Glossary

Recurve

The original longbows were constructed simply from a straight length of suitably shaped wood which was then bent into a curve and held by the bowstring. When the arrow is drawn back, the bend on the bow is increased to provide a source of power that drives the arrow forwards upon release. The recurve bow is an enhancement to this design whereby the limbs of the bow are curved forwards. This enables a greater amount of potential energy to be held by the limbs once the bow is strung. Recurve bows are the most common type of bow in the beginner to intermediate market.

Compound

A compound bow generally has much smaller and stiffer limbs than a recurve bow. To harness the power of the stiffer limbs a pulley system is used. The string of a compound bow is arranged around a pair of pulley wheels at the top and bottom of the limbs. This enables a great deal of power to be generated from a smaller and more compact bow. An added advantage with a compound bow is that the pulley wheels can be offset to act as 'cams' such that when the bow is fully drawn, the pressure required to hold the string is much less. This allows the archer to take his or her time with their aim.