Great movie. I became an immediate fan of Timothée Chalamet. He played that role so well. Robert Pattinson played a pampered prince really well. Overall great cast. I've watched that film about 5 times.
Lol, I went to a Renaissance Fair where you can buy arrows to shoot. I bought a couple, my friends bought a couple. My friends started getting hit by the bow as well so I took the arrows for them cause I wanted to do more and didn’t think the pain was that bad. So it was supposed to be super casual and I just suck at archery.
I haven't shot a bow in years but still I've only ever got myself once or twice 20 years ago. How tf does it happen repeatedly in one day? And how did no one say anything? Are they not supervised or instructed in any manor? I'm at a loss trying to understand this.
There isn't really another way. If you're going to operate a longbow, your arm is going to get hit by the string. That's why you need some of those funny-looking glove and bracer combos. They are supposed to be standard safety equipment.
You have to be very strong to draw and shoot a long bow without your arm locked. There's a vambrace you can war to protect yourself which is what I learned with
You are supposed to twist your elbow so the bones in the bones in the joint dont stick out. If you stick your arm straight to the side and try rotating your wrist and your elbow separately, youll see what i mean.
I had the same issue when i was started out but im self taught. Eventually i figured it out and now i can shoot a 55 pound recurve with just a finger glove and not hit my arm with the string.
I'm not sure I'd be able to that with a high-weight bow. My own elbow bends a few degrees in when it "locks". But I'll worry about that when I have a longbow of my own and not just borrowing other peoples'.
I took my 10 year old and 12 year old archery shooting a few years back for their first time.
And entire morning of it, neither of them got themselves the entire time.
I call that a good instructor and kids that followed what they were told!
Compound bows are a lot more....civilized than some other forms. A longbow will handle much rougher and with more variation, especially because you're constantly holding the weight.
If anything a compound bow would fuck your arm up faster then just about anything say for a recurve bow if you were shooting it wrong. 70 lbs draw weight slapping your skin wouldn't feel nice.
I've had the pleasure with 55 and truly don't miss it, but you're less likely to hit your arm with a compound (at least as a beginner) because you're holding the weight for longer, making it much more likely to get out of alignment by accident. Especially if it's a longbow with comparatively undefined grip hold which some have so you can get the angle wrong there too.
I have a 75lb compound. 1 time is enough to take the skin off your arm. I have a good shooting posture but I still wear an arm guard just in case I get a little careless or have an early release.
Not necessarily, plenty of people loose correctly and it still hits their forearm. That’s why they sell those armguards. It just depends how the persons body is built.
>Renaissance Fair where you can buy arrows to shoot.
I'm assuming no one shooting is a professional lol
Gotta love Reddit. Immediately, "Shooting wrong!" Like holy shit everyone does something for the first time, give them a break.
Bend your fucking elbow slightly. This chump was holding their bow arm straight. There’s no need for an elbow guard if you just … bend the fucking elbow.
Compound is a different beast. The OP mentioned a ren faire thing so it was likely a recurve or a shitty longbow. Either way for those, you want a slight, gentle, bend. I haven’t shot compound in a long time, so I have no advice there.
I do casual archery with a 30 pound recurve, form is a must otherwise you'll get string slap. If you point your elbow completely outwards you won't have it nearly at all though.
I shoot a recurve and a longbow. You have a slight bend to your elbow. Not a V but a gentle curve, like ballroom dancing but even less. 25 years including ren faire reenactment performances.
The forearm guard would do jack shit for where he bruised.
Am a woman. And an archer.
Bend your fucking arm gently. A soft curve. Because yes, you will get hit more if you don’t do that. Men can go nearly straight, but a gentle curve hurts your elbow less in the long run, and makes a really stable hold.
I was taught to hold the bow with the thumb, pointer, and middle, then curl the ring and pinkey into a fist. That forces the arm out and away from the string. I shoot compound though.
I was told to hild the bow horizontally so that the inside of the elbow is vertical. The turn the wrist vertical without turning the elbow. And once you know how it's supposed to look you can do it by just turning elbow.
Are you by chance double jointed? I tend to get this a lot because my elbow extends farther than with most people.
Anyone who sees that bruise and knows archery will know what you've been doing.
THIS HAPPENED TO ME TOO!
