Equipment and tuning
Claims about draw weight, spine, stabilisers, tuning and arrow flight, each with its evidence status and sources.
147 claims · 29% with evidence on archers
- 2Corroborated
- 88Reported
- 13Contested
- 30Transferred
- 5Contradicted
- 0Refuted
- 9Not studied
- 0Predicted
Does it apply to me? Discipline
Level
- CorroboratedAlong its flight the arrow loses an appreciable part of its launch speed12 studiesStatus since 2011
- CorroboratedAs it leaves the bow, the arrow flexes and snakes around the riser instead of leaving straight19 studies · 47 archers measuredStatus since 2012
- ReportedA camera-based scoring system misreads some arrows: the ones barely sticking out and the ones that shift the target face7 studies · 2 archers measuredStatus since 2017
- ReportedA chest band with fibre optic sensors measures breathing and mean heart rate with small errors, and an archer can wear it while shooting2 studiesStatus since 2019
- ReportedA compound bow stores between 70 and 100 joules and sheds about two thirds of the force at full draw4 studiesStatus since 2015
- ReportedA damper tuned to the tremor frequency reduces the bow's vibration while aiming1 studyStatus since 2017
- ReportedA heavier draw weight leads to higher scores9 studies · 264 archers measuredStatus since 2017
- ReportedA horn-and-sinew composite bow shoots better than a wooden bow of the same draw weight6 studiesStatus since 1988
- ReportedA Japanese bow glued with traditional animal glue pushes the arrow harder in the final stretch, at the same peak speed1 study · archers measuredStatus since 2017
- ReportedA medium-weight wooden bow with a very light cane arrow does not exceed forty metres per second and only works at close range2 studiesStatus since 2016
- ReportedA shaft that buckles on release breaks in the middle and leaves sharp edges3 studiesStatus since 2024
- ReportedA shooting shirt with built-in chest guard and arm guard is judged comfortable by archers1 study · 6 archers measuredStatus since 2018
- ReportedA signal telling beginners when the bow is at the right angle tightens their groups1 study · 2 archers measuredStatus since 2012
- ReportedA thinner arrow drifts less in the wind8 studiesStatus since 2011
- ReportedA well-built shooting machine groups more tightly than an archer11 studies · 3 archers measuredStatus since 1990
- ReportedA wrist accelerometer can pick out the moment of the shot, and does it better when the signal is processed1 study · 6 archers measuredStatus since 2025
- ReportedAfter physical effort, single-cam and twin-cam bows lose the same amount of accuracy1 study · 15 archers measuredStatus since 2016
- ReportedAmong archers, those who shoot heavier draw weights send the arrow off faster4 studies · 91 archers measuredStatus since 2025
- ReportedAmong young competitive archers the recurve is the most common bow and the compound remains a minority5 studies · 636 archers measuredStatus since 2023
- ReportedAn arrow flying at an angle to the airflow suffers far more drag12 studiesStatus since 2011
- ReportedAn arrow shot by an archer has more consistent drag from shot to shot than one launched by a machine3 studiesStatus since 2014
- ReportedAn arrow-launching machine at 70 m picks out defective arrows4 studiesStatus since 2020
- ReportedAn expert archer repeats the arrow's speed from shot to shot almost as closely as a shooting machine4 studies · 28 archers measuredStatus since 2012
- ReportedArchers notice big changes in their equipment, not small differences2 studies · 19 archers measuredStatus since 1998
- ReportedArchers with a sturdier build shoot heavier draw weights1 study · 33 archers measuredStatus since 2023
- ReportedArrow spine has to be matched to draw weight and arrow length8 studies · 83 archers measuredStatus since 1990
- ReportedArrows with a stiffer spine vibrate at a higher natural frequency7 studies · 16 archers measuredStatus since 2011
- ReportedAt a similar spine, an aluminium shaft weighs more than a carbon one2 studiesStatus since 2019
- ReportedAt seventy metres an elite archer's arrow arrives in a little over a second, at an average of fifty to sixty metres a second3 studies · 59 archers measuredStatus since 2005
- ReportedAustralian timbers are poorly suited to self bows1 studyStatus since 2024
- ReportedBeyond its first bending mode the arrow vibrates in higher modes, the second at about three times the first7 studies · 16 archers measuredStatus since 2012
- ReportedCarbon arrows damp their own vibration very little and reach the target still oscillating4 studiesStatus since 2012
- ReportedCarbon arrows damp vibration less than aluminium and wooden ones2 studiesStatus since 2019
- ReportedCarbon prepregs that match on paper but come from different suppliers do not give the same limb material1 studyStatus since 2023
