Holding at Full Draw

[Ffish]

Is the "hold" at full draw meant to have an element of difficulty, or hard work about it? Or is it meant to be a natural, comfortable feeling that you could hold for a while without muscle spasms?

My bow is 34lbs, with a 29 1/2 draw, so I reckon I'm pulling about 36lbs on my fingers. Last night when shooting, one thing I noticed was that my bow at full draw felt totally comfortable, and didn't feel to be hard work at all to hold it. This was the first time I've experienced this feeling.

Is this because my back and shoulder muscles are now getting used to the draw weight, and is this normal? If so, should I be looking to increase my poundage at this stage, and would it achieve anything?

I've observed some far more experienced archers than me, who are pulling around 42/44lbs or more, and at full draw they start to tremble if they hold for longer than 5-10 seconds, and then have to come down again. To me, this looks like they're doing far too much hard work, and they make it look like it's hard work too. And yet, some of these guys are 1st Class or MB's.

What's the general consensus about how comfortable your bow should be at full draw?

[Big Boy Blue]

The question you probably need to ask is, does your draw weight give you what you want at the moment with regard to range etc ? You also need to bear in mind that when shooting some of the longer rounds you need to shoot alot of arrows, so fatigue could be a problem. Increasing the poundage will give you added range, lower the arrow flight path and decrease the flight time to target. Our club captain is currently shooting 44lbs and he is looking to drop in weight and with modern arrows you no longer need high poundage.

It may also be that you getting all your biomechanical alignment correct which does make things easier, and as you say, your also becoming used to pulling the weight.

[Kellog]

Generally in my experience if you're holding for 5-10secs at full draw either the shot doesn't want to go or the archer is doing a training exercise, or is compound!
Shaking does indicate the archer is working for the shot, and possibly that its a bit heavy or they're a bit tired.

As to how comfortable your bow should be at full draw, well it certainly shouldn't hurt you to hold it, but IMO you should have to work for it.

I would say get used to the feeling of it being comfortable before you think about increasing poundage, and only when its like that for every shot, every time you shoot; increase the poundage

[Meddler]

Originally Posted by Ffish

Is the "hold" at full draw meant to have an element of difficulty, or hard work about it? Or is it meant to be a natural, comfortable feeling that you could hold for a while without muscle spasms?

Ideally it should feel as comfortable as possible. The shot sequence should be completed as quickly and accurately as possible.

If you are starting to shake and have muscle spasms, then you have taken too long to shoot and the muscle has run out of "fuel".

Muscles contain "fuel" (glycogen, creatine phosphate etc.). In order to perform any activity the muscle does its work, but uses up fuel. The cardio vascular system takes away the waste product from muscle usage, and brings new fuel in.

The energy systems used in archery are anaerobic (do not require oxygen), and break down into the creatine phosphate (CP) system and the lactic acid system. The waste product is lactic acid (and when that builds up in the muscle you get achey muscles, and you shake).

At the start of an end, the CP level is high. As you perform a shot the CP is used up, and the level drops (like watching the fuel gauge on your car). In the time between your shot and the start of the next one, the blood flushes out the muscle, and brings more CP into the system. It takes approx 30-40 seconds for the CP level to go back up to full.

If you start the next shot earlier than 30-40 seconds after the end of the last the fuel is not back to its high level.

So you start the second shot with less fuel, and typically it will run out in approx 7-10 seconds, and lactic acid starts to build up, and you start to shake... do that on a three arrow end and you don't notice it too much, but on a six arrow FITA end, it will bite.

Working on the approx. figures for CP replenishment above, in a 2 minute three arrow end (FITA) you can take up to 13 seconds per arrow, on a 4 minute 6 arrow end (FITA), it drops to around 7 seconds.

So comfortable is good, shake is bad... oh and rest in between arrows.

[geoffretired]

You say this is the first time you have felt so comfortable. That has to mean you are shooting with more ease;perhaps the result of better alignment or more confidence. The shakes you see in some others could be brought on by lack of confidence or being over bowed. I think being comfortable through confidence is a good sign. I would agree that you could enjoy the new relaxed form a little longer to see how things settle. For the future, if things continue to go well, and why shouldn't they, consider going up in poundage on a trial basis. Borrow another bow and see how it goes. My reasoning is a mixture of Kellog's and Big Boy Blue's. Better arrow performance, possibly; and having to work. If the last stage of the draw is too easy, you could be tempted to relax too much and drift into "lazy" shots. If you are in control and still working, it is better, I feel, than in control and getting lazy. That can lead to careless shots. Please note I am saying lazy shots, not lazy archer.);

[Bald Eagle]

Ffish, you've cracked it! You are at one with your bow and your scores will increase, don't go up in poundage, enjoy your bow as it is and watch your scores increase. Too many archers get to your state of "oneness" and #### it all up by increasing poundage and changing arrows etc. Enjoy your new found confidence and shoot without analysing each shot, ENJOY and reap the rewards!

[geoffretired]

I like what you are saying Bald Eagle. Enjoyment seems to get lost at times. It seems that "Change" is so often seen as the only way forward.Confidence and control can work wonders too, but it doesn't sell very well.

[Rik]

All too often, that 'shake' at full draw is a sign of tension in the wrong places (tops of shoulders, upper back) interfering with the process of making a relaxed shot. It doesn't necessarily make for a bad shot (you can learn to cope with errors like that), but it does make it more difficult and more fatiguing.

So yes, comfortable is good. So long as you're being consistent about it.

Most people, when they talk about shooting at their best, remark on how easy it seemed. Shooting badly is difficult...

[nfinite]

sounds like your form has got better and your now using your bow rather than fighting against it.

just remember that at full draw, keep on pulling till the shot is complete.

never liked the word " hold", always thought it sounded like the pressure should be stopped.


If you get the chance to watch a experianced archer, notice that the draw never stops until the arrow is released.

some times it looks like a archer has stopped pulling but the movement is still their.