How many hours a week

[merv]

hi folks just interested to learn how many hours a week we practice,with me its approx 8-10 hours spread over 4 days.
I honestly believe that too much practice can have a harmfull effect on shooting form,as because we are all only human if you practice to an extreme then you are shooting whilst getting weaker as muscles tire and that cant be a good thing.
Have you found that more and more practice results in higher scores or that even with the heavier workload that your scores have remained with the odd exception relatively the same.
I shoot recurve myself and there is a point in practice when you feel those muscles starting to tingle and its time to call it a day.
Even metally we all start to tire after a certain time and there is no way that the concentration remains at peak level the whole way through a practice session.
So lets hear how much you practice and maintain strength and concentration levels.
Also lets hear if have ever increased practice levels dramaticaly only to find that it hasnt had a dramatic effect on your scores.

[JohnK]

Extra practice, strength training etc. will improve your scores if:

1. You're following a sensible programme.
2. Your technique is solid.
3. You shoot at least twice a week, if not more.

Personally, when I managed to combine these three, I did see a significant jump in my scores. Injury put a stop to that (I tore a shoulder muscle in the gym while trying a new piece of equipment unsupervised - my own stupid fault).

Ki Sik Lee in Total Archery says that his archers usually only have one day a week off. Any more than that, and muscle memory starts to fade.

As for me, at the moment I'm doing the following:

1. Shooting twice a week. I try to shoot a few arrows at short range in the back garden if for some reason I can't make it to the range.

2. Reversal training. I can currently do 20 repetitions of 30 seconds with some 40lb limbs, and I do this every other day. I'm hoping to build up to every day (except the days I shoot on) and then to start using the heavy Marksman limbs I have at the back of the cupboard instead.

3. I have a light fibreglass bow in the living room. I practice my drawing technique with this several times a day.

I've also made an appointment to get back to the gym to get fit again, which I'm sure will help.

(For info on reversals, see http://www.texasarchery.org/Document..._exercises.htm)

[Little Miss Purple]

My scores improved over the indoor season without much practice - but it was pointed out that they would've increased more had I put some time and effort into it!

As for outdoors, we usually manage to shoot 2-4 hours every day - and our scores came on in leaps and bounds!! But that may also just be due to it being our first year of archery and progressing as normal!

[TJ Mason]

I'm a once-a-week shooter. That's the worst possible frequency, of course, since it's frequent enough to get big ideas but not frequent enough to fulfil them.

I do strength training (reversals) and balance training every day, and have started doing some flexibility training. But I need to actually fling arrows more often.

[Yew Selfbow]

The time duration of practice sessions is something I really don't bother with. It's more about what I set myself to do in a practice session, rather than how long I practice.
For example... On Saturday I needed to decise on which bow I was going to shoot at the forthcoming National Indoors. I shot 50 arrows from each of six bows giving a total of 300 arrows shot. I then shot a further 300 arrows out of the bow I decided upon making 600 in total. I shot a further 600 yesterday to work on form, making a total of 1200 for the weekend.
So for me it takes as long as it takes....

[chris]

i shoot to relax i dont practice ,just enjoy archery
i'm not realy competative enogh(unless some one trys it on and i know that is the wrong reason).
so if i am i the mood i shoot if not i dont.

chris

[Small Monkey]

I shoot as often as I have time for/can be bothered to. This varies from every day in a week, down to 3 times a week roughly. If I've been ill or run down for some reason, I make sure to take time off in order to receover fully, else I really notice it takes longer for me to get back up to 100% again.

If I'm shooting well, and I'm confident with my technique, my scores don't suffer if I shoot a bit less often. If there is something specific I'm working on, I try to shoot as much as possible to get it sorted, and at the end my scores are back up to scratch again. I try to shoot at least a porstmouth and a bit more when I do shoot, as if I shoot less for a few days in a row, I find I lose strength and find it harder to finish a round.

I also swim as often as I have time for, in the mornings. I notice that days when I haven't swum, I shoot better than on days when I have.

[Marcus26]

I love practise, more than competing actually.
I shoot
Monday: 9:30pm to 12:00am
Wednesday: 8pm to 12am
Friday: 8pm to 12am
Saturday: 11am to 6pm
Sunday: 11am to 6pm

This is average, some days it's more, others less. For example this last week I have done the above with an extra hour 2 mornings and Sunday I shot from 8 till 5. (30min off for lunch)
I have been known to go home at 2am.

Also competitions change the time as well.

Another thing is I always score in practise. I am not happy if I did not score a round. No point flinging arrows. Must score them if I want to improve.

[clickerati]

Wow, Marcus, you're a slave driver!

I used to practice twice a week with my old club, but I've not shot much at all while I've been here. I don't have anywhere to do it but for my garage and it's been bitterly cold until this week.

Hopefully this will change soon and I can actually enter a competition. I just have my simple training bow, but an upgrade may be out of the question financially. So for now, I'll just shoot for relaxation and enjoyment.

[grantwomack]

When I was able, I was training 4-5 times a week regularly, usually around 8-10 dozen arrows in each session. My form improved, my stamina was fantastic and my scores shot up as a result.
Now I'm struggling to get in one training session a week! I'd love to shoot 6 days a week but few of us have that much spare time...