Archery Injuries: Shoulder, String Arm, Range Safety and When to See a Pro

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Arrow 60 of a 72-arrow ranking round. The wind has picked up, the sun has been on the line since breakfast, and the drawing shoulder has started to ache in a way it didn’t at arrow 10. Archery looks calm from the outside, but every shot is a heavy, held pull, repeated hundreds of times a week. That is where most archery injuries come from: not crashes or collisions, but the same shoulder, back and fingers doing the same job again and again. This page covers the common problems, what the research shows, how ranges keep people safe, and when to get help.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you’re hurt, see a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist (PT) or certified athletic trainer (AT). For the bigger picture of the sport, start at our archery hub.

How safe is archery?

Safer than most people think. At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, archery was among the sports with the lowest injury rates (0–3% of athletes injured), alongside shooting, golf, rowing and table tennis, according to the IOC’s injury study. A US study of hospital emergency department data found an overall rate of 4.4 injuries per 10,000 participants aged 6 and over, with 99% of cases treated and released; the author concluded that recreational archery is safer than field sports such as soccer, basketball or baseball. But “rarely sends you to the ER” isn’t the same as “never hurts”. Surveys of club and elite archers show that overuse pain, especially in the shoulder, is common.

The most common archery injuries

Drawing-shoulder overuse and the rotator cuff

The shoulder that pulls the string does the most work. In a survey of 396 archers using all types of bow, 57.3% had been injured during archery practice; the drawing shoulder was the most common site (28.2%), and half of those with shoulder or neck/back injuries had to stop practicing. At a European Youth Championships, 43.5% of 200 young archers (average age 16.9) said they had shoulder pain during training, and 31.8% had had to stop training because of an injury.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) describes shoulder impingement and rotator cuff tendinitis as irritation of the rotator cuff tendons, often in people who repeat the same arm work over and over. Early signs: mild pain both with use and at rest, and pain spreading from the front of the shoulder to the side of the arm. Later: pain at night and loss of strength and motion. A sudden pop or real weakness lifting the arm can mean a tear, which needs a doctor.

Bow-arm issues

The bow arm pushes and holds still under load for every shot. A study of elite archers found differences in shoulder strength between the two sides compared with non-archers, which is one reason coaches add balancing strength work (see archery training). Pain at the front of the bow shoulder, an elbow that aches on the outside (AAOS calls this lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, an overuse injury of the forearm tendons), or a wrist that hurts when you take the bow’s weight are all worth getting checked if they keep coming back.

String fingers and hands

Fingers are the most common site of archery injuries treated in US emergency departments. A study of 2013–2022 national data (about 43,000 archery injuries) found fingers made up 66.2% of men’s injuries and hands another 17.1%, with lacerations the leading diagnosis. Many of those cuts come from handling sharp hunting points, not from target shooting; for everyday target archers, sore or blistered string fingers are the more likely problem. The study’s authors recommend protective gear such as finger tabs and forearm guards. A tab or glove spreads the string’s pressure and protects the skin.

Forearm string slap

Almost every beginner gets one: the string slaps the inside of the bow forearm and leaves a bruise. The US emergency department study found contusions and abrasions, often from the bowstring hitting the arm, made up 6% of injuries. An arm guard on the bow forearm is the simple fix, and a coach can check the cause (often grip or a locked-out elbow). A chest guard keeps the string off loose clothing and the chest.

Neck and back

Archery is one-sided: you stand side-on, turn your head toward the target and hold. In the 396-archer survey, neck and back injuries were the second most common (19.9%). Long days standing on the line, carrying gear and bending to pull arrows add up. Back and neck strength and posture work help (see training). As general guidance, numbness, weakness, or pain that travels down an arm or leg should be checked by a doctor promptly.

