Archery | Why Do Olympic Archers Swing Their Bows?

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NUSensei





Published on Oct 20, 2017






First time watching the Olympic Games and wondering why the archers keep spinning their bows? Further viewing: Do You Have to Drop the Bow? FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Q: What's the tl;dw version? A: Olympic archers don't grip their bows. The bows are allowed to fall away, and swings because they are weighted and held by a sling. Q: Why don't the Huns / English Longbowmen / Mongols / Hawkeye / Hanzo do this? A: This is a precision shooting method, only used for sport target archery. Nearly every other field of archery requires a practical method of retaining the bow (i.e. NOT letting go). Q: Can you be accurate without dropping the bow? A: Yes. However, the context is important. An Olympic archer is trying to hit a DVD-sized bullseye at 70m. Involuntary movement in the bow arm and hand can result in a poor shot. Practical archery typically involves larger targets at closer distances, where pinpoint accuracy is not expected or needed. Q: Can't they just catch the bow? A: The bow's rotation happens faster than it looks. The archer is focused entirely on the shot process and is in the middle of the follow-through. The body is in a state of relaxation. In this moment, the archer is following the flight of the arrow and reflecting on the shot. The archer doesn't care where the bow ends; only where the arrow does. Q: What's all that stuff on the bow? A: