Well, it’s the time of year when the transition from indoor shooting to outdoor shooting occurs. At around this time, most of us need to recharge our batteries.  As an added burden, it has been as especially harsh winter in the Chicago area. There are a couple of ways archers handle this in between time.

The first way is to put the bow down entirely for a period of time. I have done this, but it comes with a cost. Archery fitness erodes quickly; even more so when you get older. If you have many years of shooting under your belt, putting your bow down may not hurt your form, as you have a strong base from which to pick up in a couple of weeks time. If you are a newer shooter, the road back to where you left off may be considerably longer, as your form has not been fully established and your muscle memory is not ingrained.

A better way to take a break for many archers is to cut your arrow count and practice sessions. This way your strength ebbs modestly and you can still maintain the feel of your shot, albeit not for too many arrows. There is risk here as well. When your shot count goes down, you can only maintain proper form for a limited amount of arrows……then you must stop! Not stopping when your form degrades leads to compensatory muscles being used and the risk of your shooting form changing without you realizing it!

Taking some kind of break is important. It keeps archery fresh and exciting and allows your body some time to reset. How you choose to take a break is different for every individual. If you have been working with a coach, having that coach watch your shot as you come back will be important. He can see if something has changed without you realizing it!