Interesting Info I found on the net

[Colin & Lynlee]

Maybe of interest to archers

http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=161725


"Sirs-When I was much younger I did both Judo and longbow, and both drilled into me that there is NO substitute for EXACT form. You waste your strength fighting yourself, or the bow.In the otherhand, exact form IS necessary because it substitutes for strength by achieving maximum leverage. You must also remember the average archer was a pesant, a 2 pound a year man, only required to have a bow arrows and heavy fighting knife. He farmed by hand and grew up working the fields by hand, meaning he was pretty tough to begin. The relavent statutes are for Edward III, and quoted in professor Johnathan Sumption's "The Hundred Years War, Trial by Battle", pretty much the standard work these days, I understand.Boys were encouraged to start shooting as soon as possible, and after 18 were fined 2 pounds (one years income) for every time they shot at a mark less than 220 yards. They were required to practice in front of the Sheriff or one of his baliffs at regular intervals.This is why the old archery records aren't matched today, no practice time. In the 1300's young pesant boys grew up expecting to be archers in the army, and so practiced regularly, did the odd bit of poaching when food was short, practiced for the sheriff and so on."

Cheers
Colin

[English Warbowman]

Thanks for that Colin. I have a the book in question so I'll have a delve into it and see if I can confirm the info.
Someone once said practise is everything. But someone else said PERFECT practise is every thing.
Once the technique of drawing a heavy bow is mastered the higher poundages are easier to achieve.

[Colin & Lynlee]

The words were not mine they are a quotation from the link I posted with the posting
Cheers
Colin