Higher-level archers are taller and heavier than beginners

The summary today

Studies comparing archers of different levels split down the middle, and those that find a difference often have another explanation close at hand. In favour there are three comparisons: in 100 Indian recurve archers the 50 of higher level are 11 centimetres taller and 8 kilograms heavier than the beginners, in a journal with doubtful editorial standards and with no statistical test at all; in 12 young Malaysians the six with the best scores are about 12 centimetres taller, but not heavier; in 28 Indian archers of three levels the more experienced are slightly older, taller and heavier, but only in a descriptive table. Against there are 20 young Swedes grouped by level by their coaches, with no difference in height or weight, the same Malaysian study for weight, and 33 elite Indian archers in whom height and weight are not linked to score. Comparisons between archers and people who had never shot do not answer the question, which is about archers of different levels, and they split as well: nine Korean archers of national and international level are taller and heavier than students of the same age, while a Polish national squad and Bulgarian Olympians have the same build as non-archers. The sticking point is age: where groups mix adolescents of different ages, a few extra centimetres can be growth rather than selection, and in elite Japanese archers height and weight settle only at around 16. The part about height holds up a little better than the part about weight, but no study separates it from age: the picture is contested.

Also phrased as: "good archers are taller"; "height and archery"; "does height matter in archery"; "the elite archer's build"; "body weight and archer level"

Evidence

• 1999
  Against Archers Published later

  20 young Swedish archers sorted into three skill levels by the agreed judgement of four national coaches (R = 0.90), within a study of flotation tanks: the levels do not differ in age, height, weight, optimism, stated commitment or maximal finger extensor strength (all analyses p > 0.089), nor in bow type, sex or amount of training.

  Primary process in competitive archery performance: Effects of flotation REST · Torsten Norlander, Henrik Bergman, Trevor Archer

• 2015
  Context Archers Published later

  10 Bulgarian Olympic archers with over 5 years of practice and 15 people who do fitness once or twice a week: age 23.04 against 24.13, weight 78.2 against 78.9 kg, height 175.27 against 173.28 cm, no significant difference (Mann-Whitney). It compares archers with non-archers, not levels of archers.

  Postural Stability during Static Upright Stance in Archers · Katerina Stambolieva, Mihail Otzetov, Dorina Petrova, Rosen Ikonomov, Plamen Gatev

• 2017
  Context Archers Published later

  88 elite Japanese male and female archers in three age bands, measured for a study of the trunk muscles: in males 168.4 cm and 59.5 kg at 12 to 15 (n = 8), 173.9 cm and 68.0 kg at 16 to 18 (n = 26), 172.3 cm and 68.0 kg as seniors (n = 11); in females 158.2 cm and 50.8 kg, 160.2 cm and 54.2 kg, 165.7 cm and 61.0 kg. After 16 male height and weight change little, before that they do: in groups of different ages growth can pass for selection.

  Age- and athletic event-related differences in trunk muscularity in junior athletes: A comparison with the results for the senior athletes · Kayo Shitara, Yoichi Katsumata, Daisuke Kumagawa, Tatsuaki Ikeda, Yuichi Hirano

• 2017
  Context Archers Published later

  In the group of 15 archers aged 18 to 20 who followed a grip strength programme, after the programme the taller ones score lower (r = -0.762, p = 0.033), while before it the correlation was not significant (r = -0.458, p = 0.276). It is one isolated correlation among many, probably due to chance, in a venue with doubtful editorial standards.

  The Impact of Hand Grip Strength Exercises on the Target Shooting Accuracy Score for Archers Questionable venue · Süreyya Yonca Sezer

• 2020
  For Archers Published later

  12 young Malaysian recurve archers split into two groups of six by score (296.5 against 253.0, p = 0.004): the stronger group is taller, with a median height of 173.1 against 160.5 cm (Z = -2.40, p = 0.016), and height correlates with score (rho = 0.799, p = 0.002). Six archers per group and no control for age.

