Does anyone else have this problem with their bow arm shoulder?

[Gil Verwey]

I shot a tradbow for a long time (total 54 years now). I had a head on car accident in 2001, which prevented me from shooting for about 5 years. I started shooting trad again in 2006. Around that time I wound up tearing my rotator cuff in my bow arm lifting weights (big dummy I am 315 lb bench press at 51 years old _ I couldn't do that at 18).

I have gotten back into form especially after attending Bob Wesley's class. I shoot bows between 60 and 70#. 60# is my my go to bow.

I thought I would try a light weight bow for from practice. I notice with a light weight bow my bow arm shakes something awful, but with my 60 or 70# bow my bow arm is rock solid.

Does anyone else experience this with lower weight bows? I am wondering if the heavier bows are masking an injury I have.

Since attending Bob's class all of my joints (shoulder, elbows and wrists) feel much better using proper form now, but I am concerned when I shoot lower poundage bows and see my arm shake like it does. It has me thinking.

Thanks
Gil

[Swiftspeed10]

Maybe form differences with a heavier bow you force yourself to implement your back muscles so it puts less stress on your shoulder where as for a light bow you sort of just pull it back using more arm/shoulder than back?  Not really sure otherwise.

[Molson]

It could be that you are drawing the lighter weight bow back farther, perhaps pushing forward too much, and getting out of line.  I know for me, if I'm shaking it's usually because I'm pushing too far forward with the bow arm.

[Gordon Jabben]

I too shake more with lighter bows.  I always have but don't know the reason for it.

[Covey]

I'm just curious...did you have surgery on that shoulder? I apologize if this is off subject. If you didn't have surgery, what kind of exercise did you do to get your shoulder better. I have a slight tear in my rotator...but don't have any issues until after I shoot. Then comes the pain!!

Sorry and appreciate the help!

Jason

[RedShaft]

it may be from using you arm to pull back and hold the bow with the heavy draw where as with the light bow you draw farther back and are using back muscles and they are not as strong when you are fully extended. i know when i draw heavy bows i loose draw length and scrunch up my form and end up using more of my arm to draw.

[arrow flynn]

you could try to rehab w indian clubs of course get an mri and see what you are dealing w i switched to southpaw and im shooting a 42 lb bow i have cartiledge damage .you would think a lighter weight would not make you shake ?

[Rustic]

I shake like crazy with my 35# recurve  because "IMO" it has a high stack after 28". My Bear 45# is more forgiving. But when I start comparing the 2 bows in the same night, its time for me to take a day or two off.

[Cherokee Scout]

I am 63. I have a slight tear in rotator cuff. Dr says I shold let him operate before it gets worse. I have had 4 other surgeries in past 3 years so I refuse to have another. I have dropped in weight, and continue to drop in weight. Just for fun I put a long stabelizer on my bow last week. I could not even hold up the bow in shooting position when the stabelizer was on it! I am now shooting only about 33 lbs, no pain at this light weight, and.....I am shootng better than ever!

[Hud]

I went thru a similar accident (1998), followed by six months of therapy and a long layoff. Eventually, when I resumed shooting, I needed to drop weight. Then after six months to a year, I notice a little discomfort in the shoulders. Eventually it developed into a sharp pain, when lifting my right arm above the shoulders. It was diagnosed as an impinged rotator cuff (lack of strength and thinning of the rotator cuff). The therapist said, I caught it early, there wasn't any tear, yet.

After five months of therapy and much exercise the rotator cuff was stronger and I resumed shooting. So, I do the exercises every other day, and they have made a big difference.

When I resumed shooting after a 4-5 yrs, I started with 63#, then went to a lighter bow in the winter, and now shoot 54# to 70#. I have noticed a slight temble when holding the lighter bow at full draw (not when shooting). Before the accident, I shot 80 - 90 lbs. In my case it was the opposite shoulder and arm, from the rotator cuff injury. It usually goes away by relaxing, and doing some exercises.

Try pulling the lighter bow, 12", pause 1-3 seconds, then back 18" followed by a pause, then to full draw, pause. Then reverse the process when letting down (18" pause, 12" pause). Repeat 3-5 times from the right side and left side

By increasing my strength on both sides, it has  become less of a problem. Conditioning and exercise are important in order to be relaxed while shooting.

I only shoot 1-2 times over a week. Exercising, or shooting should not be done every day. A day rest is important to improve conditioning and strength.

[Gil Verwey]

My Dr wouldn't do an MRI because of my medical insurance. They did Xrays but that won't show soft tissue damage. It just showed arthritis in my shoulders.

He had me do physical theropy by bending over and holding a 10 lb weight straight down, moving my shoulder in circles clockwise and then counter clockwise.

I have a dent in the muscle of my bow shoulder where there used to not be one. I never got surgery or an MRI. I kept on shooting. A friend used to lift my arm, until I started to draw the bow, then it would stay up as drew the bow.

Because of this injury I sold a longbow I shot better than any other bow. I sure wish I never sold that one.  

Now I can shoot shoot 60# (my go to weight, 70# and 80# BOWS) and my bow arm is rock solid. If I shoot light weight bows my bow arm shakes like crazy. Go figure!

I was only shooting a light weight bow for form but it is useless since my bow arm shakes so much. I am sticking to 60# and up.

Bob Wesley straightened out my form so I no longer have any pain in my shoulders or elbows, but shaking with light weight bows makes me think something is wrong somewhere.

I guess if it ain't broke don't fix it. Eventually it will go away and I am just going to shoot my go to bow and heavier bows.

Gil

[xtrema312]

Maybe try some video different angles and overhead to see if you can spot something in form.

Can you tell if it is side to side, up and down, or kind of both?  If it is one direction it could help a DR or PT narrow it down.

Does it happen as soon as you start shooting and keep going?