Youth Compound Bows

Simply put, youth compound bows are similar in construction as with most other compound bows with two exceptions. One: although these are usually lightweight in design, the youth bows are even more so, making these easier for kids’ to carry and sustain in a shooting stance – hence the name. Two: these bows are constructed in such a way that the arm span between the bow and the pulling arm can easily be adjusted to accommodate children and ladies, who may find conventional compound bows’ limbs a bit too lengthy for comfortable use. So in effect, youth compound bows are slightly smaller versions of their conventional counterparts.

If you are on the prowl for these bows either for personal use, or as a gift for someone, you might want to consider getting or doing a “fitting.” There are of course, numerous compound bow designs available now for both the youth and the conventional models. Although most youth compound bows have twin or dual cams for easier training, a lot can be said about properly fitting these to the archer’s physical limitations. Without these adjustments, it is very likely that both the bow and the archer will never reach their full shooting potential. Initial fitting can be done in the sports shop or at home by a professional or by yourself. However, subsequent fittings may be necessary as the archer builds up arm musculature, better shooting techniques, or simply when the kid literally grows up.

Here are some tips on how to adjust the bows to the user.

1. Get a measuring tap and measure the archer’s arm span. Arms should be spaced very widely apart, held at shoulder length, with fingers pointing in opposite directions. You need to measure the distance between the tips of the two middle fingers. The measurement should be divided by 2.5 and the result is the draw length of the compound bow.

2. Adjust the draw weight of the bow. The norm is between 10 and 35 lbs. A heavy draw weight will help ensure that the archer can release an arrow with more force, without exerting that much effort. This is especially beneficial to very young archers who may not have yet developed enough arm musculature yet. However, try not to go overboard either. If the draw weight is too heavy, then the archer is bound to have a hard time setting up a shot, or sustaining a good shooting stance to aim properly. You can tell if the draw weight is too heavy when the archer is having a hard time pulling a full draw.

3. Next, you need to calculate the let off point of the bow. A good 65% to 75% of the archer’s draw weight is the ideal measurement. That should be comfortable enough for the archer to notch an arrow and let fly with force, without going on a full draw each and every time. If the archer has to go on a full draw just to gain more velocity or distance per shot, then that means that the let off point measurement is too low. On the other hand, if the archer has a seriously difficult time sustaining a drawing pose, then the let off point measurement is too high.