tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-207836232024-03-08T10:58:21.302+01:00The Heretic ArcherDedicated to the book "The Heretic Archer" written by Vittorio & Michele Frangilli and to the Heretic Archer shooting style and philosophyVittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-83419044597785462662009-11-02T19:39:00.000+01:002009-11-02T19:39:54.069+01:00The Heretic and the CompoundNot many knows that I have been playing with compound since late 70’s… First time I had it in my hands, it was a Bear 6 wheels, at the same time I got my Bear target TD, around 1975. Well, it was a mysterious thing, with no instructions and people was shooting it with fingers here, in competitions against recurves. <br />
In Early 80’s I got my PSE Laser Flight, that is still in my garage. It was one of the top compound bows existing at that time, a real jewel, and I used it with a small finger release, with very bas results. But in early 90’s, I finally had in my club some people that were dedicating a lot of time to Compound shooting, all of them using Browning bows, and preparing to the advent of Compound shooting in FITA official competitions. In 1990 Compound become an official division in the XII FITA World Field Championships in Loen, Norway. Maurizio Cirla from my club was in the Italian team with his Browning and .. a clicker, and got the 19th place there. <br />
No one today is using the clicker with the compound, but in that age it was not so uncommon. I teached Maurizio the use of the cliker, and he got several medals with it at Italian and European level. It was the first time a cliker was used with compound in FITA World Championship, while last time in my knowledge was in 1998 in Gurgl, Austria, at the XVI FITA World Field Championship by the great Becky Pearson.<br />
In 1996 in San Diego World Junior championships has been Manuela Mustafà from my club bringing back a Bronze Medal by Women team, then many years were compound shooting was not so popular in my area, until 2002, when my son decided Compund had to be a part of his winter training, and my daughter followed him from 2003. Since then, Comppund bow have become again a constant presence in my club, at least in winter time. Michele and Carla are shooting since then 2 or 3 indoor competitions yearly in winter time. From 2004, Sandrine Vandionant, former compound Indoor European Champion has joined the family, and while I was coaching her in recurve shooting, she was transferring us a lot of experience in Compound shooting. <br />
Carla got a Junior Silver Medal at the Italian Indoor Championships 2006, but Michele at the same championships reached a result that will remain in the history of Italian Archery. He scored 592 with recurve, tied to Alessandro Rivolta also at 592 in first position, and he scored 577 only with compound after a bad start (285+292) ending at the 16th place tied to Daniele Bauro. He won the Compound shoot off, and therefore he was surprisingly in the eight of finals for both Recurve and Compound. <br />
Organizers were really surprised, but rules did not forbid this, so they changed the schedule having the matches shot no more all at the same time, but alternating every stage between recurve and compound. Compound field was on the left side and recurve field on the right side of the DOS stand. Recurve started first, and Michel shot the first recurve match, winning it. Then he moved to the left side, picked up the compound and shot the match against number one ranked, Stefano Mazzi, and won it 175/174. The incredible was happening, and he was in the quarter of finals for both Recurve and Compound, at the same time. He went on winning the quarter of finals, too, and he was in semi-finals, but here he had a bad arrow in the compound match and lost it agains Mike Palumbo, while in the recurve match he won. So, he arrived at the Bronze match with compound, and easily won it by 119/116 over Antonio Pompeo, while he went winning the recurve Gold match against Alessandro Rivolta. For the first and last time in FITARCO history of the Italian Championships, the same archer was on the podium getting medals for both recurve and compound divisions. Succeeding in a very heretic challenge, for the first and last time. It was the last time, because since then, under pressure of several unhappy parties, FITARCO introduced the rule that matches were going in any case on at the same time, and so an archer qualified to both finals had to choose witch one to shoot. <br />
But how is Michele shooting compound? <br />
Until last year, his technique was very similar to his recurve one, with a good alignment of the back and a lot of pushing while aiming. On the wall up to 30 # in some conditions, it was a very stressful way of shooting. Back tension release was then giving him a very explosive release, but perfectly on the line to the target. Now days he is training a little bit more “compound style”, with shorter draw length and more static release, while a big dot on the lens has replaced his usual very small one. He is studying compound shooting a little bit more, my daughter is following him, his wife Sandrine is definitely back to compound shooting. As far as muyself is concerned, I'm now also coaching the Compound Irish team. Is the Heretic family now going compound only? Not at all, is just adding compound to our daily study of the present and future shooting techniques. And may be adding a new chapter to the Heretic Archer II future book.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-58870156102374296112009-10-13T19:15:00.002+02:002009-10-14T12:54:06.883+02:00On the way ...Several months form my last post, again. A very busy year, trying to develop a new archery team for Ireland in 2012 perspective. In the mean time, archery is changing. <br />
