Postural sway and shooting accuracy of skilled recurve archers

Abstract

Archery can be defined as a non-contact, static sport that requires its archers to possess muscular strength, upper body endurance and high levels of stability. These performance variables are required specifically at the trunk region, shoulder girdle, and for both arms to ensure shooting accuracy, and score of the shoots which eventually determine the winner (Ertan, 2009; Soylu, Ertan, & Korkusuz, 2006). Besides strength and endurance, postural stability is another crucial variable in determining the outcome of every shot. An archer’s skill is evidenced in the ability to shoot the arrow to the specific target within a specific time. To achieve this, athletes need to minimize their movements in each step or phase to avoid unnecessary movements which can reduce stability, thus, minimizing the chances of hitting the centre target. An archer’s movements must be as precise as possible, coping fast with postural instability (Kuo, Chi, Yu & Tsung, 2005; Ertan, 2009; Ertan, Kentel, Tumer, & Korkusuz, 2003; Kuo & Chi, 2005).