# Causes of shoulder fatigue



## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

Form for sure can play a part, and not having much holding weight means the bow arm is alone in supporting the weight of the bow/stabilizers.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Being the bow shoulder I'd say improper set of the shoulder. Shoulder down and it's just there. If high then it's using muscle.....


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## Archer74 (Mar 22, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. 

I have been working on keeping my bow arm straight. I used to shoot with a slight bend. It seems like I have more tension on my shoulder when trying to keep my arm straight. Other than consciously relaxing, any other ways to keep the shoulder down and relaxed and arm straight?


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

keeping the shoulder "down and back", as in "standing at attention" Military style is done by contracting the rhomboid. you should feel your scapula (shoulder blade) get pulled back towards the spine and down, which prevents the shoulder humping up as a load is placed on the out-stretched arm. you don't want to feel the top of your shoulder and neck muscles, holding the mass of your bow.
when in this position, your arm can relax to the point that only the necessary muscles in your arm, are doing what they have to.


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Good advice above. 

For some archers a slightly bent bow arm elbow will help you keep your shoulder down. Straight elbow is much more consistent, but IMO getting it down is more important. 

Some coaches suggest down and back, others suggest down and forward. Once you get it down, you will find which works best for you. 

However the key is to get it down and keep it down. This has to be done as a continuation of your draw for it to stay together. In other words, don't draw, anchor and then push your shoulder down. If you do all of these in one motion, it will tend to hold together better.


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## Archer74 (Mar 22, 2008)

Thanks. Something to work on this week. Trying it at the computer I can feel different muscles at work. I will need to work on keeping this feel through out the shooting session.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

To me it all starts the moment you start to draw the bow, if things aren't done correctly where you are using your skeleton to your advantage along with back tension to draw the bow you end up contracting muscles that really don't need to be used at all and then continue that contraction during the shot adding to the stress that the important muscles have to deal with. 

I have always said that your body has some awesome abilities to do things mechanically and one of them is extending a arm forward away from the torsoe, so many people with their front arm push forward into the bow during the draw cycle and this tension created in the shoulder blade and the deltoids and the tricep and bicep all works together to try and extend the front arm forward. You simply don't have to do this at all.

My suggestion is to watch jesse Broadwater shoot, there are many little youtube videos of him shooting and you need to watch him from start to finish especially how he starts his draw cycle and the front arm and the rear elbow and everything else. When you watch him you are watching perfection and there is no weird form issues to look past. His front arm starts above the spot he wants to hit and as he draws the bow the front arm slightly moves down and you will not see him trying to extend his arm forward to draw the bow at all. His rear arm moves in a upside down arc starting pretty even with his mouth and then travels above and then down to the final position as the front arm moves down into place. 

The front arm should be pushing back into your shoulder socked like a broom stick and at no time should the elbow have to change from before during or after your draw cycle starts. The angles that it is going to have is set before you draw the bow and it just remains the same and Jesse demonstrates this really well, his grip doesn't change and nothing changes.


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