Ogden Youth World Archery Target Championships and Youth Olympic games qualifier, then Ulsan World Target Archery Championships have established new standards for those that would like to reach the Olympic Dream in 2012. I admit I was a little bit unprepared to the stellar technical levels reached by these championships. I was expecting a sort of linear worldwide increase of performances, and I have found that the increase is logarithmic. Top Recurve Juniors are already all shooting at senior level, and senior level is already on the moon and over. Tie breaks in between 3 teams to enter the 16 top teams have been an absolute first. And, everything says it will be a game for more teams in 2011 when all the world will play to get Olympic places for London. <br />
After World Championship in Liepzig 2007 I forecasted that Olympics for archery were going to be more and more an Asian game, only. Now, I'm pretty sure about this. And, to try to compete against Asian countries playing the game they are playing will get to nothing. <br />
European and other Western countries have to play it the Western way, if they want to see London in 2012 from the inside of the archery venue. <br />
Imitating Koreans has never led to anything concrete in this side of the world. Repeating again and again the same cloned formulas has never given any positive result here. <br />
But, with fantasy and imagination, there are other ways to reach the ambitious Olympic dream.<br />
I like to think the Heretic way being one of them, and time will tell, again.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-84573841933167185372009-05-15T09:47:00.003+02:002009-05-15T09:57:42.402+02:00The heretic is backTwo years from the last post.... Apologize with readers, but so many things have happened in the middle, that it will be even difficult to summarize them here. So, I simply skip this two years and I go straight to the present.<br />Since beginning of April 2009 I have been appointed National Coach of Irish Amateur Archery Association, with the very ambitious goal to bring at least one Irish Archer to London 2012.<br />It's a diffult "heretic" challenge to be handled part time., but IAAA is really made by enthusiastic people and is a pleasure to work with them... Time will tell...<br />Michele will go to Sofia European Grand Prix on next week. He won the first edition tree years ago, let see this time...<br />The Heretic Archer II project has been stopped for these two years, but now I'm back in writing. Many new infos have been available in the mean time, and it will be a much more better book now than it was planned to be. But, don't expect it before end of this year or early 2010 ...Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-78066423621544565712007-05-19T09:42:00.000+02:002007-05-19T10:05:37.529+02:00Heresy in VareseToo many days and too many happenings!<br />Michele has been able to get back from Izmir with a Gold Medal for Team (10th world champion title for him), toghether with Galiazzo and Tonelli, so his bet in going there has been winning.<br />But after that, the development of the season has become very rapid. Firs World Cup stage of 2007 in Ulsan at the end of March, when not yet at the top, but first of the non Koreans in the qualification FITA round, and unfortunately out at the tie break in the 16th of finals. Then, two consecutive FITA rounds to test new equipments, just before the seconfd World Cup Stage in Varese, Italy.<br />Varese has been an incredible experience for me and for my family. Being at the same time the President of the Organizing Committe and Michele's coach, I have brought my capabilities to the absolute limit for more than 15 days. But what a result! Despite the terrible weather jeopardiziong the quality of the results for 2 days out of six, the tournament has been a terrific success at local and international level, with the highest media coverage ever had for an archery tournament in Italy. And the Heretic Archer has fully helped, getting back to his top exactly when needed, in his home coutry.<br />Second in qualifiction with 1348 after the jounger Nespoli, Michele went straight to the Gold final, beating the russian Tzyrempilov and getting the most desired result in front of the home spectators, only one medal of the Italian team. And, because of this, jumping instantly from the 13th place to the 2nd of the FITA Worlda Rank List and the sec0nd palce in the World Cup 2007.<br />And, being heretig again, at the end of the same week Michele has moved to Bignon in France for a local double FITA round shot in the wind and rain, were he has been able to win with large margin over all members of the French National team that were there for the selection of team for Antalya, the third stage of 2007 world cup.<br />Antalya will be starting one week from now, and there probably the finallists of the world cup 2007 will be decided and the Heretic of course would like to be among them .<br />I'm now back to writing, as my publishers are urging me for more articles. Let see which one is going to be published next!<br />Just one comment: the top 3 men in qualification in Varese were all shooting with different techniques. Mauro Nespoli, 1353, is a good example of an adaptation of the Korean basic technique for men, more known around as Mr. K. S. Lee B.E.S.T. technique, with some local adjustements. Michele, 1348, is... the Heretic Archer, and Ilario di Buo', 1344 is a good example of the old traditional puller technique. They were tied at the end of the 50 mt at 994... The search for the final solution is still long and difficult, and no solutions have yet definitely prooven to be ... the best. But we will insist going ... Heretic!Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-30474097842541989152007-03-15T18:12:00.000+01:002007-03-15T18:31:54.829+01:00The secrets of the clikerWell, I did not realize until today that is already more than 3 months that I don't post any new article in this blog. But, they have been vey busy months!<br />In the middle, the Face to Fac ein Amsterdam, the Italian Indoor Championshios and the Tournament of the Nations in Nimes. And, after that, 15 days of stop for Michele because of an urgent surgical operation. In the hospital from the 14h to the 22nd of February, then back home but unable to start shooting until the 1st of March, with still some small "holes" on his abdomen not totally closed, yet. One week of shooting and the decision to participate in any case to the World Indoor Championships in Izmir, from March 12... an Heretic decision, of course.... Championships are still running, performanc is of course not at the top, but just enough to help the team. Let's see....<br />The first article of the Heretic Archer II series hs been published divided in two parts on the numers 5 and 6 /2006 of FITARCO magazine Arcieri, and several people has been shocked by some of its content, specifically by the part dedicated to the influence of the cliker position to the appearance of the bare shaft tuning. Nothing special, in my experience, but honestly something people can't easily understand without proper explanation. Anyhow, a great success. Our friend Stephen Avis is translating it to English, and I hope to send it to Archery Focus quite soon. If you only read english, please be patient for few weks more.<br />Then, number 2/2007 of Arcieri Magazine will publish "Intervening to his or her tecnique", dedicated to the way to approch the changes to the technique and the coaching of hight level archers. Something absolutely not easy to do, IMHO.<br />I'm writing several other articles at the same time, all at different stage of finalization, like those titled "Shooting in the wind", "The secrets of the rest", "Going more far away", "Front shoulder secrets", "All secrets lye in grips" and others. But nowdays the writing is quite slow, as I'm fully involved as President of the organizing committee of the 2nd Wolrd Cup 2007 Competition to be held in Varese , italy, form April 30, to May, 5 of this year, a very hard Heretic task, for me and all my club.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1164127571726504722006-11-21T17:27:00.000+01:002007-01-26T16:15:44.286+01:00How many secrets.....you can really tell around?<br />Long time ago, when the majority of the content of The Heretic Archer was still in mine and Michele's minds, we questioned ourselves if it was worth to keep some of the secrets of our shooting technique and of our tuning methods totally hidden to the outside achery world. Our answer was easily no. Not becouse we did not want to keep secrets, but simply becase we evaluated that even telling some of hem around, they were so unusual and different form the traditional thinking that they wer enot going to be trusted at all. So, e wrote several articles about diferent matters we have investigated in our achery life, these articles have been published, discussed and.... forgotten. Until The Heretic Archer has been published.<br />But even now, that a lot of people owns the book and can read in detail many of our secrets, we are in the same condition. They read it, don't believe it and go on asking for questions already answered in full detail in it. <br />The book has so many levels of reading and so many logical conclusions can easily be deducted from its chapters, that sometime I think I have exagerated in putting so many infos in it. But readers simply... don't read it deeply enough...So, there are many secrets explained, but not so many understanding them...yet. <br />Well, some of the most kept of our secrets are anyhow not yet published. And a great part of the story of the Heretic Archer has still to be written. <br />Will The Heretic Archer II inlude all lacking parts? I don't know, yet. <br />I'm for instance pushed by Steve Ruis, Archery Focus editor, to write about grips. <br />It is one of the most difficult matters to transform in a coeherent explanation, and as I have written long time ago on the Sagi board, "so may secrets lay in the grip", I'm very reluctant to face the task. May be, may be that at the end "The Secrets of the grip" will be found in The Heretic Archer II, but is not sure. <br />How many secrets we can really tell around?..... ;-))Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1161957474685634582006-10-27T15:39:00.000+02:002007-03-04T22:42:12.906+01:00Heretic World and The Archer III have released last week the final version the fist article of the series "The Heretic Archer II", titled "The secrets of the cliker". <br />While a cliker is a quite simple mechanical part, my article went to a full 7 pages including pictures, so the first publisher, the Italian Fitarco official magazine "ARCIERI" has decided to divide it in two parts. Part one will be published on the coming issue nbr. 5/2006 and the second part will be on number 6/2006 in two months from now. Then, in 2006, probably the article "Shooting in the wind" will follow.<br />English translation of the first article is on the way by my friend Stephen Avis, that has been one of the translator to English of The Heretic Archer, and in a couple of weeks the English version will be forwarded to Archery Focus for publication, but far as other languages are concerned, nothing has been finalized, yet.