In traditional archery, rapid shooting keeps the technique of the single shot

The summary today

Only one study has compared the two, on 10 Malaysian traditional archers of national standard who shoot with the Mameluke technique: a hundred shots at 6 metres, half single and half rapid, recorded with motion capture. On the bow arm the joint angle curves overlap (correlations between 0.95 and 0.97), and in all six joints measured the cumulative error stays below the 0.2 threshold the authors use to call two movements equivalent. Where rapid shooting drifts from the single shot is the drawing arm: the shoulder keeps the same pattern (r = 0.99), while the elbow changes in shape (r = 0.70) and the wrist in timing, with the highest error in the set (0.17). The study appeared in a regional journal, analyses only the five best shots per archer and condition, and does not measure score, at a distance where accuracy is hardly tested.

Also phrased as: "traditional rapid shooting"; "shooting fast without losing technique"; "speed shooting"; "rapid shooting technique"; "rapid versus single shot"

Evidence

• 2024
  For Archers Published later

  10 Malaysian traditional archers of national standard, Mameluke technique, 100 shots at 6 m indoors (50 single and 50 rapid) recorded with a Vicon system at 100 Hz: on the bow arm the angle curves of rapid and single shooting correlate at 0.97 at the shoulder and 0.95 at the elbow and wrist, and in all six joints the Sprague and Geers cumulative error stays below 0.2 (0.17 at most), the threshold the authors use to declare the two movements interchangeable. Only the five best shots per archer and condition are analysed, and there is no score. Regional journal.

  Kinematic Comparison for Single Shooting and Fast Shooting in Traditional Archery · Muhammad Shahimi Ariffin, Azmin Sham Rambely, Noratiqah Mohd Ariff, Rohilah Sahak, Syazwana Aziz, Muhammad Athif Mat Zin

• 2024
  Context Archers Published later

  On the drawing arm the shoulder keeps the single-shot pattern (r = 0.99, cumulative error 0.06), while the elbow changes most in shape (r = 0.70) and the wrist in timing (phase error 0.16, cumulative 0.17), above all in the preparation phase. On the average curves, with no statistical test, the joint angles in rapid shooting look slightly wider.

  Kinematic Comparison for Single Shooting and Fast Shooting in Traditional Archery · Muhammad Shahimi Ariffin, Azmin Sham Rambely, Noratiqah Mohd Ariff, Rohilah Sahak, Syazwana Aziz, Muhammad Athif Mat Zin

Status history

1. 2024 Reported Ten Malaysian traditional archers shoot a hundred times at six metres, half single and half rapid, and on the bow arm the angle curves overlap, with every error below the equivalence threshold; on the drawing arm the shoulder keeps its pattern, while the elbow and wrist change. It is a single study, in a regional journal, using only the five best shots per archer and with no score: reported.

Related

Research lines

• 22 studiesTraditional and historical bows, from models to archers
• 27 studiesHow many pounds archers draw: measurements since 1967

Other claims in this domain

• CorroboratedBetween one and a half and two tenths of a second pass between the clicker sounding and the arrow leaving7 studies · 94 archers measuredStatus since 1990
• ReportedA camera diagonally behind the archer measures the vertical sway of the aim well, but not the horizontal1 study · 3 archers measuredStatus since 2010
• ReportedA continuous final pull through the clicker leads to better shots9 studies · 56 archers measuredStatus since 1993
• ReportedA sound or light cue about the angle of the bow arm tightens beginners' groups2 studies · 1 archers measuredStatus since 2012
• ReportedA thumb grip on the string is less tiring than a finger grip3 studies · 9 archers measuredStatus since 1990

See all claims on technique and biomechanics