April 5, 2007

from M.R. of Finland:

"Dear Coach Lee,
 
As a male archer I've never had this particular problem myself and I didn't find any answer to it in the book either. The question is: what can female archers do to counter the problem of bowstring pushing against the bust while drawing? I've seen this numerous times and it seems to cause major problems such as incorrect drawing arm alignment and bow tilting. I also suspect it creates harmful pressure to the string in release. Sport bra and a tight chest guard seem to help a bit but could the problem be better solved by a change in the stance?
 
Best regards."

I'm glad to learn you never had that problem yourself :-). I have come across this particular trouble with some of the lady archers I have coached and basically it is a form/posture fault. Although proper fitting clothing and undergarments are helpful, the problem of the bow string pushing against the bust and causing string interference is mainly because of the archer leaning back, away from the target, and pulling too much with their draw hand to get through the clicker, rather than using their back muscles.
 
When taking up the Set-Up position there can be a natural tendency to lean back away from the target to counteract the weight of the bow, which will worsen as the weight increases during the draw. It is therefore advisable to lean slightly forward to the target in the set-up position to counteract this natural tendency.
 
In conclusion, good posture and correct KSL back tension technique should solve the problem.