The first step towards becoming an archer is to find an archery club. The Archery GB website is the best place to look for your most convenient club; click here for further details. This tells you what to do next.
If Great Rissington Archers is your most convenient club, please contact us for more information and details of our beginners’ courses.
Governance
Archery GB is the governing body for all forms of archery in the United Kingdom with over 850 registered archery clubs. For further details, please click here.
Membership
One of the attractions of archery is that it can be enjoyed by practically anyone of either sex aged 11 years and over.
Archery GB-trained instructors provide safe and reliable instruction for those with most types of disability, including those confined to wheelchairs and even visual impairment.
Instruction
Most clubs offer introductory courses, which provide an understanding of the technique and disciplines for shooting in safety and with relative accuracy.
Courses are organised and supervised by Archery GB-qualified coaches. Their instruction is covered by Archery GB’s public liability insurance policy.
A charge will normally be payable for an introductory course and usually includes the use of training equipment.
Equipment
Recurve bows, the modern version of the traditional longbow are the bows of choice for the majority of archers.
Compound bows, distinguished by their much more compact design, pulley wheels, cables and telescopic sights. have become increasingly popular in recent years .
Crossbow archery, is also recognised by Archery GB, although it is not practised by the majority of clubs. It has become a distinctive, specialist discipline with its own rules and objectives.
Most arrows are produced from aluminium, carbon or a combination of both. They are extremely light and vary considerably in price depending on their toughness and durability.
Wooden arrows are used by some archers, usually those who shoot the traditional longbow.
Equipment costs
Beginners are strongly recommended to complete their introductory course and ensure their technique is fully developed before purchasing any archery equipment.
Prices vary widely depending upon the quality and sophistication of the item in question but, as a guide, the cost of a reasonable set of equipment – bow, arrows, quiver, arm guard, finger tab, etc – is unlikely to be significantly less than £300. This level of equipment will allow quite respectable scoring achievements and can be upgraded on a piecemeal basis later.
It is inadvisable for beginners to buy any archery equipment without inspection by, and/or advice from, an experienced archer to ensure that it meets their needs.
New, and occasionally used, equipment may be found through the catalogues or websites of specialised archery suppliers. The Club may be able to mitigate start-up costs as good equipment becomes available.
Joining a Club
Subscriptions vary from club to club but an annual charge between £100 and £150 is typical, with reduced fees for juniors.
The subscription goes towards the cost of running the club and also to pay affiliation fees to Archery GB and the county and regional associations.
The total outlay is relatively inexpensive compared to many sports. Apart from archery equipment, the only other consideration may be Archery GB’s requirement to wear traditional clothing when participating in some archery tournaments.
Club colours are now an alternative form of clothing at archery tournaments.
Tournaments
There are many indoor and outdoor tournaments throughout the year which may be of particular interest to those of a more competitive nature.
Further information about tournaments and competitions can be provided by your club or can be found by independent research of archery societies’ websites.