Shooting technique is the same indoors and outdoors
2 studies · archers measured
The summary today
In the registry's bibliography the only direct study is a 1990 electromyographic investigation of eight skilled archers shooting from 18 to 90 metres: the activation pattern of the shoulder and arm muscles stays similar at every distance, while its intensity rises from the indoor to the outdoor distances. The study does not measure the timing of the shot and, on kinematics, only reports that trunk inclination was not related to distance; a systematic review notes that studies on archery performance do not always report the shooting distance. The evidence supports the claim for the muscle pattern, not for the load, and it remains limited.
Also phrased as: "the shot is the same at 18 m and 70 m"; "indoor and outdoor are shot the same way"; "technique does not change with distance"; "indoors and outdoors only the sight mark changes"
In practice
Two versions circulate: one holds that the shot is identical at every distance, with only the sight mark changing, the other treats indoor and outdoor as two disciplines with their own technical adjustments.
Evidence
-
1990
For Archers Published later
Eight skilled archers, nine arrows per distance at 18, 25, 50, 70 and 90 m: the activation pattern of six shoulder and arm muscles stayed similar, intensity rose significantly between 25 and 50 m, and trunk inclination was not related to distance.
Muscular Activity of Different Shooting Distances, Different Release Techniques, and Different Performance Levels, with and without Stabilizers, in Target Archery · J.P. Clarys, J. Cabri, E. Bollens, R. Sleeckx, J. Taeymans, M. Vermeiren, et al.
-
2022
Context Review Published later
Systematic review of 41 studies on performance assessment in archery, published from 1986 to 2021: shooting distance is not always reported, even though it could be decisive for a realistic picture of field conditions.
Performance assessment in archery: a systematic review · Eleonora Vendrame, Valeria Belluscio, Luigi Truppa, Lorenzo Rum, Aldo Lazich, Elena Bergamini, Andrea Mannini
Status history
- 1990 Reported An electromyographic study of eight skilled archers finds a similar muscle activation pattern from 18 to 90 metres, with greater intensity at the outdoor distances.
Related
Related articles
- Types of archery competition: target, indoor, field and 3DTarget, indoor, field and 3D in archery's two worlds, FITARCO and World Archery, FIARC and IFAA: distances, targets, arrows and scoring from the official rulebooks.
- Indoor vs outdoor archery: key differences and seasonal adaptationsIndoor vs outdoor archery: what changes between 18 and 70 metres, what the only study of the shot at both distances found, and what research says about moving between distances.
Research lines
Studies describe groups of archers, and your own numbers show how far the finding applies to your shooting.
See the full assessmentCite
Campagna, M. (2026). Shooting technique is the same indoors and outdoors (Version 1). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/competition/technique-indoor-outdoor
@misc{campagna2026_tecnicaindooroutdoor,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {Shooting technique is the same indoors and outdoors},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/competition/technique-indoor-outdoor},
note = {Version 1; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
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