For the traditional archer, the temptation to shoot heavy is great. The higher the weight, the more inconsistencies you will start to eliminate from your archery as your arrows travel faster (with wooden arrows you really notice the difference). Today, however, I want to talk about the dangers of “leaning too far.”
Unfortunately, many archers ignore the preparation necessary to increase your weight, and without this preparation, you are likely to do yourself a lot more harm than good. I guess prep isn’t as fun as shooting! However, it is important and I recommend:
- First of all, make sure your technique is solid. To begin with, you will need to support the extra weight by using the much stronger back muscles, rather than the weaker arm muscles.
- Try to accumulate the highest weight. If it helps, try grabbing a shaper (basically a large elastic band that reflects the tension of the arch). Many archery stores sell them, and the real value of them is that they allow you to build your strength by practicing just a few minutes a day, without arming your bow and scaring the neighbors! Try attaching the shaper to your elbow instead of holding it with your fingers, and try raising it up to hold it at its best for 30 seconds without shaking it.
Unfortunately, this build-up is not a regular part of archery training, and many archers continue to struggle to fire a bow that may actually be too heavy for them. If you are leaning too far, there are often a few tell-tale signs:
- You can start shooting “through your face.” From experience, I can say that this can be extremely painful, and highly unnecessary, and is the result of pressing your anchor point too hard against your face (so the rope catches you as you pass). This can happen to varying degrees and is surprisingly common. I have heard archers say that this is simply a sign that you are referencing correctly. I strongly I disagree with this – you shouldn’t hurt your face when shooting, and you can achieve good back tension without doing this.
- If you’re shooting crosshairs, for example, try to make sure you’re referencing by simply tapping the side of your mouth.
- If you shake it to the max. You may not have fired in a while, but if it continues, it’s time to consider a lower weight. You may also find that your shoulder hurts for a long time after shooting. This is very bad, tell someone if this is happening to you.
- If you loosen forward regularly, this could be a sign that at your current weight you are unable to maintain the necessary back tension.
Very often the answer comes down to regular practice, but before shooting be sure to warm up your upper body. Everyone warms up differently, but I recommend at a minimum a ‘windmill’ range with your arms and then stretching your arms behind your back.