On a right-handed compound, at full draw the arrow should be aligned slightly to the right of the centre of the target
1 study
The summary today
A calculation says so, not a measurement. A model of the compound bow published in 2011 follows the arrow through the first milliseconds after release and finds that its centre of mass, for a right-handed bow, moves to the left of the line between the nock at full draw and the point where the hand pushes on the bow. It concludes that at full draw the arrow should be aligned a little to the right of the line from the nock to the centre of the target, and the result stays the same even with the rest moved to zero lateral offset, which only changes the angle at which the arrow enters the air. The author says he checked it by eye on the target, because photographing it would have needed an impossible depth of field; he does not say how large the shift is, in millimetres or in degrees, and no archers were measured. For the recurve, where the arrow flexes far more, the calculation is not in the registry's bibliography.
Also phrased as: "the arrow points right of centre"; "arrow alignment while aiming"; "arrow pointing to one side at full draw"; "where the arrow points at full draw"
In practice
When setting up a compound, the rest is moved sideways to decide where the arrow points at full draw, and the question is whether it should point exactly at the centre of the target or slightly to one side.
Evidence
-
2011
For Model Published later
A model of the compound bow with photographic checks of shaft flex on a shooting machine: for a right-handed bow the arrow's centre of mass moves to the left of the line between the nock at full draw and the bow hand's point of contact, so at full draw the arrow should be aligned a little to the right of the line from the nock to the centre of the target. The point of impact could not be photographed and was checked by eye; the shift is not quantified.
The Behaviour of An Arrow Shot from a Compound Archery Bow · J L Park
-
2011
Context Model Published later
In the same study, moving the rest 2 millimetres to zero lateral offset leaves the arrow's behaviour very similar and the centre of mass still goes to the left of the line between nock and hand; what changes is the angle of attack at which the arrow enters the air, from 0.1 to -0.2 degrees. According to the author the rest's lateral position is not critical to accuracy, as long as the vanes clear it.
The Behaviour of An Arrow Shot from a Compound Archery Bow · J L Park
Status history
- 2011 Transferred The first and only study arrives: a model of the compound bow shows that, for a right-handed bow, the arrow's centre of mass leaves to the left of the line between nock and bow hand, even with the rest at zero lateral offset, and concludes that at full draw the arrow should be aligned a little to the right of the centre. The check is by eye on the target, with no measurements and no archers: with the model alone the claim is transferred.
Related
Related articles
Research lines
Cite
Campagna, M. (2026). On a right-handed compound, at full draw the arrow should be aligned slightly to the right of the centre of the target (Version 2). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/equipment/arrow-alignment-at-full-draw
@misc{campagna2026_allineamentofrecciaversointerno,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {On a right-handed compound, at full draw the arrow should be aligned slightly to the right of the centre of the target},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/equipment/arrow-alignment-at-full-draw},
note = {Version 2; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
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