Exploring archery tech with Australian archer Markus Kuhrau

We built BOWdometer to help archers like you track your practice, maintain your gear, and connect with other archers around the world. We’ve met target archers in Spain, bow hunters in the U.S., and a couple crossbow fans in our own backyard here in Waterloo, Ontario.

A little further from our office, we’ve gotten to know target archer Markus Kuhrau from Melbourne, Australia. We caught up with Markus to learn about his journey into archery, his thoughts on archery tech, and what’s next for him as he continues to train as a competitive target archer.

Whether you start when at summer camp or discover it later in life, archery is a lifelong obsession for all of us. Markus’s start with archery came at an early age. “I started archery when I was in primary school. From that moment onwards it just fascinated me and I can't get enough, even to this day,” said Markus.

Markus’s current setup is a Hoyt Factor Xi with Velos limbs, an Axcel sight, a RamRod Vektor stabilizer and, of course, a BOWdometer. “BOWdometer has really helped me in getting a much larger dataset from my training,” Markus said. “I then am able to go back in time and see what was going on and how I performed.”

Tracking your practice over time is one of the main ways BOWdometer helps you understand the ways new accessories, stances, and tweaks to your setup affect your shooting. With BOWdometer attached to your bow, all you need to do is turn it on and practice like normal. All your shot data is available in the BOWdometer app for you to review when you’re ready. “It made me much more stable and I then got even more of a feeling for all the small details in a given shoot,” added Markus.

Archery tech plays a big role in helping Markus improve his shooting. He’s used both BOWdometer and the Mantis X8, another archery tech tool. Both devices attach to your bow and track your shooting, but in two very different ways. BOWdometer is a practice companion designed to track your practice so you can see improvement over time, whether you’re working on your technique or building up your muscle memory. The Mantis X8 is focused on providing shot feedback in cool visual ways to help you work specifically on your technique.

Since Markus has used both products, we asked him to provide some feedback on the differences between the products. The BOWdometer has a built-in screen so you can see your shot count and Shot Xi – our shot consistency scale – as you shoot. With the Mantis X8, you need to use the app to see your shot information. Another big difference for Markus is that you need to have the Mantis X8 connected to your phone to save your shot data. With BOWdometer, you can leave your phone at home, shoot, and then connect to your phone to get your shot data when it works for you.

Markus pointed out one other thing about BOWdometer that he preferred. BOWdometer and the Mantis X8 can attach to any bow, but not in the same way. BOWdometer can be attached with a bolt mount or velcro straps. The Mantis X8 uses sticky tape which makes it harder to remove if needed.

Both products can provide huge value to an archer looking to step up their game. We get asked often about adding more analytics into our app. So, we’ve partnered up with the Artemis Performance Analysis app to give access to BOWdometer sensor data and tools, powered by our BOWdometer Open Platform. This collaboration will come to the market in Spring 2021, you can learn more about it on our Instagram Story highlights @bowdometer.

Like all of us, Markus has had to make some changes to his training due to the pandemic. Today, Markus balances studying for his master’s degree while training for the 2024 Paris Olympics. We’re looking forward to seeing him in competitions soon!