What is string walking in archery?
String walking is a barebow aiming method in which you move your drawing fingers below the arrow nock while keeping your drawing hand at the same contact point on your face, called your anchor. The distance below the nock is called a crawl. Changing the crawl lets you use the arrow point as an aiming reference at different distances.
How does a crawl change the shot?
You normally hook the string with three fingers below the arrow. A deeper crawl places those fingers farther below the nock. With the same facial anchor and the point held on the same mark, a deeper crawl generally lowers the impact. Moving the fingers closer to the nock raises it.
Set the crawl before drawing. Your arrow stays at its normal nocking point; you move your hand along the string. Keep your anchor point consistent so the crawl remains the distance adjustment you are testing.
How do you find your crawls?
- Choose a close distance with a target and backstop large enough to catch your first test arrows. Use your normal arrows and a consistent facial anchor.
- Select a modest crawl and aim the arrow point at a clear mark. Shoot a group before making a small change. If the group is high, test a deeper crawl; if low, test a shallower one.
- Record the distance and the exact reference used on your tab. Confirm the setting with another group, then repeat at other distances you can shoot safely.
A finger tab protects your drawing fingers and can provide a repeatable crawl reference. Count from the same edge or mark each time, with the tab held in the same orientation. Copying another archer's crawl chart rarely works because arrow length, anchor height, and bow setup change the result.
Which competitions allow string walking?
World Archery permits string walking in its barebow division and prohibits it in its traditional division. Removing a sight does not automatically make the technique legal in your class. Check your event's governing body, division, and current equipment rules before competing.
Tab markings are also subject to division rules. Have a judge check an unfamiliar tab or homemade markings before the event. Use the barebow equipment guide to check the rest of your setup before equipment inspection.
Why do groups change at deeper crawls?
Moving your fingers changes how you load the limbs. A bow can become noisier or show different arrow clearance at a deep crawl. Keep your finger pressure repeatable, and ask an experienced barebow coach to check the setup if arrow flight deteriorates.
Avoid changing tiller after every poor group. Confirm the crawl, anchor, and release first. Record any equipment adjustment, because it can change the crawl settings you have already measured.
Questions
How is string walking different from gap shooting?
String walking changes the finger position below the arrow so the point can remain on a chosen aiming mark. Gap shooting usually keeps the string grip and anchor fixed while placing the point above or below the desired impact. You can combine the methods, but learning one adjustment at a time makes results easier to interpret.
Do you move your fingers while at full draw?
Set your crawl before drawing the bow. Sliding the fingers along a loaded string makes finger pressure and control less predictable. If you notice that the crawl is wrong at full draw, let down safely and reset it. Use the same measuring routine before each arrow, including after a distraction.
Can one crawl work at every distance?
One fixed crawl can work if you also change where you aim the arrow point. It will not generally put arrows in the center at every distance with an unchanged point hold. If you want point-on aiming across several distances, test and record a separate crawl for each distance with your own setup.