NOT the Ultimate Guide to Recurve Archery Equipment 3

Stabilization

No Golden Rules

There are tons of choices in stabilizers and dampers in the market. There is no simple answer to which model is better nor a golden rule in choosing the correct length. Whether the stabilization equipment works well depends heavily on the interaction with the choice of other pieces of equipment and the set-up.

We want the stabilization system to help in three aspects.

1. To adjust the balance and center of gravity of the bow;
2. To help aim more steadily;
3. For damping purposes after release.

The feedback from the bow to the archer during the shot is of highest importance. Testing which piece of equipment works better relies on the archer's sense. One does not need to be at a high performance level to sense the differences. An average level archer can easily tell the bow is more stable using one stabilizer over the other. To the extreme an archer can tell the differences of having half an ounce weight added or removed from the tip of the stabilizer.

Experience is crucial to have a better sense. Sticking to one piece or one set of equipment would not be helping on this. Try to test with equipment and feel the differences whenever you have the chance. The lack of a standardized method to test and choose stabilization makes it challenging and confusing when working it out. There are references suggesting archers to use length of stabilizers according to draw length. They might be good starting point but I can assure you this can hardly be generalized. Individual differences come from differences in shooting form as well as equipment, say the handle balance. Balance and how you want to set the bow center of gravity to are the concerns, not the length of rods to be used.

Sometimes feelings can be misled. Here are some common errors archers usually make when testing with stabilization:

• Many archers, especially those with good strength, find the bow more stable by adding more weights on the bow or stabilizers. The greater the mass of the set-up for sure the less likely the bow to be displaced. It also improves the damping effect when at full draw position. However, too much weight will make the bow unbalanced in relation to the draw weight. A too heavy set-up will lead to the bow not jumping from the grip upon release. Instead it falls right after release and gives no direction to guide the arrow. The archer may need to put extra effort in holding the bow at full draw which changes the shooting form.
• Another example of false positive is to have the bow felt more stable only if adding unreasonably heavy weight in front of the long rod. This could be because the tiller is wrongly set with the upper limb stronger than the lower, making the bow rotate upwards during during the draw or at full draw position. The extra weight is trying to hold the bow down, preventing it from rotating upwards when aiming. However what should be done first is to fix the tiller.
• Dampers can sometimes be misleading too. By adding many dampers to make the bow apparently stable can hardly be a good set-up. The vibrations and oscillations indicate energy has not been efficiently transferred to the arrow, for example a result of suboptimal brace height. Problems are to be solved instead of using dampers to mask it. Since dampers are of different stiffness, the damping effect will appear differently. One needs to test which works best on his set-up.

Golden Rules

Despite no standard method in choosing stabilization equipment, there are some guidelines we should stick to or start with. There are also requirements often being overlooked.

1. Long rod must lie on the shooting plane or parallel to the shooting plane. Mis-alignment is very common. It can be anything in connection faulty making it misaligned e.g. the screw thread of stabilizer, the cap and the carbon rod, and the screw socket on the handle etc.
2. Side bar weights shall be even. Adding more weights on one side than the other may help the bow sit upright at full draw or appear more stable at full draw. Some believe that adding weight on the opposite side of the sight counter balance the weight of sight. However, it is likely to make the bow rotate sideways upon release and totally mess up the bow. I would avoid doing so at all cost.
3. Generally, the bow is more stable when aiming if the rod is stiffer. In return it vibrates more and oscillations last longer after release. On the opposite, the bow is less stable when aiming if the rod is softer. But the rod may provide a better damping effect upon release. The set-up will be easier to control for less advanced archers too.
4. Stabilizers and dampers are part of the whole system. Adjusting anything alters the system. I literally mean anything: for example when the handle or the limb is changed, the stabilizers and dampers may need to be retuned. The original best combination might not work perfectly anymore. It is good to be aware of this but this may be important only for high performance archers.
5. Same idea as above. stabilization is part of the whole system. When shooting different distances, the elevation angle of the bow differs. It is reasonable to expect stabilizers set-up and tuned nicely at a close blank bale do not necessarily work as perfectly when moving to long distance shooting. The balance and reaction of the bow will not feel the same.
6. Small change big difference. For example, a 3oz tungsten weight is stiffer than three pieces of 1oz aluminum weight which makes the feedback totally different. A model of US brand “D” damper is composed of two inner dampers of different stiffness. Reverting the damper will change its damping effect. (It is in fact written in the instructions. But yeah I know nobody actually read user manuals). The way how dampers and weights are arranged affect behavior significantly. A damper with 4oz weight in front is not reacting the same as a damper put between two 2oz weights, although the overall torque acting on the bow is similar.
7. Stabilizers are consumables. They are not as durable as handles. Stabilizers are usually made of long carbon rods. Similar to arrows, they will go weak gradually. What's worse is that it is boiling frog syndrome and the deterioration can hardly be noticed even by a very sensitive professional shooter. Staff from Korea's “W” brand once suggested stabilizers shall be replaced annually. Another example is that once I have some archers testing three long rods of the same model but of different ages: one is 99% new, one is used for two years and the last one has been used for over 5 years. An average level amatuer archer can easily tell the differences in feel by using the three rods.
8. Look for real comments by users as it is usually more helpful than paying attention to specifications and price of stabilizers. Some models may have poorer comments over the others within similar price range. Usually the complaints are the rods provide poor damping effect and give much vibrations.
9. A common problem with stabilizers is the cap connection with the carbon rod loosing. Repairing is simple, just put some glue in to fix it. It is no big deal unless it comes loose during competition. It is better to have it detached than just go loose. I would not suggest one to attempt to pull it out by force. Using a plier to hold the stabilizer risks damaging the carbon rod.

