Frequently Asked Questions
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Good to know about Archery »
Venue
How do I know that my land/garden/outdoor or indoor venue is big enough to accommodate archery?
There is a minimum space requirement. The minimum operational area is 20x6m (21.8×6.5 yd) with clear space behind, free from paths and pedestrian access for safety zone. Please note that minimum space requirements depend on the programme you choose (“have-a-go” or group session) and the number of participants as well. Safety is highly important for us and we will discuss it with you in details, how we can ensure that the field meets all the safety requirements. When contacting us, please supply as much information as possible regarding your location.
Participants
What is the minimum age for archery?
The minimum age limit cannot be set accurately based on the age only. Ability to do archery is linked to the ability to draw the bow. We have bows of varying draw weight, however, in general, the minimum age is 7 years.
Am I too old for archery?
There is no maximum age limit for archery, lots of people take up archery as a sport or recreational activity after retirement. We have low poundage (low draw weight) bows as well, so even elderly participants will find a suitable bow for themselves.
I have a disability. Can I try archery?
Most people, irrespective of age or disability, can take part in archery. Within certain physical parameters, we are able to help you try or take up archery as a regular recreational activity. Archery can be very beneficial for people with any disabilities as it helps you increase strength and endurance, develop stability, sharpen focus as well as being a great social activity.
Can I leave my children with you and collect them at the end?
Where junior archers (under 18) are involved, a responsible person (minimum 18 years of age) must stay and supervise throughout the whole session.
Programmes
How long is an archery session?
It depends on your needs. A session ideally lasts at least for 1,5 hours, nevertheless the more participants you have, the more time you will need. You can book a half day or a whole day event if that suits better. We will need set up and break-down time that depends on the scale of the event and takes from 30 minutes to 1 hour each. Set up and break-down time can be longer if safety netting is used behind the targets.
What kind of bows can I shoot?
In our activities, you will shoot with recreational recurve bow. You can also try other types of bows such as hunting recurve bow (field bow), Olympic recurve bow, American longbow (flatbow), horse bow, etc. These bows are heavier to draw and suitable only for adults.
What should I wear when shooting?
It is important to wear the right clothes. We advise wearing reasonably close-fitting clothing, avoiding long flowing clothing (e.g. scarf) and tying your hair up if you have long hair. Regarding your footwear: avoid high heels and open-toed shoes. You might want to remove loose jewellery, your watch and your ring. We provide armguards to protect your forearm from injuries. We also provide tabs to protect your fingers from repeated contact with bowstring. We can support you with chest guard as well that prevents your clothing from coming in contact with the string.
How long does it take to set up/break down the range?
Set up and break down time vary from event to event. Normally set up time prior to an event is 30-60 minutes. If safety netting is used behind the targets it can be longer. Break down time is approximately the same.
Can I consume alcohol before and during an archery session?
As with all sports involving dangerous sport equipment, it is not permitted to drink alcohol during an archery session. We reserve the right to refuse archery activity to anyone we believe may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Prices and booking
How much in advance do I have to book?
You can book an archery session anytime, but the sooner the better to avoid disappointment. We are quite flexible, however, we need to make sure that we do all the preparation for you in advance that is mainly related to check the safety aspect(s) of the venue.
What if it rains? What if it is cold?
We can run the activity even if it rains. However, participants need to be wearing appropriate clothing. If there is a thunder or lightning, we have to stop with the activity or carry on indoors. Our activities are available all year round, but of course, when it gets cold it’s better to go indoor, especially when you a need a session that lasts 2+ hours.
How much does it cost and what’s included in the price?
The prices depend on a number of factors such as the number of participants, duration of the session, venue, location, type of event, etc. Depending on the location we might charge additional travel expenses. We would like to make archery accessible to everyone by providing our services at an affordable price. Please get in touch to get a quotation.
Archery for You activities include suitable archery equipment for participants (bows, arrows, accessories, target bosses, safety equipment) and fully qualified instructors. The activity leaders are enhanced DBS checked, have child protection qualification and full public liability insurance. During the events, there will always be always a first aider.
How do I pay?
There will be a 15-20% deposit to be paid in advance to secure the booking of your archery session. The preferred payment method is BACS. When a booking is made we send you a booking confirmation via e-mail.
What if I need to cancel?
Notice period of cancellation: we require 7-day cancellation notice to amend group or event bookings. This includes any changes to the agreed number of participants, dates or times of a confirmed booking. For one-to-one or one-to-two coaching sessions we require 72-hour notice to make changes. Please let us know as soon as you know that something has changed.
