How to Draw Your Bow Back with Efficiency | Make it Easier to Shoot Archery

There is two ways to pull back your bow, the hard way and the easy way.... I show you how to make it easier to draw your bow back using one simple trick!
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[@cavetroll]

I used this method of teaching at a mediaeval fair this side of the world today. People nailed it so much faster and better overall than the entire 9 years I've done events!

[@dannyodum46]

Jake, I have been watching your videos with a critical eye, and I am saying thank you. I have just returned to archery after a 2 year hiatus. As I work myself back to form, I see the value in many of approaches you take. Having come from the Trad to Barebow world and completing the level 3 NTS coaching program, I am now onboard with an anchor and draw cycle that more mimics the KSL system. Keep doing this and I may be doing some of my own videos that expound upon some of your points.I simply want more people to appreciate a logical approach to barebow that reduces injuries and frustration. Thanks!

[@guillermokavana1847]

After many arrows shot and learning what muscles I was using. I totally get what you are saying of using your shoulder muscles instead of arm muscles. As you said, it is very hard to learn this through a lense but after 2 years of shooting barebow it totally clicked what you are teaching us. Very insightful. Thank you, Jake!

[@peterdarby793]

I’m learning a lot from your channel. Thank you for sharing. After talking to Ruth Rowe, I had just switched to a rotational draw about 2 months before I shattered my collarbone into about five pieces. A couple of months after surgery I started pulling a 10/15 LB bow and gradually worked back up to my normal 55# longbows. But I quickly realized that without this rotational draw I wouldn’t have been able to even start with even the little draw weight bows. You are a 100% on when you say that much of what you teach applies to all styles of archery. So keep up the good work.

[@HistoricalWeapons]

Hi jake good work. I would like to add to focus on pushing with the bow arm and learning forward and a higher elbow position for the most efficient draw. This is how archers can pull 150-200lb, along with training

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

For sure, but for precision target archery no one uses anything near that.

[@HistoricalWeapons]

@@JakeKaminskiArchery yes I understand the context of your video and respect the content

[@RonKelmell]

I'm sold.....blank bailing and rotation draw.....sets up my back tension and alignment almost naturally

[@BulletsNBrass]

I use this all the time with new archers, particularly when they are struggling with the draw weight. I learned it elsewhere but then saw one of your form videos a while back that broke it down and have been using that since. It makes such a difference. I always tell people, turn into the bow, then use your back and equal tension to execute your draw and shot. Why try to do it with one weak arm when you can have your back and shoulders do the work? It's great to see that look on their face the first time they do it correctly. I think I've demonstrated that about a hundred times in just the past week with a Genesis in the shop since I don't have a recurve kept strung. I always tell them to look up your videos on it, so it's great to see that there's a new one.

[@marexarchery]

Love the content Jake. Just started learning about the fine details after picking my first bow set up. It's 24lbs and i think that is my limit at the moment as well. Really learning a lot from your content. Thank you for posting! Can't wait to start shooting with an instructor next to me for more finetuning :)

[@robertdievendorf3312]

I’ve watched your video that covered subacromial compression and have taken it to heart. I’m three weeks post-op after rotator cuff, subacromial decompression, and long-head bicep tendon repair surgery. Though some of that can be attributed to arthritis, most of it was due to poor form, technique, and lack of common sense with my archery (traditional). In addition to issues with form (which exacerbated my subacromial compression, I let my ego push me to a bow weight that was well past what my 71 year old body could handle. I shot for a year with 50# limbs and worked my way up to 120 - 150 arrows per target session. The result was completely tearing my supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons off the bone and partial tears in a couple other tendons. I wish I had watched your form videos back when I got started. Thank you for your insight and explaining how poor form and technique results in shoulder injuries. As I work through PT, I will ask my therapist to tailor my recovery to my resumption of archery without further injury. I will be starting with very low bow weight (maybe 25# limbs) and will probably never surpass 40#. 35# might be the reasonable weight for my age and history of injury. Again, thinks for your videos.

