Archery: The Art Of Precision

Archery is a sport that involves using a bow to shoot arrows. While it was historically used for hunting and combat, it is now primarily a competitive sport and recreational activity.

Archery is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all body types, regardless of physical ability. It is a mental game that requires focus and repetition to clear your mind and repeat the same shot process every time.

The history of archery as a sport

Archery is one of the world's oldest sports, with its origins as a technique for hunting and combat dating back to the Paleolithic era, around 20,000 BC. The use of the bow and arrow was likely first developed in Africa around 70,000 years ago, and it soon became a widespread tool for warfare and hunting. The earliest evidence of archery, in the form of flint arrowheads, dates back to this period.

Over time, distinctive styles of archery equipment and techniques emerged across the globe. For example, in Asia, shorter composite bows became popular due to the prevalence of mounted warriors, while the longbow made of yew was favoured in England during the Middle Ages.

With the advent of gunpowder and firearms, archery became obsolete in warfare and evolved into a recreational activity and sport. The earliest known archery competition took place in Finsbury, England, in 1583, with 3000 participants.

Archery's revival as a sport is often attributed to the upper classes of Britain, who began practising it as a leisure activity between 1780 and 1840. The first recreational archery societies, such as the Finsbury Archers and the Kilwinning Papingo, were established in 1688. The sport gained popularity among all classes following the Napoleonic Wars, with its roots in Medieval chivalry and pre-industrial rural Britain appealing to the public.

The first Grand National Archery Society meeting was held in York in 1844, marking the transformation of archery from a recreational activity to a formal sport. Over the next decade, strict rules were established, creating the foundation for modern competitive archery.

Archery was included in the Olympic Games as early as 1900, showcasing its global appeal and recognition as a sport. However, it was dropped from the Olympics after 1920 due to a lack of standardised international rules and waning interest. It was reintroduced in 1972, following the formation of the World Archery organisation in 1931, which secured its permanent place in the Olympic programme.

Today, archery continues to be practised as a recreational activity and competitive sport worldwide, with various disciplines such as field, target, and 3D archery. It has also been featured in popular culture, with iconic archers like Robin Hood and Katniss Everdeen further boosting its popularity.

The physical and mental benefits of archery

Archery is a sport that requires precision, control, focus, physical ability and determination. It is a holistic experience that encompasses the body, mind and soul, and its health benefits are being recognised by medical professionals. Doctors in France even prescribe archery to some patients.

Physical Benefits

Archery is a great form of physical exercise. Drawing a bow takes energy, burning calories and toning and strengthening muscles in your arms, chest, back, and hands. It also puts tension on the rotator cuffs, which support your shoulders. As you draw, you will hold the tension for a couple of seconds, similar to weightlifting. Repeating these movements as you shoot builds and strengthens these areas, defining the muscles and developing them.

It’s not just your upper body that gets a workout. The stability and control that an archer has is drawn from the lower body and core. Many elite archers will work out their lower body in the gym and go for runs to improve their endurance. Running also improves your cardiovascular system (heart and lungs) which in turn improves your archery performance.

At tournaments, archers can walk up to eight kilometres (five miles) a day, burning between 100 and 150 active calories every 30 minutes.

Mental Benefits

Archery builds focus and concentration. Archers must learn to remove distractions from their mind, including gusts of wind, background noise and any worries they’re carrying. This focus and ability to concentrate can carry through into the rest of your life, allowing you to apply great concentration to tasks, and to put aside anxieties.

Archery is also a great way to socialise. Archery clubs can be a fantastic way to meet new people and socialise, whatever your age. There is a sense of belonging and social interaction that can have a profound impact on mental health. Engaging with like-minded individuals, sharing experiences, and supporting one another fosters a sense of camaraderie and helps combat feelings of isolation or loneliness.

Archery strengthens self-confidence and builds resilience. Keeping records of your score is a measurable way to see how far you’ve come, proving that hard work and dedication lead to great results.