<br />I'm just back from one of my business trips to Asia, and I have been able to meet there one dealer of the book in Hong Kong. He told me the book is selling well even there, and this is of course a great satisfaction for me and Michele. <br />Having recently added to the list of the official delaers also one shop in Australia, I can now say that The Heretic Arcer is sold in all Continents but Africa. But soon .....Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1159282603260304462006-09-26T16:10:00.000+02:002006-09-26T16:56:43.756+02:00The Heretic Archer strikes againMichele has gone to the World Field Championships in Goteborg at the end of August with the declared intention to win them. Basically, he wanted a new world title in Field in order to reach the score of his friend and great archer Andrea Parenti, and pass at the same time Jay Barrs total 3 world Field championship titles. <br />Andrea has won the World Field in 1988, 1994 and 1996, and the World Games in 1997, passing Barrs on the total with 4 to 3 major tiles. Michele had the world titles of 2000 and 2002 and the World Games of 2005, so he also was at 3. He has missed the world title and the podium in 2004 for an incredible series of problems is not worth to tell here, so he wanted his credit back from the luck. <br />And, friends, this is a real competition, when top archers fight about their personal count of World Titles!.<br />The list of participants was showig immediately who were going to be his contenders. <br />First of all, Sebastian Rohrberg, the 2004 champion, an then our friend Vic Wunderle among all. <br />Vic is Michele's old friend. I hosted him in my home for a week in winter 2001 and he trained with Michele in hour club on the way to the World Indoor champs in Florence. <br />He is also now a proud owner of a copy of our book, and I feel it was also because of Michele's chapter about Field Archery that Vic has decided to go so strongly in Field, with very good results. <br />So, for Goteborg we guessed a final match with him or with Sebastian (that is normally using the special tungsten points for ACE Michele is providing to him) <br />Well, results are now Story. <br />Michele has shot 350+345, and the 695 total is the top Field score ever made, even if Michele has shot the same score in Italy some few years ago in a local competition. Then he has shot 177+175=352 on the 12+12 marked 8th and 4th of finals, also the top score ever in a marked field round, and finally has won his third World Champion title in Filed.<br />So, the ranking is now Michele 1st with 4 major world Field titles and one European title, then Parenti with 4 and Barrs with 3. But Andrea Parenti has promised to him to pick up his bow again and to get back for the 2008 champiosnips, so we will see what will happen then.<br />The Heretic Archer has added in Goteborg another title to his Wold Championships count, going to 9. I hope of course he will increse the count more and more in future, even if this means to make obsolete some few pages of our book .. ;-)Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1155207597128571452006-08-10T12:39:00.000+02:002006-08-15T23:15:51.953+02:00The Heretic Archer II - work in progressThere will ever be a book titled The Heretic Archer II?<br />During my presentation in Porec this year I have shortly talked about this possibility. There is alredy a tentative index, there are some few drafts of chapters, there are many ideas still to develop. The Heretic Archer had to come to an end, sometime in July 2005, but a lot of details and arguments have been left ostill open and surely merit to be explored and explained.<br />Definitely yes, we will have The Heretic Archer II in the shops probably sometime around the end of 2008 or beginning 2009. <br />In the mean time, just following the path of the first book, but this time fully intentionally, I will publish some of its chapters as independent articles on the various Archery magazines around the world. <br />The first one to appear will surely be "The Secrets of the Cliker", as it is already ad a good stage of development. May be this article will be divided in two parts, as I'm realizing that this simple piece of metal we all relay to for a good shot can generate thousands of words of explanations and plenty of pictures. In Italy, the FITARCO magazine Arcieri will publish it before the end of this year. Then, probably the English translation will follow on Archery Focus, as My friend Steve Ruis is really pushing to get new "Heretic" material asap.<br />Then, other planned articles and future chapters of the new book will be: <br />The Secrets of the Rest<br />Changing his/her shooting technique<br />Preventing archery injuries<br />Coaching for the Team round<br />Shooting in the Wind<br />Field archery tricks and tactics<br />and many others.... <br />But in the mean time, better to read again The Heretic Archer to be prepared to the new heresy....Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1154946318015912402006-08-07T12:21:00.000+02:002006-08-08T14:17:07.140+02:00Der Häretische Bogenschütze 2Well, at the end, the first week of July become the last week of the same month, but finally Der Häretische Bogenschütze has been printed, packed and sent to the delaers, and some of them are now alreay repeating orders!<br />One comment received that made me happy and of course our friend Andreas Lorenz even happier is: "The best archery book in German language ever published"... <br />What to say more, I hope the german archers will all enjoy reading it and I'm waiting for other comments.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1150451066420179622006-06-16T11:35:00.000+02:002006-06-16T11:44:26.420+02:00Der Häretische BogenschützeFinally, the German edition Der Häretische Bogenschütze is ready!