In young club archers the technical errors cluster in the phase before the release
2 studies · 21 archers measured
The summary today
It comes from a single Indonesian club, and by a narrow margin. Fourteen teenage archers, seven boys and seven girls, were judged on video at ten metres with a grid of nine indicators spread over the three phases of the release, with good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.896). Ratings of insufficient are more frequent in the phase before the release, six boys out of seven and all seven girls, than in the two following phases, where they are five out of seven in both groups: the difference is one athlete per group. The error described most often in the initial phase is gripping the string with the fingers during the draw; in the release the drawing hand leaves the line under the chin and the pelvis moves forward; in the follow-through the bow arm drops before the arrow arrives. In 2025 a second club, seven boys aged 11 and 13 judged by three coaches, finds the initial phase as weak as the release itself, six out of seven in both, in a journal with questionable editorial standards. Neither paper links the rating to the score, and the judges are the club's own coaches.
Also phrased as: "technical errors in young archers"; "errors before the release"; "common faults in youth archery"; "fingers gripping the string"; "release phases in young archers"
In practice
It is said that in young archers almost all errors start before the release, in the string hook and the draw, and that a messy release and follow-through are only the consequence.
Evidence
-
2023
For Archers Published later
14 teenage archers at an Indonesian club, 7 boys and 7 girls, judged on video at 10 m with a grid of 9 indicators over three phases: in the initial phase, before the release, 6 boys out of 7 (85.71%) and all 7 girls are rated insufficient, against 5 out of 7 (71.43%) in both groups both during the release and in the follow-through. The error described most often in the initial phase is gripping the string with the fingers during the draw.
Analysis of basic release techniques in archery athletes · Betrix Teofa Perkasa Wibafied Billy Yachsie
-
2023
Context Archers Published later
The same archers, the overall rating: among the boys 2 out of 7 (28.57%) have a good release technique and 5 (71.43%) an insufficient one, among the girls all 7 are insufficient; nobody reaches very good. The grid has a Cronbach's alpha of 0.896, and the judge is a club coach with a national licence.
Analysis of basic release techniques in archery athletes · Betrix Teofa Perkasa Wibafied Billy Yachsie
-
2023
Context Archers Published later
The same archers, the errors in the later phases, described for the 5 boys and 5 girls rated insufficient in each: in the release the drawing hand drops instead of staying on line, with the fingers leaving the line under the chin and the pelvis moving forward; in the follow-through the drawing hand stays tense and does not slide along the chin, and the bow arm drops before the arrow reaches the target.
Analysis of basic release techniques in archery athletes · Betrix Teofa Perkasa Wibafied Billy Yachsie
-
2025
Context Archers Published later
7 boys aged 11 and 13 at a club in Yogyakarta (the abstract says 14), 6 arrows observed each and rated by three coaches: the initial phase, with the arrow nocked while preparing to release, and the release itself are the weakest, 6 out of 7 (85.71%) in the poor category in both; string hook and movement after the release 5 out of 7 (71.43%). In the overall rating 5 out of 7 are poor and nobody is excellent. A journal with questionable editorial standards.
Biomechanical Analysis of Archery Technique Movements based on Android Studio Questionable venue · Yudik Prasetyo, Sumaryanto, Sumaryanti, Enggista Hendriko Delano, Mohd Izwan Bin Shahril
Status history
- 2023 Reported At an Indonesian club fourteen teenage archers are judged on video at ten metres with a grid of nine indicators over the three phases of the release, internally consistent with an alpha of 0.896. Ratings of insufficient cluster in the initial phase, six boys out of seven and all seven girls, against five out of seven in the two following phases, and the error described most often is gripping the string with the fingers during the draw. One club, fourteen athletes, a regional journal and a judgement by eye with no score: reported.
- 2025 Reported A second club, seven boys aged 11 and 13 judged by three coaches over six arrows each, finds the initial phase as poor as the release itself, six out of seven in the poor category in both, with the string hook and the movement after the release slightly better, five out of seven. The phase before the release remains among the weakest but is no longer the only one, and the journal has questionable editorial standards: context, and the status stays at reported.
Related
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- How archery is taught: what the studies on beginners sayWhat studies tell anyone teaching archery: how much beginners improve anyway, and what courses, starting distance, videos, goals and mental work add.
Research lines
Cite
Campagna, M. (2026). In young club archers the technical errors cluster in the phase before the release (Version 1). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/technique/young-club-archers-technique-errors
@misc{campagna2026_erroritecnicagiovaniclub,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {In young club archers the technical errors cluster in the phase before the release},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/technique/young-club-archers-technique-errors},
note = {Version 1; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
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