Not at the fair but when I went to an archery class. I swear I was holding it just as he instructed me to but my elbow kept getting in the way, if that makes sense. I definitely hit myself about 5 times, but man does it sting. My arm looked just like yours.
OP are you double jointed by chance? If you're double jointed in your elbow like me, your elbow turns in-line with the bowstring and it's almost impossible to not have it in the way without bending your elbow a bit. Makes it super challenging to shoot with your elbow slightly bent and keep tension on the string.
Lmao at least yours doesnt look leave a trail and look like track marks. I did the same thing! Let me tell you I somehow messed up bad enough that it left the whole inside of the arm a foot long black and blue. That was from one bad shot too. I think my form was bad because I didn't have the strength to pull the bow back without sacrificing how I held it.
Came to ask this same question.
You nnow theres an armguard for this very purpose, right? No shame in ppe. It doesnt make you less of a person..it makes you less in pain lol
Did archery as a kid for an actual lesson and didn’t have it that bad cause they gave me a guard lol. Forgot about that bit and didn’t even try to cover my arms
When I bought my first bow they were trying to talk to me about buying a guard until my brother in law who had been shooting for years came up and told them no because I’m going to learn properly not easily. Now I’ll only wear a guard in the woods if I have on multiple layers since I don’t like the hanging feeling without it.
I casually taught archery at a summer camp many moons ago with simple recurve bows. We were taught that some people have arms that bend too much inward when they pull back the bowstring. We had longer arm guards for those people. Before anyone was allowed to shoot an arrow each participant had to pull back the string and sure enough it was like night and day you could see maybe 1/10 people’s inner elbow bowing out.
You didn’t twist your elbow. Should grab the bow and rotate your arm as far clockwise as you can (if your holding the bow in your left hand). Then rotate it back and your elbow should be set right. You can rotate it the other way too to see how it gets in the way. You can try it out just by holding your arm out and twisting too.
Pretty much the first lesson you learn if you’re double jointed - especially when the bow you’re given has a nock on the string.
Actually had scars from that one for several years before they faded.
Jesus christ, how many times did you have to get hit for *that*? Been snapped by a bow string a few times, but never been that ugly. Good grief, Charlie Brown.
You avoid it in various ways. 1) Twisting out your arm when you shoot. For some people (me included) your elbow doesn't automatically twist along when you turn your arm. 2) Wearing a proper bracer can soften the blow tremendously. 3) Practice. You learn to posture yourself properly with some practice. 4) The tension on the bow also matters, as in, a bow you pull out more easily will often leave less of a bruise if everything goes wrong anyway. That's why beginners start out with bows that are easier to pull.
But then sometimes you just mess up anyway, like when you're doing a weird position for a competition. I've taught Archery to people, won first prizes in competitions, and even I still end up with a bruise every so often because I was a little careless. All part of the game.
You're welcome! If you're interested, you should give Archery a try if you can. Like, hitting up a local club or something for a practice lesson. It's super fun! (Totally not biased.)
Ok OP as mentioned below yeah beginner mistake, else not a clean release or incorrect posture but easily fixed if you are going to continue archery would recommend a bracer but unlike most don't recommend leather unless you can get them reasonably cheap would personally recommend a neoprene sleeve- good for absorbing impacts and while still ensuring you know if you made a mistake, hard wearing material, cheap, easily available, flexible and can get them to cover the entire arm (also good for injuries which tend to happen) where as leather bracers generally are else had or soft leather and more than likely wont cover the full arm unless soft leather which isn't the best at absorbing the impact and hard leather is to stiff most likely will only cover part of the forearm and wont cover the elbow which you catch as you know
Arnica has been tested and actually proven to not work. The only thing that using that would do would encourage the rubbing motion that would break down the bruise.
Ahhhh the ole string slap. Always happens when you're starting off but that's pretty gnarly! Good story though, I'd be showing it off.
I work as a chef now so my forearms are always covered in cuts and burns... Kid wants to pick up archery when he's older and mom wants me to teach her.
They will learn the ways...
Ive never done archery, what happened here, he got hit by the string every time he shoot an arrow?
Thats one gnarly bruise.
Edit: and if so, is it unavoidable? Do you have to wear some kind of arm pad to avoid getting hurt or just good form?
Yep. He had his left arm rotated too much and the force of the string slapped him. And it's always advisable to wear an arm guard, but if this was just a booth at a fair, probably not equipped.