- ReportedCommercial optical chronographs read arrow speed with an error of a couple of per cent1 studyStatus since 2011
- ReportedCompound archers group more tightly than recurve archers2 studies · 51 archers measuredStatus since 2010
- ReportedCompound arrows leave the bow much faster than recurve arrows8 studies · 88 archers measuredStatus since 2020
- ReportedElite archers shoot a draw weight far below their maximal drawing strength4 studies · 76 archers measuredStatus since 1990
- ReportedElite compound archers draw more pounds than recurve archers2 studies · 61 archers measuredStatus since 2025
- ReportedEquipment spending grows as the archer moves up in level1 study · 10 archers measuredStatus since 2025
- ReportedEven a simple bow launches an arrow faster than a spear-thrower launches its dart1 studyStatus since 1988
- ReportedExperienced traditional archers shoot bows of around forty pounds5 studies · 105 archers measuredStatus since 2024
- ReportedFitting the vanes at a slight angle tightens the group2 studiesStatus since 2011
- ReportedFor young archers the biggest obstacle is the cost of equipment2 studies · 35 archers measuredStatus since 2025
- ReportedFrom the same bow, a heavier arrow strikes lower5 studiesStatus since 2016
- ReportedGiving an experienced archer a bow other than their own does not change their precision2 studies · 28 archers measuredStatus since 1990
- ReportedGravity and air drag are enough to say where the arrow lands5 studiesStatus since 2011
- ReportedHow many blades a point has changes penetration differently depending on the target1 studyStatus since 2023
- ReportedIn barebow, archers prefer the weight set-up that leaves the bow steadier1 study · 7 archers measuredStatus since 2023
- ReportedIn flight the arrow oscillates in pitch, one cycle every fourteen to twenty-two metres, and the waviness shows mostly over the first stretch8 studiesStatus since 2011
- ReportedIn kyudo the twist the hand gives the grip shifts where the arrow lands3 studies · 19 archers measuredStatus since 2008
- ReportedIn the Japanese bow the bamboo chosen for the inner face is stiffer than that for the outer1 studyStatus since 2017
- ReportedMatching the arrows in a set by weight and nominal spine is not enough8 studiesStatus since 2014
- ReportedMeasured in a wind tunnel, the aerodynamic damping of the arrow's oscillation is negligible3 studiesStatus since 2015
- ReportedOn a compound bow the draw force is a little higher than the let-down force2 studiesStatus since 2015
- ReportedOn a compound the two limbs do not bend by the same amount at full draw2 studiesStatus since 2010
- ReportedOn a production compound the upper and lower limbs are identical1 studyStatus since 2015
- ReportedOn the asymmetric Japanese bow the two limbs deform differently3 studiesStatus since 2013
- ReportedOn the longbow, the flatbow and the horse bow, draw force rises almost in a straight line up to 50 centimetres of draw2 studiesStatus since 2018
- ReportedOne study of elite archers found no link between arrow length and score1 study · 39 archers measuredStatus since 2017
- ReportedOnly a minority of elite archers have the arrow leave the string on the bow's median plane2 studies · 16 archers measuredStatus since 2012
- ReportedPoint shape and vane type change the arrow's aerodynamic drag a great deal18 studiesStatus since 2007
- ReportedShafts have a stiffer side and a softer side: stiffness changes as you turn them around their axis3 studiesStatus since 2025
- ReportedShooting with stabilisers costs the muscles more work1 study · 7 archers measuredStatus since 1990
- ReportedSmall differences in launch speed account for much of the vertical spread10 studies · 10 archers measuredStatus since 2015
- ReportedStabilisers reduce the bow's lateral movement while the arrow is still on the string5 studies · 23 archers measuredStatus since 1987
- ReportedString material changes the bow's vibration after release4 studies · 10 archers measuredStatus since 2001
- ReportedThe arrow is stressed hardest only at launch and at impact, while in flight almost nothing happens to it7 studiesStatus since 2011
- ReportedThe arrow spins faster the faster it flies, and point shape plays no part4 studiesStatus since 2011
- ReportedThe flexing the arrow takes on does not grow in proportion to how fast the fingers open2 studiesStatus since 2015
- ReportedThe kisser button is widely used, and most archers do not find it a nuisance1 study · 15 archers measuredStatus since 2025
- ReportedThe material of the limb's inner layers changes how much the bow vibrates after the shot1 studyStatus since 2023
- ReportedThe point where the arrow passes closest to the bow is not its tail, and that passage happens after it has left the string6 studies · 16 archers measuredStatus since 2012
