Bow power and weight

SergioGe

Supporter
Supporter
At the age of 72, after 40 years of inactivity, I decided to do again some shooting with the Olympic bow. I bought a KG Osprey for aesthetics and weight, with a very low drag (24 lbs) and initially used only the central stabilizer. Now I have tried to mount the v-bar and two sides with very small weights, but it seems to me that due to the low power the closing bow has no reaction to the forward but falls vertically.
Is there a relationship between bow power and weight? And this vertical fall can affect the shot?
Thanks, Sergio from Italy
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
If you have a high power bow( draw weight= drag= 40lb) then the closing bow= power stroke is strong and a lot of energy is left at the end causing the forward jump. With a lower power bow( draw weight=drag=24lb) then the closing bow has less energy left and a gentle forward jump is as much as you will get.
With the central stabiliser=long rod on a powerful bow, you get a strong forward jump and the long rod tips downwards soon after that jump.
With a powerful bow, stronger archers put lots of weight on the long rod and that lets it jump and tip but it feels heavy at the front so they add V bars and short rods to get the balance nearer the bow grip for a steady aim.
With a low draw weight bow, a light weight on the long rod is enough to tip the bow downwards. The v bars and side rods can stop the bow from tipping and there is very little forward jump either,so the bow drops vertically down. The v bar and side rods reduce the tipping and the jumping.
The vertical fall does not affect the shot, as it happens after the arrow has left the string. What affects the shot can be the bow arm dropping down while the arrow is still on the string. The archer guesses when the bow will fall and starts moving the bow arm just before. The archer may not notice the bow arm dropping if they are very busy thinking about the release at the time.
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
And the way the bow moves after the shot can be changed, often.
For example, if a v-bar is wanted, then it's normal to also use an extender to move the weight forward to give more roll.
 

fbirder

Member
I've always had my recurve set up so that it leaps straight forward (if I forget the sling it doesn't rotate at all until it hits the ground). Watching the Olympics at Rio I noticed that several male shooters had bows that reacted in a similar fashion.

is here any advantage to the exaggerated roll? I have a sneaking suspicion that it is done mainly because it looks good.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
is here any advantage to the exaggerated roll?
This is just a suggestion.
One thing that disappears from some archer's shots, is a natural follow through. It seems they don't have one; perhaps they have lost the habit or never had one.
In golf there is a clear follow through, especially when using a driver. There's less of a follow through on short putts.
In archery there is a follow through, especially with faster recurves compared to beginners' 16lbs bows.
The follow through is important but it can become lost or cut short. Cutting short the follow through sometimes means the archer is cutting off the shot process a bit too soon, anticipating perhaps and stiffening up.
A bow that rolls CAN be a way of making it more likely that the follow through is being allowed time to take its natural course. Imagine a golf drive with no follow through, the club almost demands one. The putter doesn't demand a follow through in the same way. Perhaps a bow that does nothing at the end of the power stroke is less inclined to encourage the extending of the shot beyond the release. I am thinking that top archers can probably work without these helping hands, lesser archers may be helped by such things, as a reminder or double check.

- - - Updated - - -

is here any advantage to the exaggerated roll?
This is just a suggestion.
One thing that disappears from some archer's shots, is a natural follow through. It seems they don't have one; perhaps they have lost the habit or never had one.
In golf there is a clear follow through, especially when using a driver. There's less of a follow through on short putts.
In archery there is a follow through, especially with faster recurves compared to beginners' 16lbs bows.
The follow through is important but it can become lost or cut short. Cutting short the follow through sometimes means the archer is cutting off the shot process a bit too soon, anticipating perhaps and stiffening up.
A bow that rolls CAN be a way of making it more likely that the follow through is being allowed time to take its natural course. Imagine a golf drive with no follow through, the club almost demands one. The putter doesn't demand a follow through in the same way. Perhaps a bow that does nothing at the end of the power stroke is less inclined to encourage the extending of the shot beyond the release. I am thinking that top archers can probably work without these helping hands, lesser archers may be helped by such things, as a reminder or double check.
 

Timid Toad

Moderator
Staff member
Supporter
Fonz Awardee
Ironman
I've always had my recurve set up so that it leaps straight forward (if I forget the sling it doesn't rotate at all until it hits the ground). Watching the Olympics at Rio I noticed that several male shooters had bows that reacted in a similar fashion.

is here any advantage to the exaggerated roll? I have a sneaking suspicion that it is done mainly because it looks good.
It's an exaggerated roll. Some archers are taught it, some affect it.

- - - Updated - - -

I've always had my recurve set up so that it leaps straight forward (if I forget the sling it doesn't rotate at all until it hits the ground). Watching the Olympics at Rio I noticed that several male shooters had bows that reacted in a similar fashion.

is here any advantage to the exaggerated roll? I have a sneaking suspicion that it is done mainly because it looks good.
It's an exaggerated roll. Some archers are taught it, some affect it.
 
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