String walking

Stringwalking is a technique (aiming technique) that is only used in barebow archery and is only permitted in competitions in this bow class.

In my opinion, it's the most accurate sightless aiming system, and I'd like to discuss how to learn and use it in this post. I'll only describe the classic method here, which uses a barebow tab. I know a few archers who stringwalk with shooting gloves and are very accurate with it. I can't write about it, though, as I've never tried it.

When string walking, you aim over the arrowhead and always keep it on the point you want to hit.

It is important and something to keep in mind: like every system, this one also has a limit as to the distance at which you can directly aim at and hit the target. This limit is called the zero point and describes the distance at which you can directly reach into the string and hit the target without taking any distance off the string. Where exactly this point is depends on the setup and the discipline you want to shoot. If, for example, you want to shoot barebow in outdoor target competitions, you should set the zero point so that it is at the maximum shooting distance, in this case that would be 50m. Why is easy to explain: at all distances above this zero point you would have to aim over the gold and that costs accuracy. The center of the target is always clearly defined by color and therefore easy to aim at, which is not the case in other areas of the target and it is worst with targets used for field archery competitions, these are usually white in the center and the rest is black, trying to aim at a point off-center is almost impossible, especially at greater distances. This also applies to 3D competitions, in most cases the kill is easy to recognize on animal dummies and if not, the vital zone can be deduced from the anatomy of living creatures, here too it is recommended that the zero point for the preferred rule set is at least set to the furthest distance to be shot. In short "always better to take off a distance on the string than have to aim over it".

I would also like to point out that there can be a limitation in the other direction. At very short distances with conventional arrow rests it can happen that, despite taking more and more off the string, the arrow no longer hits the point you are aiming for and lands too high on the target or over it. This is where the design of most arrow rests and physics play tricks on us. Mostly magnetic arrow rests are used with a wire finger that moves sideways and this is precisely why there is a limit here too. The further down you grip the string the more it presses the arrow into the arrow rest. In the vertical direction the finger does not move and the flexibility of the arrow and the finger wire creates a spring effect that propel the arrow back into the air. In this case the only thing that helps is to move as far down the string as possible and to release the rest by stopping deeply. Another solution to this problem would be drop-down arrow rests like the Zniperrest or the one from Gabriel Bogensport. However, I would only recommend these for very experienced archers, as they're quite tricky to adjust. This effect usually only occurs at distances well under 10 meters, so at a distance of 5 meters, you can safely aim a little lower in addition to the maximum possible drop. The kill or gold arrow rest is definitely clearly visible at this distance, and the additional correction in this range is rather small and shouldn't pose any problems.

For the explanations, I will always refer to the Spigarelli Tab BB+. This tab has a metal plate with a scale and lines divided into two lengths. The long lines are counted as whole seams, and the short ones as half seams. This is because with a classic barebow tab, you base your calculations on the vertical seam on the tab and count the stitches for the respective distance.

One more thing in advance, I am assuming a barebow that is tailored to the respective archer, the explanations how to set up such a bow can be found online and as a link under the article Barebow where do I start on the Bogen Sport Österreich page.

To learn string walking and to determine the distances, I recommend visiting a FITA target range. There, you have set distances, eliminating one source of error—your own estimation. If a group of arrows is too high or too low, you'll know immediately whether you need to cut more or less. The height of the gold is also always the same, so you don't need to make any additional adjustments.

The basic technique of string walking works as follows.

We place our tab on the bottom edge of the arrow nock, count the divisions (seams) for the upcoming distance with our thumb, apply light pressure to the string with our thumb to prevent slipping, and lower the tab until the top edge of the tab and our thumbnail are level. Now we slightly pre-tension the string (again to prevent the tab from slipping), remove our thumb from the string, and raise the bow into the shooting position. We take the anchor, paying attention to our shoulder tension, aim over the arrowhead at the center of the gold, and release.

Shooting the distances

We'll start with the shortest distance, which will usually be 10 meters, and shoot a set of 6 arrows so that we have enough arrows from a group together to draw conclusions. There will always be one or two arrows that are noticeably out of place from the rest of the group due to misfiring. These are usually due to misfiring, and they happen to the best archers. The set of 6 arrows also ensures that we don't tire too quickly when shooting the distances or during practice, which prevents errors from creeping in.

With adult archers you can assume that you will definitely be too high at this distance, so I would take off about 5 whole (long) ticks on the tab and aim over the arrowhead in the middle of the gold. Let's assume that the arrows will still land too high on the target, that means we know we need to take off more ticks on the string to land in the gold. I would recommend that beginners always take off one whole tick more, shoot one end, pull arrows and repeat the process until they are grouped in the middle of the target. If that doesn't work with whole seams and we land with, say, 10 seams too high and 11 too low, then we take 10.5 seams (i.e. 10 long and one short tick) and shoot another end. In 98% of cases that will be accurate enough and we will end up in the gold. Once we have determined the distance we need to travel on the string at this distance, we shoot two more passes to check and, if everything is OK, we move on to the next distance.

The next distance will usually be 15m

Now we proceed as follows. We remove exactly the same number of seams from the string as for 10m and shoot a pass. We know that the arrows will stick too deep, so depending on how deep we are under the gold, we work in half or full seams in the opposite direction until our arrows land in the gold again. If we had 11 seams at 10m and now land 20cm too deep, we remove half a seam less, i.e., 10.5, and shoot a pass of 6 arrows. Once we're in the gold, we take two more passes to check. If everything is OK, we move on to the 20m distance. If not, we need to remove another half seam and repeat the process.

We repeat this process until we have either reached the maximum distance we want to shoot or the zero point of our bow.

If the zero point is significantly below the desired distance, you'll have to deal with the setup anyway. As I said, you can get by by holding above it at longer distances, but that's much more difficult and less accurate than holding below it at shorter distances. Here, if physically possible, I would increase the draw weight or, alternatively, use faster limbs. In most cases, the version with the higher draw weight is the more cost-effective option. Faster limbs with the same draw weight are available, but their prices usually start at €500 and up because they're in the high-end range. Such a purchase is only worthwhile if you can no longer assume that your personal draw weight will change significantly.

Now that we have worked out all the distances at the FITA site, it's time to start training.

This can then be designed as follows.

I would shoot four ends per distance and then move on to the next. Here, too, take short breaks between ends and longer breaks when moving on to the next. Even if the FITA range seems boring, train on one more often. Besides memorizing the distances, there's no other place where you can practice posture and shooting sequences as well as here. Both are just as important for high accuracy as shooting the distances.

String walking in the field and 3D.

Here, we need a good feel for distances, and we must keep in mind that we've worked on our distances on a flat surface. 20m on a straight FITA course and 20m uphill or downhill in the terrain make a huge difference. Depending on how steep the climb or descent is, the difference can mean up to 1.5 more stitches on the string. So, if we had 9 full stitches at 20m, it could now be up to 10.5. The only thing that helps here is practice, practice, and more practice, if possible on different 3D and/or field courses.

I hope I was able to explain the string walking system accurately and understandably enough. Have fun and best wishes for gold, everyone! Best regards, Martin