- ReportedThe spine recommended by manufacturers' charts is the spine top archers actually use2 studies · 16 archers measuredStatus since 2012
- ReportedThe type of nock changes the size of the group1 studyStatus since 2017
- ReportedThe type of vane changes how fast the arrow spins3 studiesStatus since 2013
- ReportedTuning the bow with a structured method raises the score2 studies · 42 archers measuredStatus since 2022
- ReportedTwisting the bow with the hand moves the arrow on the target8 studies · 35 archers measuredStatus since 2007
- ReportedVane type and size change the arrow's launch speed only slightly2 studiesStatus since 2009
- ReportedVane type changes how quickly the arrow settles in flight11 studiesStatus since 2011
- ReportedWalk-back tuning raises the score more than paper tuning1 study · 24 archers measuredStatus since 2022
- ReportedWhat the bow does not give the arrow stays in its moving parts: recoil and nock separation count for next to nothing4 studiesStatus since 2015
- ReportedWhat the bowyer says about the core materials of the Japanese bow only partly holds up in mechanical testing1 studyStatus since 2017
- ReportedWhere the vanes sit relative to the shaft's stiff side does not change the point of impact1 studyStatus since 2025
- ReportedWith a compound and a release aid, arrows stiffer than recommended group like the recommended one1 studyStatus since 2011
- ReportedWith a mechanical release the arrow flexes far less than it does off the fingers3 studiesStatus since 2014
- ReportedWith an audio sight an archer can shoot without seeing the target1 study · 6 archers measuredStatus since 2013
- ReportedWith the same bow a heavier arrow receives more energy11 studiesStatus since 1988
- ReportedWithin a certain speed band the arrow can fly in either of two regimes, and that shifts the point of impact in height8 studiesStatus since 2012
- ReportedWoods suited to self bows have a high ratio of bending strength to stiffness1 studyStatus since 2024
- ContestedA bite plate that raises the occlusion reduces body sway while aiming1 study · 1 archers measuredStatus since 1992
- ContestedA recurve competition arrow weighs about fifteen grams, is some sixty centimetres long and leaves the bow at around sixty metres per second12 studies · 39 archers measuredStatus since 2022
- ContestedA shooting machine reproduces the arrow's behaviour with a human archer3 studiesStatus since 2014
- ContestedA straighter shaft gives tighter impacts6 studiesStatus since 2025
- ContestedAn arrow's flexing in flight increases its drag5 studiesStatus since 2011
- ContestedHelical fletching makes the arrow lose more speed in flight than straight fletching1 studyStatus since 2020
- ContestedHigher-level archers shoot a few pounds more than the others4 studies · 147 archers measuredStatus since 2018
- ContestedRecurve archers are on average taller and heavier than compound or Indian traditional archers2 studies · 167 archers measuredStatus since 2020
- ContestedThe draw weight marked on the bow differs from what the archer actually pulls at their own draw length4 studies · 74 archers measuredStatus since 1981
- ContestedThe mathematical model of the bow predicts draw weight well and efficiency less well6 studiesStatus since 1997
- ContestedThe string's material and number of strands change the arrow's speed6 studies · 10 archers measuredStatus since 2007
- ContestedTop archers shoot moderate draw weights, between thirty and forty pounds13 studies · 297 archers measuredStatus since 2017
- ContestedWith a compound bow the muscles work less than with a recurve during the draw2 studies · 13 archers measuredStatus since 2000
- TransferredA competition bow passes about three quarters of the drawing work to the arrow8 studies · 10 archers measuredStatus since 1990
- TransferredA competition riser can be made a fifth lighter with almost no loss of stiffness2 studiesStatus since 2004
- TransferredA heavier arrow, or one with the balance point further forward, drifts less in a crosswind6 studiesStatus since 2011
- TransferredA shaft's stiffness depends far more on its diameter than on its wall thickness1 studyStatus since 2015
- TransferredAlong the shaft the airflow destabilises only under non-symmetric disturbances, and the disturbance always travels towards the nock2 studiesStatus since 2018
- TransferredAt release the string tension rises well above the draw weight3 studiesStatus since 1937
- TransferredAt the same peak force a compound stores far more energy than a recurve and is held at full draw with far less force5 studies · 13 archers measuredStatus since 2012
- TransferredEnglish war longbows, from the late Middle Ages to the Tudor period, were heavier to draw than people imagine today2 studiesStatus since 1997