Archery helps you relax. This might seem counterintuitive, especially if you’re competing, but archery requires you to stay calm under pressure. Archers develop this ability by working on managing their breathing, concentration and performance nerves. These techniques can be carried through to every other area of your life, from pressing work deadlines to stressful events.

Archery is a highly accessible sport, one of the few that almost everyone, regardless of gender, age or ability, can enter, enjoy and potentially excel at.

The different types of archery bows

Archery is a sport with a rich history, and the bows used have evolved over time. There are four main types of bows used in archery: the recurve bow, the compound bow, the longbow, and the barebow. Each has its own unique design, features, and advantages.

Recurve Bow

The recurve bow is the modern equivalent of traditional bows, with a history dating back thousands of years. The limbs of a recurve bow curve away from the archer, then back on themselves, creating an S shape. This design allows the bow to maintain more tension with shorter limbs. Recurve bows are popular in competitive archery, and they are the only type of bow used in the Olympics. They can be used for 3D, target, indoor, and field archery.

Recurve bows consist of three main pieces: a riser and two limbs. The riser is the central part that includes the grip and arrow rest. The limbs create the power, bending in unison when drawn and snapping forward to propel the arrow upon release. Recurve bows are often fitted with accessories like sights and stabilisers to improve accuracy.

Compound Bow

Compound bows are designed for maximum efficiency and power, utilising a system of pulleys and cables. This design reduces the physical strength required from the archer and makes it easier to hold the bow at full draw. Compound bows can achieve high arrow speeds, sometimes approaching 400 FPS. They are a popular choice for bowhunters due to their accuracy, power, and portability.

Compound bows consist of a riser, two limbs, and a bowstring, with additional parts like the cam system, string and limb dampeners, sights, and stabilisers. The riser and limbs are typically made of aluminium or carbon fibre, while the bowstring may be fitted with a D-loop and peep sight.

Longbow

The longbow is a traditional and historic type of bow, with a simple design that is usually made from a single piece of material, often wood. It is characterised by its long, continuous riser/limb configuration, with the bowstring strung at both ends. Longbows are flexible, lightweight, and attractive, but they lack aiming aids, making them more challenging to control.

Barebow

Barebow shooting is a form of archery that uses a recurve bow without any accessories like stabilisers, sights, or other gear. It is considered a challenging form of archery that emphasises consistency of draw length and careful aim. The barebow division is growing in competitive archery due to its simplicity and the skill it demands.

Other Types

While the four types mentioned above are the most common, there are several other variations of archery bows, including:

• Crossbow: A horizontal bow with a trigger mechanism, often compared to a firearm.
• Self-bow: A handmade bow, typically crafted from one piece of continuous wood.
• Japanese bow or Yumi: A traditional Japanese bow used in the martial art of Kuydo, held with the left hand and featuring an asymmetrical design.
• Horse bow: Shorter bows used by mounted archers, often with highly recurved limbs.
• Flatbow: Similar to a longbow but flatter when relaxed, usually made from a single piece of wood.
• Reflex bow: Similar to a recurve bow but with a stronger curve, forming a C shape when unstrung.

The different types of archery competitions

Archery is a sport that involves shooting arrows at a target from a set distance. There are several types of archery competitions, including:

Target Archery

This is the most popular type of archery competition today and the most widely known due to its inclusion in the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, and World Games. In target archery, archers shoot at stationary circular targets from varying distances. Competitions can be held indoors or outdoors, with indoor distances set at 18 metres and outdoor distances ranging from 25 to 90 metres.

Field Archery

Field archery involves shooting at targets placed at varying distances and heights in a natural, wooded setting. This form of archery is popular in Europe, North America, and South America. It consists of three rounds: field rounds, hunter rounds, and animal rounds. Field rounds use targets with a black bullseye on a white background, while hunter rounds use targets with a black background and a white bullseye. Animal rounds use life-size 2D animal targets, and scoring is based on where the arrow hits the target.