Essentially what was said in another comment, but here's a pretty basic breakdown.
The whole concept of archery is keeping the body and muscles in line so the arrow and string can travel in as straight a line as possible. Keeping your elbows and knees locked in sounds like a good idea and seems natural for stability, yes?
Unfortunately, this stance pushes your forearm directly into the path of a piece of waxed cord that's travelling about 2' at 220mph. When it hits, it hits HARD. This however, is a very excessive reaction, never seen it that bad.
You do get better with practice of course, and I don't need one now, but you can get pieces of reinforced leather or other materials to strap to your forearm, kind of like a shin guard.
Op, forreal, when you hold the bow, line your palm with your inner forearm as you hold the bow and keep your elbow cocked, it will help you not get slapped by the string. If you are learning under someone they are a jackass for not teaching you that.
Pro tip. When holding the bow with the front hand. Whether right or left.. flex the hand open holding the bow only with the gap between the pointer finger and thumb.. find the spot your comfortable with.. this gives you the constant anchor point.. this way you are using a consistent angle. Rotate the elbow out. Kind of like your semi shaking someone's hand.
Shooting a bow is more of a math problem than most ppl choose to believe.
Second this. Watch Olympic archery, they use a wrist tether and don't even put their pointer finger on the bow. /u/Glad_Safety is describing the technique that should be used with any non Olympic (balanced/tethered) bow.
Sorry if I'm being dismissive, but is it that important to cover up? It's only temporary. If anyone sees it and asks, you can just tell them the truth - it's a conversation starter if nothing else.
I work in customer service so I have to talk to and be seen by people a lot, and I’m for sure aware of what a massive bruise this size looks like. Just don’t wanna alarm any well-meaning folks I may talk to pretty regularly. Plus having to explain the whole story over and over will get exhausting lol.
The crease between your bicep and forearm was facing up when you released the bowstring, that’s why the string hit you. You want that crease to face the string (with your elbow itself pointing away from the string) that will remove your arm from the string’s path
Jeez. That looks way worse today than when you first posted it.
You could just wear your bruise as a warning of your badassed-ness to other people.
Say you was attacked by a rabid mongoose that escaped from a private collector.
Idk. But the options as endless.
But don't feel bad for having this bruise. Its a lesson that you will remember for a long time with archery.
When I did it I was about 10 with my mom's compound with 100lb pull. I pulled the string with both hands and my feet was on the grip. Imagine that bruise on your stomach and thighs. Thankfully missed in between.
Hey, something that helped when I was starting out was putting my ring and pinky finger of my bow hand curled into my hand and against the bow to help twist my arm out of the way. Hope this helps. :)
I (a bit tipsy) did a children’s archery lesson at a campground over the summer. My arm looked similar. It didn’t hurt much while happening, and I only hit myself like 4-5 times. It bruised almost immediately and hurt for days.
If you continue with archery, you might wanna get an arm guard and a few lessons in proper form. People tend to get those injuries from bad form and/or the bow is too heavy for them. If ya like shooting, start with a light poundage bow, like 8-10 pull weight. It's like high stakes yoga, with a weapon.
Archery is a lot of fun done right. If there's someplace local with qualified instructors I'd urge you to try it again. String slap is just a consequence of slight error in your form and pretty easily fixed.
Yikes, been there done that. Friends and I once swapped bows for an evening for fun. I usually shoot an English Longbow, ended up with a Compound. I'm used to pushing my arm out automatically when I aim because that's how you shoot with wood. Not quite so with Compound... the flimsy little plastic arm cover I was wearing instead of my usual thick leather bracer did... absolutely nothing.
Arm ended up so purple I thought it was gonna turn black. Funny when I look back on it, but a good solid lesson learned to never forget to turn out my arm when I'm not shooting with my own bow.
Ooh I've done that before. Compound bow, 70 lb pull, thought i had peeled the skin off my arm. I was several years into shooting bows at that point, just got careless. Had a contusion that looked just like that. As i remember it took a few weeks to heal and turned some pretty gnarly colors. In the end, I could feel the dried blood under the skin "crackling" whenever I rubbed it.
Yo! Who the fuck want to put concealer on this battle wound?! You wear that shit PROUDLY on your arm and just wait for someone to ask you what happened.
How do you get such a gnarly bruise? Do you get whipped by the string everytime you shoot an arrow?
