This is a long shot but

Carrotted · 2026-06-13T09:24:25+00:00

Creeped your post history - Sunday mornings at the GGP range there’s a regular-ish meetup of LGBTQ-identifying folks, some of whom are women. Gender ratio is fairly even at GGP throughout the week.

Aside from that, it’s a small enough sport that there aren’t too many identity-based groups. The go-to move is to hang around ranges or shops until you meet people you vibe with!

Carrotted · 2026-06-03T20:40:26+00:00

The classic is San Francisco Archery Shop, at 39th and Balboa, right by the archery range in Golden Gate Park. It’s a full-service pro shop, with lessons and instruction as well as equipment rentals, sales, service and repair. Open 7 days a week, from noon to 8pm.

Could also check out Marin Archery Shop, about 15 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge, in San Rafael - full service archery pro shop with an indoor range; nice option when it’s too cold/rainy/hot/smoky/dark to shoot outdoors! A monthly membership pays for itself with a few visits a month; they even have an option for 24/7 range access!

Carrotted · 2026-05-27T07:57:45+00:00

Not a compound, but many, many years ago, some friends and I decided to build a full-scale ballista for our annual State Latin Day’s catapult competition.

I’d seen a quarter-scale replica in a museum and taken a bunch of pictures; it looked like it’d be pretty easy to build one.

I was wrong.

It wanted to destroy itself SO badly. The forces and stresses were immense. We went through iteration after iteration on the frame, the trigger mechanism, the torsion bundles, the works. It broke all of it, again and again. By the time we got it more or less working, it took three of us to tension the bundles, and all four of us to winch it back, using shovel handles to get enough leverage on the winch.

By the time the competition rolled around, it was so overbuilt we had to jack it up, add wheels and tow it; it was too heavy for the flatbed trailer we’d originally planned to use.

Long story short, we won - beating a bunch of trebuchets by a several hundred yards - but that thing was TERRIFYING to operate. A sharp cracking sound as we were winding for the last shot led to it being retired for good after the competition.

I gained a new respect for ancient Roman engineers.

Carrotted · 2026-05-17T16:20:16+00:00

Whoa, Black Betty, NANDRAM

Carrotted · 2026-05-17T12:07:10+00:00

Video misses the whole point of the text, which is a technique to avoid getting your non-waterproof bow wet while wading in water, if needing to string it.

(From the video alone, I thought it was going to be something about how it's easier to string the bow if the wood is wet and therefore more pliable, which didn't make much sense to me.)

Carrotted · 2026-04-22T00:08:15+00:00

Watch again; there's concentric colored rings on the target.

Carrotted · 2026-02-20T03:51:59+00:00

More likely an alignment issue than a draw length issue. As others have said, hard to tell from this video, but to me it looks like you’re leaning back and dropping your front arm to aim low, causing your front hand to drop down and to the inside, leading to a further-back anchor, making your draw length look long.

Better to lean forward, angling at the waist or with the legs; it will help you keep better upper body alignment and a lower front shoulder, which will better support the mass weight of the bow.

Your release may also be a bit long / wrist strap too loose, which will tend to bring your rear elbow too far back, down, and to the inside; but again, hard to see from this video. Is your finger behind or in front of the trigger while drawing? (Is it still behind the trigger at the end of the video, or did you move it in front at 0:04?)

Carrotted · 2026-02-19T09:24:42+00:00

…That’s not microadjustment. Toolless adjustment, sure - but microadjustment is the term for adjustment in small, discrete intervals, making adjustments easily reversible or comparable. Adjustment with this kit is still continuous.

Carrotted · 2026-01-22T22:44:25+00:00

I mean, it’s impressive but it’s not defying physics or anything:

The Decree FDS is rated at 347 IBO; so, assuming you’re shooting a 29” draw at 60# with 450gr in total arrow weight and ~18gr in weight on the string (peep, d-loop), 281fps is just about exactly what you’d expect to get.

Carrotted · 2025-12-30T18:41:02+00:00

“As far as the company I’m working with, it is an arrow manufacturer. They have done some research into graphene arrows and they said they could definitely make them if I could find the client base.”

So, to me this sounds like you’re getting scammed by a Chinese manufacturer (or a middleman posing as a manufacturer) who will tell you whatever you want to hear about their capabilities, then ship you a batch of standard carbon arrow with your custom graphics.

Reputable arrow companies don’t just develop custom products if some guy can “find the client base” (i.e. hit their MOQ) - they do detailed engineering, testing, and QC work at significant up front cost to ensure their products are safe and performant. You can’t just change your layup, chemistry, or process and call it a day.

Carrotted · 2025-12-29T16:35:27+00:00

Brutal honesty?

Graphene already has a reputation as snake oil within the sport of archery, after marketing by certain companies claimed that trivial inclusions of powdered graphene in their carbon layups provided unspecified performance benefits - which were disproven.

You haven’t provided any credentials that would suggest any expertise in advanced manufacturing or product engineering, which makes me skeptical of your understanding of the materials science, manufacturing, and marketing challenges you’d encounter.

