Stickbow Target Archery Forums

I was visiting the US Olympic Archery site ( ) and was reading their 2005-2008 strategic plan. It's pretty interesting, as they show the budget, and talk about how we need better coaches, etc. They say there are too many coaches who teach their own thing instead of a consistent and statistically proven method.

I also saw something that caught my eye. They said on page 8 paragraph 2 b
"Coaching System/Philosophy- The national coach in conjunction with the Highn Performance Director (HPD) must create a coaching system/philosophy that will develop notn only the archers but coaches also, with correct biomechanics (i.e., there is only one correct wayn to shoot)."n
An interesting philosophy, when so many traditional archers profess that you must do "what works for you."....a statement I have always disagreed with, and one that can be very frustrating to a beginner.

I'm not clear ... which statement do you disagree with? That "there is only one correct way to shoot," or you must do "what works for you?"

Todd -n
The statement "there is only one correct wayn to shoot" is correct, but misleading. Without knowing the full context, I can't really comment on what was "meant".
There is only one correct biomechanical way of shooting, and to accomplish that would be to turn the individual archer into a machine. Any archer, ok almost any, can make a perfect shot - once or twice. The guy/gal who wins is the guy/gal who can make one perfect shot after another, after another. (for example, at the range today, I shot a few more of my famous 21's with 4 x's on an indoor NFAA)
While the biomechanical shot probably has only one mechanism, how the human component gets there and maintains that level is purely individual, AND THAT'S WHERE THE COACH'S JOB COMES IN. A good coach has to use the individual athelete's tools to get to that biomechanical perfect shot. AND he (the coach) has to realize the while there may only be one macro correct biomechanical way to shoot, there will still be micro biomechanical differences that to be accepted in the individual. Happily, they don't adversly affect the macro level. Clear as mud, no?n
Viper out.

Longbowman, the teaching I disagree with is that you should do what works for you. I consider that the kiss of death to a new archer. Any new endeavor is hard to properly do at first, but you have to pay your dues to get it right. What "works for you" may work one day but not the next....you can't just keep changing and experimenting and expect to achieve any level of success.

Viper, I agree. People are physically different and therefore their form must be adjusted AROUND proven principles. A good coach should be able to do that.

Strangley enough, I read once somewhere from a Korean archery coach, that certain body types will never make good archers, and are (were?)therefore not accepted on the archery team. So apparently there are those who believe there is an ideal form which can only be achieved by an ideal body type.