The older I get, the more I feel the effects from well over three decades of flinging arrows across the yard. I’ve never been much of a competition shooter. I simply like to shoot foam critters in the backyard range as I prepare for the hunt. I love the flight of the arrow. I still enjoy the excitement and anticipation for the fall season that comes throughout my summer archery drills.
But the years quickly add up, as do the physical ailments that come with many years of any particular physical activity. As I close in on 50 years of age, I notice that my bow shoulder is different. It doesn’t feel the same as it once did. When inquiring about such changes, I’ve often heard longtime shooters refer to the dreaded, “bow shoulder.”
It’s just one of the many “injuries” that archers deal with at one point or another. I personally have been fortunate that I’ve yet to experience any deal breakers in archery injuries. I’ve yet to face anything that’s shut me down or kept me from shooting. Still, there are others that struggle with major shoulder issues, as well as many of the other common archery injuries shooters face.
What are these injuries? Let’s take a closer look at the 4 common archery injuries and how you can prevent them.
Rotator Cuff
Shoulder injuries tend to be the deal breaker for many archers and bowhunters every year. Shoulder injuries push a lot of archers out of the game every season.
Shoulder problems and drawing a bow don’t mix well. For this reason, many archers hang up their bow and quit or start shooting a crossbow.
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons around the shoulder joint. As you might imagine, your drawing shoulder gets ample abuse after years of shooting. The drawing process puts a lot of strain on these muscles. Sooner or later, an aching pain in the shoulder comes, and you’ll feel a restriction in your range of motion.
Rotator Cuff Injury Prevention
- Give your muscles adequate rest
- Consider your shooting stance or position
- Make sure your draw cycle is smooth and clean, free from excessive strain
- Use your back in the drawing process, not just your arms.
Tendonitis
If you were a tennis player, they’d call it, “tennis elbow.” But since you’re an archer, it’s called, “archer’s elbow.” It’s the ugly beast called, tendonitis. It’s basically when your tendon (the connective tissue which attaches muscle to bone) becomes inflamed. Shooters will most commonly experience tendonitis in the elbows, but it can also occur in the shoulders and wrists.
It won’t impact all archers, but for many, the drawing process can put excessive strain on the tendon and ultimately become very painful.
Tendonitis Prevention
- When feeling the pain of potential tendonitis, drop your draw weight
- Strengthen other muscles (shoulder and scapular muscles) used in the drawing process
- Spend time in the gym with training exercises to prevent archery injuries
String Slap
Some may not consider string slap an injury, but for those that have experienced a bruised forearm from a bowstring beating, they know it’s close enough. String slap happens when you release the bowstring, and it slaps your lower arm. For some, it’s just annoying. For others, it’s surprisingly painful. Do it enough and a bruise will soon follow.
The good thing is string slap is avoidable. It’s most common among rookie archers. Once you learn proper shooting form, or how to best maneuver your bow for the shot, you’ll quickly rid yourself of the abuse from string slap.
Read this article for more on how to handle string slap – Why the Bow String Hits Your Arm
String Slap Prevention
- Make sure you are shooting with correct posture and shooting form
- Rotate your elbow away from the bow string
- Make sure you’re shooting a properly fitted bow
- Wear an arm guard
Muscle Strain
Far too many archers fail to shoot their bows throughout the year only to find themselves in panic mode in the weeks before season, flinging countless arrows across the yard. The result is muscle strain. It can happen in your arms, shoulders, neck, hands, or wrists.
It simply comes from unworked muscles and body parts being suddenly overworked as you find yourself in panic preparation. Overtraining, particularly in sports with repetitive movements like archery, can easily lead to muscle strain. You’ll know it by the stiff, achy or cramping feeling that results.
Muscle Strain Prevention
- Allow for plenty of rest between sessions
- Allow your muscles to relax
- Shoot throughout the year to keep your muscles in shape
- Exercise with mental training to allow breaks for physical training
- Use training bands and other fitness techniques to keep muscles in shape
Are you taking the necessary steps to prevent an archery injury this season? Be sure to keep the injuries mentioned above in mind as you go through your practice routine in preparation for opening day. A little attention to prevention can go a long way toward keeping you in the game this season.
