Draw Weight and Macho Myths

by | Jul 1, 2025 | Articles | 0 comments

– or why hitting the target is cooler than hauling a catapult

 

Let’s get straight to the point, gentlemen:

Drop the ego.

We need to talk about draw weight. Especially for beginners. For some reason, there’s this widespread macho myth that a “real man” should start with 35–40 pounds. Honestly? That’s pure nonsense.

To learn correct technique — posture, alignment, anchoring, and most importantly, proper back tension — you need to start light. Really light. A bow like the Rolan Snake, available in 18, 22 or 26 pounds, is a brilliant beginner’s or form-training bow. (And for the record, even 26 pounds is pushing it.)

“But I get a cleaner release with a heavy bow!”

Oh, do you now?

You only say that if you don’t understand technique.

If you can’t get a clean release with a light bow, guess what? That’s your cue to train more with a light bow. Technique comes first. Always.

Later, once you’ve built consistency, you can go heavier. But gently. Gradually. Because jumping up too quickly is like throwing your form into a blender. Spoiler: it won’t end well.

80% of men shoot with too much draw weight

Yep. That’s my claim. And I’ll happily defend it.

Because somewhere along the way, looking strong became more important than hitting the damn target. It’s like flexing at the gym but not knowing how to do a push-up.

If you’re hunting — sure, you need enough poundage to do the job cleanly and ethically. But this isn’t about hunting. It’s about target shooting and tournament archery.

“I’m short, I need 50# to reach 30 metres”

Oh, spare me.

I’ve heard this from older gentlemen on 3D courses more times than I care to remember.

“Otherwise I can’t reach the 30m targets.”

Here’s a thought:

Use lighter arrows.

Also, let’s be clear — 30 metres is the maximum distance for most traditional classes in WA 3D rules. The average distance is usually around 18–20 metres. And in the woods, it’s rarely windy enough for light arrows to be a problem.

So why the obsession with 50 pounds?

Did you know that many top Korean female Olympic recurve archers shoot just under 40 pounds on the fingers — and they’re hitting 10s at 70 metres, in wind!

Average height of Korean women? 162 cm, according to proper stats.

So why exactly does a 175 cm Swedish man “need” 50 pounds to shoot at 20 metres?

Riddle me that.

To sum up:

Shoot what works. Not what inflates your ego.

Archery is about control, consistency, and joy — not posturing. You can be as manly as you like, but remember: it’s far more impressive to hit the target than to grunt beside it.

So breathe, relax, choose a light bow.

And hit the gold.

Written By Jonas Hellsén

© 2025, All rights reserved

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