Paper Tuning
Paper tuning is a diagnostic technique where an archer shoots through a sheet of paper at close range — typically 5–8 feet — and reads the resulting tear. The shape and orientation of the hole reveals whether the arrow is traveling nock-high, nock-low, nock-left, or nock-right at the moment it passes the paper.Details
The procedure is straightforward: suspend a taut sheet of paper in a frame, stand 5–8 feet away, and shoot a fletched arrow through the paper into a backstop. The arrow punches a bullet hole for the point and a slit or starburst pattern for the nock end. A perfect tear is a small, clean entry with minimal nock tracking — often called a 'bullet hole' tear — which indicates the arrow is flying point-forward and level as it exits the bow.
Reading the tear tells you which direction the nock is trailing. A nock-high tear (vertical slit, point below nock hole) usually means the rest is set too low or the nocking point is too high — raise the rest or lower the nock point. A nock-low tear reverses that logic. A nock-left or nock-right tear (horizontal slit, for a right-hand shooter) typically indicates a center-shot or windage problem, or a timing issue on a two-cam bow where the cams are not synchronizing correctly.
An important caveat: paper tuning reveals the arrow's flight at one specific moment — very close to the bow. A tear that looks slightly off at 6 feet can appear worse than the arrow actually flies at 20 yards, because fletching correction has not had time to act. For this reason, many coaches treat paper tuning as a starting point rather than a final verdict. Confirm paper-tuning adjustments with walk-back tuning or bare-shaft tuning at longer distances before declaring the bow dialed in.
Common pitfalls include shooting too far from the paper (fletching correction masks the real tear), using an inconsistent anchor point, and chasing micro-tears past the point of diminishing returns. A slight tail-high tear of under a quarter inch is generally acceptable — trying to eliminate it entirely can introduce windage problems or require nocking-point adjustments that fight other tuning variables.
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Common questions
- How close should I stand when paper tuning?
- 5–8 feet is the widely accepted starting distance. Much closer and small misalignments are exaggerated; much farther and fletching correction begins to mask the real nock path. Once you have a bullet hole at close range, shooting through paper at 20 feet or more gives additional confirmation.
- Is a slight tail-high tear OK, or do I need to chase a perfect bullet hole?
- A small nock-high tear — roughly a quarter inch or less — is generally acceptable and expected with most drop-away or whisker-biscuit rests. Chasing a perfect bullet hole past that point can lead to over-tuning. Verify how the arrow actually groups at distance before making further adjustments.
- My tear shows nock-left, but my cam timing looks fine. What else could cause it?
- For a right-hand shooter a nock-left tear often points to the rest sitting too far left of center-shot, a slightly weak dynamic spine, or form issues such as grip torque. Rule out form first by having someone observe your release, then adjust center-shot before suspecting cam timing.