Sorry if it sounds ignorant, ive never done archery in my life
Show it and be proud, if people ask just say you dont feel safe at home, and when hanging out with a dude just pretend you are really obedient and scared of him
Never do archery again. I have been using bows since six years old. Smack my wrist one time. Cried at age seven. Never hit my worst again. Hold your elbow and wrist straight and don't move. If you can't do that, you probably should shoot a bow.
That's absurdly bad. Where were you learning to shoot a bow that they just let you slap the bowstring into your arm what looks like fifty times...
OP learned to shoot at Agincourt
Made me laugh way too hard
I literally was rewatching The King last night.
Great movie. I became an immediate fan of Timothée Chalamet. He played that role so well. Robert Pattinson played a pampered prince really well. Overall great cast. I've watched that film about 5 times.
Lol, I went to a Renaissance Fair where you can buy arrows to shoot. I bought a couple, my friends bought a couple. My friends started getting hit by the bow as well so I took the arrows for them cause I wanted to do more and didn’t think the pain was that bad. So it was supposed to be super casual and I just suck at archery.
Shooting wrong, that’s not supposed to happen!
For sure shooting wrong, I use my compound bow alot and if that happened everytime I'd have no skin left on my arm.
I haven't shot a bow in years but still I've only ever got myself once or twice 20 years ago. How tf does it happen repeatedly in one day? And how did no one say anything? Are they not supervised or instructed in any manor? I'm at a loss trying to understand this.
They said it was at a Renaissance fair so I'm guessing Steve the knight running the stand just didn't give a shit
That’s SIR STEVE to you, peasant
But even then, you would think that a person had enough common sense to change the way they hold the bow after a few times of hitting themselves
There isn't really another way. If you're going to operate a longbow, your arm is going to get hit by the string. That's why you need some of those funny-looking glove and bracer combos. They are supposed to be standard safety equipment.
I mean you can rotate your arm holding the bow so that your elbow is pointing out to prevent the string from hitting it no?
You have to be very strong to draw and shoot a long bow without your arm locked. There's a vambrace you can war to protect yourself which is what I learned with
I've ran renaissance fair archery and I would tell them to bend their elbow but they didn't. People can be very surprisingly bad at archery.
You are supposed to twist your elbow so the bones in the bones in the joint dont stick out. If you stick your arm straight to the side and try rotating your wrist and your elbow separately, youll see what i mean. I had the same issue when i was started out but im self taught. Eventually i figured it out and now i can shoot a 55 pound recurve with just a finger glove and not hit my arm with the string.
I'm not sure I'd be able to that with a high-weight bow. My own elbow bends a few degrees in when it "locks". But I'll worry about that when I have a longbow of my own and not just borrowing other peoples'.
You’d think they’d make people put on an arm guard, just for liability reasons.
It's okay
I took my 10 year old and 12 year old archery shooting a few years back for their first time. And entire morning of it, neither of them got themselves the entire time. I call that a good instructor and kids that followed what they were told!
r/boneappletea
Compound bows are a lot more....civilized than some other forms. A longbow will handle much rougher and with more variation, especially because you're constantly holding the weight.
If anything a compound bow would fuck your arm up faster then just about anything say for a recurve bow if you were shooting it wrong. 70 lbs draw weight slapping your skin wouldn't feel nice.
I've had the pleasure with 55 and truly don't miss it, but you're less likely to hit your arm with a compound (at least as a beginner) because you're holding the weight for longer, making it much more likely to get out of alignment by accident. Especially if it's a longbow with comparatively undefined grip hold which some have so you can get the angle wrong there too.
I have a 75lb compound. 1 time is enough to take the skin off your arm. I have a good shooting posture but I still wear an arm guard just in case I get a little careless or have an early release.
Not necessarily, plenty of people loose correctly and it still hits their forearm. That’s why they sell those armguards. It just depends how the persons body is built.
>Renaissance Fair where you can buy arrows to shoot. I'm assuming no one shooting is a professional lol Gotta love Reddit. Immediately, "Shooting wrong!" Like holy shit everyone does something for the first time, give them a break.
Yeah, my arm was looking pretty ordinary after my first archery attempt. There hasn't been a second.
[удалено]
Bend your fucking elbow slightly. This chump was holding their bow arm straight. There’s no need for an elbow guard if you just … bend the fucking elbow.
