# Recurve 70m vs compound 50m



## Seaflite (May 20, 2012)

Hey folks,

Quick question, 

Does anyone know the why and how it was decided upon that in single distance competition the Recurve shooters get to enjoy shooting 70m while the Compound competition is shot at 50m?

Thanks for any info in advance.


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## [W.S.Z] (Aug 6, 2012)

To make them different.

If they ever want to have a chance of introducing compound to the Olympics, alongside of recurve, it has to be different.


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## EABB (Sep 23, 2012)

I think it was more along the lines of making it harder for compounds to shoot perfect scores and make the rounds more interesting for the viewers, although I'm not sure why the set system was not introduced as well.


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## Bass88 (Oct 2, 2012)

Why they didn't make it 100 meters for compounds then ...? it would be different, harder and much more interesting. Compounds have more poundage and can handle that distance as well ....


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

Bass88 said:


> Why they didn't make it 100 meters for compounds then ...? it would be different, harder and much more interesting. Compounds have more poundage and can handle that distance as well ....


I believe "they" also shrunk the target size for compound shooters so it is considerably harder. 

As an aside on another change....I'm still trying to figure out how best to aim and execute a good shot at a dime-sized baby x just to score a 10 (for indoors at 18 meters) while my field of view is filled with a sea of yellow that "does not count" as a compound shooter.


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## >--gt--> (Jul 1, 2002)

Bass88 said:


> Why they didn't make it 100 meters for compounds then ...? it would be different, harder and much more interesting. Compounds have more poundage and can handle that distance as well ....


Time and available venues. Very few competition venues that are World Cup qualified offer that much available distance, and arrow retrieval would take considerably longer as well.

No one has yet shot a perfect score on the current target (150/15x). Adding distance does nothing for spectator appeal or presentation quality.

Set play might prove to be more interesting from a presentation viewpoint, but the current round does emphasize precision, in keeping with the nature of the equipment.


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## EABB (Sep 23, 2012)

montigre said:


> I believe "they" also shrunk the target size for compound shooters so it is considerably harder.
> 
> As an aside on another change....I'm still trying to figure out how best to aim and execute a good shot at a dime-sized baby x just to score a 10 (for indoors at 18 meters) while my field of view is filled with a sea of yellow that "does not count" as a compound shooter.


Shoot fat arrows, as for the maximum diameter allowed I'm not sure which one it is, also, using a less powerful lens might actually help.


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## Bass88 (Oct 2, 2012)

Yeah ...I see ...it's just at a final match in a top recurve competition athletes can get away with a 8 or sometimes a 7 ...as for compound It seems that whoever get a 9 or an 8 (which is extremely rare) give that match away even if the rest were 10s and Xs ...Off course It's hard I know ...But IMHO It would be fun to see compounds shooting at 100 with the same target size as recurves ...


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## EABB (Sep 23, 2012)

Bass88 said:


> Yeah ...I see ...it's just at a final match in a top recurve competition athletes can get away with a 8 or sometimes a 7 ...as for compound It seems that whoever get a 9 or an 8 (which is extremely rare) give that match away even if the rest were 10s and Xs ...Off course It's hard I know ...But IMHO It would be fun to see compounds shooting at 100 with the same target size as recurves ...


It would be 90m i think, but, at least for me, is easier shooting 90m than 50m and my overall scores are similar on both, tough weather conditions do have a much greater effect shooting 90m than 50m. Another option could be compounds shooting 70m whit 50m face... or make another face whit a diameter between the 50m and 70m face for compounds to shoot 70m.


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## icehaven (Nov 30, 2010)

50m is much easier to find than 90m. A lot of places can't clear 90m worth of space. I mean, that's a full football field for the sake of archery which doesn't bring in as much money. I think that when they made the choice, they considered how easy it would be for average people to get a field of that size. 

And as mentioned above, 50m is roughly the same difficulty as 90m if you consider the different target sizes. And women never shoot 90m (as in a full fita), so they would be at a disadvantage in terms of practicing the distance.


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## Vittorio (Jul 17, 2003)

Independently from distance, the weakness of the Compound outdoor match round is presently in the absence of the set system (that has been kept indoor). Interest in the match drops dramatically in case of a bad arrow from one of the 2 archers in the first end... 

Can be any distance, but in my opinion:
- 50 mt ok
- target the full 60 cm or triple 60 cm 
- set system compulsory

Then you will really increase the drama in the match


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

I want to agree with Vittorio here, but George makes a good point. The primary difference between compound and recurve is the precision of the sport. When the game changes from "trying to hit the 10" to: "trying not to miss the 10" it fundametally changes the sport to one that becomes much more of a mental challenge. 

If you go to Louisville and watch the top 10-12 compounders in the shoot-off (who all shot clean 120x's over two days), it indeed makes for great drama. The winner is the one who could keep their composure the longest. To me, this is what compound offers vs. recurve.


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## DWAA Archer (Oct 14, 2011)

My take on making a compound round more spectator friendly would be make them shoot quicker give'em some nock down targets one of which is on their opponents side of the field and then just to keep them happy give them a couple of arrows at a standard FITA 50m small face so they can finnish on a 10 and look happy or not if they miss  

This would make it very different to the recurve round it would also mean the compound would need new gadgets to allow for rapid shooting again reenforcing the equipment differences.