<br />Our friend Andreas Lorenz has worked hard to get everything done and today, only the final printing draft revision is needed before going to the printing machine. <br />So, Der Häretische Bogenschütze will start to be delivered to the shops that have already ordered it in Germany and Switzerland by the first week of July.<br />And, the hard cover will be in dark yellow color, as originally planned!<br />So, yellow for German, green for Italian, blue for French and red for English.<br />Next, more news about... coming colors.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1147879468433993992006-05-17T17:10:00.000+02:002006-06-15T19:18:54.570+02:00Heretics in Croatia 2As you know, I'm not English mother tongue, so I have had to use all my effort to be able to substain a 1 hour of ppt presentation of the book in Porec.<br />But it has worth the effort!<br />More than 50 people from many different nationalities have been attending, and results have gone bejond expectation.<br />Having representatives from P.R. of China asking about possibility of a translation to Chinese, and others claiming for a Russian language edition have made us proud of our work. And signing some copies to people that have brought them to Croatia just to get our outhograps on them have made us even more happy.<br />I have also asked around for the benefits of a Spanish edition, and being the comments very positive, Spanish is now in my list after German, that is finally close to publication.<br />Comments about the competition? During my presentation, I have had to say something like "Today on the shooting line I have still seen more than 70% of Fast shooters, while of course the Slow sighters have been those winning the majority of the matches..." ... <br />Heretic Croatia.... !Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1146844365443367142006-05-05T17:42:00.000+02:002006-05-05T17:56:04.290+02:00Heretics in CroatiaThe Heretics will be in Croatia for the first leg of the 2006 European Gran Prix and FITA World Cup from May, 8 to May, 14. <br />Michele will be there with the Italian National Team from for all days, while I will be there from the 10th to the 13th, only. But, they will all be Heretic Days, as I will run there a presentation of my book, introduced by EMAU and FITARCO President Mario Scarzella. Good occasion, with 44 national teams there, to advertise a little bit our work and to collect some comments and, why not , some critics to it.<br />Hope to meet many of our readers there!Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1144333298107306952006-04-06T16:09:00.000+02:002006-04-07T09:37:01.480+02:00The photo sequencies<p align="center"><a href="http://www.arcierimonica.it/varie/Animazione_11_punti.gif"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" height="226" alt="" src="http://www.arcierimonica.it/varie/Animazione_11_punti.gif" border="0" /></a></p><br />As mentioned in the book some of the photos illustrating the 11 points have been "made" to the purpose, but the main sequence of the 11 pictures of Michele's back have been taken "live" during an official competition.<br />In the reality, the picuters taken have been more than 11, but 11 only have been selected for the book.<br />Digital camera used has been a 5.1 MPixel Sony Cybershot T7 (yes, the very slim one) that only has a 3x optical zoom, but the result was excellent, for this sequence as well as for others that at the end have not been used for the book.<br />These pictures have been ocmmented in various ways by readers, were the prevalent comment has been that many of them look the same, and in any case do not give the feeling of the movement.<br />So, to help to understand them better, I have made a simple animated gif from them, that I have already used for some of my presentations of the book in Italy. You can find it here (please, do not link the gif directly to any other page, it is copyrighted). But if this won't be enough, by December you will get The Heretic Archer DVD, and then all will be much more evident.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1144146914803547672006-04-04T12:19:00.000+02:002006-04-04T12:35:14.970+02:00Der Häretische BogenschützeOur friend Andreas Lorenz has informed me yeserday that he is confident to end the translation from Italian to German language by Easter. As around one month and half is needed from the first draft of the text to the printed book, we have agreed that a good date for the availability of the German Edition "Der Häretische Bogenschütze" is June, 12, 2006. Why? Because June 12 is Andreas' birthday, of course !!<br />Andreas has been a great archer and missed to participate to 1988 Olympic games not for technical reasons, but for some phisical problems that came out at the last minute. He has been Junior world field champion, and an old frined to me and Michele. Born in the Bolzano province in Italy, he his fully italian-german bilingual an since he married a daughter of Mr. Verner Beiter, he is living in Dauchingen , Germany were he handles sales of Beiter products. He is therefore the most perfect translator for our book .<br />Anyhow, as a lot of text in the book is quite complicated to express in different languages than the Italian one, he is anyhow insisting to find at least another proof reader to make sure to avoid (the majority of the) mistakes in the printed edition. Any reaader with good knowlege of German language would like to help? Please e-mail me .<br />Just to conclude the story of the German edition definitely it will have a dark yellow cover. So, the white will go to the Japanese edition, when ready.