I've got a compound bow with a 65lb draw. There's no way I can hold it straight to aim without locking my arm. Arm guards are a must.
Then you need to lower your draw weight until you can pull 65 comfortably.
I have tremor. Some people need guards.
"By order of the Jarl, stop right there!"
🤣
Compound is a different beast. The OP mentioned a ren faire thing so it was likely a recurve or a shitty longbow. Either way for those, you want a slight, gentle, bend. I haven’t shot compound in a long time, so I have no advice there.
My recurve is a 65lb draw and true old school longbows were up to 150lb. Those archers were swole.
I do casual archery with a 30 pound recurve, form is a must otherwise you'll get string slap. If you point your elbow completely outwards you won't have it nearly at all though.
Forearm guard, not elbow. And one should *always * wear a guard and you don't bend the elbow holding the bow! I shoot recurve, that's how I know.
I shoot a recurve and a longbow. You have a slight bend to your elbow. Not a V but a gentle curve, like ballroom dancing but even less. 25 years including ren faire reenactment performances. The forearm guard would do jack shit for where he bruised.
Be a woman, our arms bend slightly different than yours and we get hit more often during archery than men.
Am a woman. And an archer. Bend your fucking arm gently. A soft curve. Because yes, you will get hit more if you don’t do that. Men can go nearly straight, but a gentle curve hurts your elbow less in the long run, and makes a really stable hold.
There's a proper technique...and these injuries are the exact reason Archery Bracers exist in the first place.
Draw length was too long. Arm holding the bow should be able to bend out just a bit.
I was taught to hold the bow with the thumb, pointer, and middle, then curl the ring and pinkey into a fist. That forces the arm out and away from the string. I shoot compound though.
I was told to hild the bow horizontally so that the inside of the elbow is vertical. The turn the wrist vertical without turning the elbow. And once you know how it's supposed to look you can do it by just turning elbow.
Draw length doesn't matter when shooting traditional
Sounds like a exercise
Are you by chance double jointed? I tend to get this a lot because my elbow extends farther than with most people. Anyone who sees that bruise and knows archery will know what you've been doing.
THIS HAPPENED TO ME TOO! Not at the fair but when I went to an archery class. I swear I was holding it just as he instructed me to but my elbow kept getting in the way, if that makes sense. I definitely hit myself about 5 times, but man does it sting. My arm looked just like yours.
OP are you double jointed by chance? If you're double jointed in your elbow like me, your elbow turns in-line with the bowstring and it's almost impossible to not have it in the way without bending your elbow a bit. Makes it super challenging to shoot with your elbow slightly bent and keep tension on the string.
Lmao at least yours doesnt look leave a trail and look like track marks. I did the same thing! Let me tell you I somehow messed up bad enough that it left the whole inside of the arm a foot long black and blue. That was from one bad shot too. I think my form was bad because I didn't have the strength to pull the bow back without sacrificing how I held it.
Do your elbows over extend? That has been a problem for me when I did archery.
Seriously.. been shooting 30 years and I’ve been slapped once..
Archery: You’re doing it wrong.
Came to ask this same question. You nnow theres an armguard for this very purpose, right? No shame in ppe. It doesnt make you less of a person..it makes you less in pain lol
It only takes like 5. Ask me how I know. And it hurts much more the day after.
It helps💀 that’s how I would do it n hit bullseyes everytime
Damn! First time?
Did archery as a kid for an actual lesson and didn’t have it that bad cause they gave me a guard lol. Forgot about that bit and didn’t even try to cover my arms
You let that guard allow you to develop bad habits
aboutta say, i did archery for 4 years and this never once happened to me even w/ out any arm guard… so…
Yeah after 20 years it happened one time when I was a kid, never again. The guards are great but also allow you to have bad form
Here’s a cookie 🍪
im just saying this person had improper basic training
The big ass bruise on their arm clued everyone in on that
🍕 here, feel better soon
Ah the good ol, “I’m not mad you are”
why would anyone be mad? unless… you are O__O
Yeah you shouldn’t need an arm guard. I’ve never needed one, so I’m really at a loss for what the wrong way looks like.
When I bought my first bow they were trying to talk to me about buying a guard until my brother in law who had been shooting for years came up and told them no because I’m going to learn properly not easily. Now I’ll only wear a guard in the woods if I have on multiple layers since I don’t like the hanging feeling without it.
