What Draw Weight Should I Shoot? Recurve Archery

Ever wondered how heavy your bow should be? Olympic Medallist, Alec Potts. Explains how heavy your bow should be, what weight the pro's are shooting with and how you can build up your strength to shoot a higher weight.
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[@Waltham1892]

I use an old suspension bridge as a bow and telephone polls as arrows.
But, you have to work up to that.

[@windyblower1211]

respek

[@davidwood3606]

And the judges don't ping you for an oversized arrow, how do you pull that off?

[@Waltham1892]

David Wood When you are holding a bridge in one hand and a telephone pole in the other, the judges give you the benefit of a doubt.

[@tylerbenner]

Great video, Alec! I can corroborate the draw weights you mention, as well as the effectiveness of SPT drills to improve strength. If you have limited practice time and 2 hours to shoot, a good rule is, 1 hour for shooting, 1 hour for strength drills, though motivation is often the limiting factor =) =) =)

[@jonathanlane8015]

Great video there Alec - really appreciated the strength exercises, and the honest advice about what an appropriate draw weight really is! Thanks, and keep up the video’s please

[@alanclark2308]

Thanks Alec. Really great advice as always.

[@hmf33]

Great insight. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm a new archer and was trying to figure out how to strengthen my draw weight.

[@SheldonGoh]

Great video, with some great sensible advice. Thanks!

[@JarrydGreitschus]

Great content, keep it up Pottsy!

[@slone313]

Thank man great video

[@jeromemallari5695]

Great Vid 👍 I Subscribed

[@consume_vegetables]

That part about archery using muscles that are not commonly used, I've had a handball player (quite muscular and well built than I am) struggle to hold a 26lbs bow and was surprised when he tried my 32lbs bow saying how heavy it was. My main bow is at 38lbs on the fingers. Which goes to show that practicing proper technique and physical training goes a long way.

[@lorrainehaymes410]

Just watched this video and would love more info on shooting long distances with low poundage limbs

[@gglovato]

interesting, still those poundages of 49# are insane!. The low end is already too high(44#)!.
I'm going to try those holding excersices with my elbow-thingy

[@consume_vegetables]

Anything above 44# is just really athletic level. We don't have many archers here who hit that or go beyond that range, except for the compound guys.

[@acoitheadventurer1001]

Thx.. Good.

[@peterxyz3541]

I have a pair of 18lb I use to train form. I normally use 28lb for form and distance training. I use a pair of 38lb limbs to “stretch my spirit”...one get bored constantly using lite weight stuff. I have a 50lb bare bow recurve to give myself a bigger treat (28lb limbs is boring after 4 weeks) and add strength training.

[@DrawingTechnical]

Standing dumb bell rows seem like a good exercise to train the right muscles, what do you think?

[@Peacetoself]

So does higher draw weight mean farther distance and speed of the arrow?

[@consume_vegetables]

Typically, more velocity equals flatter trajectory. A flatter trajectory means more energy and less influenced by air resistance, wind and gravity. Its ideal to have a higher weight but for many people it would result in injury and fossilization of poor form.

[@gglovato]

BTW guys, the links in the video description are all broken

[@ElizaArchery]

Thanks Guillermo Lovato, links have now been fixed :)

[@malthus101]

shorter limbs makes the arrow travel further? 🤔

[@knightatthecrossroads222]

I tried shoot 70 meters with my 34" bow......yeah...it looked like english bowmen shooting arrows at french army at battle of Crecy -en Pontiu......and the same result.....no chance to hit the target just shot the barn size target....

[@gradimirmitrovic5676]

Sorry but I don't agree with you ... I shoot with 34" medium limbs, and I'm between 560-620 at 70m (with wind and rain incl.) Not the best result, but I practice archery only 3 years now, and I'm sure a better archer can certainly achieve a good result with a 34 "bow too...