The guys on the 1911 forum I frequent are enamored with him and ask any critic for a video of them doing the same thing. The point is not the shooting fast is unimpressive, it's that he's obfuscating about literally everything else in his video except for his speed.

Mind you, one thing Lars Andersen says, namely that war archery could take place while running around, is interesting. I think he's a bit extreme when he said that people never lined up to shoot in massed static formations, but the idea that you could run and shoot might be right.

Curious Aardvark wrote on Jan 25^th, 2015 at 11:34am:


challenge accepted i will prove to you that a slinger can sling 20 projectiles in a minute.  once i find a video camera...

I read the Geekdad article too.  It said he was using a very light bow, which made me question the shot of him piercing chain mail.  All it showed was a rapid succession of arrows hitting the target, with nothing to prove that it wasn't him and a couple buddies with 50 or 60 lb bows.  After how much they butchered the history, I wouldn't put it past them.

Curious Aardvark wrote on Jan 26^th, 2015 at 6:23am:


I would not oppose a sling Lars Andersen

Yes, mainly threw crushed stone, but in time 0:30 and 0:38 I throw about 15 pieces of metal rollers (67g/2.4oz)
.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mxoME-BL2Q

Most of his shooting is less than 5 meters.  He is probably the fastest shot out there, though.  And he's using a thumb draw.

Another article:

http://historical-academy.co.uk/blog/2015/01/30/on-speed-archery/

I extract this quote:

"“Archers have disagreed concerning drawing. Some have maintained that an archer should draw the length of the arrow less the width of a fist and pause for a count of one or two, or, according to some, a count of three. He should then draw the remaining length of the arrow with a sudden jerk and release. Others draw steadily the whole limit of the arrow to its very end and release without any pause or holding. Among the followers of this second method some pause for a count of two while others pause for a count ranging between two and ten. These are the followers of the intermediate school.”
Arab Archery, Chapter XVIII: On Drawing and its limits, translation by N.A. Faris and R.P. Elmer"

The guy that wrote that article was not an archer.   

His first two depictions of "pinch draws" are thumb draws.  His  picture of a thumb draw was a pinch.

His "reverse draw" is strange, I will try that and get back to you.

The article was also very Eurocentric, the "Med" or split finger draw is not stronger or better than a thumb draw and it does not let you shoot a stronger bow. 

The composite or "horse" bows were very short and the angle of the string pinched the fingers if the split finger draw was used with them. 

Actual poundage was the same or higher than the famous English longbows.  And the only surviving longbows came from the Mary Rose, which was Tudor, while there are literally thousands of composite bows surviving dating from all ages.

Arab Archery, OTOH, is considered to be a classic on Eastern archery.  And is pretty much what Lars was supposed to be quoting. 

OOPS on him, there is actually somebody that read it.

Early European explorers pointedly noted that Native Americans were archers first and foremost and that they were incredibly mobile and would not stand and fight in formations, such as they were used to.  That was in most of North America, what is now Mexico and Central America used bows but not in the same way, atlatls and darts were preferred for warfare.  And South America used slings...