Minimum Handicap Levels for Archery GB Classifications
Category | Class | Recurve | Compound | Longbow | Barebow |
Ladies | GMB | 27 | 15 | 59 | 49 |
MB | 33 | 21 | 62 | 51 | |
Bowman | 41 | 29 | 65 | 67 | |
1st Class | 50 | 38 | 70 | 64 | |
2nd Class | 57 | 49 | 73 | 71 | |
3rd Class | 65 | 56 | 82 | 78 | |
J Ladies U18 | JMB | 41 | 29 | 61 | 54 |
J Bowman | 48 | 38 | 64 | 59 | |
1st Class | 57 | 49 | 68 | 64 | |
2nd Class | 64 | 56 | 73 | 69 | |
3rd Class | 70 | 66 | 77 | 73 | |
J Ladies U16 | JMB | 50 | 38 | 66 | 59 |
J Bowman | 58 | 49 | 70 | 65 | |
1st Class | 66 | 56 | 74 | 70 | |
2nd Class | 72 | 66 | 78 | 74 | |
3rd Class | 76 | 74 | 83 | 79 | |
J Ladies U14 | JMB | 56 | 46 | 72 | 67 |
J Bowman | 64 | 55 | 77 | 72 | |
1st Class | 73 | 65 | 82 | 77 | |
2nd Class | 80 | 75 | 87 | 83 | |
3rd Class | 87 | 84 | 93 | 90 | |
J Ladies U12 | JMB | 65 | 54 | 78 | 73 |
J Bowman | 70 | 63 | 83 | 78 | |
1st Class | 78 | 73 | 88 | 84 | |
2nd Class | 87 | 83 | 93 | 90 | |
3rd Class | 95 | 91 | 99 | 96 | |
Category | Class | Recurve | Compound | Longbow | Barebow |
Gents | GMB | 22 | 10 | 52 | 40 |
MB | 28 | 16 | 55 | 45 | |
Bowman | 36 | 23 | 60 | 49 | |
1st Class | 44 | 32 | 65 | 56 | |
2nd Class | 50 | 38 | 69 | 64 | |
3rd Class | 58 | 48 | 74 | 71 | |
J Gents U18 | JMB | 31 | 23 | 56 | 50 |
J Bowman | 39 | 32 | 62 | 57 | |
1st Class | 50 | 38 | 67 | 62 | |
2nd Class | 58 | 48 | 73 | 68 | |
3rd Class | 68 | 56 | 79 | 73 | |
J Gents U16 | JMB | 40 | 32 | 60 | 53 |
J Bowman | 48 | 38 | 65 | 60 | |
1st Class | 56 | 48 | 70 | 65 | |
2nd Class | 62 | 56 | 75 | 70 | |
3rd Class | 71 | 61 | 81 | 75 | |
J Gents U14 | JMB | 50 | 38 | 66 | 60 |
J Bowman | 58 | 48 | 72 | 67 | |
1st Class | 66 | 56 | 77 | 72 | |
2nd Class | 71 | 61 | 82 | 77 | |
3rd Class | 79 | 69 | 87 | 83 | |
J Gents U12 | JMB | 61 | 48 | 75 | 69 |
J Bowman | 69 | 56 | 81 | 75 | |
1st Class | 77 | 61 | 87 | 81 | |
2nd Class | 83 | 69 | 93 | 88 | |
3rd Class | 92 | 79 | 99 | 95 |
This table was compiled using publicly available information for comparative purposes only. Any errors are probably mine.
This table of handicaps/classifications is really useful and you may like to share it with other archers. Going forward Archery GB have stated they intend to discontinue associating classifications with rounds and just use a table like this with certain minimum distances / number of arrows being required for each class.
ReplyDeleteSo for example a Senior Gent seeking 2nd class will be required to shoot a minimum of 72 shots on a round starting at 60 metres or 60 yards or more.
A word of warning to all the new barebow enthusiasts. (And this bit is just my opinion) You may be lulling yourselves into a false sense of achievement as many feel that the Barebow classifications are presently set at a comparably less demanding level than for the other disciplines. This is implied in your own blog notes above. This may be because Barebow is relatively new as a separate discipline (2008) and Archery GB hitherto have probably only had a small pool of score information available to them when "setting the bar". Some feel the bar has been set too low.
In 2008 Archery GB ramped up the class achievement levels for compound archers presumably for this very reason, and many compound archers who had previously easily made Bowman or higher found they could no longer get to the required standard. So there is some precedent here. New and significantly improved Club, County and National Barebow records are being set all the time and I think it very likely we will see a re-evaluation of Barebow classification standards very soon. Good barebow archers are now shooting almost as well as Recurves who have the benefit of technology. Also more and more already good archers are switching from Recurve to Barebow for a change, and so they too have brought higher standards to the game.
It is good to hear that trying Barebow has re-ignited your enthusiasm for Archery and this can only be a good thing. After all we do this thing for FUN!
However, shooting barebow does not mean that sound principles of technique can be abandoned. True you no longer have access to sights, stabilisers or a draw check indicator. However shooting barebow, it is more important than ever that your alignment and release are good and consistent. You will need to continue to use your back muscles.
I would suggest that you experiment further with your aiming method so that you can actually aim at something on the target rather than a random patch of mid-range grass that may or may not be available to you next time you shoot. The "shooting at daisies" method will become even less reliable as you step up distances and will almost certainly not work when you shoot in unfamiliar surroundings.