Bow stability and postural sway during aiming and shooting in elite compound archery

Abstract

This study explored the effects of postural sway and bow movements on shooting accuracy in elite compound archery, differentiating pre- and post-arrow release phases. International-level compound archers executed 72 shots each in a competition-like environment. During both the aiming and shooting phases, bow displacement and tremor index were measured with a motion capture system, while postural sway indices, such as centre of pressure (COP) displacement and speed, were derived using a force platform. Two-dimensional arrow impact coordinates on the target were transformed into an accuracy index, calculated as the Euclidean distance from the target centre. In the aiming phase, smaller bow displacement and tremor, along with reduced COP displacement and speed, were associated with higher accuracy. This suggests that stable posture and bow orientation during aiming enhance shooting outcomes in compound archery. In the shooting phase after the release, bow and postural sway exhibited no differences depending on the shooting accuracy but correlated with the spatial distribution of arrow impacts. This result, combined with the reduced bow tremor in high-accuracy shots, suggests that strategies involving moderate, smooth, and consistent movement after release are more crucial for enhancing shooting accuracy in compound archery rather than simply minimising or restricting motion.