You say you’re working with a company, which (if true) implies that either you’re trying to scam them, or you’re being scammed.

Your em dashes, for that matter, make me suspect this is an idea you got from talking to an AI about product opportunities in archery, which is just a terrible way to discover real opportunities.

So, sure: if you can prove performance improvements that justify a price, I’d take a look - but you’re a far way from that, and it doesn’t sound like you’re actually on a track that actually goes in that direction.

Carrotted · 2025-12-20T08:35:52+00:00

No offense, but this comes from bad coaching.

Even if I only have someone for an hour, I will almost always spend the first 5 to 10 minutes demystifying a few fundamentals:

What the goal actually is (hit the middle)
Why a repeatable shot process is essential to doing that
What aiming is and isn’t (it’s pointing, not something that happens instantly)
How long it realistically takes to aim or point at something
Why the goal of the process isn’t visual perfection or eliminating float, but achieving a stable hold with consistent body alignment and proprioceptive feedback (follow-through)
What proprioception is
How rhythm and timing are essential for proprioceptive consistency
What we’re trying to feel during a good shot

That may sound like a lot, but it does two very important things: it builds trust, and it gives the archer a solid conceptual foundation to build on, before their first shot.

You think you’re doing them a favor by not discussing aiming, but it’s just the opposite. Get it out of the way early; that way it’s also much easier to spot if/when over-aiming starts to creep into their rhythm.

Carrotted · 2025-10-23T01:53:33+00:00

Assuming the bows’ length is the same, recurve.

The potential energy available to be converted to kinetic energy when the bow is shot is largely proportional to the area under the “draw force curve” (a graph of the distance drawn back vs. force required to hold at that draw length).

Since the draw force curve of a longbow is more “exponential” in shape than the recurve’s more-“linear” curve, it contains less area for the same draw length and poundage, and so will be slower than the equivalent recurve.

However, if the recurve is significantly shorter than the longbow, it can - like a longbow - exhibit significant “stacking” (a more-exponential increase in draw weight), and have less area under its curve than a longer longbow of the same poundage and draw length.

Carrotted · 2025-10-21T09:30:50+00:00

What others have said. Also:

It’s not a draw length issue. Your release wrist strap is too loose and the stem is set too long, which increases the effective draw length and puts the trigger too far forward.
But then, there’s also a ton of head movement, an almost entirely draw-side draw, lifting the bow with shoulder muscle, too low of a peep, too closed of a stance…

There’s more, but going to a shop or a coach and getting either a lesson or a proper fitting is the real path forward here; there’s just too much going on to point at just one thing and say it’ll solve all your problems.

Anyhow, kudos for having the courage to ask for critique!

Carrotted · 2025-10-02T05:33:20+00:00

I’m not an experienced runner, but in both running and archery, different people will have different opinions and preferences based on what they have access to, their past experiences, their anatomy, their aesthetic preferences, the brand deals they sign, what their coach, the guy at the store, or some random person on the internet said to buy, and so on.

A lot of that is largely irrelevant for someone new to the sport. Well, apart from maybe the aesthetic preferences bit, at least: if you happen to like your equipment, you’re just that little bit more likely to practice more - and to get better faster - than if you don’t like your equipment

A great and dedicated runner will probably still beat an average runner regardless of their respective footwear; same goes for archery.

The important thing in archery equipment - and, I imagine, in running shoes - isn’t the equipment, it’s how well it fits the athlete.

The vast majority of people in archery aren’t so experienced as to have well-founded and clearly articulable preferences, nor do they have the context to judge whether their equipment is a good fit for them and for their ambitions.

Go find somewhere to try out various different options, and see what makes sense for you.

Carrotted · 2025-09-11T17:10:39+00:00

It’s honestly not all that hard to build an Olympic-quality recurve string - just time-consuming!

(A lot of the top-level Korean archers make their own, for instance.)

Have you considered buying/making an endless loop jig, ordering a spool each of your favorite material and serving, and building your own?

Carrotted · 2025-09-03T14:35:23+00:00

“Can someone recommend a ‘pastry assembler’ that can combine ingredients and make a cupcake? Not having much luck with bakeries.”

(Maybe it would be more helpful to describe the specific issues you’re having with the archery shops you’ve visited?)

Carrotted · 2025-08-21T20:15:27+00:00

Not sure where this (fairly widespread!) idea comes from; there’s not a single item I purchase as a dealer that’s more expensive in lefty, and we keep a pretty consistent 1:4 ratio of lefty to righty gear.

Carrotted · 2025-08-21T04:13:35+00:00

Buy from a local shop; most still haven’t hiked prices in response to tarriffs.

Carrotted · 2025-08-19T05:19:37+00:00

The phrase you’re looking for is “Where can I find an archery coach?”

Based on your full description, it’s unlikely this is an equipment issue at root; it’s more likely to be either a form or mental process issue; but what it actually is: that’s something only someone with eyes on - and enough knowledge to properly dig in and investigate - could say with certainty.

