.</p>

Gnas is responsible for holding out sport in the dark ages. Perhaps you see it from a different angle, but as a person striving to become the best I can see many weaknesses in their system that other countries do not have. I see problems with organisation,#coaching, funding, PR and representation. It could be we just live to two different standards. </p>

[Shirt]

Come off it, Barry. You've got sight marks, they'll get it on the target. Just shoot a good first shot and spot it, then move sight if needs be. If you've not got a scope or decent pair of binos, go shopping.

Sighters in between distances might benefit 1350+ who are trying to get 10s with their first shot as opposed to just somewhere near the middle, but the rest of us... and equally, if you want a Korean-type FITA, then you ought to have judges who will call anything that is even vaguely in doubt in. "Oh, there's a big hole torn between the 9 and 7 rings. You shot it into the far away end, but there's no face to prove it's a 7, so it must be a 9..."

Don't change the rules to boost scores artificially.

[Barry C]

Then perhaps I am a freak who cannot use his sight properly </p>

[English Bowman]

Barry C - 8/8/2005 2:40 PM



Hey thanks for telling me I suck Though I am sure in real life you must be somewhat more polite... </p>

Sorry, I never meant that you sucked, just the attitude that came across in your postings attacking the GNAS and it's coaching structure. It seemed to me that you were blaming others for you lack of progress, rather than looking inward at ways to improve. I have come across archers in the past, who's attitude was "I'm not county champion, because my coach/equipment/club/etc isn't good enough." The last place they look to find the reason that they are not achieving the results that they want is themselves. This should be the first place to look. Your postings reminded me of these people (perhaps unfairly. I don't know you, and shouldn't judge you by a few negative posts, sorry.) I was annoyed and replied in haste, for which I appologise, however, I stand by the rest of the comments I made. I guess in real life, you would also be more polite about the GNAS.

Sight marks can change all the time, wind, temperateue, how im feeling, etc etc... Also sometimes the distances are slighty out between practice fields and tournament fields. I only shoot in the mid 1100's so I'm not yet at a consistant enough level to have every eventuality covered. I'm certain these sighters would benefit even a 1350+ shooter though.</p>

True, but you should be able to assess how much your 90m sight mark is out, and adjust the other marks accordingly. As I said I can do this, with recurve and longbow, so I am sure that you should be able to do the same.

Gnas is responsible for holding out sport in the dark ages. Perhaps you see it from a different angle, but as a person striving to become the best I can see many weaknesses in their system that other countries do not have. I see problems with organisation,#coaching, funding, PR and representation. It could be we just live to two different standards. </p>

I disagree with you here, whilst there are problems with GNAS, they are open to change, and are doing the best they can. There is no conspiracy to mainain the status quo, if it is demonstrated to the GNAS that there is a better way of doing something, they will change. People moaned about the cloathing rules, it was put to the vote, and they were changed to the proposal that the majority of archers that could be bothered to vote wanted. GNAS is only as good as the people who give up their time, and the suggestions that are made to those people. If you can suggest a better way, then put those suggestions forward at the AGM or in writing to your county secretary or Archery UK. You could even air them on this forum to judge other opinions, beforehand. You did this with the suggestion of sighters at different distances, and professional coaches. We dissagree on both these ideas, but there isn't the hostillity created by the comment "GNAS sucks," and the perhaps over hasty reply that I made.
As I said, it's easy to criticise, but to do something about it is something else. When it looked like my club was going downhill due to the old club coaches retiring, I could have stood there, moaned about the lack of coaches available, and asked what was going to be done, or I could enrol on a coaching coarse and take on the responsabilitly myself. Guess which I did. Maybe you and I do have different standards, but what are you doing to improve things?
Daniel

[Cakemeister]

Just to say I shot a second 1st class on Monday- but having raised the issue of problems at a shorter distance I was aware of possible concentration loss when I changed distances & consequently shot more consistently over the second 2 dozen than I had before.

Pete