[@william-jameskelly3506]

Just brilliant information about archery 🎯 Thank you so much. 😁

[@coulterdavid5380]

Thanks for this. I also found your video on rotating the torso very helpful. You do great work here. I appreciate it. Best, dwc

[@rolandwillems1]

Thx Jake! It's another point to work on! Greetings from the Netherlands

[@hungjinglau5194]

I am learning from your video session... Cheers

[@frontyrchobby4909]

Thank you very much for explaining it in such a nice and easy way! Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪

[@Andrew-ez9cp]

Good tip jake for pulling back the bow with the shoulder my next try

[@jake4194]

Good stuff 👍

[@vmcarbon7865]

happy to find a video of yours that is short enough to learn hehe peace .great tips thou god bless

[@social3ngin33rin]

very interesting I will see what I do the next time I am at the range

[@garyhiggins6718]

Hi Jake, another great tutorial! I need all the help I can get a,s, I now have to use a wheelchair and short 64" limbs. What I would like to see is that you do more videos with Heather as she seems to ask the intelligent Questions. It would also be nice if you got her interested in looking olympic recurve as well as barebow? Regards, Gary!

[@slyderace]

I bought a bow recently after watching the entire LOTR movie series. I've been drawing correctly from watching Legolas so much! :P lol

[@robertoverbeek9193]

Hey Jake, thanx for such great videos. Could you recommend a good budget range finder? Thank you

[@brianfreland9065]

i got my bow today but ive been watching yours and others videos on form and technique and the first thing i noticed after stringing up my bow and warming up the limbs was my shoulder burning...i think that means im targeting the right muscle group haha. i definitely have a sore shoulder tonight and not a sore bicep. but my fingers are sore sore hahaha. my back is way weaker than i thought. i was trying to draw and hold with my upper back muscles and ive never felt so weak before hahaha...thats definitely not a muscle that gets used a lot until now haha

[@digitaldogs233]

A little thing i would like to add as a bigginer. Dont go out and get a 40lb bow, go for a much less lb (pounds). My soon to be coach which is a uk county winner many times told me why and why the damage i did happen. So i go to amazon (not the best place to buy a bow) 1. Because they stated a 40lb bow "great for bigginers" now ive got issues with them stating that. So i get my 40lb bow, get a good target, finger tab arm gared, so far doing the right things. But and its a huge but, go out and get a coach, dont be like me, a 52 year old, pretty strong as ive done many years in gyms, but gym work doesn't really apply to pulling back a bow. So i get my bow, shoot a few shots for a couple of day's, then i notice bruising on my right arm, my pull back arm, i showed my soon to be coach and she really wasnt happy, i blew a few blood vessels, she said iether by using youre arm muscles or hand muscles or and she stressed this BOTH, i sat there pretty shocked, so ive put away my 40lb bow which tbh is not a very good bow, it was a cheap recurve bow, ok if i knew the right way to pull back a bow, and stance (that to i did wrong) 🤦‍♂️ so as a complete learner my advice would be, 1. These are great for knowing a few things that can improve youre archery experience, but 2, like you mentioned its hard to convey threw a video certain things you need to learn, but a very good starting point imo. 3, go out and get a good coach, i guess you can learn alot threw these video's, i have, i.e what muscles you are actually using, but there is nothing like a person standing near you who is an accomplished bowmen showing you from looking at you how you can adjust certain thing's. But these videos are certainly a good start of knowledge, because archery is not what i expected it to be, its really a complex yet for me a fascinating sport, and even at 52 i hope to achieve some medals, my gaol is to go into competing, maybe one day have a few trophies, but ive got to take things slow, take my ego out of this i.e yes im strong at 52, but my form absolutely sucked, to the point i damaged my arm.

[@digitaldogs233]

Thanks, some great advice for me as a complete beginner.

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

Thanks for the super thanks, glad to help out some new people.

[@digitaldogs233]

@@JakeKaminskiArchery I appreciate you for you're knowledge and sharing that. Keep up the great job educating us new to archery 👍

[@timvandusen4192]

If the elbow is higher than the pull-hand at beginning of draw and throughout draw, the back muscles will always be engaged, otherwise the bicep will engage. Thinking about the shoulder may make that happen naturally - subconsciously.

[@PaulKellyy]

Fwiw I wish I was there too ❤

[@hybridasc3nsion344]

Hi Jake, what is the procedure for online coaching?

[@aarondavenport3143]

Also how much (if any) of the draw force is being applied by the bow-hand? Should the bow-hand be pushing forward/against the backward for of the string hand?

[@MOAON_AABE]

What is a good holding draw time before you start shaking to determine what weight you need for bow draw lbs??? I've seen 10 to 15 sec holding steady is a good time to be at, is this true???

[@cluek9780]

I may have more draw weight than I’m comfortable with at 70yo (tho that’s mostly from lockdown disuse, and I’m strengthening daily). Is it OK to hold the ELBOW *past nock-arrowrest line in the interim?

