Folks,
Some time ago I listed my interest in English Longbows. The first bow I got early in 2005, took between 80 and 100 pounds to draw (depending on the draw length). My goal is to be able to pull back a bow that is between 120 and 140 pounds. According to bowyer (bow maker) Pip Bickerstaffe, if I can do this, I will join only a handful of people that have achieved this goal. Rick Short, in a note of encouragement on my plan said, "Gee Ron at your age (58), shouldn't you be saving money for a nursing home instead of buying longbows?" Thanks Rick!
In my training I have been using a 90-110 pound bow. On Saturday, Dec 3, 2005, I shattered the bow by overdrawing it! I mounted this broken bow and it is now a trophy in my office at Dartmouth. I'm trying to decide if I should put a sign under it that says, "Don't Mess with Dr. Ron."
The photo shows me drawing my new replacement 100-120 pound bow made by bowyer Jay St. Charles to a little less than 110 pounds. My plan is to be able to pull back a 120-140 pound bow before June 2006. For those interested, the world record is a tad over 200 pounds.
Cheers,
Dr. Ron
Don Ballard:
Can you give any more details on the world record holder? Age? Height? Weight? Year done? Location? Thank you, Don Ballard
Anny:
Ron, As an old saying goes that:"Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.", I believe you can achieve your dream:-) Just try your best! Anny
Dan:
Ron I have been looking for a traditional longbow or recurve bow with a draw weight of 100#or more. just wondering where you were able to get it. i used the hyperlink to jay st. charles above and didn't see any. Thanks and good luck.
Dr. Ron:
Dan, Jay St. Charles will make a 100# longbow for you on a special order. Cost is about $600 US. I am very very pleased with mine. It is beautiful. It takes him about 3 weeks. Cheers, Dr. Ron
lostnation_larry:
Good luck to you, Dr. Ron. See my comments under World Record Longbow. Accidentally commented in the wrong place.
Ivan:
Hello, I’m an archer from Argentina and I been shooting with a recurve longbow of 35 pounds. I’m going to make a bow of 70 or 80 pounds now, but I was thinking that maybe I am not physical ready to drawing. What do you think about???
Grant Mitchell:
you have the same dream as me I want to be able to draw a full strength bow as well i am just getting my first bow at 57# I had it custom made for me and will have him build me a 100# plus when I am strong enouf. Do you have good workout plans for building the strength to draw.
Bill:
I have posted a link to my longbow page above. But more important below if you click you will find a link to a picture showing the longbow excercise tht I do in the gym specificaly for longbow.
http://mysite.verizon.net/tsafa1/longbow/06-09-06_0107.jpg
It invloves pulling a 100 lb cable to the ear, holding it there for 10 seconds, then doing 10 quick reps an then holding it for another 10 seconds in the same form that I use to draw my bow. I do 4 sets like that, each arm. The offhand is on the poll in front of my keeping me from flying into the poll, so there is 100 lbs of presure on my shoulder and tricept. The angle of the cable is slightly off, but it still concentrates the rear deltoid muscle.
You will notice that the rack is 200 lbs but the leverage of this pully brings the actual weight pulled to 100 lbs as I have measured. The nice thing about such an excercis you can selct a weigth that is right for you and build up from there.
It is my firm belief that you can not achieve your true strength potential in anyone area unless your whole body is close to that level. You can not strenthen your upper body unless you also strengthen you lower body. Doing heavy squats, benches and rows stresses the whole body in such a way that it increases the rate of metabolic reactions. It also increases your bodies testosterone output. When you go to work your rear deltoid you will impact it more greatly with increased metabolic and testosterone levels.
Apart from this there some technique involved to asist in pulling a heavy longbow. Rather then stand straight and pull back straight to the ear, it is helpful to lean forward and pull back in a circular motion to the ear as you stand upright. This utilizes the lower stronger Latisimus Dorsi muscles "lats". In standing upright you then transfer power to the upper back and release. Esentialy you are doing a pullup into the bow. Infact doing pullups and lat pulldowns in the gym will strengthen you further for this technique.
Sean Woodburn:
Hey Doc,
I love that you did this! I build bows for friends and usually recommend 45 to 60 lbs at draw length.
Hill taught us of course that anything short of the big bears could be taken with a 35 lb bow but I also favor bows in the 100+ range.
When why I use a needlessly heavy bow my easy response is "because I can". And so I shall continue as long as mind and body allow.
For the record although I am very comfortable in the 100 to 110 range and feel that any healthy male could attain this with practice it seems as though every pound after that is exponentially heavier then the last and cannot draw 120 smoothly enough to shoot. Would love your comments on crossing that threshold!
Sean
bob longbow:
I personaly can pull a good 300 pound bow quite easily it takes a lot of practice but you keep trying loser
John:
I have Always loved Bear bows and have heard many stories about Fred bear and his famous 100 pound recurve and would really like to have one so I was wondering if you knew where i might be able to find one?
Chuck:
LoL...Well bob longbow,yer' full of it!!Pulling a 300 pound bow...Like to see ye do it...Pathetic.
anon archer:
keep going for it you can do it I was 5’6” and weighed 138 and i snapped every bow i pulled and that includes 125# compound in 1980“s of which i could put three arrows in a row in a soda can flip top at 70’ and shot a course of 78 arrows in 2 1/2 hours with same of course the last shots only grouped about 7” but no one in new york could shoot this bow and over 200 archers and strong guys tried
I say you can do 160+ you only live once