Archery Glossary

Those who start shooting with a bow may initially find themselves bewildered by the technical terms used in archery. We have therefore created this brief glossary to help aspiring archers navigate the world of archery.

Draw length: measures how far you can pull the bowstring back. It varies from person to person, such as the length of the arms. Usually, the reference is taken by measuring the distance from the bow window to the back of the bow grip. All measurements you will find are in inches.

Button: what do buttons have to do with archery? Actually, quite a lot! The button serves to stabilize the flight of the arrow as it exits the bow. It obviously does not have the shape of a common button, so to better understand what it is, we refer you to our guide on the components of a bow.

Brace height: measures the distance between the concave part of the grip and the string. Each bow has a recommended brace height from the manufacturer.

Cam: is the wheel of the compound bow.

Wrist sling:  when you release an arrow, the bow tends to "jump" forward due to the recoil. The wrist sling is a kind of strap that prevents the bow from slipping out of your hand and falling.

Draw weight: is the power developed by the bow. Measured in pounds, hence the term, it tells us how much "weight" an archer can "draw."

Tab: usually made up of two layers of leather, it is the tool applied to the fingers that will come into contact with the bowstring. It helps to have a firmer grip but above all to avoid the slight burning sensation caused by the string when released due to the speed of exit, which could create a slight burning sensation on the fingers that held it.

Riser: is the central part of the bow. See also our guide on the composition of the bow for further information.

Spine: .measures the stiffness of an arrow and should be chosen in relation to the archer's draw length and weight. In this article on our blog, you can delve deeper into the topic.