  Anthropometric And Physical Fitness Components Comparison between High- And Low-Performance Archers · Jiun Sien Lau, Rosniwati Ghafar, Hairul Anuar Hashim, Erie Zuraidee Zulkifli

• 2020
  Against Archers Published later

  In the same 12 archers body mass does not differ between the two groups (72.4 against 71.2 kg, p = 0.631) and does not correlate with score (rho = 0.133, p = 0.680), and the same holds for body mass index (24.2 against 26.0, p = 0.522) and body fat (18.6 against 24.3%, p = 0.262): the stronger archers are taller but not heavier.

  Anthropometric And Physical Fitness Components Comparison between High- And Low-Performance Archers · Jiun Sien Lau, Rosniwati Ghafar, Hairul Anuar Hashim, Erie Zuraidee Zulkifli

• 2020
  Context Archers Published later

  7 elite male Indian archers: compound (4) and recurve (3) do not differ in height (166.0 against 172.0 cm), mass (68.0 against 70.0 kg), years of practice or body fat (all p > 0.05). It compares two divisions at the same level, not different levels; regional journal.

  Heart Rate Values During Shooting is a Field-Side Performance Analysis Tool in Archery-A study of Elite Indian Archers · Chandra Sekara Guru, Anup Krishnan, Uma Mahajan, Deep Sharma

• 2021
  For Archers Published later

  100 Indian recurve archers aged 15 to 25, 50 of district, state or national level and 50 with at least a year of practice: height 162.28 ± 9.98 against 151.57 ± 12.08 cm, weight 54.32 ± 9.64 against 46.46 ± 12.76 kg, body mass index 20.5 against 20.0; the stronger group is also 19.46 years old against 18.16, with 4.3 years of practice against 1.89. No statistical test is reported for this table, and the venue has doubtful editorial standards.

  Comparative Analysis of Upper Extremity Performance Variables in Elite and Novice Recurve Archers: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study Questionable venue · Pranita D. Ganjave, Ajit S. Dabholkar

• 2021
  For Archers Published later

  28 male Indian archers of three levels, recruited for an electromyographic study of the trunk: beginners (under 6 months), trained (1.5 to 3 years) and elite (over 3 years) are aged 19.56, 20.6 and 22.11, stand 170.89, 173.2 and 173.33 cm and weigh 61.78, 65.20 and 66.89 kg. The more experienced are slightly older, taller and heavier, in a descriptive table.

  EMG Activity of Transversus Abdominis, Multifidus and Co-Contraction Index in Different Phases Amongst Varied Level Archers: A Cross-Sectional Study · Sheikh Azhar, Saurabh Sharma, Shalini Sharma, Tarushi Tanwar

• 2021
  Context Archers Published later

  15 archers from the Polish national squad with 11.07 ± 7.92 years of training and 15 people holding a bow for the first time: height 176 cm in both groups, weight 73.07 against 73.27 kg, age 23.47 against 27.75. Eleven years of practice apart, the build is the same; venue with doubtful editorial standards. It compares archers with people who had never shot, not archers of different levels.

  Torque Power and Angle Movement of the Shoulder Joint in Archery Questionable venue · Andrzej Kępczyński, Michalina Błażkiewicz

• 2023
  Against Archers Published later

  33 high-level Indian archers: the authors report that height and weight bear no significant relation to performance, and in the matrix the score correlates with no anthropometric index except draw weight (r = 0.608, p < 0.001), with values from -0.248 (chest index, p = 0.163) to 0.305 (foot index, p = 0.084). It compares archers within a high level, not different levels.

  Anthropometric Measures of Elite Indian Archer: Identification of Features for Talent Development · Jayashree Mazumder

• 2024
  Context Archers Published later

  9 archers of national and international level with 16.6 years of practice and 9 university students with no experience, recruited for a study of postural adjustments: at the same age (27.3 against 27.5 years) the archers are taller (1.79 against 1.73 m) and heavier (88.1 against 79.2 kg). A descriptive table in the methods, with no test on the differences. It compares archers with people who have never shot, not archers of different levels.

  Anticipatory postural adjustments during an archery performance · Jae-Young Na, Donghyun Ryu, Ji-Hyun Ko

• 2024
  Context Archers Published later

  10 university archers from Jakarta compared with 30 university athletes from football, futsal and pencak silat: the archers are the shortest (168.16 cm against 169.71 to 172.85), with weight (63.16 kg) and body mass index (22.3) in the middle of the group. It compares different sports, not levels of archers; regional journal.