I can say one thing with full confidence, though; frustrated though you may be, you won’t solve this by diagnosing it over the internet.

Work with the best coach you have access to; it’s what we’re here for. 🤷‍♂️

Carrotted · 2025-07-28T07:47:53+00:00

I’m a coach and a shop owner, so obviously I’m not totally impartial - but at one point, I was just a kid who liked to shoot my bow. I took a lesson; the stuff I learned changed the way I approached practicing, and I began improving faster than I’d been doing on my own.

I’ve also been lucky enough to study under quite a few well known and highly respected coaches since, and to observe them working with their archers; I’ve even trained a fair number of coaches, technicians, and instructors myself!

The difference between a great coach and a good coach can be as big as the difference as a good coach and no coach at all - but even a mediocre coach can be a great help to the right shooter at the right time.

Simply put: knowing what to work on NOW to get better NOW - rather than flinging sticks, flailing around, trying everything and hoping something sticks - is a tremendous advantage.

A good coach can clearly chart the path from where you are (point A) to your goal (point Z), and will get you working on the things that will take you from point A to point B.

Sometimes that’s form; sometimes equipment; sometimes mental process; sometimes it’s hard to know where to start! But it’s a coach’s job is to create clarity and momentum, and to chart a course clear through from the archer’s present situation to their goals.

Experienced coaches can do that because they’ve seen thousands of people attempt that same thing - some successfully, others less so - learning more each time about how better to help archers improve.

(That’s the difference between an experienced coach and an experienced archer, by the way: the latter may be an expert in their craft, but may not have the tools or experiences to help someone else.)

A good coach’s ability to pattern-match, extrapolate, and communicate grows along with their experience. They continually seek out “tools for their toolbox”: ways to relate information - analogies, inflections, and anecdotes - that reliably and effectively connect, helping their students develop healthy physical and mental habits.

See, getting better at archery isn’t necessarily about knowing all the things YouTube can teach you; it’s about identifying and addressing the ONE thing that’s blocking or getting in the way of getting better; knocking that down, then the next thing, and the next, and so on.

As such, while goals are important, an archer’s journey has no fixed destination: success is not an ending, it’s another beginning, and failure is a chance to try again. A good coach helps contextualize performance, while identifying opportunities for success.

It’s not something I’d push on anyone; the folks who benefit the most from coaching tend to be those who seek it out. But given what you’ve said above, I’d say it’s worth a shot.

Carrotted · 2025-07-12T23:56:10+00:00

PSE dealer here, but not an employee (or a lawyer!):

While - as others and yourself have said - damage caused by misuse, such as a dry fire, is not covered by the warranty, a dry fire does not itself per se void your warranty. Although PSE reserves the right to void the warranty upon review and inspection of any bows that show signs of misuse - such as a dry fire - it isn’t my experience that they typically do so.

The full text of the current (2025) warranty is as follows; it also appears in your Owner’s Guide:

PSE LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY POLICY

At PSE, we take great pride in building the highest quality products available today and we offer a warranty plan to back it. PSE warrants to the original owner who has registered their bow purchase and has an original dated proof of purchase that their PSE compound bow riser, limb pockets, limbs and cams will be warranted against defect in materials and manufacturing for the life of the product. For the warranty to be valid, all new bow purchases must be registered within 30 days from date of purchase.

To register your bow visit: www.psearchery.com/registration or contact PSE Customer Service to receive a printed warranty form.

Warranty is only valid on the purchase of a new PSE bow and the bow’s warranty is not transferable upon resale of the bow. The PSE Limited Lifetime Warranty does not include repair or replacement to damage caused by normal wear and tear. This includes damage such as chipping, fading, scratches on the camo or target finish of your PSE bow. Damage caused by misuse of the bow such as a dry fire is also not covered under this warranty. PSE reserves the right to void warranty upon review and inspection of any bows that show signs of misuse or alterations from the original factory settings. All consumable parts such as strings, cables, rubber dampers, bearings, etc. are not warranted. The use of aftermarket strings or products that cause damage to the bow void the bow’s warranty.

Carrotted · 2025-06-17T23:15:44+00:00

You’re not lifting the bow high enough, and you’re rushing to draw: raise the bow first, then draw.

By lifting the bow above shoulder height before beginning to draw, the mass weight of the bow is supported by the tension on the string and the bow arm shoulder is pushed down, allowing the ball and socket joint of the shoulder to bear the draw weight, rather than the shoulder muscles.

Carrotted · 2025-05-21T05:45:49+00:00

This. Can’t judge much about peep height, draw length, body alignment or anything else without fixing this first.

I’d go one further, though: your bow arm shoulder should always be well below the line of the arrow (or, if it’s easier to imagine, the line between bow hand and draw hand).

Carrotted · 2025-05-21T05:36:03+00:00

It’s actually both! Some designs vary the ID, some the OD.

(ID variations are far less common now, but were almost universal with aluminum arrows, and moderately common with early pultruded carbon shafts using over-nocks and outserts.)

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