Youth compound bows – explained
Youth compound bows are very similar to their full size counterparts and are designed specifically for use by kids. In many cases this is with full supervision such as at school archery tournaments. They are essentially just smaller versions.
The most apparent differences between youth bows and regular compound bows are the following.
The weight - Although standard compound bows are not really that heavy, youth bows are even lighter because it makes it easier for kids to carry their kit and to hold it in a shooting stance. Without this decrease in weight, it would be too hard to shoot the bow accurately.
The draw length – Youth bows are built with the arm span of youngsters in mind. Specificallt, the draw length – or the distance between the bow and the archers pulling arm – is smaller. If this is a sport that they plan on doing when they are an adult, then of course, this means they will outgrow it within a couple of years.
Youth compound bows are often used by women who are just starting out in archery too, since the span and weight are much more comfortable.
If you are considering a bow as a gift it is a good idea to get a proper fitting done since this can make a huge difference in usability. Since there are so many different models, cam types and other features, the feel of one bow to another can vary greatly. This can be the difference from realizing their shooting potential and giving up as they cant hit the target.
You can usually measure the draw length yourself or most sports shops will do it for you – be sure to check with your local store though as sometimes they will offer this for free if you are looking at their bows for sale and plan on getting one from them.
If you would like to measure the draw length yourself, heres how:
Have the archer hold their arms out at shoulder height so their fingers are pointing in opposite directions. With a measuring tape, you should measure the distance between the tips of the middle fingers on either hand. Finally, divide this length by 2.5 and the result will be the draw length they need.
This same technique works should you need to adjust the bow as well – getting this right will change how well they get on with it so this is even more important if you are looking at used compound bows which might be configured to someone else’s measurements when you get them.