Recurve draw weight?

Branoic

Is there such a thing as an average draw weight?

I'm 5'11 and of fairly average build and strenght. I don't work out or anything so wouldn't have what could be called particularly developed upper body strength or anything.

My draw lenght would be about 28 I believe. What would be a suitable weight for a first bow?

span

If you mean very first bow as in training bow, you should start off at between 24-28 lbs.

But since you mention your draw length I take it you have done a beginner course and are looking at getting your first personal bow.

I would suggest starting off somewhere between 32-36 lbs. This would be around the "average weight" for starting off.

Eventually you want to work up to drawing around 44-48 lbs, but obviously if you started off on this weight you would do some serious damage.

It doesn't matter too much about how much upper body strength you have starting off. Generally beginners, even with super arm and chest muscles are not going to have well developed back muscles and that is where all the strength comes from.

For indoor shooting (18M) 32-36 lbs is plenty. For outdoor shooting anything in the high 30s is fine starting off (30-50M) but for the longer distances (70-90M) a higher poundage would be required. I think around 42-44 is the minimum to reach 90M.

My advice would be not to jump up in poundage too quick. You need to give your muscles time to develop and get uesed to the increase in weight.

Branoic

Thanks a lot Span, that is very helpful. Yes, this would be a first personal bow, so I'll look at 32/34 and work from there.

greysides

My first bow (Prostyle) had 28# limbs, my current one has 30# limbs. After a days work I often use the wifes 22# limbs to practice form. A bow you can easily pull allows the shooting time and ease necessary to get form sorted. I have a 30" draw so the weight on the fingers is 4# more than the limbs rating.
My view is that once form is satisfactory, strength can be easily built up.

Carebear11

greysides wrote: »

My first bow (Prostyle) had 28# limbs, my current one has 30# limbs. After a days work I often use the wifes 22# limbs to practice form. A bow you can easily pull allows the shooting time and ease necessary to get form sorted. I have a 30" draw so the weight on the fingers is 4# more than the limbs rating.
My view is that once form is satisfactory, strength can be easily built up.

Would not agree with that at all, there is not much point in using a lower poundage for "form training" as such. If you can not work on form with your own bow weight then you are not fit/strong enough to shoot that poundage. As such you should be able to train your form to the poundage you are shooting. Swapping poundages on a regular bases actually makes it much harder on your body. It messes with mussel memory.

Private Ryan

Carebear11 wrote: »

Would not agree with that at all, there is not much point in using a lower poundage for "form training"........ .............you should be able to train your form to the poundage you are shooting. Swapping poundages on a regular bases actually makes it much harder on your body. It messes with mussel memory.

I'm going to have to disagree (slightly) with you here. Granted swapping back and forth is not ideal, using a lower poundage is, in my opinion, a good way to develop form. Lower poundage means that every mistake is amplified so if you master a low poundage bow and increase the poundage incrementally (so that your form is not changed by the poundage) the results will be much more consistent. (This is how I returned to shooting after I broke my wrist. I started off at 22/24lb limbs and gradually built up to 36lb limbs. UL IV was my first competition in seven months with my normal poundage and I scored a PB)

Struggling with poundage should be avoided at all costs. If you get tired you develop bad habits as your brain will do anything to get (normally pull) through the clicker. If you train your form to the poundage you are doing something wrong. Your form is your form and it is the same shot out of a 15lb bow as it is out of a 50lb bow.
Also if you want to change your style (begin pushing) or get out of a bad habit low poundages can make the transition much easier.

Final point you can reach 90m with 35lbs and carbon/aluminium or full carbon arrows. It is a challenge but as I said earlier if you can do it with a lighter poundage your scores can only improve if you keep the same techniqe and use a higher poundage.

Carebear11

Private Ryan wrote: »

if you master a low poundage bow and increase the poundage incrementally (so that your form is not changed by the poundage)[/font]

This is true but this is not disagreeing with what I said, as in swapping back and forth between low and high poundage will do more harm than good. If you want to shoot low poundage and build it up slowly that is fine however dropping to a low poundage to work on form and then jumping back to a higher poundage will not see the desired results in your form, would you agree?

There is also a difference in shooting lower poundage to regain lost strength or resistance due to injury rather than just working on form.

greysides

Carebear 11, your comments are noted and appreciated. At the moment I am more concerned about form than strength. I like to take any opportunity I can to shoot. Shooting when tired after a days work with a lower poundage is preferable, to me, to not shooting. The lower poundage gives me the chance to do the repetition I need to get the actions ingrained. It also allows me too play around more with positioning of arms etc without coming under pressure to release. I still mainly shoot with the stronger bow. On a good day I can shoot for 2 hours with the stronger bow so I presume that means I am strong enough for that weight.
(One thing I've learnt is not to shoot for too long when the opportunity presents itself........sore muscles deprive you of more shooting time than you get by over-excercise.)

My form seems to be going the right direction as my scores are improving.

Your point on muscle-memory is particularly noted.

Thanks.