Patrick wrote:
I guess I was thinking of it more theoretically, not necessarily with either fingers or a release. Prior to reading Dr Ashby’s report, I’d NEVER heard anyone say an arrow precisely centered would need to be stiffer spined, and in fact figured it was a no-brainer that the opposite would be true. I’m having a difficult time understanding how that is. I’m not disagreeing with Dr Ashby, I’m just trying to wrap my head around the concept…unsuccessfully so far.

I completely understand. Sometimes these things can be a bit confusing. Here’s how it works.

For a finger shooter, an arrow will flex side-to-side a given amount during the shot. How much it flexes is determined by a few different factors, but let’s isolate the major contributor, its dynamic spine. The weaker the shaft, the more it flexes. The further from center cut a bow is built, the more the arrow will have to flex to get around the riser (weaker arrow). Conversely, the closer to center cut the bow is built, the less the arrow will have to flex to get around the riser (stiffer arrow).

Let’s assume you have a perfectly tuned arrow and are shooting a recurve cut to center (remember, not center shot, but center cut). Your arrow flexes just enough to get around the riser as-is. If you build out your strike plate 3/8”, your arrow is now too stiff to properly flex around the riser, and you will now need a weaker dynamic spine (weaker shaft or more tip weight).

The opposite holds true if you properly tune for 3/8” from center cut, and then move your strike plate in 3/8”. Arrows that used to properly flex around the riser are now flexing more than they need to (i.e. they’re too weak) and you’ll need to increase your dynamic spine.