[@donnagagne3813]

Very helpful info. Thank you. I am new here and playing catch up. You sell Tshirts. Nice. 🙂

[@miasmite4831]

Question. When I have been engaging the shoulder, for some reason, it forces my body forward and I start to lean. I don't know if I'm drawing too out and around or something else. What do you think is the cause and how can it be fixed?

[@skami1284]

Awesome tip

[@kojikimoto]

Hello i have a question how much should I train and how hard if I'm only a casual/recreational shooter and I only shoot 2 or 3 days a week I shoot 40lbs but I am slightly over bowed

[@ulisesvaillard8052]

mind-muscle connection for me came easier when focused on pulling the elbow back, and not the string, perhaps that helps ilustrate?

[@petrokemikal]

Jake I have a question about the front shoulder during the draw..Do you extend it as far forwards as possible ? What I mean is,, you know you can put your arm out and push a little but if you really want to you can kind of hyperextend the shoulder joint where it seems like the lats are engaged and push the shoulder joint out of the socket which actually gives me an inch or so of extra reach.. Should you stop naturally or try and overextend or reach as far as possible ? I notice if I play with this position I can easily move my groups up or down a foot on the target.. To me it makes more sense to reach as far as possible to bottom out my extension, But I wonder will this put the shoulder in a bad position or undue stress.. Hope this makes some sense.. Hard to describe..

[@keithsims3099]

How is the new studio build going?

[@markbraham5439]

Great advice, and I like the new shoulder logo in the t-shirt. Didn't realise they had your branding on, makes it worthwhile buying one.

[@afarley337]

This is a great video, I come back and watch it from time to time. Have you ever done a video specifically about how to use your back to not follow brace up? I struggle with a little impingement issues in my draw shoulder that I think largely comes from following brace up into the set up position and not pulling earlier. When I actively try to engage my back in set, before set up to keep brace, my shot seems to never settle in at full draw. Do you try to think about not letting your string hand creep in front of the bow shoulder or anything specific to que that back tension before you actually draw?

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

Have you seen this? The Most Difficult Move in Archery | How to Raise up Your Bow kzbin.info/www/bejne/bausc2lpe5qml5Y

[@afarley337]

@@JakeKaminskiArchery No, watching now, thanks man.

[@aarondavenport3143]

Is it ur shoulder or ur back muscles?

[@Waltham1892]

I find the easiest way to get into an angular draw is to have the bow angled facing left (I'm right handed). This puts my bow and draw in parallel rather than in alignment. I keeping it that way coming up at set so I'm looking at the target THROUGH my bow. This puts my draw hand outside the bow and I naturally bring it around engaging my back muscles to get to anchor...

[@evangeliacoco]

when you say the bow angled facing left you mean in set up position?

[@Waltham1892]

@@evangeliacoco no, in the set position. Preserve that orientation into set-up.

[@robertdahlgren622]

Jake what grain weight arrows does your wife shoot with her 22# limbs? Is it even possible to get anywhere near 10 grains per draw weight pound? What arrows would you recommend for a 25# trad bow? (28” draw)

[@cluek9780]

I’ve heard/read of British coaches speaking to “roll the shoulder” back (for a war bow). Is this the same thing you’re talking about by “leading with the shoulder” (posterior deltoid)?

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

I have no experience with War Bow technique, I cant comment. Sorry

[@Terpedup925]

I’ve been shooting for 3 weeks now. Started with a 40lbs bow, should of started with 30 but oh well!! I have an issue when I try pulling with back tension, my arrows always go to the right of my target.

[@Waltham1892]

If the arrows are going consistently right (and you are right handed), I would assume you are collapsing on the shot. You've got to reach transfer hold and be fully expanded when you release. I'd also check that your bow arm is pushing to the target and you've got the string in the right place in your shot picture.

[@Terpedup925]

@@Waltham1892 thank you. I wasn’t pushing with my bow hand. I’ll give that a try.

[@bigfhands]

i think it looks like you are pulling back to your shoulder then when closer to full draw you put the string to you face instead of pulling back straight to your face.

[@davidgaetano5643]

What king of bow is that?

[@preronabatabyal2420]

As I draw back after a few seconds my fingers start to get stiff. I try to loose them then I loose the tension. What do I do?

[@preronabatabyal2420]

*fingers of anchor

[@stankfaust814]

Great content. I like how the transformation in a focus from hook to rear shoulder allows the draw to complete easily as essentially a single step 1. Im gonna shoot 2. Now Im at full draw ready to aim I'm not sure if you've ever watched instinctive archers shoot, it can be very painful to see them not achieving full draw and instead flinch shooting in the throes of target panic. (I have PTSD and spent 20 years banging my head against the target panic wall) Though they arent 'aiming' per se, good form is good form and I think they'd really benefit from instruction as straight forward as what you're providing here because it applies to them as well. Get consistently to full draw. So important to repeatable accuracy. If you can be at full draw while remaining calm, boy, you've won half the battle.