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1142357766824543022006-03-14T17:52:00.000+01:002006-03-14T18:36:06.870+01:00Understanding the structure of the book - 1The Heretic Archer is book that has been written in different times and under different conditions, were some chapters are made by articles about different aspects of archery, already published in the past by different magazines in Italy and around the world, while other chapters, namely those of part 4. , have ben written as a full text but over a 10 years period, and other chapters have been intentionally written to complete the various parts of the book in June and July 2005, only.<br />Considering also that several chapters /articles have ben written by Michele, it is quite normal that the final result could not be made perfectly homogeneous. Therefore, the final decision was to make intentionally all the new chapters under the form of an independent article, that may in future have independent publication on archery magazines.<br />Then, there was the problem of the updating of the old materials.<br />If Chapter 6.3, "Field Archery, why?", an article alredy published around the 1999, was quite easy to update (just adding latest Michele's top results in Field), chapter 2.4 has requested for instance a lot of work. "To tell limbs from limbs" is the title used by Archery Focus magazine when the original article was published in the year 2000, and I loved to keep it, nd keep it with the original title. But then, the maximum reference in limbs technology development for that year were the Hoyt FX limbs, while after 5 years things have changed quite a lot. So, there was the need to re-adjust some parts of the original article and specifically to update the comparison table itself to make it more related to today's limbs. But, as Michele did not have anymore the wide availability of different limbs from different manufacturers he had in 1999/2000, we had to choose a different solution: test limbs from one manufacturer, only, but comparing its own different technologies for both different limb structures and different limbs ages.<br />Michele spent therefore some days in testing all limbs he had available from that specific manufacturer (OK, everybody knows is Win&Win) reaching some times some "unexpected" results, as it happened in the previous test of 5 years before, too. i leave to the readers to understand why ...unexpected.<br />Updating the original article to make chapter 3.2, How to satbilize your Olympic Bow, was in fact quite easy. But unfortunately, photographs for the article had to be made again, as original pictures used for the article were showing vry old bows. And it was only after the publiction of the Italian edition that one of the first readers asked me "were are the TFC's " mentioned in the chapter?".....Ohhps.... There were a lot of them in the original pictures, none in the new one's .... Well, one of the "misteries" of the book is now revealed.........;-))Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1140604497641788902006-02-22T11:21:00.000+01:002006-03-06T06:59:09.506+01:00Sell in, sell out...The Heretic Archer is the first archery book to be made available in three different languages almost at the same time. So, nor myself or others were having any idee about the potential market for it.<br />Surely, the market for the Italian language version was the smaller one, but in this extent FITARCO has helped a lot ordering 1000 copies to be distributed to the italian registerd coaches, and therefore, at present the Italian version has already reached a total of more than 1500 copies distributed.<br />But while I was betting on the English vrsion as the most selleable one, I have frankly to admit to have understimated the French version market.<br />Considering that English and French versions have been both introduced to the market around January 26, in less than one month, only, the Englis version is over 700 copies worldwide, but the French version is already over 500 in the France, only.<br />Even considering that the sales will of course slow down in the next months, I have already concluded that the first version that will need to be reprinted will be the French one!<br />Of course, these rough numebers are referred to sell in to dealers and distributors, but as everybody seems being ordering what is really selling, and repeat orders are already common, I have to guess that at least 700 copies of the book have already reached their final destination outside Italy: the international readers that I have already to thank for the warm welcome to my and Michele's work.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1140455746958840742006-02-20T17:56:00.000+01:002006-05-21T21:02:53.940+02:00Dfferent way of reading The Heretic ArcherI can clearly see from comments around that many buyers of the book are reading it jumping between chapters, and not from Foreword to Chapter 7.3 as it was intended.<br />Someone jumps to the chapter about stabilizers, others are asking "why no conclusions about limbs comparison", others talk about my philosophy for training. Many are asking "why this" and "why that", while the reason why is clearly described in the text, sometime simply in the previous chapter.<br />Even more curious, some people that have declared to have bought my book, is asking here and there on the forums for comments about a specific point that is anyhow clearly explained in the book, without any reference to the content of said specific explanation. Have they read it, I question myself?<br />There is an history, in the book... the history of the development of tuning systems, materials choices and shooting technique during more than 10 years and more than a tons of medals. And how some solutions have been adopted in front of others is sometime clearly explained. If you read it for all the lines, and many times, in between the lines....