  The Variation in Foot Arch Types among Athletes from Various Sports Disciplines: Analysis and Implications for Athletic Performance · Dadan Resmana, Bambang Sutiyono, Raisa Ganeswara, Ela Yuliana, Nadya Dwi Oktafiranda, Ferry Yohannes Wattimena

Status history

1. 1999 Contradicted The first comparison between levels arrives sideways, in a study of flotation tanks: 20 young Swedish archers sorted into three skill groups by four national coaches do not differ in age, height or weight (all p > 0.089), nor in the maximal strength of the finger extensor. It is a single small study and the only result goes against the claim: contradicted.
2. 2015 Contradicted Ten Bulgarian Olympic archers and fifteen untrained people have the same build (175.3 against 173.3 cm, 78.2 against 78.9 kg), and the authors use this to argue that the difference in stability between the two groups does not come from physique. It compares archers with people who do not shoot, not archers of different levels, so the picture remains that of 1999.
3. 2017 Contradicted In elite Japanese archers height and weight change little from 16 to adulthood (in males 173.9 cm and 68.0 kg at 16 to 18, 172.3 cm and 68.0 kg as seniors), while under 16 they are shorter and lighter: a figure that helps in reading comparisons between groups of different ages. In the same year, in 15 archers after a grip strength programme, the taller ones score lower, an isolated correlation in a doubtful venue. No new comparison between levels: contradicted.
4. 2020 Contested The first comparison in favour arrives, but only halfway: in 12 young Malaysian recurve archers the six with the best scores (296.5 against 253.0) are taller, with a median of 173.1 against 160.5 cm and a correlation between height and score of 0.799, but they are not heavier (72.4 against 71.2 kg, p = 0.631). One result in favour for height and one against for weight, beside the null result of 1999: studies of archers point in opposite directions and the picture becomes contested.
5. 2021 Contested Two studies in the same year, pointing the way the claim does. In 100 Indian recurve archers the 50 of higher level are 11 cm taller and 8 kg heavier than the beginners (162.3 against 151.6 cm and 54.3 against 46.5 kg), at the same body mass index, but with no statistical test and in a doubtful venue; in 28 Indian archers of three levels the more experienced are slightly older, taller and heavier. The same year 15 archers from the Polish national squad turn out as tall and heavy as 15 people holding a bow for the first time (176 cm and 73 kg in both groups), but someone who has never shot is not a beginner archer, and the finding stays as context. Studies on archers still point in opposite directions: contested.
6. 2023 Contested Within a homogeneous group the link does not show: in 33 high-level Indian archers height and weight are not associated with score, and the only measure linked to it is draw weight (r = 0.608). The difference, where it appears, lies between very distant levels rather than among archers who are already formed, so the picture stays contested.
7. 2024 Contested Nine Korean archers of national and international level are taller and heavier than nine students of the same age who had never shot (1.79 against 1.73 m, 88.1 against 79.2 kg), in a descriptive table with no test; as with the Polish national squad in 2021, the comparison is with people who do not shoot and stays as context. The same year ten Indonesian university archers turn out to be the shortest across four sports. Among archers of different levels the picture does not change: contested.

Related

Related articles

• Dexterity, sensitivity and grip: how archers' hands differ, and how much that weighs on the scoreFine dexterity, fingertip sensitivity, grip strength and hold time: how archers' hands differ, and which of these goes with the score among archers.
• 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

• 63 studiesThe archer's physical profile: strength, endurance and size
• 102 studiesFrom the total on the scorecard to the arrow's coordinates

Other claims in this domain

• ReportedA battery of physical tests identifies the most promising young archers7 studies · 373 archers measuredStatus since 2018
• ReportedA few weeks of archery improves children's balance1 study · 32 archers measuredStatus since 2009
• ReportedA mobility and stretching programme improves an archer's flexibility1 study · 30 archers measuredStatus since 2025
• ReportedA spell of reduced training makes the score drop1 study · 9 archers measuredStatus since 2021
• ReportedA strength programme away from the range increases an archer's measured strength15 studies · 316 archers measuredStatus since 2018

See all claims on physical training