Range safety: what the data say

The serious accidents in archery are rare, and most are preventable. In the US emergency department data, lacerations led the list (62%), most often from mishandling hunting arrows; puncture wounds were 8%, often from falling onto an arrow, and foreign bodies 6% (vanes or feathers in the hand, a shaft that breaks). The author’s main prevention point was safe handling of broadheads. For target ranges, the tools are simple and well proven:

• Signals. Under World Archery rules, two sound signals call archers to the line, one starts shooting, three start scoring (walking to the target), and a series of at least five means stop shooting immediately. Many US clubs and schools use the same pattern with whistles. If you’re at full draw when the emergency signal sounds, let down; don’t release.
• Nock only on the line, point the arrow at the target, and never draw with anyone forward of the line.
• Walk, don’t run to the targets; approach arrows in the boss from the side and pull them with one hand on the target face, checking nobody is behind you.
• Backstop and space. At home, shoot only into a proper target with a safe backstop and nothing (and nobody) behind it. A field-point bag target such as the Morrell Yellow Jacket Stinger is made to stop and release target arrows.
• Check your equipment before every session for cracks or frays, and never dry-fire (release a drawn bow with no arrow), which can break the bow and hurt the archer.

Bowhunters have extra risks, especially tree stands; see our hunting injuries page.

Prevention that fits archery

• Right draw weight. Coaches start new archers light and build up. Struggling to draw, shaking at full draw or creeping forward are signs the bow is too heavy for you right now.
• Build arrow volume slowly, like a runner builds miles. Spikes in arrows per week, before a tournament or after a break, are when shoulders complain.
• Strengthen the other side of the shoulder. AAOS publishes a rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program (rows, external rotation, scapula setting and retraction) with a clear rule: you should not feel pain during an exercise. Elastic bands like the THERABAND beginner set make it easy at home.
• Warm up before the first arrow: arm circles, band pull-aparts, and a few draws with a band trainer such as the SAS bow training band.
• Protective gear every session: arm guard, finger tab or glove, and a chest guard if the string touches your clothing.
• Kids: the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least 1–2 days off a week from the main sport and about 3 months off a year in total.

When to see a sports medicine doctor, PT or athletic trainer

• Right away (emergency): any puncture or arrow wound, a deep cut, heavy bleeding, a possible eye injury, or a fall with a head knock (remove the archer and follow the CDC HEADS UP steps: no return the same day).
• Within a few days: a pop in the shoulder, sudden weakness lifting the arm, numbness or tingling in the hand, or pain that stops you drawing.
• Soon: shoulder pain at night, pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks or keeps coming back, or neck and back pain that spreads down an arm or leg.

A sports medicine physician diagnoses and decides on imaging; a physical therapist guides rehab and the return to full draw weight; an athletic trainer is often the first person to see you at school and college events. Return usually goes from pain-free daily use to band work, then light draws, then short sessions, then full volume, guided by the person treating you. Meanwhile, look after the basics on our archery recovery page.

Archery injuries: FAQs

What is the most common injury in archery?

For people who shoot regularly, overuse pain in the drawing shoulder is the most common (28.2% of archers in one 396-archer survey). In US emergency departments, finger and hand cuts lead the list, many of them from handling sharp hunting points.

Is archery a dangerous sport?

No. Archery had one of the lowest injury rates at the Rio 2016 Olympics (0–3% of athletes), and US hospital data show about 4.4 injuries per 10,000 participants, almost all treated and released. Range rules and signals are the reason it stays that way.

Why does my forearm get bruised when I shoot?

The string is hitting it on release. Wear an arm guard and ask a coach to check your grip and bow-arm elbow position; small form changes usually stop it.

Should I shoot through shoulder pain?

No. Drop the draw weight or the arrow count and get it checked if it doesn’t settle. AAOS lists pain at night and loss of strength or motion as signs that rotator cuff problems are progressing.

What do the whistle signals mean on an archery range?

Under World Archery rules: two signals, archers go to the shooting line; one, start shooting; three, go and score or collect arrows; five or more, stop shooting at once. If you hear the emergency signal at full draw, let down without releasing.