Bowmen of Gower

Types Of Archery

Compound

A compound bow is by far the most modern, highly engineered and most accurate type of bow. First developed around 1970 it makes use of the stored energy in a pulley system to allow for a lesser holding weight on the string yet a much faster acceleration and release speed than more traditional bows. A compound archer also benefits from the use of a two point aiming system - one a peep hole on the string, the other a lens on the bow - similar to that of a rifle and from the use of a mechanical release aid, which greatly reduces issues around inconsistent releases and also reduces the Archer's Paradox effect. Despite being relatively new the discipline is probably the fastest growing in the sport.

Recurve

Currently the only style of archery present in the Olympic games is that of Recurve Target shooting. The bows can vary between beginner style wooden and fibreglass models to top of the range modern engineered carbon materials fit with sights and stabilisers. The recurve name comes from the shape of the bow, where the tips of both top and bottom limbs bend away from the archer, creating a more pronounced whipping effect on arrow release to increase arrow speed. Primarily used for target archery (though it can be shot at both field and clout events as well) it is the most common type of bow used in the UK and most likely the bow that beginners will be first introduced to (possibly it in barebow form initially).

Barebow

Barebow is really a style of shooting a recurve bow (although there is also a compound version). Strict rules forbid the use of sights (in any form, including bow markings) and restrict bow additions to those that will fit through a 4 inch ring when de-strung, meaning in effect that stabilisers are also banned. Due to there being no sights, barebow shooters mainly aim with the tip of the arrow at full draw. Some of them simply find a point relative to the target (or some other non-movable object) to aim at so that they hit the centre, others move their fingers up or down the string to adjust height, others move their anchor point around the side of their face to achieve the same effect, some even combine all three. This adds more difficulty to the shot than with a sighted recurve and many see it as a more natural or instinctive style of shooting.

Longbow

The traditionalist's choice, longbows came to prominence in the Middle Ages, finding notable use in the hundred Years War, especially at battles such as Crécy (1346), Poitiers (1356), and Agincourt (1415). Due to it's depictment in film and TV it is often the first thing that most people think of when they imagine a bow. Longbows can be constructed of any number of different woods, most often in laminated layered combinations to create a strong yet consistently elastic effect. Arrows are also traditionally wooden, feathered, large tipped and a lot heavier than recurve arrows, which is why you will often see longbow archers aiming high into the air at longer target distances. The longbow is a popular choice for both Target archery and clout.

Flatbows, Shortbows and other Traditional Types

Whilst the longbow is the traditional bow of the UK and most of Western Europe, many other areas of the world also developed their own unique traditional war bows. Middle Eastern and Asian bows are particularly dramatic looking reflex style bows that actually curl up almost on themselves when de-strung. These bows offer a lot of power from a very short bow that can be wielded at in crowded areas or on horseback. North American Native tribes actually has a massive variation in bows across the continent, ranging from recurve/reflex style in some areas to deflex style in areas with poor woods. Despite what the name may imply the American Flatbow is not actually a traditional bow of the Native people, it was designed as a result of research in the 1930's as the most accurate and powerful style that could be made with a greater number and quality of available woods in the area. Shortbows, as paraded in the Hunger Games, are similar to longbows, but have been specially designed to allow for hunting in dense woodland areas, a smaller profile allows for easier movement and quicker draw. Target Archery.

Field

Despite the name, Field Archery is actually most often shot in woodland or some other naturally shaped environment (as opposed to Target archery which is often shot in an actual field). Targets of varying sizes are set out at varying distances and varying elevations. Often consisting of both marked (you know the distance) and unmarked (you don't, but can work out the min/max distance from the target size), Field competitions can often be multi-day events where groups of archers traverse the course in the style of a gold tournament. "Interesting" target placements, varying footing and natural elements can often combine to confuse the unwary, but it is also a good challenge.

Clout

Clout Archery involves shooting at flags rather than targets, often from long distances (80-180m) and scoring is they land within a set distance of the flag. If field archery can be likened to a pitch-and-putt then clout is very much the driving range of Archery. Favoured by many long-bow shooters (I suspect because it forces everyone to aim up in the sky as they generally have to at competitive target archery distances) it is based upon the idea of firing into a traditional advancing group as longbowers did in the middle ages.

Flight

Flight Archery is the javelin event of the archery world. Competitors use high powered bows to launch an arrow 45 degrees into the air and out to the maximum distance possible in a straight line. Ensuring that the arrow and bow are as precisely in tune with one another and that the arrow has as little drag as possible are essential, as it ensures the best possible outcome. A top of the range compound bow will be sending the arrow up towards 1000 yards, which explains why the discipline is so sparse in the UK as very few areas can guarantee such a large safe area.