Draw Length - Compound

Looking along the line at any competition more than half of compound archers have a draw length that is, to some extent, shorter than ideal. 

While it's important to achieve things like consistency to truly get your draw length accurate, your draw length helps with so many other parts of your shot, from execution, to aiming, to feeling your muscles properly.

Don't forget to get in touch if you want some help getting your draw length exactly right for you!

Sometimes a short draw length is for a reason, and if you know why and you’ve tried it and know that’s best, then it’s what works for you and stick to it. But most don’t realise it’s too short. It’s much rarer, and much more problematic, that you find an archer with a draw length too long. If you aren’t completely sure about your draw length then it’s important to take the time when you have at least a couple of weeks without competition to test if it’s really right for you.

You need a completely neutral posture to test your draw length. To do this takes time and you’ll probably need someone watching you to be able to tell you when you get it and when you don’t. A neutral position consists of the following:

• A vertical spine that has little to no bend in it,
• Bow arm elbow only slightly bent to align the bones in the arm,
• Flat and level shoulders at resting height, again to align the bones,
• Release arm elbow directly in line with the arrow.

 
The first is achieved with tension in your abdominals, making sure your sternum is dropped and your bum is tucked in so that your spine straightens. You also need to balance the weight on your feet to ensure you’re vertical, not leaning backwards.

The elbow positioning is straightforward to achieve because you should be able to tell when your arm bones are lined up, as your muscles can actually relax without your arm pulling toward you. Do this against a wall to start, or with an exercise band, to find the position and then have someone tell you when you match that position with your bow. Similarly, your release arm elbow position is controlled by the tension in your rear rhomboid, so you can alter when in the draw cycle your rhomboid activates in order that your elbow is pulled around the correct amount.

Too far and your draw length is too long, and you don’t have enough room to expand the shot for good execution. Too short and you put lateral forces on the arrow as the release goes off because your hand will travel sideways not straight back. Have someone tell you when you’ve found the correct elbow position.

The shoulders can be more difficult. In fact, shoulder position is the most common problem on any archery field. Without a bow, stand upright, your shoulders completely relaxed letting your arms droop by your sides. Without moving your shoulders at all, raise your arms out to each side. Turn your head toward your bow hand and bend your release arm so that your fingers contact your jaw bone. That’s the position you want at full draw.

Your shoulders are flat and relaxed, so your skeleton is in a position to do as much as possible. This is the best neutral position because it requires the least effort, it lets your skeleton take the most force and lets your muscles focus on executing the shot.
 
Using this starting point you will have your draw length correct. You can twist cables to make minor adjustments, putting twists in to increase draw length, and vice versa. This will affect your draw weight, so you’ll need to account for this too. You set your draw length so that you can achieve neutral position and have the string make light but definite contact with your nose and, preferably, the corner of your mouth. Two points of contact is better than one for consistency. You can then adjust your d-loop length so that you can have your release arm elbow in the correct position, giving you a definite anchor point along your jaw bone.
 
This position is to minimise the effort of muscles that should be dormant, maximise the load the skeleton takes, consequently maximising your stability, and give you the room and strength to execute the shot well with your rhomboid.
 
Start with this position before you start to alter it. Some people find a shorter draw length helps. This usually promotes more effort, so those that want to put a little more into their shot may find this useful, though it makes balancing the force through your muscles a lot more important for aiming steadily, so your shot timing becomes all the more vital. You can still practice this to make it work well if it’s what you prefer, but you need to try it neutral to know what’s better. The best way to find your best draw length, and best full draw position, is to work with a coach that can see the differences these changes make.