So you’re interested in archery. Maybe you already have an idea what kind of archery you’d like to pursue and you’re ready to get your first bow. Congratulations! Getting your first bow is a big moment in the life of an archer, but it’s important to make sure you get the right bow. The right bow will help you grow and develop as an archer, but the wrong bow will prove to be too cumbersome or even painful to use correctly and may end up stopping your growth as an archer altogether. Obviously, those of us already in the archery community don’t want that, which is why I will tell you how to determine what bow is the right bow.
As you may have guessed from the title of this article, the process begins with determining your draw length. This is vital information as it tells you what size bow to get and even what length of arrows you’ll need for your bow. This also tends not to change so once you’ve got an accurate measurement you shouldn’t need to determine it again unless you’ve gained enough experience to try other methods or changed in some other significant way. There are a couple accurate ways to do this:
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| Calculated Method Example |
The first method you could use is the calculated method. The easiest way to do this will require a little bit of tape (preferably painters tape, but any kind will do), a tape measure, an unobstructed flat wall, and a friend (or at least someone willing to assist you with measuring). First, you’ll need to have the person being measured for draw length stand with their back against the wall and with their arms held up so they make the shape of a “T” with their body. Be sure to have them stand in a natural posture for this, not pulling the shoulders together or over-stretching their chest to get greater arm-span. These actions will result in an inaccurate measure. Once they’re positioned correctly, place tape on the wall right at the tip of the middle finger. Do this for both hands. Once the tape is placed the person being measured may step away from the wall and drop their arms. Now measure the distance from the inside edge of one piece of tape to the inside edge of the other. Record this measurement. Finally take the recorded measurement and divide it by 2.5. Round the answer up to the nearest half inch and you have your draw length. This measure should be close enough to get you a good first bow. However, there is a method that is more accurate but requires greater experience.
The second method is called the ATA Draw Length Standard and is used by the ATA (Archery Trade Association) to help archers determine their draw length as accurately as possible. This method, however, requires that the archer being measured for draw length already be familiar with proper archery form, thus the first method is recommended for those just getting into archery whereas this method is recommended for the seasoned archer looking to get equipment perfectly suited to them. To use this method it helps to have a bow already, though it’s not required and you will need a tape measure. If you have a bow, hold it normally and draw back the string as though there were an arrow nocked on it (you can use a real arrow for this if you like, just be conscious of safety and be sure not to release once drawn [with or without an arrow as both are dangerous]). Then have someone measure from the pivot point on the bow (where the bow rests in the crook of your thumb and finger) and the nock point on the string (where the arrow attaches to the string. Don’t include any part of the arrow nock that extends past the string in the measurement). Record this measurement.
If you don’t have a bow, grab your tape measure instead. Turn the body of the tape measure upside down and grip it like you would grip a bow (place the body of the tape measure in the crook of your thumb and finger). Use your other hand to grab the end of the tape measure (typically this is a little metal “L” shaped bracket attached to the end of the tape) and hold it like you’d hold an arrow (between your pointer and middle fingers, allowing the “L” bracket to be pulled by your pointer finger) and draw back like you’re drawing an arrow back until you reach your full draw making sure to maintain proper form while doing so. Once drawn, hold the draw and have someone record the measurement, or lock the tape measure (if it has a lock) and then record the measurement. Once recorded you may release the draw.
After using either method take the recorded measurement and add 1 and ¾ inches to it. This will give you your true draw length.
Finally I will simply caution you from trusting some of the other methods for determining the right bow for you based on your height or your age as these methods are based on myths about the uniformity of people and really have no grounds in reality (though I will say height based methods will be more accurate than age-based methods in most cases).
Now that you know how to determine your true draw length, you’ll be that much closer to knowing exactly what kind of archery equipment is right for you.
Research for this article was conducted at the following sites:
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