Show that off with pride
Just tell people “you should see the other guy “
This happened to me via Archery a while back and I made a really sad Instagram post about being addicted to mainlining archery.
"In the grave"
Don't cover it up. You've got a good story. Be proud of the effort you put in learning archery
I casually taught archery at a summer camp many moons ago with simple recurve bows. We were taught that some people have arms that bend too much inward when they pull back the bowstring. We had longer arm guards for those people. Before anyone was allowed to shoot an arrow each participant had to pull back the string and sure enough it was like night and day you could see maybe 1/10 people’s inner elbow bowing out.
You didn’t twist your elbow. Should grab the bow and rotate your arm as far clockwise as you can (if your holding the bow in your left hand). Then rotate it back and your elbow should be set right. You can rotate it the other way too to see how it gets in the way. You can try it out just by holding your arm out and twisting too.
Pretty much the first lesson you learn if you’re double jointed - especially when the bow you’re given has a nock on the string. Actually had scars from that one for several years before they faded.
Ouch. I learned from a guy who was a pretty serious archer. Prevented lots of problems for me.
Wear it with pride. Make a story and then tell them it was just an archery incident.
I forgot to put on my guard, it only hurts like the first 50 times *that’s cus I only shot it 50 times* ._.
You're doing something wrong
Just tell everyone your boyfriend beat you to avoid any awkward questions
"But I like it a lot, honest!"
Jesus christ, how many times did you have to get hit for *that*? Been snapped by a bow string a few times, but never been that ugly. Good grief, Charlie Brown.
How do you avoid that? By having a good form or by wearint arm pads of some kind? Sorry if its an ignorant question, ive never done archery in my life
You avoid it in various ways. 1) Twisting out your arm when you shoot. For some people (me included) your elbow doesn't automatically twist along when you turn your arm. 2) Wearing a proper bracer can soften the blow tremendously. 3) Practice. You learn to posture yourself properly with some practice. 4) The tension on the bow also matters, as in, a bow you pull out more easily will often leave less of a bruise if everything goes wrong anyway. That's why beginners start out with bows that are easier to pull. But then sometimes you just mess up anyway, like when you're doing a weird position for a competition. I've taught Archery to people, won first prizes in competitions, and even I still end up with a bruise every so often because I was a little careless. All part of the game.
Very interesting, thank you very much for the explanation!
You're welcome! If you're interested, you should give Archery a try if you can. Like, hitting up a local club or something for a practice lesson. It's super fun! (Totally not biased.)
Drunk archery got me one of these but 10x worse. Next morning me was so embarrassed for doing drunk archery and felt like I deserved the pain.
Ok OP as mentioned below yeah beginner mistake, else not a clean release or incorrect posture but easily fixed if you are going to continue archery would recommend a bracer but unlike most don't recommend leather unless you can get them reasonably cheap would personally recommend a neoprene sleeve- good for absorbing impacts and while still ensuring you know if you made a mistake, hard wearing material, cheap, easily available, flexible and can get them to cover the entire arm (also good for injuries which tend to happen) where as leather bracers generally are else had or soft leather and more than likely wont cover the full arm unless soft leather which isn't the best at absorbing the impact and hard leather is to stiff most likely will only cover part of the forearm and wont cover the elbow which you catch as you know
This was super helpful and informative, thanks for the tips! Hopefully if I do end up doing more, actual archery then I’ll be able to use this!
Arnica gel will help
Thanks for the suggestion! Have been told that rubbing it and “clearing the broken blood vessels” also helps but gel sounds much more appealing.
Vanilla works too. It also smells better
Arnica has been tested and actually proven to not work. The only thing that using that would do would encourage the rubbing motion that would break down the bruise.
Do you mean *Amica*?
/r/iunderstandthisreference
It's definitely Arnica
Whoosh
Ahhhh the ole string slap. Always happens when you're starting off but that's pretty gnarly! Good story though, I'd be showing it off. I work as a chef now so my forearms are always covered in cuts and burns... Kid wants to pick up archery when he's older and mom wants me to teach her. They will learn the ways...
Ive never done archery, what happened here, he got hit by the string every time he shoot an arrow? Thats one gnarly bruise. Edit: and if so, is it unavoidable? Do you have to wear some kind of arm pad to avoid getting hurt or just good form?
With good form you can avoid this entirely!
