Bow weights for beginners and Juniors

At a recent coaching course I was co-running, the question of bow draw weights for beginners and junior archers was raised. This is both a very important question and a complex one, with no easy answer.

The true answer is partly dependent on what age the archer is when they start along with their physical development. Everyone is different and trying to standardise and prescribe anything in stone simply doesn’t work. So here are some points to consider to help you decide.

If you start with too high a poundage in draw weight for the newbie they can become fatigued quickly and their form will suffer as the archer struggles to cope.
Too heavy a mass weight can tire the arms of young archers, resulting in dropping their arm.
Another factor that is worth considering is how some young archers develop in height earlier than others but this does not mean they have muscle development for longer draws.

There are other elements that play a part here too, such as peer pressure which can occur when coaching a group or even a family if there are two siblings that try to compete with one another. Peer pressure can cause anxiety and increased stress associated with being watched and not doing as well as others or drawing the same poundage as their fellow archers.

I was lucky enough to be shown the specifications that the scouting organisation in the UK use which provides some good guidance on potential draw weights for different age ranges.

Age Range	Maximum bow weight at start of course	Maximum draw weight by end of the course
Up to 12 yrs old	14 lbs	16 lbs
13-14	16 lbs	18 lbs
15-16	18 lbs	22 lbs
17-18	20 lbs	24 lbs
19+	20 lbs	24 lbs

I have to say I am a fan of using small “jelly bows” that are very low draw weight and light in hand. Ideal for under 10 year old. We bought a couple of these from Merlin Archery (https://www.merlinarchery.co.uk/ek-crusader-bow-kit.html) though we don’t use the arrows provided.

On take down recurves I start low 10lb or 12lb and let them see how it feels. We have a selection of limbs which we can swap out and have found this of great benefit. Again we bought some bows from Merlin – the Core Pulse in both 54 inch and 64 inch.

When I get the opportunity I will write up a review of these bows in the near future.

The best advice I can give anyone is start with a low draw weight and light bow. If they aren’t having to fight the bow or struggle holding the mass weight they are more likely to learn and in turn succeed.

Thanks for reading.