If you have ever shot an archery arrow for any length of time, you are well aware of the incredible drain that it can have on your hand. In order to properly condition your palm, you may want to consider an exercise known as water slapping. The logical question out of this is how that simple exercise will actually help you with archery.
Water slapping can most definitely help with archery. When you do this exercise enough, it will effectively increase arm strength. At the same time, you will develop a type of muscle memory that will come in handy as you pull the bow consistently. Slapping water will help condition your hand.
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Water slapping has been around for centuries. You may never have heard of it, but it can nonetheless be effective as you strive to become better at archery.
Continue reading to learn more about the value of water slapping, where the concept originates from, and how it can help you with archery.
What is Water Slapping?
Water slapping is a form of resistance training. Various martial arts disciplines have used it for thousands of years as it has proven effective at building muscles and developing a resistance to pain does water slapping help your archery skills?. In archery, strong arms result in a more stable bow and accurate arrow shot does archery really require a lot of strength.
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If you are going to slap water, you literally do what it sounds like. With the water in a sturdy container and on a stable platform, you will slap or push through the water as hard as you can. Since water will push back at you at an equal force, this is a great way to condition your hand and arm without risking injury. For it to be effective, water slapping must become a regular routine.
Where Does the Idea of Water Slapping Come From?
While nobody seems to be able to say with certainty, water slapping appears to have been introduced to the world by ancient monks. They used it as a way to instill discipline and to develop a sense of calm. This is why it continues to be used by many martial artists today and has evolved into a way of conditioning.
Water slapping is as much about developing patience as it is strength. Both of these components are so valuable in archery. A strong arm and hand are needed in order to hold the bow stable for long periods of time. This was especially valuable in the early days of archery when it was used more for combat than for sport.
How Does Water Slapping Strengthen Your Arm and Hand?
Water slapping increases the strength in your arms by providing a continual source of resistance upon impact. It is also viewed as a safe way of strengthening arms and hands because of the soft nature of water. In fact, it is common for people who slap water to be then able to break wood.
This is a different type of resistance training than what is possible with lifting weights alone. Weightlifting can result in small muscle tears, making it more difficult for an archer to stabilize the bow and arrow. Such risks are minimized with water slapping, allowing for a more secure platform upon which to engage in target practice.
Read about if archery can cause muscle imbalance.
Does Water Slapping Help in Other Ways Besides Strength Alone?
Water slapping helps archers in more ways than just strength. It takes focus and resolves to slap water time after time successfully. This replicates the types of mental endurance that archers must engage in if they are going to hit their target successfully. Concentration is key to making this happen.
Arm and hand strength has a great deal to do with successful archery. At the same time, patience and concentration are equally important. Water slapping can be monotonous and seem to serve little purpose but remaining patient and focused throughout the exercise is how you will be successful in the end.
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This is why water slapping can help with archery. It instills the very qualities that one needs to be effective at shooting an arrow towards a target with accuracy. This requires both a strong arm and an equally strong mind. Water slapping is an exercise that can promote both of these with effectiveness.
Final thoughts
Now that you know what water slapping is, it is important to consider how you can use this exercise to become even better at archery. If you have struggled with hand and arm strength in the past, water slapping may just be the key to helping you overcome that. Give it a try and see what you think.
