In competitive archers neck mobility stays good, even in those who always shoot from the same side
1 study · 75 archers measured
The summary today
There is a single study, and it is reassuring. In 75 German competitive archers, with an average age of 47 and ten years of shooting, neck range of motion measured with an ultrasound-based motion analysis system is about 20 degrees above the age-related cut-off that separates a healthy neck from an impaired one, and stays within the confidence range of published reference values. The 50 who always shoot from the same side and the 25 who also train from the opposite side do not differ in any of the three planes of movement, neither between groups nor between sides, and past neck complaints are the same too, 14% in those who shoot from one side and 16% in the others. The status stops at reported for three reasons: there is one cross-sectional sample; the comparison with the general population relies on values published elsewhere, not on people measured with the same equipment; and anyone still shooting at 47 has already been selected among those whose neck has not caused trouble. The authors also note that in some archers a range of motion above reference values could be a sign of load that will show up later.
Also phrased as: "stiff neck in archers"; "cervical mobility in archery"; "shooting from one side and the neck"; "neck rotation in archers"
In practice
On the range you hear that years of turning the head towards the target, always to the same side, end up stiffening the neck.
Evidence
-
2021
For Archers Published later
75 German competitive archers, 60 men and 15 women, aged 47.4 ± 13.9, with an average of 10.4 years of shooting and 4.3 hours of training a week, measured with an ultrasound-based motion analysis system: neck range of motion is about 20 degrees wider than the age-related reference cut-off used to tell healthy from impaired cervical kinematics, and stays within the confidence range of published values. The authors add that in some archers a range of motion above reference values could also be a sign of higher load.
Unilateral and bilateral training competitive archers differ in some potentially unhealthy neck-shoulder region movement behaviour characteristics · Mareike Schmitt, Lutz Vogt, Jan Wilke, Daniel Niederer
-
2021
For Archers Published later
The 50 who shoot from one side only and the 25 who for at least a year have also trained from the opposite side, matched one to two for age, sex, weekly training hours and years of shooting, do not differ in any plane: transverse F = 0.4, p = 0.5; frontal F = 0.2, p = 0.7; sagittal F = 0.7, p = 0.4, with eta squared between 0.003 and 0.01. There is no effect of side or of the interaction either. In those who shoot from one side only, flexion and rotation towards the string side are slightly smaller, but only as a descriptive trend.
Unilateral and bilateral training competitive archers differ in some potentially unhealthy neck-shoulder region movement behaviour characteristics · Mareike Schmitt, Lutz Vogt, Jan Wilke, Daniel Niederer
-
2021
Context Archers Published later
Past complaints reported by the same 75 archers: neck 15% (14% in those who shoot from one side, 16% in those who shoot from both), trunk 25% (26% and 24%), shoulder 43% (42% and 44%), with no difference between those who shoot from one side and those who shoot from both (Chi² = 0.1). These are recollections, not diagnoses: they show the neck is the least cited of the three sites.
Unilateral and bilateral training competitive archers differ in some potentially unhealthy neck-shoulder region movement behaviour characteristics · Mareike Schmitt, Lutz Vogt, Jan Wilke, Daniel Niederer
Status history
- 2021 Reported The first and only study to measure the neck in competitive archers arrives: 75 Germans with an average age of 47, 50 who always shoot from the same side and 25 who also train from the opposite side. Neck range of motion is about 20 degrees above the age-related cut-off that separates a healthy neck from an impaired one, in every plane, and the two ways of training make no difference; past neck complaints stay at 15%, the same in both groups. One cross-sectional sample, with the comparison made against reference values taken from another source: reported.
Related
Related articles
- Thoracic mobility, diaphragmatic breathing and HRVThoracic mobility, diaphragmatic breathing and HRV for archers: the exercises, an eight-week protocol and what the studies on archers show.
- Muscle asymmetry in archers: where it shows, where it does not, and whether to train the other sideShooting loads the two sides differently. What studies have measured in archers' arms, fingers and trunk, and whether the other side needs training too.
Research lines
Cite
Campagna, M. (2026). In competitive archers neck mobility stays good, even in those who always shoot from the same side (Version 1). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/health/neck-mobility-in-archers
@misc{campagna2026_colloarcierimobilita,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {In competitive archers neck mobility stays good, even in those who always shoot from the same side},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/health/neck-mobility-in-archers},
note = {Version 1; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
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