Setting Bow Arm Scapula

[King Custard]

In need of a coach...not had one since the 6 week beginners course....everything gleaned or picked up from experience, books, AI etc...and now incredibly frustrated!!!!

Recurve Bow shoulder..........
...raise bow...set scapula...straighten/lock arm...dead from the wrist to the fingers....and push towards target...have I missed anything?

I ask because as I have recently begun to pay more attention to the bow shoulder ( it's shoulder time again) and when I 'set' the scapula in an attempt to gain consistency - I just cannot push out towards the target!- am I setting it too hard?

I feel I've misunderstood this 'setting of the scapula' thing, and what I am supposed to be achieving - and that while drawing it down and in towards the spine to almost meet the draw arm scapula at full draw I am actually hamperring the ball joint from finding a natural position for taking the load of the drawn bow- or half the load to be more precise.

Can anyone explain exactly what this scapula should be doing?..how it should feel and preferably how to achieve that?

Incidentaly- and this'll sound odd - if I turn my head to the right and look up, I get an awful pain in the rearest part of my left armpit (bow arm pit)- does this indicate anything? possibly linked....and I have been checked as NOT certifiably mad, though not seen a doctor or physio re: the pain!

[clickerati]

I thought you had a coach. What's her name?

[King Custard]

Great for a shoulder massage through several layers yes...but a bit cold today to strip down and ask her to address my scapula issues.

And anyway - there has to be a line somewhere.....now anyway.
And to be honest- there's coaches etc on AI that are better qualified to answer 'blind'....but she doesn't have to know that. shhhhhhh!

[bkupris]

This may sound a bit simplistic but. Stand next to a door frame at an angle. Raise bow arm to appx horizontal. Place hand on door frame like you would your bow grip with shoulders in line with arm/hand. Take a sideways step away from door frame and lean against it. Adjust bow arm elbow to near vertical. How does that feel? Use just enough forward pressure to hold yourself in that position and note where your scapula is. It's a good starting point IMHO.

[King Custard]

HI Brian - yes I recognise that from Simon Needham's book...and Im not atall disputing that that puts the shoulder blade in the correct position- but what about the supporting muscles. For instance- when I stand against the door frame this way my bowside trap's and other related muscles are not in any contraction, and feel to be stretched or in torsion rather than flexed.
Is this correct biomechanically - that the drawside traps are flexed- yet the bowside traps are not.

I have been trying to effect a 'balance of forces' for the last couple of weeks ie: the trap's both sides are in flexion- as equally as possible....and frankly it's not working to the betterment-YET!

I've lent out my 'archery/biology book' ( dammit wassitcalled?)- or I might be able to explain it better.
EDIT: Archery Anatomy

[clickerati]

I can break your shoulder and set your scapula for you.

[bkupris]

I am not even going to try and explain what all those muscles should be doing cause I will probably get it wrong The important thing as far as I am aware is that (under full load) the bow arm scapula should stay down and forward somewhat (toward the target) and the drawing arm scapula moves down and toward the spine.

[King Custard]

Originally Posted by bkupris

I am not even going to try and explain what all those muscles should be doing cause I will probably get it wrong The important thing as far as I am aware is that (under full load) the bow arm scapula should stay down and forward somewhat (toward the target) and the drawing arm scapula moves down and toward the spine.

Down and FORWARD.......
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! slowly sinks in............
cos of course you cant push forward with the arm if youre pulling back with the scapula!

Just as I summized- yeah honest!
Thanks Brian

[bkupris]

Yes, Not over extended mind you...

[King Custard]

Originally Posted by clickerati

I can break your shoulder and set your scapula for you.

and you'd do that?