Historians agree that the first stone arrowheads to be discovered probably originated in Africa and in the time period around 50 000 BC.  Archers were primarily hunters back then, scouring the wide open African plains for food for their families.

The bow and arrow soon became a weapon of war, with records of Egyptian Archers honing their skills against the Persians as far back as 5 000 BC. Archery is also the theme of many traditional stories and folklore, the most famous and notable perhaps that of the story of William Tell.

William is said to have refused to bow down before a hat placed on a pole, representing imperial power.  His punishment, as it were, was that he had to proceed to shoot at an apple perched on his son’s head, using his bow and arrow.  The son was spared, as his father was a skilled archer – splitting the apple in two, instead of killing his son.

The Olympics and Beyond

Archery was first presented as a competitive event in the Olympics, in the year 1920, but did not reappear in modern day Olympics until 1972, in the city of Munich.  Archery has since become a mega-sport – not only at the Olympics, but as the main attraction in tournaments the world over, and has now become a favourite in sports betting.

Disciplines and Competitions

The favourite when it comes to sports betting, is Target Archery.  Archers aim and shoot at circular targets of various colours.  Targets are typically marked with 10 rings, each ring representing a value of between 1 and 10.

Archery competitions are aplenty, with the most famous being the FITA Outdoor Round and the Indoor  FITA Round.  During the FITA Outdoor Round, each Archer is provided with 144 arrows, with 36 arrows fired from each of 4 distances.

The four rounds are typically completed within one day.  During the Indoor FITA Round, arrows are shot at targets from two ends, the typical distance being 18 metres. Other competitions include Outdoor League, Field Archery and 3-D Archery.

Winning Strategies

Placing a winning bet requires formulating a winning strategy.  There are numerous variables to keep in mind.  First and foremost, it is vital to get to know the strengths and weaknesses of participating Archers.  Archery is not only about physical strength and a steady hand, but also mental agility and concentration.

Archers all deal with pressure in their own respective ways.  It is vital to keep record of a specific Archer’s past wins and losses, taking special note of his or her reactions during stressful situations and especially their ability to recover after a number of losing shots.

Keep a close eye on matches played in high-ranking competitions, such as the Olympic games and World Tournaments.  This will provide valuable information as to the current ranking of the Archers, as well as their overall success level. These competitions are designed to separate the wheat from the chaff, and provide valuable probabilities.