KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE SHOULDER ABDUCTION ANGLE AT THE DRAWING POSITION IN RECURVE AND COMPOUND ARCHERS IN DENPASAR

Abstrak

Archery involves repetitive upper-extremity movements that can increase the risk of shoulder injuries, particularly affecting the rotator cuff muscles. The drawing position plays an essential role in determining the biomechanical load placed on the shoulder joint. Differences in technique between the recurve and compound divisions are thought to produce variations in kinematics that may influence injury risk.

This study is descriptive observational research with a cross-sectional design involving 16 archers (8 recurve, 8 compound) in Denpasar. Data were collected through observation of the drawing position using photographic documentation and analyzed with the AngleLab application to measure horizontal (θ_hor) and vertical (θ_ver) shoulder abduction angles. Data analysis was performed using the independent sample t-test.

The results showed a significant difference in θ_hor between recurve and compound archers (p < 0.05). Compound archers demonstrated greater horizontal abduction angles compared to recurve archers, indicating the influence of the let-off mechanism on shoulder opening in the transverse plane. In contrast, θ_ver showed no significant difference (p > 0.05), suggesting that shoulder elevation follows similar technical patterns in both divisions.

Differences in drawing techniques between the two archery divisions result in notable variations in shoulder kinematics. Kinematic analysis can serve as an important indicator for preventing shoulder injuries in archers and form the basis for developing training programs focused on strengthening the shoulder muscles and scapular stabilizers.