This is what happens when you let a recurve archer come up with suggestions for a compound round


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## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

Rapid fire compound? That would be back to finger shooting...Oh, no- can't have that. LOL!


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## underdog145 (Dec 6, 2009)

A 60 cm face at 50 meters? Have you ever shot a 60 cm face? Haha. Not actually that large. As stated before, still no perfect scores have been shot along with the fact that the rules have seemed to have changed every season for the past who knows how long. I understand that we are trying to improve archery and all, but is one season enough to know if the changes we are making are better?


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## Dado (Aug 1, 2004)

the 50m is obiviously more spectator friendly... however, the real problem here is the non-existant audience


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## >--gt--> (Jul 1, 2002)

Guess you haven't attended many World Cup events.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

Dado said:


> the 50m is obiviously more spectator friendly... however, the real problem here is the non-existant audience


You forgot... "In the U.S."


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## Dado (Aug 1, 2004)

limbwalker said:


> You forgot... "In the U.S."


As far as I have been able to see how things work with spectators and archery, it seems that everywhere in the world (except Korea) archery has no audience, except for shooters and their families


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## Bob Furman (May 16, 2012)

Funny you should mention the 60 cm face. I ended up with 10 extra faces so I have been using them even at 50 meters. Funny how you focus more on the smaller faces at longer distances.


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## Serious Fun (May 12, 2003)

>--gt--> said:


> Guess you haven't attended many World Cup events.


 or the Olympics and Paralymics or the Pan Am Championships or the Indoor World Championships or Vegas...
Little tourney volunteers like myself can barely do an adequate job serving the archers on the shooting line. With promotion and an attention to providing for the spectators (On schedule, seating, shade, program, commentary and analysis, concessions and entertainment) cheering energetic fans fill the stands. When coming up with formats, it is key to be entertaining, that that means fast paced action that holds ones attention.

I would love to hear archers scores shot on a 80cm face at 50 vs an 60cm face at 50m.


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## >--gt--> (Jul 1, 2002)

Exactly, Bob. Last time I checked there were no spectator friendly tournaments staged in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Which, as far as I know, is definitely NOT in the USA. Which is why Dado probably doesn't have the perspective of people who have attended and staged such events.

Would be great to have one there though. I'm sure his country would be interesting to visit. I did shoot a competition a few miles over their border a few years ago and it was a beautiful region.


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## Vittorio (Jul 17, 2003)

Every year since its second edition in 1998 my club organizes a bus to bring local archers to Nimes, France, to attend to their international tournament. 670 km by bus:
1st because it is fun
2nd to show to our archers how archery should really look

Nimes has more than 1000 participants every year, and is the second largest tournamnt in the world after Las Vegas for number of participants, , but Nimes finals have also around 2500 spectators every year, and is for sure nbr. 1 event in the world (apart Olympic games) as number of spectators. 

If you don't attend to Nimes at list once, you will never understand what archery should really be. 

http://www.tournoieuropeen.arcclubdenimes.com/index.php?lang=en


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## Hyunsoh (3 mo ago)

montigre said:


> I believe "they" also shrunk the target size for compound shooters so it is considerably harder. As an aside on another change....I'm still trying to figure out how best to aim and execute a good shot at a dime-sized baby x just to score a 10 (for indoors at 18 meters) while my field of view is filled with a sea of yellow that "does not count" as a compound shooter.


 stop whining about it, or get thinner arrows. I can shoot a 30 as a recurve archer consistently every end for like 50 ends. Aim for the center, and if you hit off consistently move your sight. Like, idk what you want dude, its your bow


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## Hyunsoh (3 mo ago)

Seaflite said:


> Hey folks,
> 
> Quick question,
> 
> ...


recurve takes more skill? not to sh*t on the compound shooters, but i mean you cant tell me im wrong. also the compound divisions do shoot on smaller targets. Idk.

If you think about it, a compound bow really isnt effected by drag as much as a recurve bow is because of how fast the arrows flying-- but the wind is like the biggest roadblock when it comes to recurve, and its also a part of the sport. My guess is they decided to suck the compound targets back and make the faces smaller cuz theres no point in them shooting 70 and kept the recurve guys out at 70 meters cuz wind factors in. just my guess tho


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## Arcus (Jul 7, 2005)

Hyunsoh said:


> stop whining about it


Gee, I wonder if he's still "whining" after 10 years.


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## bucco921 (Jan 2, 2012)

Resurrect a 10 year old thread and immediately start talking crap... what an entrance to AT lol


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## Ray.L (Apr 29, 2021)

Wow. Welcome to AT lol


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## Steve P (May 14, 2009)

[QUOTE="Hyunsoh I can shoot a 30 as a recurve archer consistently every end for like 50 ends.
[/QUOTE]

That is some real nice shooting.

Steve


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## >--gt--> (Jul 1, 2002)

__





Urban Dictionary: Thread Necromancer


One who resurrects extremely old threads in discussion forums.




www.urbandictionary.com


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## "TheBlindArcher" (Jan 27, 2015)

Edit


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