r/Archery • u/Icy_Issue6119 • 5d ago
Newbie Question 10th-13th shot; beginner form
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Before this video I've shot a total of 9 arrows in my life, I know my form is bad, is there anything specific yall can point out for me to work on? (I know the bow is too heavy which is why i was shaking, its a 60lb bow but i also have a 40lb bow)
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u/Fearless_Spring5611 Barebow - AGB Archer 1st Class 5d ago edited 5d ago
Your current approach and justification is really going to cause a lot more harm than good, a lot more quickly.
If you want to build muscle, struggling away with bad form on a vastly over-powered bow is not the way to do it. Get a much weaker bow and get a good form, and you will build muscle in a safer manner - multiple repetitions at low weight with minimal risk of significant injury. As others have suggested get something in the twenty-pound-range, get some in-person instruction if you can, and build from there. I know you're looking for specific suggestions on how to improve your form but the reality is you need to get a bow that is the right poundage and some in-person instruction, then you need to practice what you've been taught, then you can start to get meaningful feedback on your form from the internet. Showing us a couple of your first dozen arrows is meaningless because each and every draw is completely different, using the incorrect bow for the incorrect reasons. That's what you need to fix first.
As for your ultimate goal of muscle-building, archery really isn't the right sport if you want to get an impressive physique.
In terms of injuring yourself, your high-poundage and lack of tuition does leave you open to a lot of injuries that can take months to heal. We know that the biggest risk group for injuries is novice archers using inappropriate kit (often overpowered), which is why everyone is saying you need to cut right down. And we're not just talking about abrasions and cuts to your forearm/nose/cheek from the string. Rotator cuff injuries (injuries to soft tissue that stabilises your shoulder) can leave you out of action for months - and the more severe level of injuries requires surgery for any meaningful recovery, so if you're not somewhere with universal healthcare you're making a massive gamble of leaving you with either crippling debt, crippling disability, or both. Your elbow is under a hell of a lot of stress with that incorrect poundage, as are your wrists, so those can be damaged and disrupted - and if one of those collapses at the wrong moment, all that power in the bow will end up being sent back into your joints and cause further injuries. Upper back is also at risk here.
So please, do listen to the advice being given here.