[@royalecrafts6252]

same can be done with fast shooting or "instinctive" shooting, you just have to make sure you lead with your back and scapular muscles and even rotate your torso, just remember to use big muscle groups, not just the back deltoid which is small, you don't remain at full draw for 10 seconds in a fast shooting scenario or on horse back or camel back or while running or even while laying back on the ground or in a kneel position. 3/4 draw with 50% right arm and 50% left arm pushing the bow in front gives you more force distribution and efficiency while shooting faster as well.

[@jake4194]

I think what you meant to say is that it's painful to watch "snap shooters" shoot. Many people that shoot instinctively come to full draw with a solid anchor. All instinctive is, is subconscious gap shooting. We are gap shooting and taking the whole sight picture as an aiming reference, and through repition we learn our "gaps" or sight picture at different ranges. Snap shooting and short drawing is what you are referencing. Probably people shooting bows too heavy for them.

[@GG1097]

I like to have students think more in terms of putting their bones into the positions that they belong rather than focusing on the particular muscles. The muscles you want to engage in whatever way you need them to will naturally do their job if the goal is to effect the bones to a certain position or motion. That in mind, I ask them to bring the head of their shoulder behind their spine which also can be translated into having the drawing forearm tucked in tighter to your torso while setting up, before and during the draw. Same thing basically accomplished without needing to focus on muscles. I don't believe it's any different than what you're conveying, but it may be helpful in that we all need to hear and imagine these things from different perspectives in order for them to take root. Good stuff as always Jake! Guy Gerig

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

You the man Guy!

[@digitaldogs233]

That sir is a very handy way to look at it. My story is one that when i get to the point i can give advice would be abit scary. I went out ps I'm 52 been gym many years, although not for a few since lockdown, so pretty strong, but not knowing the correct form or what muscles or like you mentioned bone alignment is what I'm getting from your comment, can course so many issue's, for me and i think i was using my arm or hand most probably for this to happen i blew some blood vessels in my pulling arm, my soon to be coach also said going out buying a 40lb bow was abit silly, even though yes I'm pretty strong, you're not using the same muscle group as you would doing front rows in a gym, even practicing the correct pulling back form you can do certain exercises at home with a kettle bell or dumb bell, but do that at a gym you'll get funny looks because it's not the correct form in the body building aspect. So huge learning curve i went threw, and paid the price. I got my bow, a recurve bow from amazon, so not knowing a thing about archery thought "I'm a strong guy" so went for a 40lb bow, my soon to be coach said that in itself was a very bad choice, I'll be learning on probably a 15lb bow, to get my form correct, which she said using a 40lb would be alot harder because your also contending with the bow strength. I've got alot to learn, and I'm very open to critic when it comes to this, they are not toys, they can kill others, and also damage you if not done correctly. So thankyou for that little mind set of thinking, because i will put that thought in my mind while learning a great and fascinating sport.

[@emilycryder1096]

Where does this factor in with rotating your core?

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

The core rotation is just due to the open stance. That happens with the shoulder rotation.

[@emilycryder1096]

@@JakeKaminskiArchery Thank you!

[@esnevip]

I can't seem to do this slowly

[@AoyagiAichou]

But you're still using your biceps and other arm muscles, right? If someone particularly weak was shooting a higher poundage bow after a while of not shooting and their biceps starts to get tired/hurts, is that poor form?

[@adrianyee2634]

Excellent content again, thanks

[@jkgkjgkijk]

That's a tasty cheeseburger. Say drawing with the shoulder again.

[@bhargabchakraborty6483]

Can do a video on how to setup and use a clicker also how much extension on the back to make it click

[@InFerrumVeritas]

He already did kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWaXk52umZagrq8

[@djcomyt8]

thanks for this tutorial, very nice.. i'll try it

[@1xayekim]

I take my dogs rope leash shortened it and run the line through the neck spot then put that on my bicep and then hook the leash to the bowstring and dont touch the string at all with my fingers and draw. That helped me isolate the feeling and it helped get into back tension pretty easily or at least easier.

[@joecoffee968]

Who is coach Lee?

[@superscatboy]

Kisik Lee

[@jinsaga1]

What weight did you shoot competitively, I'm sorry if you asnwered that already and i missed it.

