Archery

[hobbitboy]

Ok I leave for Sheffield Uni in 2weeks, and I've found that they've got an archery club. Considering taking it up. Would people recommend this is the best way go about learning to shoot?

Incidently, is it good for your back muscles? Cos it may help my climbing (which wasn't the reason for choosing Sheffield as my uni!!)

 

[Simon]

it will definitely exercise your latissimus dorsi, trapezius and rear deltoids ... although, assuming you ar right handed ... predominantly on the right side .. better off with chin ups and rowing

 

[Stew]

Ok I leave for Sheffield Uni in 2weeks, and I've found that they've got an archery club. Considering taking it up. Would people recommend this is the best way go about learning to shoot?

I can't comment on whether it would be the BEST way to get into archery but I can't recommend highly enough joining a couple of clubs at uni! Obviously you'll be joining the climbing club but it's nice to have a different activity to do as well, IMO. It gives you more of a social group and keeps you busy.

Incidently, is it good for your back muscles? Cos it may help my climbing (which wasn't the reason for choosing Sheffield as my uni!!)

I doubt that poor back muscle strength is going to seriously affect your climbing performance. It is important to have good core stability but unfortunately I don't think that archery is going to help you improve this.
If you are having back problems then look into core stability or pilates (the gym might run some classes)

 

[dtalbot]

Incidently, is it good for your back muscles? Cos it may help my climbing (which wasn't the reason for choosing Sheffield as my uni!!)

You expect us to belive that given what is just a bus ride to your west?
Archery is fun, so is climbing, all the more so with a good bunch of club mates, as the others say some properly designed exersise for your back will be better than hoping something else will sort it as a side effect.
Cheers
David

 

[RovingArcher]

Yep, I'd recommend joining an archery club. The members will be a good source of information about the type of bow you'll be launching arrows from and how to put your practice sessions together.

Have you given much thought to the type of bow you'll be shooting? If you go with the more traditional style of bow, like the longbow, your back muscles will play a very active part of the equation. Proper back tension helps to ensure good accuracy, as does doing everything exactly the same, each and every shot. Stance, how you hold the bow, how you draw the bow, where you anchor, release, etc., all come into play for consistent accuracy.

What I do to keep my back muscles balanced is to draw the bow with my off hand and then let down. I do this half as many times as I release an arrow when practicing, or every other shot. When it's wet and there's no place to shoot, I'll string up the bow, close my eyes and concentrate on my form as I draw the bow. Then I let down, which makes the muscles work double duty and helps to strengthen the back even more.

 

[hobbitboy]

The question about it helping my backmuscles was just a curiousity thing more than anything. Up until bout 8months ago I had quite a strict training regime of pull ups, then some weighted pull ups followed by more pull ups with a few pull ups thrown in for good measure.....then i snapped a tendon and have climbed twice in the past 8months :?: ! Oh well! ):


i have no idea what sort of bow I'll be shooting! Had a quick look on the net for different types of bows and got completely bamboozled! So many types! But I think I prefer the more "traditional" type of bow compared to the modern compund (i think thats what they are called) bow.

 

[RovingArcher]

If you have a back injury, you may want to forego using it to shoot a bow. At least until it's healed. Like I stated earlier, your back plays a big part in your shooting.

I shot a compound for 4 years and ended up going back to the traditional bows, which has been 12 years or so ago. Never did consider the compound a bow, but they sure do make learning to launch arrows easy enough. Accuracy comes very quick with them and they are relatively easy to learn, but they are just too complicated for this old guy. Too much tinkering makes for a dull and frustrating sport in my opinion.