Traditional English Longbow is probably the most famous type of bow, characterised in the films about Robin Hood. Traditional archery is archery in its simplest and original form. Wooden bow, wooden arrows,shooting glove, bracer and quiver are all the equipment that is necessary to shoot. Traditional archery relies solely on the archers skill to hit the target, making it very challenging. Longbow is shot at target events, but is best at home in field shoots, shooting unmarked distances.

Recurve is currently the only bow type allowed at the Olympics. The modern recurve is a far superior bow than its traditional predecessors. Modern engineering and materials coupled with sights, stabilizers, and carbon arrows make for a very powerful and accurate bow. The recurve is mainly associated with Target Archery and is often the first type of bow a beginner will come into contact with. Recurve is one of the most popular bow styles of Archery in the UK.

The latest progression of bow types is the compound bow. The bow is designed for maximum accuracy and as such has experienced a huge growth in the number of archers using this type of bow. The cams / wheels on the end of the limbs assist the archer by reducing the holding weight when they reach full draw. This improves the archers ability to hold the bow steady on the target. A mechanical release aid is used to let go of the string and telescopic sights are permitted.

Barnsley Archery Club