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

Anywhere from 46-53#. I used 46 after we went to 70m only.

[@StumpArchery]

Thanks for the tips, will try it when I shoot this weekend 👍🏿🎯

[@charlespoper4074]

I'm a 73-year-old archer, I may be >2 years old as an archer but I get it and I don't get why your demonstrating draw initiation from the shoulder. At ready, the drawing scapula is extended and the draw begins with its retraction. Often, working with brand new archers who lack a good kinesthetic sense of their bodies, I will place a hand over the scapula to help them find and move it.

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

As people shoot with more experience, thinking of the scapula people tend to jam up and are unable to move. The shoulder tricks the brain to prevent that.

[@charlespoper4074]

@@JakeKaminskiArchery I get what you're saying Jake but thus far all I've experienced thus far is a smooth flow of the drawing scapula against the set bow arm scapula. Cheers man. Thanx for the reply and all the great content, especially since you took up the barebow yourself and have begun teaching your wife as well.🎯

[@weshedges5306]

Great video something to work on. And how’s the room doing?

[@zechenwei1139]

I think I got the point...again😂 will try to remember it for my next practice!

[@zechenwei1139]

It's so easy to just go back to my old habits for drawing the bow back, especially when I'm tired.

[@sillybilly7467]

I shoot 44# thanks to shoulders and ab twist. Also the whole “angular force” motion as explained in KSL’s book helped me a lot. Btw I’m a beginner , I’ve been shooting recurve for 15 months only. But I do gym and am fitter than average. I’m also aware I’m slightly over poundage but I feel great while shooting, is just my stamina isn’t that strong yet. I train only 2-3 h per week. Best result so far was 502 at 18 Mt

[@royalecrafts6252]

you draw with your back scapular muscles, not the shoulder, the back deltoid is too small

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

Of course. However I am using a spot referencing a Movements vs Muscles concept which is critical for easier shooting with potentially less muscle tension. Check out that video of mine. I should probably let re-make it actually. Maybe I’ll do that for Thursday’s video.

[@taterigby8539]

I find that if I rotate my whole arm around my torso a great way to force the use of the shoulder. The bow starts pointing way left but straightens out at full draw.

[@sevensfist_com]

Good work Jake! Some real good info in there!👊🤠👍

[@lordcarnorjax8599]

Switching to using a angular draw was one of the biggest improvements I made to my shooting because it was easier to pull back heavier limbs and those 144 arrow shots aren't as tiring. I really notice when my form drops a bit because my bicep lets me know I'm not drawing back with that angular draw.

[@NPC-fl3gq]

Good to see your channel finally growing, Jake. About bloody time - you deserve it. Best of luck!!

[@jyn6045]

This is great. Lots of ways to explain it to my students. You rule. Thanks

[@philipsturtivant9385]

I 'lost control' of my bow shoulder last summer - took me about a month (90 arrows a day, un-coached backyard Agincourt in UK lockdown) before I re-learned how to set it in place before drawing. Hence I was watching yours as you drew in this session. Maybe that's a follow-on topic for another day? And - Hey! How's Heather progressing? We Should Be Told!!

[@matshears1311]

Yes. I came to this discovery recently after returning to archery from decades of not shooting. I found some shots just felt easier to hold, steadier to aim and when I thought carefully about what I was doing I realised it was those shots where my drawing shoulder was fully engaged that made all the difference. Thanks for the confirmation, now I just have to master it consistently!

[@rtek777]

Now I can't wait to get home and try this on my bow. I've gotten rid of the draw shakes just from getting stronger. I have 40lb limbs on my ILF recurve. Also that muscle you're stretching we used to focus a lot on in competitive swimming, especially in butterfly.

[@galileopotato167]

"Posterior deltoid" and "middle deltoid" for that part you're talking about, which connect from the spine of the scapula and acromion of the scapula, respectfully, to the humerus.

[@yevgeniikisarauskas5085]

Can I give some video feedback? Drop the super long intro sequence. 2-3 seconds is enough. That intro is ridiculously long.

[@JakeKaminskiArchery]

When I have some time I plan to make a short one, really just don’t have that available at the moment.

[@Atriedis]

Skip to the 5 minute mark to get to the point of the video

[@Kovalainenn]

Support Ukraine!

[@rctrix9063]

Why?

[@esnevip]

Quite irrelevant

[@atxjaphotos4217]

Support East Palestine and Flint!!

[@lyndarowell1000]

No you support the small hats murdering white Gentiles

[@akhillyz4223]

Nah