The Daily Interlake: Controlled Explosion

Smith says he never has played golf, but the similarities between golf and field archery are clear.

“I think golf is the nearest sport to what we’re doing” with archery, he said.

Field archery involves a course of 24 targets of different sizes throughout rolling, wooded terrain. Archers have to shoot uphill and downhill at widely varying angles, often from uneven locations that require different stances.

“It’s never a nice level spot,” Smith said.

Field archers have to estimate distances and target angles, and the shot requires extreme body control and mental focus.