When you’re first starting archery, you’re bound to notice the many different accessories being used by the experienced archers at your range and the professional archers on TV. You may wonder whether you should be using all that gear on your own bow, which could lead to a very Shakespearean question: To stabilize or not to stabilize? The short answer is: As long as you have a bow and an arrow, you can practice archery. The long answer is: It depends on what you’re hoping to get out of your archery experience. Here’s a breakdown of when you should use a stabilizer and when you can forego accessories.
What is a Stabilizer?
Before we discuss whether you do or don’t need a stabilizer, let’s define the term. A stabilizer is a rod that screws into the front of your riser, below the arrow rest, reducing the vibrations that reverberate through the bow when you release an arrow. It dampens the shock you would feel throughout your hand and arm if you didn’t use a stabilizer. The shock suppression also dampens the classic “twang” sound of the bowstring that you’d normally hear, which makes the bow quieter.
As the name implies, a stabilizer steadies the balance of the bow. When you use a bow without a stabilizer, it will tilt slightly forward as you hold it in front of you. You hold a bow with the grip sitting lightly in the crook of your thumb and first finger with the bow in a vertical line in front of you. Using a bow without this accessory will cause the bend of your hand to create a sort of pendulum, and gravity wants to pull the top of that horizontal object forward. Think of it like a Jenga game. As you remove blocks from the middle of the pile and add to the top, the tower will fall because the base can’t support the weight. Adding a stabilizer to the bottom part of the riser, below the arrow, will counterbalance the natural tilt of the bow.
This balance will also keep the bow still, which is crucial for accurate aiming. If your bow is wobbling as you set up your shot, you’ll have a difficult time focusing your aim on the target. A steady bow helps you zero in on the 10-ring.
To Stabilize
You should use a stabilizer if you’re looking to become a professional archer who competes in high-level tournaments. Professional archers need to reach targets up to 70 meters away, which means the slightest tilt on the bow can significantly throw off their aim. If you’re looking to improve your rankings within your archery league, consider practicing with a stabilizer to see if it helps make your arrow groupings tighter.
For these longer target distances, use a stabilizer rod that’s about 12-inches long. You can also add shorter stabilizers on each side of the main stabilizer, creating a tripod effect. These are called side rods. If you use a sight on the front of your bow, adding side rods to the back will help counterbalance the other way.
Not to Stabilize
If you’re a recreational archer who uses archery to stay active and strengthen your muscles, as a form of relaxation and meditation, or as a social hobby and you don’t worry about your scores, you probably don’t need a stabilizer. Most ranges have individual standing targets that you can move around and place at specific distances in addition to the back target wall. If you want to use targets at a close to mid-range—20-40 yards, for example—a stabilizer isn’t as crucial because shorter distances are more forgiving when it comes to bow movement. If you do want to try a stabilizer, but you shoot at short ranges, use shorter stabilizers that are about 6-inches long.
Keep in mind that while a stabilizer will help you keep your bow steady, you can accomplish the same outcome by engaging your arm muscles, controlling your movements and keeping the bow in place with your grip. The practice of using a bow without any accessories is called “barebow” and is a unique category in some professional tournaments.
The bow technician at your local range will help get you set up with the right stabilizer for your bow. Not sure where the archery shops in your area are? Check out our store locator to find one near you.
