Hi I read a post somewhere on Trad Gang saying you should practice both right and left handed to sort of balance out your muscles and avoid strain
Would also improve overall shooting.

Anyone have opinions on this?

i recenty started to shoot lefty ( i am a righty) for the reasons you have mentioned.  i believe that it can only make me a better archer in the long run. i also believe that balance within the body is crucial, especially when it comes to repetitive motions. it is a very humbling experience, but it is still the most fun you can have!

From the beginning, I have practiced (controlled draw and relax) and shot (≈ 2/3 left-handed, 1/3 right-handed) archery ambidextrously. I have severe spine, neck, and shoulder injuries. "Maintaining an even strain," to use a "Right Stuff" phrase, keeps me ambulatory. Side effects may include: ability to use bows that others cannot; slight possibility to reasonably take shots that others cannot; ability to try different bows and different styles of shooting with reasonable likelihood of decent results. There is no downside to ambidextrous shooting.

Hope this helps.

Chris and Lance said it all! There's no down side, and lots of BIG, BIG up-side advantages.

Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow

What ever you do to the right , do to the left...it will keep your body in balance , back , neck and spine ....A product I highly recommend is the "Bowfit"...remember keep your body in balance...Mark#78

Ditto!!!

Wow. What started with an old lefty bow and some comments on the Shooter's forum turns out to be a really good thing. I'm pleased. All I need is a new string, a lefty tab and practice. I guess the arrows don't care what side they shoot from

Thanks for all the positive stuff guys.

sam

Actually, your existing tackle is adequate. You need not be "good"; merely to do it.

OK HOw do you shoot lefty with a right hand bow, however?

sam

Becoming abidextourous helps develop our minds into becoming whole brain thinkers...which many of the top elite athletes are.

I highly suggest it...especially if you're interested in trying it.

Ray  

Well guys. Tomorrow I head to the shop to get a new string for the "lefty" bow and then we'll see how it goes. I recommend staying indoors for a couple of days if you're anywhere near Illinois.
HAve a great weekend and I'll let you all know how I make out.
Thanks and regards
sam

QuoteOriginally posted by Ssamac:
OK HOw do you shoot lefty with a right hand bow, however?

sam

You just watched "To Have and Have Not," didn't you? . . . Sam, you just put an arrow onto the rest/shelf and pull.
***
All joking aside, the purpose of ambidextrous shooting/exercise is to keep your body's development balanced. So accuracy beyond hitting the target is a bonus. You may find that canting improves accuracy. And many thumbring users prefer "wrong-handed" bows.

Thanks Naphtali. I have to try this. Amazing how little we play around with the tools we have. Naturally, this is an advantage of trad gear. If you have a compound bow, this type of thing is out.
I'll give it a rip, but I actually have a lefty bow to mess with.

Sam

It's fun to try shooting with your weak hand too. Frank

Waht if they are both weak?

QuoteOriginally posted by Ssamac:
. If you have a compound bow, this type of thing is out.
Sam

Not that it really matters much on this forum, but almost all of the compound bows can be shot "wrong handed".  The major exception being the Hoyt Tech risers.

Several years ago a good friend had problems with his right eye and had to switch to left to keep shooting.  His eye problem was corrected, but he finds that being able to shoot both ways is a significant advantage in hunting.  It nearly doubles his field of fire from a tree stand.  He's a compound shooter so he wears releases on both hands.

He also owns an archery shop and finds it an advantage to be able to set up and tune both left and right hand bows.

As others have posted, there is no disadvantage to being able to shoot both ways.  Naphtali's point about balance to avoid injury sounds like a good idea.  I plan to try it.  As I've gotten older, the pains seem to occur more frequently and stay longer.  Hopefully this will help me.

Allen

I began exercising/shooting with Oneida Black Eagle II compounds. I was equally inaccurate shooting either handed, not because of the bows, though. I abandoned the Black Eagles (had two) because relaxing after draw was uncomfortable because of let-off. Surprisingly perhaps, I regularly pull 12 pounds more weight with my DAS bows than I could with the Black Eagles. And they are considered to be among the smoothest compounds available -- and the compound that most resembles a recurve, at rest anyway.

Trad bows have a draw feel that is more predictable than any compound -- at least for me.

I have gone to a pignut hickory that I put a rest on both sides. The left hand side, I am better if I hold a bit, on the right hand hand, I am better if I don't hold.  The other thing I am surprised about, is the speed that a pignut selfbow can shoot.  I am told the trick is to how dry the pibnut is.  I am as accurate one way or the other, my tempo is just a little different.  The lack of center shot does not seem to matter at all when compared to my other bows, as long the arrow has the forgiveness to get around the bow.  I use cedars 10 pound spine lighter than i would out of a r/d bow.

QuoteOriginally posted by Ssamac:
Waht if they are both weak?

then your just plain outta luck!! lol.  buy a bow for each hand and be a happy man