What does THAT mean??

OK folks, I figured a vocabulary lesson was in order. If you are new to archery, some of the terms used might as well be Greek. Here is a quick list to get you started with.

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Arrow shelf

• The area of the bow above the handle or grip where the arrow sits.

ASA

• Archery Shooters Association

ATA

• Axle to Axle, the distance from the center of one axle of your bow to the other

Bare shaft

• A arrow shaft without fletching, nocks, inserts, points, paint, or cresting.

Bow square

• Tool that is T-shaped used to determine where to place string nock, measure brace height, and tiller.

Bow string

• Several strands of material twisted together to form a strong string used to launch an arrow.

Brace height

• The distance from the string to the deepest part of the handle or grip. This distance can be changed by twisting the string tighter to increase the height and untwisting it to decrease the height.

Cable guard

• The rod on compound bows which keeps the cables away from the center of the bow so the arrow can pass by without hitting the cables.

Cam

• The wheel or pulley on the end of compound bow's limb used to provide let-off and power. They may be round or elliptical shape.

Center shot

• A bow with a sight window that is inset to the centerline that runs along the bow from end to end inline with the string. This lessens the bending of the arrow when released.

D-Loop

• A string in a U shape tied on the bow string around the nock point that a release aid is attached to when shooting.

Draw length

• The distance a person draws a bow, measured from the bottom of the arrow nock to the back of a bow when in shooting position.

Draw weight

• Amount of pull weight measured in pounds that it takes to pull a bow string a certain distance.

Fistmele

• Another term for Brace Height.

IBO

• International Bowhunting Organization

Let-Off

• The percent that a bows holding weight is reduced from its pulling weight when the cams are in the valley.

Limb

• The ends of the bow that bend when the string is pulled back.

Nocking Point

• A mark put on bow string to mark where to nock the arrow. Sometimes a simple knot in a string is used, sometimes the point is marked with a brass clip with a rubber insert to protect the string. A loop of string or a loop of metal may be used with a release aid for the string nock.

Peep sight

• The rear sight of a bow. A piece of metal, plastic, or rubber with a hole in it placed in the string, that allows the shooter to look through the string.

Release aid

• Some type of tool that is used to pull the bow string and provide a better release by a trigger of some type.

Rest

• Holds the forward part of the arrow when drawing the bow.
  

Riser

• The middle part of a bow that has the grip, shelf, sight window and other parts. This part of the bow does not bend when pulling the string.

Serving

• String material applied to the bow string to in the nock area to make the string last longer and used also to make a loop in the string ends. Serving is also used to keep the peep site from moving on the string.

Serving jig

• A tool used to apply serving string to bowstrings and cables.

Sight

• Aiming device, generally with one or more fiber optic pins
  

Stabilizer

• A weight rod of various lengths and weights that is attached to a bow to reduce vibrations and supposedly give better control of grouping of shots.