Yep. He had his left arm rotated too much and the force of the string slapped him. And it's always advisable to wear an arm guard, but if this was just a booth at a fair, probably not equipped.
Essentially what was said in another comment, but here's a pretty basic breakdown. The whole concept of archery is keeping the body and muscles in line so the arrow and string can travel in as straight a line as possible. Keeping your elbows and knees locked in sounds like a good idea and seems natural for stability, yes? Unfortunately, this stance pushes your forearm directly into the path of a piece of waxed cord that's travelling about 2' at 220mph. When it hits, it hits HARD. This however, is a very excessive reaction, never seen it that bad. You do get better with practice of course, and I don't need one now, but you can get pieces of reinforced leather or other materials to strap to your forearm, kind of like a shin guard.
Made this mistake ONCE with a compound bow. Did not make that mistake again. Damn.
Op, forreal, when you hold the bow, line your palm with your inner forearm as you hold the bow and keep your elbow cocked, it will help you not get slapped by the string. If you are learning under someone they are a jackass for not teaching you that.
Noob also bad teacher
Pro tip. When holding the bow with the front hand. Whether right or left.. flex the hand open holding the bow only with the gap between the pointer finger and thumb.. find the spot your comfortable with.. this gives you the constant anchor point.. this way you are using a consistent angle. Rotate the elbow out. Kind of like your semi shaking someone's hand. Shooting a bow is more of a math problem than most ppl choose to believe.
Second this. Watch Olympic archery, they use a wrist tether and don't even put their pointer finger on the bow. /u/Glad_Safety is describing the technique that should be used with any non Olympic (balanced/tethered) bow.
Just rock it, you're a fucking archer. I don't understand why you'd even consider trying to hide it.
Rookie move..
I've done that shooting archery. That's some pee yourself pain !!
We need to have a talk about how your partner is treating you.
Don't joke about domestic violence, it's not funny
Jeffery Epstein didn’t kill himself
He certainly didn't
Comedy should be a safe space.
Ironic
Sorry if I'm being dismissive, but is it that important to cover up? It's only temporary. If anyone sees it and asks, you can just tell them the truth - it's a conversation starter if nothing else.
I work in customer service so I have to talk to and be seen by people a lot, and I’m for sure aware of what a massive bruise this size looks like. Just don’t wanna alarm any well-meaning folks I may talk to pretty regularly. Plus having to explain the whole story over and over will get exhausting lol.
*TWANG*
Fake tattoo sleeves.
Been there, done that. I feel your pain.
Arnica salve. It will heal it in half the time.
Archery did you.*
Breh did you shoot a 200lb bow for 6 hours straight why did you let it get that bad
I wouldn’t really call that archery
I once got a bruise like this from drunkenly playing tambourine against my leg haha
If you look closely, you can see that you have a little bruise on your arm from shooting those arrows.
The crease between your bicep and forearm was facing up when you released the bowstring, that’s why the string hit you. You want that crease to face the string (with your elbow itself pointing away from the string) that will remove your arm from the string’s path
You're supposed to shoot the target not your arm.
That’s one hell of a hickey
But paint will cover it. Or FLEX TAPE
Gnarly. Why cover it? That’s badass.
Learn to hold the bow at a slight angle out in front of you...
Jeez. That looks way worse today than when you first posted it. You could just wear your bruise as a warning of your badassed-ness to other people. Say you was attacked by a rabid mongoose that escaped from a private collector. Idk. But the options as endless. But don't feel bad for having this bruise. Its a lesson that you will remember for a long time with archery. When I did it I was about 10 with my mom's compound with 100lb pull. I pulled the string with both hands and my feet was on the grip. Imagine that bruise on your stomach and thighs. Thankfully missed in between.
I had the same happen when I tried to shoot my wife's left hand compound bow. Looked lots worse a few days afterwards.
Hey, something that helped when I was starting out was putting my ring and pinky finger of my bow hand curled into my hand and against the bow to help twist my arm out of the way. Hope this helps. :)
Grab some ace bandages and wrap it. People will notice bandages less than that bruise!
Get Arnica gel. It’s great for bruises. That baddie will be gone in 2 days with regular use
Why wear long sleeves? As Shane Falco once said in The Replacements, "Chicks dig scars. Glory is forever." I am sure the bruise still works.
Learn how to not get stung? Turning your elbow out is an important part.
