Q12 - When should you do SPT exercises?
Last Updated 10/04/2014 at 04:10:39 PM EST
Now to the point, the reason I am writing today is to have a few questions answered dealing with the SPT exercises.
Do you advise doing the SPT exercised before or after shooting. Such as SPT in the morning and target shooting in the evening?
Do you recommend doing the SPT exercises in the order A, then B, then C, then D. or can these be shifted. Also what repetitions do you recommend for C and D I have been unable to find any.
As an ex gymnast of 15 years I have some concerns with the effects of shooting and doing SPT exercises on one side of the body. I have for some time done as much as I can to balance my shooting. Such as - If I shot 10 Arrows I will shift the bow and pull it 10 times on the other side, it is not exact but it is an attempt to keep my body more balanced. Recently when I began doing the SPT exercises I have also made attempts to keep it balanced by repeating all exercises and hold times on the other side. However I have been advised that it may be best to stick with just my shooting side. One, that it may not be necessary as you have not advised it. Two, its just more work and fatigue that may not be beneficial to my shooting. How do you feel about this?
Thank you in advance for any insight you may give.
February 21, 2006
from F.S. de F. of Barbados:

"Now to the point, the reason I am writing today is to have a few questions answered dealing with the SPT exercises.
  1. Do you advise doing the SPT exercised before or after shooting. Such as SPT in the morning and target shooting in the evening?
  2. Do you recommend doing the SPT exercises in the order A, then B, then C, then D. or can these be shifted. Also what repetitions do you recommend for C and D I have been unable to find any.
  3. As an ex gymnast of 15 years I have some concerns with the effects of shooting and doing SPT exercises on one side of the body. I have for some time done as much as I can to balance my shooting. Such as - If I shot 10 Arrows I will shift the bow and pull it 10 times on the other side, it is not exact but it is an attempt to keep my body more balanced. Recently when I began doing the SPT exercises I have also made attempts to keep it balanced by repeating all exercises and hold times on the other side. However I have been advised that it may be best to stick with just my shooting side. One, that it may not be necessary as you have not advised it. Two, its just more work and fatigue that may not be beneficial to my shooting. How do you feel about this?
Thank you in advance for any insight you may give."
SPT Exercises should be done at the end of the shooting day.
  1. My archers usually do SPT for about one hour every day.
  2. We usually do A, and then B, but order can be reversed. Exercise C can also be included and added after SPT A & B. Frequency of exercise C should be about 5 sets of 6 repetitions. Take a rest of 30secs between each repetition and 2 minutes rest between each set. If using all three SPT exercises in one session tailor it such that all three exercises take one hour in total.
     
    SPT 'D' exercise is more an exercise to give the archer the feeling for the position where both the shoulders should be. From time to time I use this exercise for this purpose, i.e. when an archer has problems attaining the correct shoulder positions. This SPT is also good for warm up purposes, including before the start of competition.
  3. I do understand your concern re exercise on one side of the body. However, with the sheer number of arrows that an elite archer will shoot in practice and in competition it would be impossible to balance both sides of the body equally. Other sports like tennis, javelin, shot put and the like have similar issues. In archery, with the drawing side more developed than the bow arm side we have to be careful that the draw side does not overpower the bow hand side. Therefore it is so important that the expansion comes from the back muscles, otherwise imbalance will occur and center of gravity will shift affecting the shot. I have no problem with strengthening the non-draw side with various exercises, other than SPT exercises, but I would recommend SPT exercises only for the normal shooting side, as also muscle memory etc. come into play.

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