Hey guys, got my first bow about a week ago. I'm pulling 60# I've shot 50-100 arrows every day since last week. I have noticed some soreness in my left shoulder. Should I rest it or shoot through it?
STOP!!!!!! If you keep on inflaming the sore tissue it will only get worse AND it will very likely help you develop bad habits/form as your body tries to compensate for the pain.
I'd rest it for a couple days to see how if feels. You might also think about lowering the draw weight for a while as you build the muscles for shooting.
those sore muscles mean they are getting stronger... extended use and muscle breaks down then grows back stronger.. however the soreness can cause you to compensate to feel less pain without really realizing it, thus creating bad form... don't worry about a little pain, your just growing stronger muscles, but rest it before causing other problems
Like he said. Make sure you've got good form first... Next I'd suggest dropping the poundage 5 or 10# if you're feeling sore...you should be able to crank it back up once you're shooting comfortably. Finally, even if you haven't done any damage to the shoulder, follow the old RICE guidelines for a bit... strengthening the muscles in the shoulders as well as the chest and upper back are also good preventive maintenance and cheaper than surgery later.
Sore muscles do NOT mean they are getting stronger!!!!!!!!!!! Only speaking from experience and now having a destroyed rotator cuff and labrum, you need to listen to your body. The muscles used to draw a bow are used for virtually nothing else that we normally do. You need to build up slowly. I shoot year round and if I take a break, when I go back even though I have done this for years, I start slowly, at a lower poundage and enjoy myself.
Another good tip (in addition to turning down the bow 10 pounds) is to only shoot three arrows per round. It gives you a short rest while you fetch them from the target more often.
Thanks Guys! I can see turning my bow down 10#s when I practice, but I'm going to be in the tree stand this week... Can I be confident shooting 50#s. I've just come over from the crossbow world and I'm curious about that.
I practice at 65# year round and hunt at 57 - 60#. Hunting at 50# is to me, on the edge. Definitely have to limit your shots to close range, (under 20 yards) and true broadside shots only. But still very do-able.
I hunt with 50 a lb draw weight. I put 2 deer down with it this season, pass throughs on both (one was broadside, other was a slight quartering shot). Shot placement is key. I would comfortably take a shot out to 30 yards with my draw weight. Many people hunt with a 50 lb draw. No need to worry about it.
50 to 100 arrows is too much in your first week, especially if you have a sore shoulder. Don't shoot for a week (maybe 2). Lower your poundage. Shoot 3 arrow groups and not over 10-12 groups per day. You will be able to step up slowly if you don't over do it. I'm not an expert but I just got back into it after a long break due to injury. I had to do what I described above and that's what worked for me anyway.
I had exactly this same problem a week ago (I got my bow two weeks ago and I was shooting (at 60#) 60-90 arrows a day, every day). Here's what worked for me: I limited myself to 30 arrows a day, and I skipped two days to let me body recover. After a week the pain was gone and my accuracy was way up! Take it easy for a couple of days, once you recover from that initial hurt you'll be glad you did.
You are shooting way to much... if you want to shoot everyday , back off the lbs on draw or just give your body a few days to recover after each outting, constantly hammering your muscles daily is asking for trouble. When I was a gym rat, I gained the most strength by properly resting 2-3 days at least for a particular muscle group, archery is not any different, you get stronger and your muscles repair while you are resting.
