Where should my anchor point be?

Wherever you can repeat it exactly. Under the chin suits sighted recurve, the corner of the mouth suits many barebow and traditional archers, and compound archers usually anchor the release hand on the jaw. A coach can help you choose one that fits your face and draw length.

Does changing my anchor change my draw length?

Often. On a recurve, an anchor further back draws the string further, which raises the weight you hold and changes arrow speed. On a compound the draw length is set by the cams, so a new anchor that does not fit it usually means adjusting the draw length or the release, not forcing the hand to a new spot. Either way, re-check your sight marks after the change.

Punkt kotwiczenia

An anchor point is the fixed position on the face where the drawing hand, string or release settles at full draw, such as the corner of the mouth, under the chin or behind the jaw. Because it sets the rear of the aiming line, a consistent anchor is one of the foundations of a repeatable shot.

Szczegóły

Every aiming system needs a rear reference. With a sight, the front is the pin and the rear is the eye, which sits wherever the anchor puts it; without a sight, the arrow itself is the aiming line and its rear end sits at the anchor. Either way, if the anchor moves a few millimetres the arrow leaves at a slightly different angle, and the error grows with distance. That is why archers talk about anchors in terms of consistency rather than one correct spot.

Anchors differ by bow style. Olympic-style recurve archers usually anchor under the chin, with the string touching the centre of the chin and the nose. Many barebow and traditional archers anchor higher, at the corner of the mouth, so the arrow sits nearer the eye and can be used for aiming; some move the anchor on purpose for different distances, which is called face walking, where the rules for their division allow it. Compound archers shooting a release aid usually anchor with the hand against the jaw or behind it, and the peep sight gives them a second reference.

A good anchor is built from several contact points rather than one: the hand against the jaw, the string touching the nose or lips, a kisser button. Each point checks the others. The anchor is fitted to the archer first; a kisser or peep is then set to the anchor, never the other way round. Equipment rules can limit which references are allowed, so check the rulebook for your division.

An anchor can drift slowly, through fatigue late in a session, a new string, a change of release or a thicker jacket in winter. Close-range blank-bale shots with eyes closed are a common way to feel whether the anchor still lands in the same place, and a sudden vertical spread in groups is often the first sign that it does not.

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Where should my anchor point be?: Wherever you can repeat it exactly. Under the chin suits sighted recurve, the corner of the mouth suits many barebow and traditional archers, and compound archers usually anchor the release hand on the jaw. A coach can help you choose one that fits your face and draw length.
Does changing my anchor change my draw length?: Often. On a recurve, an anchor further back draws the string further, which raises the weight you hold and changes arrow speed. On a compound the draw length is set by the cams, so a new anchor that does not fit it usually means adjusting the draw length or the release, not forcing the hand to a new spot. Either way, re-check your sight marks after the change.