ASK THE EXPERTS

Our panel answer your questions Send some more in!

I note you can achieve the uk classifications (such as Master BOWMAN) shooting either Metric Or Imperial distances. Both are available to Me. apart from accessibility Of competitions, Is there any advantage In shooting One Or the Other?

Most UK archery achievement classifications such as Master Bowman can be achieved shooting metric rounds (such as a WA1440) or imperial distances (such as a York). Each involves shooting long distances; 90m or 100yds for senior men. I have studied archer scores at different distances over many years and have found that they can be modelled mathematically very well. (You can find my recent published paper in that area at: https://bit.ly/2kvcz0x)

The distance of an archer’s arrows from the centre of the target is normally distributed and the standard deviation can be modelled as: where D is the target distance in metres, and I is the Archer Skill Level (ASL). As the archer’s skill level increases the groups get smaller. As the target distance increases the groups get larger. The group size can then be overlaid on a target face and the archer’s score at a particular distance estimated. It enables an accurate comparison between scores for one round and another. This modelling is used by Archery Australia for the Australian national ranking lists. It is also used by the Artemis Lite scoring and analysis application.

I have used that modelling to analyse the Archery GB score levels for the GMB (Grand Master Bowmen) levels, the top tier of UK archery classification. That gives the following archer skill levels:

Women’s Recurve:

York of 1080 gives an ASL of 82.70 Hereford of 1165 gives an ASL of 81.81 WA70/1440 of 1242 gives an ASL of 81.08 WA90/1440 of 1203 gives an ASL of 81.72

Men’s Recurve:

York of 1146 gives an ASL of 90.16 WA90/1440 of gives an ASL of 88.97

Women’s Compound:

York of 1214 gives an ASL of 100.20 WA70/1440 of 1342 gives an ASL of 97.81 WA90/1440 of 1319 gives an ASL of 98.77

Men’s Compound:

York of 1249 gives an ASL of 107.32 WA90/1440 gives an ASL of 105.64

A lower ASL means it is easier, so in every case considered, the World Archery round is just a little easier than the imperial round.