What should my brace height be?

Start with the range or specification the bow's maker gives. On a recurve, many archers begin in the middle of the range and adjust a few twists at a time until the bow is quiet and groups well. On a compound, set it to the maker's specification rather than a number from another bow.

How do I change brace height on a recurve?

Unstring the bow, twist the string to shorten it and raise brace height, or untwist it to lower it, then string the bow and measure again. A few twists at a time is enough. Re-check the nocking point afterwards, because changing brace height can affect it.

Why has my brace height changed?

A new string stretches a little over its first shots, and a string or cable can stretch further with use, so brace height can move. On a recurve, a string that has lost or gained twists also changes it. Measure it regularly and set it back to your chosen figure or the maker's specification.

Brace Height

Brace height is the distance between the string and the deepest point of the grip, the pivot point, on a strung bow at rest. On a recurve you set it within the maker's recommended range by twisting or untwisting the string; on a compound it is set by the maker's specification. It affects noise, forgiveness, speed and the arrow's tune.

Details

Measure brace height with a bow square or a brace height gauge clipped to the string, reading the distance straight back to the pivot point of the grip with the bow strung and at rest. Some archers on recurves measure to the plunger hole instead, so when you compare numbers, make sure you are measuring to the same point.

On a recurve or barebow, brace height is adjusted with the string. Twisting it shortens the string and raises brace height; untwisting lowers it. Makers publish a range for each bow length, often somewhere around 8 to 9½ inches for a modern target recurve, rising with bow length. Many archers start in the middle, move it in small steps of a few twists, and settle where the bow is quietest and groups best for them.

On a compound, brace height is part of the maker's specification, and many modern bows sit somewhere around 6 to 7 inches. A shorter brace height lengthens the power stroke, so the bow tends to shoot faster but is usually less forgiving of small errors; a longer one is usually slower but more forgiving. If the measured brace height moves away from the specification, a stretched string or cables are a common cause, and putting it right usually means adjusting the twists in the string or cables in a bow press, following the maker's specification.

Brace height is connected to the rest of the setup. Changing it changes how long the arrow stays on the string and how it flexes, so re-check the nocking point and the arrow's tune afterwards. A brace height that is too low can make the string slap the forearm or arm guard and the bow noisier, while one that is too high costs some speed.

Measure brace height when you set up a bow, after fitting a new string and again once it has settled in, and before a competition. Note it alongside tiller and, on a compound, axle-to-axle length, so you have the bow's numbers to hand.

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Common questions

What should my brace height be?: Start with the range or specification the bow's maker gives. On a recurve, many archers begin in the middle of the range and adjust a few twists at a time until the bow is quiet and groups well. On a compound, set it to the maker's specification rather than a number from another bow.
How do I change brace height on a recurve?: Unstring the bow, twist the string to shorten it and raise brace height, or untwist it to lower it, then string the bow and measure again. A few twists at a time is enough. Re-check the nocking point afterwards, because changing brace height can affect it.
Why has my brace height changed?: A new string stretches a little over its first shots, and a string or cable can stretch further with use, so brace height can move. On a recurve, a string that has lost or gained twists also changes it. Measure it regularly and set it back to your chosen figure or the maker's specification.