- TransferredFor a given spine, the lightest carbon shaft is neither the thinnest nor the thickest1 studyStatus since 2013
- TransferredFor tuning a recurve arrow, the weight at the tail matters more than the point weight3 studiesStatus since 2012
- TransferredHow the side rods are spread and angled changes how much the stabiliser damps vibration1 studyStatus since 2012
- TransferredIn field archery the lightest shaft for a given spine is the better choice, and a thinner one if it is windy1 studyStatus since 2013
- TransferredIn the Japanese bow draw force does not rise steadily through the draw5 studies · 1 archers measuredStatus since 2017
- TransferredIndoors the thickest shaft the rules allow is the better choice1 studyStatus since 2013
- TransferredLimb geometry decides what share of the bow's stored energy passes to the arrow4 studiesStatus since 1991
- TransferredOn a compound bow the scope lens should be chosen for the archer's draw length and eyesight: the same lens does not magnify the same way for everyone1 studyStatus since 2010
- TransferredOn a compound bow the shape of the force-draw curve is governed by the cam profile4 studiesStatus since 2015
- TransferredOn a compound the limb mainly changes how much force is needed, and changes the shape of the force-draw curve little4 studiesStatus since 2016
- TransferredOn a compound the nocking point does not travel in a straight line during the draw, and how far it strays depends on the bow's geometry4 studiesStatus since 2010
- TransferredOn a compound the rest position matters little, as long as the arrow passes freely1 studyStatus since 2011
- TransferredOn a recurve there is no single right centreshot or button tension, but a range2 studiesStatus since 2012
- TransferredOn a right-handed compound, at full draw the arrow should be aligned slightly to the right of the centre of the target1 studyStatus since 2011
- TransferredOn a traditional bow without a sight, marks on the limb calculated for each distance can do the job of a sight1 studyStatus since 2023
- TransferredSpine measured at rest is not enough to predict how the arrow behaves when shot6 studiesStatus since 2001
- TransferredThe mass of the limbs and cams makes little difference to arrow speed3 studiesStatus since 1937
- TransferredThe more a Japanese bow's limbs curve outwards at rest, the heavier it is to draw1 studyStatus since 2019
- TransferredThe more the vanes are angled, the sooner the arrow spins up and the more turns it makes in the first metres of flight2 studiesStatus since 2011
- TransferredWhile aiming, the bow's tremor concentrates around two frequencies2 studies · 5 archers measuredStatus since 2017
- TransferredWhile it drives the arrow a compound bow rotates in the vertical plane, and no position of its centre of mass cancels that rotation2 studies · 1 archers measuredStatus since 2010
- TransferredWith a compound the arrow flexes less than with a recurve and leaves almost aligned2 studiesStatus since 2011
- ContradictedAn arrow that oscillates less in flight groups more tightly1 studyStatus since 2011
- ContradictedDuring the release the arrow buckles under the load on its point7 studiesStatus since 2015
- ContradictedHundreds of thousands of vibration cycles do not appreciably change an arrow's characteristics1 studyStatus since 2019
- ContradictedNocking point height needs to be set to the millimetre1 studyStatus since 2013
- ContradictedStronger archers shoot heavier draw weights4 studies · 78 archers measuredStatus since 1967
- Not studiedA cap reduces light-related visual disturbance in training and competition1 study · 15 archers measuredIn the registry since March 2026
- Not studiedA thinner shaft meets less air resistance2 studiesIn the registry since March 2026
- Not studiedAdding mass to the bow reduces the effect of wind gusts1 studyIn the registry since March 2026
- Not studiedAmong elite youth archers, girls and boys shoot similar draw weights1 study · 200 archers measuredIn the registry since May 2026
- Not studiedBow set-up has to be built around the individual archer, not copied from a single model2 studies · 16 archers measuredIn the registry since February 2026
- Not studiedIf the nock is loose on the nocking point, the arrow changes its impact height2 studiesIn the registry since January 2026
- Not studiedSome shafts leave the bow already spinning, and the vanes have to be set in the direction of that spin1 studyIn the registry since October 2026
- Not studiedStabilisers improve shooting accuracy5 studies · 15 archers measuredIn the registry since July 2026
- Not studiedThe weight of shooting clothing does not change how the leg muscles work1 studyIn the registry since March 2026
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