Shooting is great, but for it to feel effortless, you need to put the work in off the bow.
Like most recreational archers, I always thought that if I just shoot more, then it would make my shooting easier. This was true for the most part, however, it wasn’t until I began training properly that I realised putting in work off the bow was the thing that made shooting easier.
I went from simple stretch band work once in a blue moon, to proper strength and conditioning (S&C) exercises three times a week. This made me feel more stable and shots became almost effortless.
The common misconception with S&C is that you’ll have to train your arms the most. In fact, I’ve found the most beneficial exercises have been those focused on your core and back. Here are some of my staple ‘go to’ S&C exercises for archery:
- Push ups (you can do kneeling push ups if you prefer)
- Kneeling Superman (focuses on balance)
- I/T/W (great for concentrating on your scapula)
- Back Behinds (really works those rhomboids)
- Dead Bugs (your core will thank you later)
Another thing I found really helped was exercising along to workout videos. I’m no S&C expert, I can only advise from my personal experience and my knowledge as a coach. Using videos created by actual PT’s really helped me to target certain areas.
The only way to find out if any of this will work is for you to actually do them! Don’t expect immediate results; you probably won’t notice the impact on your archery for a good 3 weeks. The more you do it, the more it will become habit. Give it a go; it’s the only way you’ll find out!