Archery Equipment
The styles of archery practised today are many and varied - including target, clout, field, flight and popinjay. Below is an introduction to the types of bows and styles of archery practised at Lizard Peninsula Bowmen.
Types of Bow
Longbow
Possibly the most familiar bow, and usually what people expect to see shot. The modern longbow conforms to Victorian specifications — made of one piece of wood or laminates designed to replicate yew. It is D-shaped in profile with no arrow rest; the arrow sits on the bow hand instead. No sight is used, though a rubber O-ring can be placed on the top limb as an elevation aid.
Recurve (Take-Down) Bow
The most popular bow shot today, and the one you will use on your Club Induction Course. Its names come from its recurved limbs, ability to be broken down for easy transport, and its use in the modern Olympic Games. The riser can be wood, metal or carbon fibre; limbs are usually wood and glass fibre or carbon. A recurve is typically shot with a sight, long rod stabiliser, and an arrow rest, making it the most accessible bow for accurate shooting.
Barebow
A rapidly growing competitive discipline using a modern recurve bow stripped of sights, stabilisers and clickers. It emphasises instinctive shooting or technical methods like string walking. Weights, a rest and a plunger are permitted. Popular in field, 3D and indoor target archery, barebow rewards feel and consistency over equipment.
Compound Bow
The most modern bow type and the most mechanically complex. Like the recurve, it has a riser and limbs, but adds cams and additional strings that dramatically reduce the weight held at full draw — allowing higher poundage to be shot more comfortably. Most compound bows feature a magnifying bow sight and a rear peep sight for consistent alignment. Archers typically use a release aid, removing finger inconsistencies from the shot.
American Flatbow
Developed in the 1930s and popularised by Howard Hill, the American Flatbow (AFB) is a high-performance traditional bow with wide, flat limbs and a rectangular cross-section. Unlike the D-shaped English longbow, the AFB offers superior stability and speed with reduced material stress. It often features a centre-cut shelf for accurate, instinctive shooting.
Horse Bow
A short, compact recurve or composite bow historically designed for use on horseback by nomadic warriors. Fast and agile, horse bows feature curved tips that enhance speed and efficiency. They are typically shot using a thumb ring technique, drawing on the right side of the bow — a skill in its own right that connects modern archers to a rich historical tradition.
Arrows & Gear
Arrows
Arrows are made from carbon, aluminium or wood. The arrow's spine (stiffness) and tip weight must be matched to the bow to ensure accuracy — a poorly matched arrow will fly unpredictably. Fletchings at the rear stabilise the arrow in flight. Carbon arrows are the most common choice for recreational and competitive archers today.
Protective Gear
Safety and comfort are essential. An armguard protects your forearm from string slap; a finger tab or glove shields the draw fingers and promotes a clean release. A chest guard prevents clothing catching on the string at full draw. None of this equipment is expensive, and the club can advise on suitable options for beginners.
Targets & Accessories
Foam or straw bosses are used for practice, fitted with coloured paper face rings. Quivers hold your arrows at the shooting line; bow stands keep your bow safe between ends. As you progress, stabilisers, sights, clickers and pressure buttons all help fine-tune accuracy — but none are needed to get started.
Styles of Archery
Target Archery
The most common form of archery in the UK and the main discipline at Lizard Peninsula Bowmen. Rounds involve shooting a set number of arrows at a set target size from a set distance. Most outdoor rounds cover more than one distance and may use different face sizes. Arrow counts range from 48 to 144, so there is always a round to suit the time you have. Indoor rounds are typically shot over a single distance on one face size.
Clout Shooting
A more traditional form of target archery where, instead of shooting at a boss, archers shoot at a flag — the "clout" — stuck in the ground at long range. No sights are permitted; hedges or trees serve as aiming references. Scoring is worked out by laying a marked tape from the flag along the ground through five zones: gold, red, blue, black and white. Clout is shot over greater distances than most archers normally tackle, which makes it both challenging and great fun. LPB holds several clout shoots over the summer.
Field Archery *
* Lizard Peninsula Bowmen do not have the facilities for field archery.Field archery grew from hunters practising out of season, and in its simplest form simulates a hunt. Archers walk a woodland or rough-terrain course and shoot at pre-placed targets at unmarked distances. Targets can be paper roundels, animal pictures or 3D foam animals. LPB does not currently have facilities for field archery. Bow hunting at live targets is illegal in the UK.
There are many other forms of archery, such as Popinjay or Japanese Kyudo, and many other types of bow, such as the Mongolian bow, used to deadly effect by Genghis Khan’s warriors on horseback.