<br />Some discussion around drop easily into the ridiculous. Stabilizing your Olympic Bow chapter, for instance, is based on an article published already on magazines many years ago. It means that the basic concepts for it are going back to at least 15 years ago, and are widely accepted in the world of archery. Is like if someone wants a clear explanation about the advantage of the wheel over the other ways for moving easily weights around. Of course we can go to the technical explanation about the wheel, but do we really need to do so? Surely also today we have some undeveloped populations that still will look to the wheel as something new, but we don't loose time to discuss about it with them. And if we really want to re-analyze the subject, than we have to use the resurces mentioned in chapter 7.3 ...<br />The book is for those that don't want to loose time re-inventing the wheel. And everybody will benefit much more from its content reading it from the beginning to the end, instead of viceversa. IMHO.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1140018491336312262006-02-15T16:26:00.000+01:002006-02-15T16:48:11.346+01:00Heretic championshipJust back from 3 days in Reggio Emilia for the annual Italian Indoor Championships. During it, my club has established a new record of medals with a total of 14 for individuals and team (6 only in 2005 and 2004 as well, including the 2 top Italian titles in men and women recuve, and the top title for the women club as well.<br />So, Michele has been back to the top of the podium defeating in the final match Alessandro Rivolta, in a match that was supposed to happen before in Nimes. Elena Maffioli has defeted in the final Pia Lionetti, getting her first Senior indoor title. Then, Elena, Carla and Gaia Banchelli have defeted in the final match the team from Rovereto 254/252 in avery close match. But it has been really an Heretic champinship, as Michele has been able to access the finals also in the compound division. Coming from 3 days of illness, Michele has shot on saturday the qualification round with compound after 4 days of stop and after atotal of 60 arrows only with his new Hoyt compound (got it in inNimes). Bad start, 285 after 30 arrows, then a much better 292 for the other 30, and going to the shoot off for the 16th place against Daniele Bauro, won at the third arrow.<br />The morning after, qualificatin round for recurves, ending at 592 (295+297) and being second after Alessandro Rivolta 592 (297+295) for one gold. Then, the problem for the organizers started, as in the afternoon Michele was qualified for the finals (top 16) in both divisions. So, the decision to go on with the competition alternating men recurve and women compound to men compound and women recurve.<br />So, first match recurve for Micele, then the second one was a compound match.<br />Of course, nobody was expecting Michele to survive to his first compound match against Stefano Mazzi, leader of the board. But 175/174 has been the final score in favour of Michele, that then went on up to the final for the gold against Rivolta in recurve and for the bronze against Antonio Pompeo in compound, with top scores 118 in recurve and 119 in compound.<br />Of course, in chapter 7.1 of the book you can find my positive opinion about using the compound as a training device for recurve shooting, but frankly I never supposed before last Sunday that this was directly applicable during the finals of a Championship and without any training end during the switches from one bow to the other. <br />But it was one of those days when the Heretic can go far away from the normal paths... It does not happen often, of course, but in one of those heretic days... only.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1138961916267110482006-02-03T10:37:00.000+01:002006-02-07T17:22:43.956+01:00First comments aroundAnd people, finally, has been able to read it outside Italy.<br />Some comments from the various forums and e-mails received:<br /><br />- J'adore ce livre !!!! ( I adore this book) ... French reader, woman<br />- Passionant comme un roman ( impassioning like a novel..) ... French rader, woman<br />- I really like the way it's sectioned - British reader, woman<br />- Fantastic!! I like the way it is written as if you are actually speaking to either Vittorio or Michele. - British reader, man<br />-I think the "heretic" part of the title was well chosen. - British reader, man<br />-I was also suprised to see so much space dedicated to tuning. - Bitish reader, man<br />-I like the book very much, and it is pretty much the opposite of the Total Archery - US reader, man<br />-You have confirmed some of the ideas that I have been trying to pass on to archers for a number of years - British reader, man<br /><br />Well, the general reactions are expressing mainly what I was expecting: a large content of surprise.<br />People was expecting the usual, traditional archery book/manual, and they have found, first of all, a 20 years long novel inside it, then a quick reference guide to all specifica aspect of olympic archery and finally many answers. Too many answers, probably, I have to say.<br />One of the first readers of the Italian edition told me that what he liked in the Heretic Archer was the fact that I was not loosing time to explain too much, to give alternatives and to propose different solutions, like in typical archery manuals, but I was simply giving unique answers, with no frills and alternatives, to all common questions. My personal, sometime "heretic" answers, of course, but without any doubt, very difficult to be misunderstood. And all of them supported by the the international results of Michele, Carla, Elena Maffioli, Andrea Tarelli, Vittoria Martin and Manuela Mustafà, those from my club that have got at least one or more World or European medals in recurve archery in the years.