Training both sides reduces the asymmetries caused by shooting
3 studies · 123 archers measured
The summary today
Archers show side-to-side differences in shoulder strength and mobility. A German study compared archers who shoot from both sides with archers who shoot from one: the former did not show the shoulder asymmetries found in the latter. It is a one-off comparison, so it does not show that shooting from both sides prevents them, and no study in the bibliography has assessed compensatory gym exercises.
Also phrased as: "shooting with the other hand"; "muscle imbalances in archery"; "bilateral training for archers"; "compensating for archery asymmetry"
In practice
Because shooting loads the two sides differently, it is often advised to balance things with exercises for the opposite side or with some arrows shot from the other side.
Evidence
-
2016
Context Archers Published later
14 archers with spinal or pelvic pain compared with 19 healthy people: differences in trunk inclination, lumbar lordosis and isokinetic trunk strength, partly differing between men and women; no difference in pelvic alignment. Cross-sectional study.
Effect of unilateral exercise on spinal and pelvic deformities, and isokinetic trunk muscle strength · Kyoungkyu Jeon, Soonyoung Kim
-
2018
Context Archers Published later
15 elite archers compared with 30 non-athletes: stronger adductors and internal rotators only in the bow shoulder; in both shoulders the flexor to extensor ratio was lower, but the extensors were stronger only as a non-significant trend.
The Characteristics of Shoulder Muscles in Archery Athletes · Ri Na Kim, Jin-Hyuck Lee, Seok Ha Hong, Jin Ho Jeon, Woong Kyo Jeong
-
2021
For Archers Published later
25 competitive archers who shoot from both sides and 50 who shoot from one, matched for age, sex and level: only the latter showed asymmetries in shoulder and scapular rotation; no differences in the neck. Cross-sectional study.
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
- 1990 Not studied No study in the registry's bibliography had yet assessed whether training both sides changes archers' asymmetries.
- 2021 Reported A comparison of archers shooting from one or both sides associates bilateral shooting with fewer shoulder asymmetries.
Related
Related articles
- The archer's back: how much draw weight loads it and what the asymmetry of shooting leaves behindHow much a 20 to 32 pound bow loads the lower back, why trunk and body mass matter, and what the studies say about asymmetry in archers' bodies.
- 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.
- Specific strength for archers: 8 exercises and why they matterEight specific strength exercises for archers, with the numbers behind them: which muscles work in the shot, which equipment to use, how to plan the week.
Research lines
Studies describe groups of archers, and your own numbers show how far the finding applies to your shooting.
See the programmeCite
Campagna, M. (2026). Training both sides reduces the asymmetries caused by shooting (Version 1). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/physical-training/training-both-sides
@misc{campagna2026_allenamentobilateraleasimmetrie,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {Training both sides reduces the asymmetries caused by shooting},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/physical-training/training-both-sides},
note = {Version 1; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
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