If we have less than the required notice period, we’ll do our best to help you the way that it is beneficial for both parties. Nevertheless, we reserve the right to keep all payments in case the cancellation notice was received less than 7 days or 72 hours.
We reserve the right to cancel the session in case of adverse weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances. Any sessions cancelled by us due to adverse weather conditions will be rescheduled to another date and time or fully refunded.
Non-Attendance / less than 7-day or 72-hour notice
All payments are non-refundable in the event of non-attendance.
Re-bookings following cancellation with more than 7-day / 72-hour notice
A full refund can be given with more than 7-day / 72-hour notice. For the 3rd and any subsequent re-booking we will charge £25.
Good to know about Archery
What is a training or a recreational bow?
Many people think that training bows are only “toys” compared to Olympic recurve bows. The truth is that these bows are very similar to Olympic recurve bows and you shoot them with the same shooting technique. The main differences are: cost, materials they are made of, weight, bow balance, vibration dampening and more adjustment capabilities (e.g. you cannot adjust tiller on training bows). On a recreational wooden recurve bow you can fit all the accessories that you would fit on an Olympic recurve bow, like stabiliser, sight, pressure button, arrow rest and even clickers. Interestingly for a long time in the Olympic Games only wooden bows were used.
Our recreational bows are low poundage bows (easy to draw), that not only help to practice the optimal shooting form, they also help the archer to maintain the proper form throughout the session. These type of bows are used at most clubs for teaching beginners.
Do I need a left or a right-handed bow?
The answer is easy if your eye-dominance is the same as your handedness. If you are right-handed and your right eye is your dominant eye, then you need a right-handed bow (holding it in your left hand, drawing with your right hand).
Most people have a visual preference for one eye that is known as eye dominance. If your eye-dominance doesn’t match your handedness, and you would like to practice archery regularly and progress, then it is advisable to make your choice based on eye-dominance. Shooting a bow that is the reverse of your eye dominance can be disturbing when aiming, although it can be manageable if you cover or close the dominant eye. In the case of “have-a-go” archery, it might be easier though choosing based on handedness if you prefer so and closing your dominant eye while shooting.
How do I know which my dominant eye is?
We will help you to find out, which is your dominant eye. However, if you prefer to test it at home, follow the instructions below:
1. First, look at an object that is at least 10-30 feet away from you. E.g. focus on an object that might be at the other side of the room.
2. Hold your hands out in front of you at arm’s length and make a circle about 1” in diameter or make a small triangle.
3. Keeping both eyes open, use the circle/triangle to frame the object visually.
4. Slowly bring your hands toward your face while continuing to look at the object with both eyes open.
5. Your hands will come back naturally to your dominant eye.
What is draw length?
As a simplified answer, draw length is the length of how far you draw the string when shooting. It mainly depends on your arm length, your shooting technique and on the strength of the bow. There is an internationally accepted standardised (AMO) measurement for draw length, which is measured between the groove of the arrow nock and the deepest part of the grip (pivot point of the bow) at full draw or the middle of the plunger hole if there is any. The AMO draw length is this measured length plus you need to add another 1.75” to it. Draw length is very important no matter what kind of bow you shoot as it will determine the length and stiffness of your arrows and the size of your bow. Good to know that the same bow will be heavier for someone who has longer arm and having 30” draw length than for someone that has 26” draw length.
What size bow is right for me?
The proper bow length depends on your draw length. There is a basic chart available that shows what size you need based on your draw length. By selecting the right bow length, the performance of the bow will be maximised for you and the bow will be more stable too. However, some archers prefer shooting slightly shorter or longer bows as they work better for them and get a more consistent result.
What is draw weight?
Draw weight is measured in pounds and indicates how much force is needed to draw the bow to anchor position. The draw weight indicated on the bow is normally measured at 28” draw length (AMO standard). If your draw length is shorter or longer than 28”, then the draw weight will be different for you too. You can calculate it roughly but the best is to measure it with a bow scale at your draw length, using the same riser with the limbs that you will shoot with regularly.
It’s good to know that some traditional bows are measured at 30” draw length or rarely at 26”.
It is important to choose the correct draw weight for the archer to make sure that he/she can handle the bow during the whole session and can repeat the correct shooting technique from shot to shot instead of fighting against the bow. If the bow is too heavy for the archer the risk of injury is higher too.