<br /><br />Of course, soon also negative comments will come, and surely someone will propose to burn the Heretic ... but in the mean time, enjoy reading our book like I'm enjoyng reading your comments about it!Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1138789991400785542006-02-01T11:20:00.000+01:002006-02-01T11:33:11.410+01:00Heretic NimesThe tournament in Nimes , last weekend, has been the greatest ever, for number of participants and vlue of prizes. But it has also been the "Heretic" tournament!<br />I was expecting the book to be sold there by a couple of companies, only, then what a surperise to find it in several booths, already!. Surely, the French distributor has done a good promotional work, so the book was in display in not less than 5 booths for the French version and 2 for the English one.<br />But was it going to be sold, or not? Definitely, at the end of the compettion, the number of copies in display was reduced a lot, and the number of authograps myself and Michele have been asked for has been significant!<br />A success, I have to say, beyond any reasonable expectation!<br />Now, buyers have to read it, and this is the real final test!Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1138029915969900232006-01-23T16:15:00.000+01:002006-01-23T16:28:10.813+01:00Heretic daysThis morning I have got info that the first shipments of The Heretic Archer has been received by both of the UK shops that have been ordering them first. At the same time, an e-mail has confirmed me that the very first copy of L'Archer Hérétique has been recived by the French Archery Federation in Paris.<br />Tomorrow, many other copies will be shipped to UK, France and Norway.<br />Yesterday in Perugia, during the annual FITARCO congress, FITARCO has started distributing L'Arciere Eretico to the technical representatives of all Italian clubs. So, I can say that these 2 days have been really "Heretic" intensive !!<br />Curious to here who will be the first one announcing to have bought (and read) it outside Italy !Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1137602229773286962006-01-18T17:23:00.000+01:002006-01-21T22:21:02.353+01:00The three books are on my deskFinally, the three different editions are on my desk!<br />Today I have visited the editor, and seen all the copies of the English and French versions on their pallets. Really a fantastic spectacle! Then, I have picked up some copies of each language version, and come back to my office.<br />Just now, I have the 3 editions on my desk, and I'm comparing them. They look identical, apart from the red cover for the English one, the light blue cover for the French one and the dark green cover for the Italian one.<br />There are some other small differnces in them, mainly in chapter 7.3 and in the Credits (of course). In all other aspects, they can be cross-read keeping (almost) the same page number for each paragraph and picture, thus making easier to refer to any part of the book independently from the language you are reading.<br />From tomorrow the books will start to be shipped around, and within ten days I'm sure I'll start to receive questions and comments. This Blog is born to give answers to them, and I hope to be able to keep on with my commitment with it.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1137405878587423172006-01-16T10:48:00.000+01:002006-01-25T14:21:55.646+01:00The book in Nimes 2006My club is participating to the Nimes international Indoor tournament since its second edition, in 1999.<br />Michele was eliminated in the quarter of finals in that year, has won the 2000 and 2001 edition (with world record of 597), got second in the 2002 , 2004 and 2005 editions. My daughter Carla also was second in 2005.<br />Being there and on the top (that also includes the World Championship finals in 2003) for seven years already, has given to Michele and to me a lot of supporters and friends in France. So, it has been a logical choice to put a lot of effort to get out the French edition of the book on time to introduce it in Nimes, that will be the perfect show for it.<br />We will arrive in Nimes on the evening of the 27th, around 19:00, and I will deliver immediately the books in French to the dealers that already have ordered the book and have booths there. Also a limited quantity of the English and Italian editions will be made available at the same time. So, all friends there that have written to me to book a copy of the French edition wil be able to get it in the same evening.<br />Hope they will not waste that night in reading it, anyhow....Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20783623.post-1137154856774224072006-01-13T13:10:00.000+01:002006-01-13T13:44:10.016+01:00Color of the coverThe book is binded with hard back cover and plasticized full color over-cover.<br />The choice of the color for the cover of the Italian edition has been easy: green is my preferred color, so its color is dark green.<br />Some discussion has been neded to reach a decision about the colors of the French and English editions. At the end, the logical (?) choice has been dark blue for the French one and red for English one.<br />Now, a familiy discussion is running about the color of the cover for the German edition. Preference is going to a saturated dark yellow, but then what about the Japanese edition? Or gray for German and yellow for Japanese? Or white for Japanese? Still plenty of time for the final decision.<br />For sure, at the end nobody will be able to confuse the varius editions of the book even if on the same shelf without the over-cover.Vittorio Frangillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17238497345225134122noreply@blogger.com2