Easton posted an advertisement of their stabilizers. It is a good piece of reference on how to select stabilizers:

https://eastonarchery.com/2019/08/comparing-and-selecting-target-stabilizers/

Price-range

Cheaper than a doz of Arrows. If I must put stabilizers into groups, I will use the price range to categorize them. Beginners only need a long rod. It can be as cheap as below 20 USD with damper and weight inclusive. Rods are usually 18-20mm in outer diameter (O.D.) at this price. One suggestion is that if it is to match a very entry level handle, which usually does offer good damping, a cheaper stabilizer shall be used. Cheaper rods are usually softer and provide a better damping effect. It is not worth buying expensive models anyway as stabilizers are consumables. If choosing a better handle, more expensive stabilizers can be considered. However better handles and better stabilizers are usually both heavier. Consider if it would be too heavy for the archer. We do not want anything hindering the archer to develop correct technique or stressing him to potential injury.

As Expensive As a Full-Set Entry Level Equipment. This is only the mid-range products. The long rod costs around 100-200 USD. They are usually slimmer e.g. O.D. 15mm / 0.6 inch or even thinner. The rod itself is absorbing some vibrations. The weight is usually not heavy thanks to the slim shape.

*Since the original article is written in Sep 2020, some models of stabilizers may have been discontinued.

Plunger / Button

Plunger is a very important piece of equipment which helps moderate arrows flexing upon release and makes it fly straight towards the target. It is of less concern as plungers of reasonable quality all do their job nicely. The expensive ones usually allow more precise clicks and are easy to adjust. Excellent ones are helping with the set-up and tuning process, more than the performance and arrow grouping. Your coach, who is helping you to tune the bow, would benefit most from your expensive plunger (that is why I always recommend students to buy German brand “B” plunger). Be aware of poorly made cheap plungers of which the spring is not acting smoothly. As long as this does not happen, a plunger shall be considered of acceptable quality. Another consideration is if the plunger can be firmly screwed into the handle. It is common to have the plunger loose after shots due to the aftershock and vibrations upon release.

Rest

Beginners always use plastic rest, no matter if it is a target style (the super rest of brand “H” and its copycats) or hunting style one. With the little hook to hold the arrow, these plastic rests are more suitable for beginners compared with the metal ones which only have a straight metal bar. It helps keep the arrow stay on the handle especially for archers who have not started using a clicker and yet to master the skill of the string finger. Plastic rests can be precise and allows performance as good as metal ones. However it is not durable and can easily be damaged. It will be very obvious when using heavy arrows or if the bow is not well tuned. If the archer has a habit of holding the arrow with his bowside finger when loading, which is a very bad habit that does nothing good, plastic arrow rests can be damaged in a very short time.

Plastic rests are not adjustable. They are not wide enough to hold fat aluminum arrows. It may need many layers of foam stickers to move the rest to center shot in metal handles due to the fact that mental handles come with a thicker handle for better clearance. When changing arrows, say if you need to go for stiffer spine shafs after increasing the draw weight, you need to set the plastic rest again in order to adjust the height of it according to the new arrows diameter. There is a tiny piece of plastic extended out from the base of rest. It pushes the arrow away from the base, hence provides better clearance, and acts as if it is a plunger to control the flexing of the arrow upon release. If you are having a plunger to serve those functions, that piece of extended part is duplicated and of no practical function anymore. It shall be removed for a better clearance.

Most metal arrow rests look pretty much the same, unless it is an arrow launcher. I am not going to cover arrow launchers as I never used one nor I think it has any advantage over arrow rest. It adds weight to the handle and leads to a higher risk of clearance issues. Due to its larger size, one may not be able to put the handle back into the bag after installing the launcher. Launcher is less commonly seen nowadays.

Metal arrow rests all have a metal rod sticking out from the base for the arrow to rest on it. The metal rod may be adjustable or replaceable. For models with adjustable rods it can be moved up and down also in and out for different arrow diameters. For models with non-adjustable rods, one may need to trim the rod when there is clearance issue. Rarely clearance problems may have the arrow pressing hard downwards on the metal rod and eventually the rod breaks.

One point to pay attention to when choosing metal arrow rest is to check if the metal rod stays solid and stable on the base. Yes I do know that it is unlikely for you to stress test the metal rod unless you buy it. So it could be a good idea to spend a little bit more on a rest. Badly made cheap products usually have the metal rod loosely fit and cannot be fixed. The rod can be moving up and down. It is imprecise and leads to inconsistency from shot to shot. So there is a reason why the apparently similar metal rests can range from 10-40USD.

Bowstand

Styling is of course a concern. But one should also be aware that a bad bowstand can potentially damage your bow. Many bowstands have a clip to hold the bowstring. Poorly made models have rough service and can damage serving or even the bowstring. Some model’s clips are not adjustable. If you are having a not very common brace height set-up, the clip may not be in the correct place to hold your bowstring.

Bowstands can weight from as light as below 100g up to 700g. It could be a good idea to choose a lighter weight one if you need to carry your equipment around. It may be less of a concern if the equipment is always stored in the field or you can drive to the places.

Some bowstands allow an option for the bow to stand upright while most only allow the bow to rest with the string parallel to the ground. Archers who prefer the upright style feel it is easier to pick, while others worry the bow gets knocked off or blown down easily. It is more a personal choice. However, avoid putting the bow directly on the ground as you will be kissing the string at full draw anchor.