NEW! Tutorial on 'handicaps' Try - me - out!

Many, but not all, members of archery clubs eventually shoot enough rounds to hold an archery handicap, but what is it? A 'handicap' is developed to predict what score an archer may be expected to score for any given round. A 'classification' (1st, 2nd, 3rd class, Bowman, MB) is a level of ability which an archer has been proved to achieve.

Handicaps are calculated for both outdoor rounds and (seperately) indoor rounds so at any one time 'you' or any other archer could hold 'multiple' handicaps. However, to gain a handicap you must shoot three rounds (initially) for which all have had a 'table' printed. This table is called a 'score for round' table.

Using mathematical formula(e), these 'measurement' tables have been created. The formula(e) attempts to calculate how accurate you need to be to achieve a given score for a given round. The series of tables created allows the club records officer the abilty to judge accuracy across a range of rounds. If you were absolute shooting perfection you would obtain a rating of '0', (outdoors) whereas an absolute beginner would probably obtain a rating of 100 (outdoors) even without any instruction at all!

So why do you need three rounds? It is possible that you would shoot one round excellently and if this one round alone was used to calcuate your handicap, it may produce a result which did not accurately indicate your ability. The average of three rounds will give a much more relevant measure. SO! to gain an initial handicap, you would shoot three rounds each of which appears on the list of handicap rounds. Keep the three scores. Using the 'score for rounds' tables the scores are converted individually into three handicap numbers. Then these three numbers are added together and divided by three to get the 'average'. If the result produces a fraction then the resultant handicap becomes the next HIGHEST number. That is towards 100!

How about an example? Let's imagine that you start archery and it's your first year outdoors. You're encouraged to 'get' a handicap as your club has lots of 'handicap' awards. You arrive at the range and it's afternoon and everyone has set up the range for a 'National'. Six dozen scoring arrows and a maximum of 60 yards. You can manage that even though you think you may have the odd 'miss'. You complete the round and get a score of 205. Someone in you club looks at the 'score for round' table, finds the entry for the 'National' round and announces that your score EXACTLY returns a handcap rating of 65. That's your first of three.

Next week, you arrive on a dismal afternoon, rain's not far away and it's breezy. Nothing like the previous week! This time everyone thinks that the weather will break so they decide to shoot a 'Warwick'. 4 Dozen scoring arrows and the same distance as last week! However no sooner do you start than the heavens open and you shoot a dismal 97. So disappointing? Looking at the 'score for round' tables you note a handicap rating of 70 exactly! Now you have a 65 and a 70.

The followng week, it's been a good week for you but everyone is set up ready for a competition and all the targets are set at 80 yards for a 'Hereford'. Impossible for you as you only have time for 6 dozen but the others are already shooting and if you join in now you can squeeze a 'Long National' round in! The company is good, you get plenty encouragement, and, although you put a few 'misses' in at 80 yards, you shoot pretty well and achieve a score of 165. Upon looking at the 'score for round' table you find that you score is better than a rating of 61 but not as good as a 60 so you get a 61!

Three rounds now shot and three handicap ratings! 65, 70 and 61. Add them together and you get 196, divide by three and you get 65 with a remainder of 1! You cannot have fractions so you go to the next BEST handicap rating in you favour - 66! That is that! You now hold a handicap of 66 and by looking at the 'score for round' tables this should tell you that if you shot a 'Short National', for example, you would be expected to score about 280. And so on and so forth!

Got it? Is it any clearer? If not just let me know what is lacking and I'll add it in. Please remember I've only detailed how an initial handicap is obtained. Classification is a little different and I only mentioned it this time. Retaining a handicap is different after this point but I can cover that later?