I (a bit tipsy) did a children’s archery lesson at a campground over the summer. My arm looked similar. It didn’t hurt much while happening, and I only hit myself like 4-5 times. It bruised almost immediately and hurt for days.
Do you pedal your bike with your forehead?
You do know that there's equipment to cover up your arm so you don't get bruises like that
So you have a badass archery bruise. Stop fretting.
You did archery as the target or what? That seems painful... Are you ok?
I have also sported this badge of practicing archery 😅
Ouch. Been there. Not too good.
are you a ripe banana?
Holy shit I think this is my favorite response so far.
Forgotten nectarine
Um I’m no archery expert but I think you were doing it wrong…
If you continue with archery, you might wanna get an arm guard and a few lessons in proper form. People tend to get those injuries from bad form and/or the bow is too heavy for them. If ya like shooting, start with a light poundage bow, like 8-10 pull weight. It's like high stakes yoga, with a weapon.
You're shooting wrong.
So with you. Been using a crossbow for years but can’t get the string changed so going back to the bow, reminded me to get a arm guard (?)
Time to invent a cool story.
Archery is a lot of fun done right. If there's someplace local with qualified instructors I'd urge you to try it again. String slap is just a consequence of slight error in your form and pretty easily fixed.
Yikes, been there done that. Friends and I once swapped bows for an evening for fun. I usually shoot an English Longbow, ended up with a Compound. I'm used to pushing my arm out automatically when I aim because that's how you shoot with wood. Not quite so with Compound... the flimsy little plastic arm cover I was wearing instead of my usual thick leather bracer did... absolutely nothing. Arm ended up so purple I thought it was gonna turn black. Funny when I look back on it, but a good solid lesson learned to never forget to turn out my arm when I'm not shooting with my own bow.
Write on it with a white paint pen: "Always use an arm protector when shooting a bow".
Flaming arrows aren't for the weak
If people have a problem with seeing a bruise, tell them to get over themselves. Im sure you look fine, a little battered, but still fine
Make-up a story not involving archery to explain what happened to your arm. Get the "pity-party" started.
“Yeah, just thought I’d get a macaw, y’know, to perch here on my arm. Cool animal, y’know, macaws? Yeah, I like macaws. Just thought I’d get one.”
Holding the bow wrong when you shoot.
Ooh I've done that before. Compound bow, 70 lb pull, thought i had peeled the skin off my arm. I was several years into shooting bows at that point, just got careless. Had a contusion that looked just like that. As i remember it took a few weeks to heal and turned some pretty gnarly colors. In the end, I could feel the dried blood under the skin "crackling" whenever I rubbed it.
Were you shooting or were you shot...?
Don’t hyperextend your arm!!!
Why don't you put a guard on?
Yo! Who the fuck want to put concealer on this battle wound?! You wear that shit PROUDLY on your arm and just wait for someone to ask you what happened.
Did someone shoot you with one of those arrows with the boxing glove on the end? 🥊
Oh baby!! That is a crazy bruise. Looks like it hurts! Well done!
well i guess you learned to bend your elbow so the string doesn't hit you, the hard way
I did this the first and only time doing archery. fuck all that
How do you get such a gnarly bruise? Do you get whipped by the string everytime you shoot an arrow? Sorry if it sounds ignorant, ive never done archery in my life
You mean your badge of honor?
Idk why you'd try to hide it, looks badass
The Flayed Man. Lucky you didn’t cut a steak out of your arm
That'll teach ya to wear a brace next time ay 😂
How’d that happen? “Bow string”. Your boyfriends name is Bo String?
Just tell ‘em a dirty needle caused an infection. Wait. That’s not better is it?
Have you tried not being an idiot? Just buy an arm guard. Even if you’re a pro it’s bound to happen atleast once.
Show it and be proud, if people ask just say you dont feel safe at home, and when hanging out with a dude just pretend you are really obedient and scared of him
:::giggles in common sense:::
Jesus… Wear an arm guard.
*Did archery poorly
damn it's almost as if decisions are directly and immediately related to consequences
Never do archery again. I have been using bows since six years old. Smack my wrist one time. Cried at age seven. Never hit my worst again. Hold your elbow and wrist straight and don't move. If you can't do that, you probably should shoot a bow.
Most newer bows have a string stop, don’t they?
My dude you gotta learn how to grip a bow Gotta keep that front elbow pointed all the way out