physical barriers to good form ?

[pHz]

assuming being able-bodied and otherwise in good health / state of repair

are there any potential issues with body shape / proportion that could hamper the development of good form ?

and if there are what is best - [a] work around them and find the best form you can allowing for those issues or [b] try to work 'past' the limitiations and force your way to good form in spite of other issues this might create elsewhere ?

(questions prompted by a comment from moo-mop in a recent thread and my own current failure to get my back elbow fully in line - im short with relatively long arms and wonder whether this affects my potential in this area ? - i CAN get the elbow in line but seemingly only if my reference point is somewhere back near my ear ! )

slainte : rob

[pHz]

Originally Posted by Yorker

My inclination is that to all intents and purposes for the majority of able bodied humans there is enough variation in the front and side anchor options as well as barebow anchors to account for almost any eccentricity reasonably.
The grey area comes in where you have to consider - do you do what is natural, or what you can potentially do which is picture perfect. Some people naturally have a slightly high elbow etc. but if they really work it will go down - should they do that or should they go with the natural position.

heehee - wasnt doubting your advice at all james - having played further im sure i COULD get that shoulder round and keep a decent facial reference - just not sure how much tension that might put into other bits of the 'system' yet - until i can shoot rather than just pull bands and 'dry' bows i wont really know

just my overriding natural inclination to gather as much info as possible before moving forward

slainte rob

[Tom]

Originally Posted by pHz

just my overriding natural inclination to gather as much info as possible before moving forward[/color]

Wise man say "think less...shoot more"

[pHz]

Originally Posted by Tom

Wise man say "think less...shoot more"

wise men can say what they like but try as i might to listen to them their words just reach my brain as indecipherable gobbledigook !

i take it you therefore suggest forget where my elbow is (its not THAT far out) and work round it ?

slainte rob

[Tom]

Originally Posted by pHz

wise men can say what they like but try as i might to listen to them their words just reach my brain as indecipherable gobbledigook !

i take it you therefore suggest forget where my elbow is (its not THAT far out) and work round it ?

slainte rob

hehe, I was only taking the p, but yes I'd suggest that. Albeit with a caveat that I haven't seen you shoot so its a bit hard to offer advice on that basis

However, rather than 'forget' I'd say 'stop worrying' If you can get some time with a good coach later on, work on it then

[moo-mop]

Originally Posted by pHz

(questions prompted by a comment from moo-mop in a recent thread and my own current failure to get my back elbow fully in line

Just to make it clear if I'm thinking of the right comment I was talking about the majority of archers I've seen, ones far far better than any of us, not about anatomy specific to an individual.

[FlourPower]

Well currently my large nose keeps getting in the way of the string!

[Marcus26]

I think one of the biggest obstacles to good form is flexibility. Many people have poor flexibility in the shoulder area and this is a major draw back to getting the line right.
The major physical point of interest is shoulder angle. If you have low sloped shoulders then getting the bow shoulders down is very easy. However someone with square shoulders may find this impossible.

[BorderBows]

On a little off shoot, that any imbalance in the symetry of your body shape can cause issues. For example open Canoeing on one side all the time can cause spinal problems due to larger muscles on one side so swapping the side you paddle on is a good thing. Front to back and left to right strength is supposed to be equal to help reduce hunch backs, stooping and the likes later on in life.
Id recomend to anyone to always try and work on symetry in your muscles as it might effect you later. Im not a doctor, or anything such like, but any osteopath etc will say any over developed muscle group can cause issues later on. Can also say, that i dont know of any archers complaining of issues, so we are ina fairly safe sport if ignorance an anything to go by. (if you dont know there is a problem, then there isnt one )

but flexability is always a problem for any sportsman, As Marcus26 said.

[pHz]

Originally Posted by moo-mop

Just to make it clear if I'm thinking of the right comment I was talking about the majority of archers I've seen, ones far far better than any of us, not about anatomy specific to an individual.

the one i was thinking of was you talking about being injured as a result of trying to achieve some aspect of 'perfect' form (i THINK it was elbows there too ? )

ah - found it -

Originally Posted by moo-mop

My warning here is it was trying to look more like the last sketch (I never got the elbow on the line let alone past it though) that nearly caused a serious injury. A coach changed it, I got better and took archery as far as I wanted to go with it after that. Hence, why from now on I try and prove it isn't the be all and end all (with real piccys of archers far far better than us).
I expect the last sketch also has a hand that's impossibly far back along the face.... move it forwards and the rear shoulder and elbow come out.

slainte rob