3D Archery

3D archery is a subset of field archery that focuses on shooting at life-size models of game animals. It is popular with hunters as it recreates a hunting environment for competition.

Clout Archery

Clout archery is similar to target archery, but archers shoot at longer distances, aiming for a target on the ground. The target consists of a flag stuck into the ground, surrounded by concentric circles used for scoring.

Crossbow Archery

Crossbow archery is performed with crossbows and has three disciplines: 30m Match-crossbow, 10m Match-crossbow, and Field-crossbow archery. Archers have three minutes to shoot three shots, and many competitors make their own equipment.

Flight Archery

In flight archery, the goal is to achieve the greatest distance with an arrow. These competitions are usually held on large, flat areas, and the bows used are specially designed for this purpose.

Ski Archery

Ski archery is a biathlon that combines cross-country skiing and shooting from a recurve bow. Athletes ski around a track and shoot at targets from two stances: kneeling and standing.

Popinjay or Papingo

Popinjay, also known as Papingo, is a type of archery derived from shooting birds on church steeples. Archers shoot almost vertically upwards with blunt arrows, aiming to dislodge wooden birds placed on a high mast.

Roving Marks

Roving marks is one of the oldest forms of archery competition, dating back to the time of Henry VIII. Archers shoot at marks, which are posts or flags placed on the field, and then shoot from that mark to the next one.

These are just some of the different types of archery competitions, each with its own unique rules and challenges, showcasing the skill and precision of archers.

The rules of archery

Archery is a sport that involves using a bow and arrow to shoot at a target. The objective is to hit the centre of the target, or to score the highest possible points by hitting different sections of the target.

Archery competitions have specific rules and regulations that must be followed. These cover equipment, shooting technique, and safety. Here are some of the basic rules of archery competitions:

Equipment

Archers use a bow and arrows to shoot at a target. The bows can be recurve, compound, or longbows. Arrows must meet certain length and weight requirements, and be made of specific materials. Generally, there are no strict rules on the type of arrows used, but the arrow shaft should be no greater than 9.3 mm, and the diameter tip no more than 9.4 mm. Archers should use the same type of arrows in a competition and print their name or initials on them.

Target

The target is usually a circular board made of straw or foam with coloured rings. The target is typically 122 cm in diameter and is placed at a distance of 18 metres for indoor competitions and 70 metres for outdoor competitions. In Olympic competitions, archers stand 70 metres away from the target.

Scoring

Scoring is based on where the arrow lands on the target. The centre of the target, called the bullseye, is worth the most points, with the outer rings worth progressively fewer points. The target is made up of ten rings, with the outer ring, or one ring, worth one point. The next two rings are black, followed by two blue rings, two red rings, and the innermost two gold rings, worth ten points.

Rounds

Archery competitions are made up of several rounds. Each round consists of a set number of arrows shot at a specific target. The number of rounds and arrows can vary depending on the competition. In an Olympic competition, each participant shoots a total of 72 arrows throughout 12 different phases.

Timing

Archers are given a specific amount of time to shoot each arrow. The time limit varies depending on the competition and the round being shot. When shooting an end of three arrows, competitors have a maximum time limit of two minutes. If the archer is shooting an end of six arrows, they are given a maximum of four minutes. Arrows shot outside of the time limit will not be counted in the archer's score.

Shooting Line

The shooting line is a line from where the archer shoots at the target. The archers take turns shooting, and they must remain behind the shooting line until all archers in the group have shot.

Scoring and Ranking

After each round, the archers' scores are tallied, and they are ranked based on their total score. The archer with the highest total score is declared the winner. In the event of a tie score, the archer that hit the most ten-point shots is declared the winner. If both archers hit the same number of ten-point shots, the archer who hits the most inner-circle ten-point shots wins.

Frequently asked questions