Among people who shoot, men have far greater drawing strength than women
2 studies · 209 archers measured
The summary today
Two samples far apart point the same way. In 1967, among 49 beginner university students, the men's maximum drawing strength was almost double the women's, 69.5 against 40.1 lb, and the draw they judged comfortable was about double, 44.8 against 22.6. In 2015, among 160 children aged ten to twelve in an archery introduction programme in West Papua, the boys outdo the girls in every strength test despite being the same height, with arm pulling strength at 7.8 against 6.0 kg; the study reports only means, with no statistical test. The most useful figure, though, is not the strength gap but the draw weight: in 1967 the men were shooting 30.6 lb bows and the women 21.2 lb, that is, working from the means, 44 and 53 per cent of their own maximum strength, so proportionally the women were shooting heavier. No study has linked this difference to the draw weight chosen and to the score in trained archers.
Also phrased as: "women shoot lighter bows"; "strength gap between men and women archers"; "male and female drawing strength"; "draw weight for women archers"
In practice
It is taken for granted that women archers shoot lighter draw weights because they have less strength, and that the difference between the sexes is mostly a matter of arms.
Evidence
-
1967
For Archers Published later
49 beginner university students on an archery course (21 men, 28 women), first test: maximum drawing strength 69.5 lb in the men and 40.1 in the women, draw judged comfortable 44.8 and 22.6, actual draw weight of the bow used 30.6 and 21.2 lb. From the means, the men were shooting about 44 per cent of their own maximum strength and the women 53.
Relationship between Perception of Pull and Draw in Archery · Helen M. Eckert, Dorothy M. Wendt
-
2015
For Archers Published later
160 children aged 10-12 (80 boys, 80 girls) from primary schools in Manokwari enrolled in an archery introduction programme: the boys outdo the girls in every strength test, with arm pulling strength at 7.8 against 6.0 kg, leg strength at 68.2 against 51.2 kg and back strength at 52.9 against 41.9 kg, despite being the same height. Means and standard deviations only, with no statistical test.
IDENTIFIKASI BAKAT OLAHRAGA PANAHAN PADA SISWA SEKOLAH DASAR DI KABUPATEN MANOKWARI · Nikanor Asaribab, Siswantoyo
Status history
- 1967 Reported Among 49 beginner university students the men's maximum drawing strength is almost double the women's (69.5 against 40.1 lb) and the draw judged comfortable is about double (44.8 against 22.6), while the bows used were 30.6 and 21.2 lb: in proportion to their own strength, the women were shooting heavier. A single descriptive sample of beginners: the evidence in favour exists and it is limited.
- 2015 Reported Among 160 children aged ten to twelve introduced to archery in West Papua the boys outdo the girls in every strength test, despite being the same height: arm pulling strength 7.8 against 6.0 kg, back strength 52.9 against 41.9. The study reports only means, with no statistical test. It is a second sample pointing the same way, but descriptive, of children and in a regional journal, and neither measures trained archers: the picture holds.
Related
Related articles
- Women and archery: score, strength, the menstrual cycle and competition anxietyScore, strength, the menstrual cycle and competition anxiety: what studies have measured in male and female archers, and how much the results weigh.
- Anthropometry and setup: draw length, arms, bow sizeHow draw length sets arrow length, spine and actual draw weight, and what the studies say about archers' arms, height and body proportions against score.
Research lines
Cite
Campagna, M. (2026). Among people who shoot, men have far greater drawing strength than women (Version 1). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/physical-training/drawing-strength-men-and-women
@misc{campagna2026_forzatrazioneuominidonne,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {Among people who shoot, men have far greater drawing strength than women},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/physical-training/drawing-strength-men-and-women},
note = {Version 1; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
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