archery brace height

What is brace height and does it matter?

September 24, 2024 by Leigh Hauck

 

Brace height is stat that you can’t get away from in archery. Everywhere you look, on every bows spec sheet and website... brace height. What is brace height, and does it matter? It’s time to dive into this often misunderstood archery spec, to help you better understand your gear and make smarter bow buying decisions. 

What is brace height in archery?

Brace height is the distance between the deepest part of your bow’s grip, and the bow string. Shorter brace heights tend to faster speeds, but less forgiving accuracy for the shooter. Typically, a brace height number is between 6” or 7”, with up to ¾" outside of that range not being uncommon.

What does brace height effect on a bow?

Brace height affects the speed, and the forgiveness of your bow. Forgiveness is the ease of shooting your bow accurately. A non-forgiving bow will require better form to shoot well than a forgiving bow and will magnify any errors in your form. A shorter brace height bow is faster, but less forgiving than a bow with a longer brace height.

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What is considered a long or a short brace height?

6” is on the low end and considered short, with anything under 6” being extremely short. Between 6” and 7” is average, and anything 7” and up would be considered a long brace height.

Should you get a bow with a long or short brace height?

If you are a beginner archer, you should go with a bow that has a longer brace height. It will be easier to shoot accurately. Sure, a shorter brace height will shoot a little bit faster, but that doesn’t matter if you aren’t shooting your bow accurately. It is important to become a proficient archer, with excellent form and mindset before chasing things like long distance shooting and speed.

How does brace height impact speed?

Here is an example. You have a 30” draw length on two bows, one bow having a 6” brace height and the other having a 7” brace height. As you draw each bow, they feel the same. They are both coming back to the same distance at full draw. The difference is what happens on the release.

When you release the bow that has the 7” brace height, you can think of it as though the string is travelling 23” (30” draw length minus 7” brace height). This isn’t exactly how the math works, but since the brace height is measured while the bow is at rest (it’s stopping point during a shot), this simple math-based analogy will work.

When you shoot the bow that has a 6” brace height, your string is travelling 24” (30” draw length minus a 6” brace height). So, just by getting a bow with a shorter brace height, you essentially gain an extra inch of draw length.

Every inch of distance that your string travels during your shot, it gains speed. Therefore, shorter brace height means more distance for your string to travel, which means more speed.

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How does this impact accuracy though?

Since your arrow is on the string for an extra inch during the shot, that means it is on your bow for extra time. Even though it is just a fraction of a second, it really matters.

This extra time that your arrow spends attached to the string means extra time that you must hold perfect form. I know it sounds a bit far-fetched since this all happens in a split second, but trust me.

It matters.

If you aren’t convinced, go to an archery shop that has a range that is longer than 20 or 30 yards. Shoot the shortest brace height bow you can find and the longest, you will see a difference in accuracy (unless you are just an incredible archer).

How does brace height impact your bow buying decisions?

You need to be honest with yourself about your skill level as an archer. Expert archers can opt for a shorter brace height and have that added speed with little to no decrease in accuracy because they are experienced archers. A beginner archer should always go with the longer brace height.

Keep in mind though, that even the most experienced archers are going to be faced with some difficult shots in the woods. Having a longer brace height can save your tail if you happen to have a lapse in form or an awkward shot in a hunting scenario.

If you see a bow that advertises crazy speeds, check the brace height. It is very likely that the bow will be attaining that speed only because it has a super short brace height. So sure, it may be fast, but it won’t be accurate!

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If you have any questions or would like to discuss the topic further, please feel free to reach out to us at sales@toothofthearrowbroadheads.com

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