How to Choose the Right Compound Bows for Children

Archery is an activity in which everyone from children to the elderly can get involved. Whether you are athletic or sedentary, able-bodied or not, you can participate. As you advance in the sport you will develop your upper-body strength and it can even improve your mental focus. Another advantage is that you can get started with very little expense. A simple bow and arrows will suffice when starting out. However, if your child is becoming serious about the sport, you will need to get him a compound bow. Choosing the right one is essential to his continued interest and success.

Things You'll Need

  • Yardstick
  • Scale
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Instructions

    • 1

      Analyze the bow with your child in mind. Simply choosing the best bow or one that you like is not ideal. You need to consider what your little one likes and prefers.

    • 2

      Be sure that the draw length and poundage are adjustable so that the bow can grow with your child. These adjustments will allow him to use the same bow for several years. However, you cannot use the same bow for both a 4-year-old and an 18-year-old, so be prepared to buy one of the smaller bows at the beginning and then upgrade as he grows.

    • 3

      Choose a proper bow weight. Individual preference will vary, but most children under 5 should not have a bow weighing more than 3 pounds. Bow weight is one reason to take your child with you when shopping. He needs to hold the bow himself and decide whether it is comfortable.

    • 4

      Determine whether your child is right- or left-eye dominant. Most people's hand and eye dominance match, but in a small percentage of the population they are opposites. Have your child hold his hands at arm's length and form a triangle with his fingers. Then have him focus on an object in the room with both eyes. Tell him to close one eye at a time and tell you which eye allows him to still see the object. This is his dominant eye. If it does not match his dominant hand, experts recommend buying a bow that matches eye- rather than hand-dominance as retraining the body will be easier than retraining the eye.

    • 5

      Measure draw length. Place the starting end of a yardstick at your child's sternum and have him reach out with both hands and touch the yardstick with fingers outstretched. Relax his shoulders. The measurement at the tip of his fingers is the draw length.

    • 6

      Determine a comfortable draw weight. With growing joints and muscles, it is important not to have too much draw weight. Your child has to comfortably pull the bow without straining. Your archery or sporting goods store will likely have a chart matching body weight and draw weight, but generally speaking a child weighing less than 70 pounds should draw no more than 15 pounds, while a teenager weighing between 100 and 130 pounds can draw between 25 and 30 pounds. Again, having your child with you while selecting the bow will help.