As you probably know
I've done several videos covering the topic of draw weight
and what is considered to be a safe and acceptable draw weight
for people young and old.
However, there is an obnoxious phenomenon
that keeps on popping up.
LOL 15 years old and 50lb bow
I know a guy who is 13 and shoots 40lb
I'm 13 and it takes 60lb before I struggle
I'm 13 and I can shoot a 55lb easy
LOL 14 35lb too light
14 30lb too easy
12 40lb shoot perfectly
Look, there are a few things wrong with this.
Firstly, if you're 12 years old, you're probably not drawing the printed
draw weight.
That draw weight assumes that you have draw length of 28 inches.
If you are less than 28 inches long
and that's likely, given you're 12 years old,
then you are only drawing a fraction of that draw weight.
So a 45lb bow may only be around 30lb on your fingers
and that's nothing to boast about.
Secondly, if you're shooting compound, there's nothing to brag about.
The compound holds most of the weight for you.
Every compound shooter knows this.
It's a basic fundamental of a compound bow.
There's nothing impressive about being able to use a super-heavy compound.
Once you pull it back past that let-off
bang
you've got 20lb on your fingers.
Nothing impressive.
Thirdly, a lot of these people are making the claim
Oh, I shoot fine.
What does that even mean?
How do you quantify how fine you shoot?
Can you hit a coin from 50 metres?
Can you get touching groupings at 70 metres?
Are you robin-hooding every single shot?
Unless you can quantify and measure what shooting fine means
this means nothing.
And most importantly
NO ONE CARES
Your draw weight is a number, not a competition.
It isn't a competition about how much you can lift.
It doesn't matter if you can hold 70lb bow.
If your form is terrible
and you can't hit the broad side of a barn from the inside
then you have absolutely no achievement to speak of.
The draw weight does not reflect how great you are.
It reflects what you need.
Beyond a certain point, and I'm talking about 35lb
your bow can be shot at all competitive distances.
That's 70, even 90 metres.
Beyond that, it's a balance between whether you want fast velocity
and a flatter trajectory compared to having more control and consistency.
If you're a strong person who can handle a heavier draw weight
then there are some advantages that you have.
But this doesn't make you a better archer.
The only thing that makes you a better archer
is how consistent you are with your accuracy and precision.
This is how you measure progress.
It's not the number printed on your limbs.
It's the number on your scorecard.
It's your personal best.
It's your rating.
Your progression in your draw weight does not reflect becoming better.
It reflects that you need a higher draw weight
and you are ready for a higher draw weight.
Otherwise it's just another equipment choice.
It'd be like bragging that you can lift a heavier bowling ball
or you have a larger shoe size
or you can play tennis with a smaller racquet.
These things don't matter.
Size and weight don't matter.
It's what you do with it.
Seeing these braggarts stating their age and draw weight
shows how juvenile this is.
Having a higher draw weight doesn't make you any more a man.
You're not comparing genitalia.
It doesn't matter how long
how stiff
or how you release
Equipment is chosen and personalised for the individual.
There is no basis for having a superiority complex.
And if you are one of those young people who has naturally high strength
and can use a high power bow comfortably.
Good for you.
I don't have an issue with you.
My problem is that you don't realise
the effect you have by bragging about your great draw weight.
You are creating an attitude and a culture where heavier is better.
You are misleading beginners into thinking that they have to be shooting
heavier bows if they want to be a better archer.
You are making people go
Oh, I've got to man up and shoot 50lb bows
because when you were 10 years old, you were shooting bows
made from unicorn horns and strung with Chuck Norris' nostril hair
Just because you can handle it doesn't mean everyone else can.
Anyone who has worked with beginners at a club or a range
knows that the average person cannot handle these weights.
What you are encouraging, passively or otherwise,
is this image of how you have to get higher draw weights
to show your ability and advancement.
People get afraid of buying a bow that is too light
because people shoot 60lb bows, so should I.
This 20lb bow is too light for me.
But the reality is, what if they need a 20lb bow?
That's what they are capable of. That's how they learn.
You learn with lower draw weights.
That's why we recommend them.
If people could shoot 60lb bows, then we wouldn't need to have light bows.
It's normal for people to start low.
And they shouldn't feel bad; they shouldn't feel like a pansy
for shooting a bow that is of an average beginner weight.
You've got to stop promoting that.
What ends up happening is that people don't shoot well
They can't learn with their heavy bows
They risk injury
And they give up.
This why, as instructors, we always err towards the lower side.
Sure, the average person does have the capacity to work up
to a higher draw weight.
But that is not a given.
That is an assumption.
The assumption is that people have the same drive and goals
and motivation that you have to shoot a higher draw weight.
Not everyone needs this.
If you're just shooting stuff in your backyard for fun
then you don't need a 60lb compound bow.
Sure, if you're hunting or shooting long distance
these are factors you have to consider.
But for most people, draw weight isn't something you have to aim for.
If your goal is to improve your strength and shoot a heavier bow
that's fantastic, that's your archery goal
but other people don't have to conform to your idea
of what makes a good archer.
If you think that posting your pre-teen age
along with some random draw weight
will make people impressed, think again.
If you do this in real life, if you go out to a club
and brag about your draw weight to people who are regular shooters
literally no one will care.
No one is going to bow down and go
Wow this kid has a 60lb bow.
No one's going to do that.
In fact, most archers are sensible enough to ask if you are okay.
Because people can more about your physical state
and your wellbeing and your safety more so than your awesomeness.
Okay, look, I'm 28. I shoot a recurve bow that is 32lb on the fingers.
I've outscored 45lb compound shooters.
I've been outscored by 30lb barebow shooters.
Draw weight doesn't define you as an archer.
It doesn't reflect how skilled you are, how good you are
or how strong you are.
What matters is that you get the draw weight that you need.
Unless you need higher draw weights for a specific reason
such as long distance shooting or hunting
then you don't have to play this numbers game.
Don't feed people's egos.
So my question for you viewers is
Is this just me?
I mean, I see this a lot online, on my videos
but I've never actually seen this in real life.
So, I'm wondering have you come across people in real life
who actually do have a draw weight ego.
Post your experiences below.
This is NUSensei bring you another Archery Annoyance.