Types of Archery

At Deer Park Archers, we offer opportunities to take part in three different Archery disciplines and we welcome all different bow types. Some of our members will explain what these are.

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Archery Disciplines

At Deer Park, we offer Target, Field and Clout Archery. Some of our archers will tell you about their archery type and why they enjoy it.

Target Archery

“In target archery, we shoot at different sized faces at distances up to 100 yards outdoors and 30 yards indoors. I usually shoot at an 80cm cutdown face at 50 metres.

I do archery as I enjoy the social aspect as well as the competition side. No day or competition is the same so makes it more interesting and enjoyable. My target in archery is to win a medal at a world championships.”

By Chloe A

Field Archery

“Field archery uses a mix of different 2d and 3d targets at different distances and elevations.

I enjoy field archery because each shot is unique and always changing due to the different weather, light and terrain conditions. It has allowed me to develop as an instinctive archer, really understanding how my bow shoots and how I impact upon each shot.”

By Imogen C

Clout Archery

“Clout is a different and exciting discipline of archery where you aim up and try to be within a short distance of a marker on the ground.

I enjoy it as it allows you to shoot farther distances without losing your arrows.”

By Finn K

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Bow Types

There are many different types of bows but the four most common that we use at Deer Park Archers are Barebow, Compound, Longbow and Recurve. Some of our archers will tell you about their bow type and why they enjoy it.

Barebow

“Barebow is a traditional way of shooting a modern recurve bow.  No sights or stabilisers, just a bow, some arrows and your judgement.

I like barebow because it uses modern equipment, but keeps life simple and no-one takes themselves that seriously shooting it.”

by John D

Compound

“I shoot a compound bow in target archery. Compound bows have a mechanical system that helps improve accuracy and can be held at full draw for longer. At most outdoor competitions, compound archers shoot 50m at an 80cm face (the 10 ring is 8cm in diameter!)

I like shooting compound because there are a range of competitions, national and international, that I am able to compete in. While I have met people from all around the world, some of my best friends are those who compete alongside me. Compound archery gives me aspirations and experiences which I thoroughly enjoy.”

by Grace C

Longbow

“The English (or Welsh) Longbow is possibly the most famous bow in the world, with a long history and association with famous battles like Crécy and Agincourt, and legends like Robin Hood.  

The bow is typically around 2 metres long, has to be all wood (bamboo is allowed), have a D section and the string shouldn’t touch the limbs of the bow once strung.  The arrows must be made of wood and have feather fletching. There are no sights other than a simple band or a ground marker, and no arrow rest, stabilisers, vibration dampers nor any other aids are allowed

I love the feel of shooting a longbow and watching the flight of the arrow when shooting at distance.  It’s a real challenge which makes it both fun and frustrating, and you need resilience because you miss regularly, but the longbow community, whilst competitive, is relaxed, very friendly, and extremely supportive.  If you want to have a laugh and good banter at a competition just shoot with the longbow archers.”

by Graham P

Recurve

“Recurve archery is the bow type which is currently shot in the Olympic Games. The bow itself is similar to a Barebow but has additional pieces of equipment such as a sight, long and side rods.

I like shooting recurve because it presents a challenge every time you step on the shooting line,meaning that your technique when shooting has to be good to ensure the arrows hit the middle. Also I like it because there’s always room for improvement no matter how well you shoot.”

By Riley S-N