Author Topic: Need advice on increasing draw strength  (Read 8675 times)

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Offline Badger

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Re: Need advice on increasing draw strength
« Reply #15 on: November 17, 2013, 02:05:24 pm »
  I did an experiment today with my bow scale to measure my pull at various positions. I seemed to be able to pull 120# on the scale without too much trouble yet 70# is my absolute max I can draw a bow out to 28" on a good day. I am going to play with this some more and see if I can figure out where I am screwing up.

Offline WillS

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Re: Need advice on increasing draw strength
« Reply #16 on: November 17, 2013, 02:17:56 pm »
Bear in mind it's the bow arm that really lets people down!  It's much easier to stand upright and heave a cable/string back to 120# for instance, if you're able to use your whole body.  Once you are holding the other end of the cable with the bow arm it becomes very, very hard.

Triceps and forearms need to be built up on the bow arm in order to withstand the massive compressive forces they have to deal with when you're shooting heavy bows.  There's an interesting trick you can do with a friend, if you hold a heavy bow and as you're about to draw it back, get your friend to hold your wrist, arm or the bow itself just above the arrow pass.  Get them to hold it firmly, and you'll suddenly be pulling back way further than you could normally.

If you wanted to isolate muscle groups deliberately to increase bow draw strength, work on the bow arm triceps and biceps and forearms with grip exercises as well as the usual curl type exercises for upper arms.  If you couple those with shoulder, chest and upper arm exercises on the drawing arm, you'll get the correct bias for warbow-style weights.  It's one of those funny, asymmetrical exercises that really you can only replicate properly by shooting heavy bows.

Offline Badger

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Re: Need advice on increasing draw strength
« Reply #17 on: November 17, 2013, 03:04:48 pm »
  That makes good sense, about 20 years ago i had neck surgery for a pinched nerve. My tricep and a good part of my arm had completely atrophied and was paralyzed. after surgery the muscle seemed to come back on its own but I have noticed more weakness in my left bow arm than before. Drawing left handed and hoding the bow with my right I was able to draw 100# not too long ago.

Offline meanewood

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Re: Need advice on increasing draw strength
« Reply #18 on: November 26, 2013, 06:30:49 am »
Hey adb

I've been trying your straight forward technique and I'm sold on it. My old style was more of a push - pull starting low but your style allows for easy/ rapid distance shooting!

Just goes to show, always learning if you keep an open mind!

Offline adb

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Re: Need advice on increasing draw strength
« Reply #19 on: November 26, 2013, 10:26:12 am »
Thanks! My 'style' is based on what makes sense to me.

I don't like the rolling loose. The bow is held at full draw far too long, and I don't think it makes a lick of difference in terms of cast. Release from full draw is release from full draw... how you get there is a matter of opinion and as long as you get to full draw, the forces acting on the arrow are the same.

My style provides economy of motion, and the least amount of stress on the bow IMHO. I also seriously doubt that period military archers would have spent the time that a rolling loose requires to get an arrow in the air. Makes no sense to me. I have mostly copied Nick Birmingham's style.

Offline meanewood

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Re: Need advice on increasing draw strength
« Reply #20 on: November 27, 2013, 06:01:33 am »
What type of head have you got on those arrows, looks like type 1 or 16's ?
I recently finished a nice heavy (1450 gn) set of Oak barrelled shafts with cool type 1's, for an early medieval look!

Offline adb

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Re: Need advice on increasing draw strength
« Reply #21 on: November 27, 2013, 09:00:59 am »
Mostly type 16s and a few type 10s.