Youth Compound Bows

Archery is a sport that can be learnt and enjoyed not only adults, but children and youth too. To keep a child interested in the sport and happy, an individual needs to consider several crucial aspects before deciding which bow to go for. A lot of feedback and recommendations have been gathered from various archery experts. Below is a guide to choosing the right youth compound bows.

A parent should bear in mind that he or she is not buying a bow for themselves but rather a small child who is just starting on archery. Children do not care about brands- all they care about is the comfort they feel when shooting with a certain bow. The ease of holding and drawing a bow is particularly more important to them. Some adults make the  error of selecting youth compound bows for their children based on their own preferences rather than asking the kids what they like. The children end up with bows they are not comfortable with, increasing the chances of them losing interest in the sport.

It is important to determine whether a child is left-eye or right-eye dominant. This can be done by having the child stand facing a wall with something like a picture or a clock on it. The child is then asked to point to the object and close his or her right eye. If the child’s finger stays in the same place, he or she is left-eye dominant and thus requires a left-handed bow. If the child’s finger moves in a way that it points somewhere to the object’s right, he or she is right-eye dominant and will require a right-handed bow.

Another useful tip involves measuring the child’s entire arm span to help in determining the draw length of the bow to be purchased. The draw length is a measurement of how far an archer can draw a bow. The child will be asked to spread his or her arms out with the palms facing forwards. A tape measure is then from the tip of one middle finger to the next. This measurement is then divided by 2.5, giving the correct draw length for the bow to be purchased.

It is advisable to choose a youth bow of the ideal length for a child. Unlike the case of the draw length, this is a measure of the bow itself from the top to bottom in terms of inches. Youth bow measurements tend to range from 31 inches to 41 inches in length. All in all, it is a good idea to have the child try out several compound bows of varying lengths in order to find out which one he or she is most comfortable with.

Bow mass weight is quite a crucial factor to put into consideration when selecting youth bows. Most older children may be able to hold any youth bow easily. However, younger children may not be strong enough, meaning that they should only use lightweight bows. Hence, care should be exercised when selecting a youth bow for smaller children. Generally, children below the age of five years should not use bows weighing heavier than three pounds.