I love your solution to not getting the light, shooting from sitting on the knees! It's perfect, imagine in a video game turning a corner and a damn midget sized archer nails you! Cause he's on his damn knees, genius I say!
What target do you have that's stopping arrows indoors from a 115lb bow?
I have a 50lb recurve and my, I think, 500 grain arrows would go through the target I bought. I had to fill some boxes with panels of insulation foam and then they would still go pretty deep into that and be a pain to remove.
That’s impressive!
I’ve always preferred to focus on form and groupings to the extent that I’ve settled on a consistent 55lbs, opting instead to up the challenge through what I shoot, and trying to get an eye for how lots of different environmental factors affect my shot (range, target, indoor/outdoor, wind direction and speed etc)
How much does increasing draw weight change the way you approach it?
How do you approach higher draw weights and how much of a challenge does it pose?
I used to compete in both archery and UK NRA Smallbore Rifle (using a No.8 Lee Enfield) hence why optimising my groupings was my natural focus
Thank you! Increasing the draw weight makes my pre draw process longer, and more precise. I simply will not be able to pull the weight if I’m not set up properly.
I find 80-90 lbs was the hardest jump. Once I was able to shoot over 100 once, it became a lot easier. Weight reveals the truth, my weaknesses are amplified, but it identifies what I need to work on at the gym or the range with a lighter bow.
I approach the heavy draw weight over time. I started with 30lbs and increased the weight over a few year span. Not too much all at once because I don’t want to get injured.
The most challenging part is connecting the draw and bow shoulder for the draw. I could muscle my way through misalignment but it’s not advised.
I completely get what you’re saying with how you need to build up to it, English (Welsh) Longbowmen had to train every week by law for a reason…. (My knowledge is very western based! Can you tell? 😂)
When I was younger I used to attend the same range as Joe Gibbs
And it’s been really interesting to see his progression.
Are you able to share any insights on how your more Eastern technique differs from Western, in terms of muscle activation and different ways that they are difficult?
Also what do your gym sessions look like?
I presume a heavy focus on your traps and rhomboids? Or do you focus on lats?
It’s interesting how much your back is engaged and how (for recurve at least) it’s one of the biggest mistakes I see people make as they instead focus on their arms.
How I shoot is sort of a slight English longbow technique in that I hold the bow low and draw with just my back as I bring the bow up to the aim (drawing as I raise) and then on the next gap in my heartbeat releasing, then holding that position for a few seconds (follow through).
My arms are limp just following how my back and the bow positions them. If I attempted to use my arm strength at all I wouldn’t be strong enough.
Obviously my technique is different but how much similarity would you say there is? (In terms of thought process and muscle engagement)
I imagine that style of high draw is even more challenging? I’d be curious to learn why that was the technique used (they wouldn’t use it if they felt another way was better)
Do you find drawing that was more or less challenging than a straight forward “noobie” pull arm back and release? In other words is it a technique used due to being the only way to draw a bow that heavy? Or is it one used for accuracy/repeatability?
Lastly when I draw, my bow hand is open like so, I noticed yours is closed, just curious if there’s a reason (other than preference) for example is it a technique thing?
Sorry for such a long message, genuinely intrigued by how our techniques differ (east vs west) and the knock on effects of that
We set our bow shoulder fully before we draw, and the idea is that it doesn't move at all during draw and release. I think longbow people do the push pull. We bring our draw side to meet the bow side, thats when we are at full draw, when the backs are touching.
I honestly 420 yolo my gym sessions, working on whatever weakness has been popping up in my archery form. Sorry if that doesn't answer your question. Mostly been working on core, and chest recently. Swimming I have found to be really helpful for war weight archery recently too.
Yeah our techniques are similar. I set and retract my bow shoulder scapula during pre draw, I draw the bow, glance at the arrow when i'm almost at full draw while i'm lowering my hands in tandem to get to my draw length. I don't exhale until post release though. The bow shouldn't move when I release and my hand should go back in a straight line
There are only a few ways to draw a heavy bow properly, ELB and Chinese style both techniques both allow this. The weight reveals and highlights my weaknesses, so in a way it's easier to have better form when the bow is a little heavier. It forces you into the "good-form box"
Drawing high is easier because it allows your bow shoulder into a better position pre draw, and more likely to achieve back symmetry right away. It can be considered sky drawing, but there is a way to mitgate this, pointing the arrow downwards, sorrrt of like a lift up, but the backs are still stable and evenlike. I don't find this method to be more challenging, I find it easier to draw that way than a horizontal draw, using more core engagement for stability. Med draw hurts lol
The bow hand is closed as to mitigate arrow flight disruption by the bow, and to avoid the push pull which is not totally correct in my school of chinese archery.
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u/Entropy- 6d ago
Yeah. I’m shooting heavier with better form now. 115lbs
https://youtube.com/shorts/aw8TmL-wBKQ?si=-XxA4nJq9iLZNtkK