On a compound the rest position matters little, as long as the arrow passes freely
1 study
The summary today
The result comes from a model of the motion of an arrow leaving a single-cam compound, checked against photographs of the arrow as it leaves, and not from shooting tests. In the calculation, moving the rest 2 millimetres sideways mainly changes the angle of attack at which the arrow enters the airstream, from 0.1 to -0.2 degrees, while the path of its centre of mass stays very similar, and from this the author concludes that the rest position is not critical to accuracy, as long as the rear of the arrow, and above all the leading edge of the fletches, does not touch it. The margin depends on the cams, though: with the nocking-point path of a binary-cam compound the rest has to sit 4 millimetres below the nock, against 2 for the single-cam, and the arrow leaves with a positive angle of attack instead of a negative one. In the same work, the archer twisting the bow matters far more: one degree in one direction takes the angle of attack to -0.4 degrees, in the other it markedly increases the flex of the arrow. Nobody has moved the rest on a real bow and measured the groups.
Also phrased as: "compound rest position"; "arrow rest height"; "compound centre shot"; "setting the arrow rest"; "fletching clearance"
In practice
On a compound, the rest is said to be set once, to get the arrow square and the fletches passing cleanly, and beyond that a millimetre or two either way is said not to show on the target.
Evidence
-
2011
For Model Published later
Model of the motion of an arrow leaving a single-cam compound, in the horizontal plane: moving the rest 2 millimetres sideways takes the angle of attack from 0.1 to -0.2 degrees and the centre of mass follows a very similar path. The author concludes that the rest position is not critical to accuracy, as long as the rear of the arrow, and in particular the leading edge of the fletches, does not strike it.
The Behaviour of An Arrow Shot from a Compound Archery Bow · J L Park
-
2011
Context Model Published later
In the same model, with the nocking-point path of a binary-cam compound the rest has to be lowered to 4 millimetres below the nock to leave room for the rear of the arrow, against 2 millimetres for the single-cam, and the arrow enters the airstream with a positive angle of attack, whereas in the vertical plane the single-cam sends it off at -0.4 degrees. In the horizontal plane, where the angle is 0.1 degrees without any twist, twisting the bow one degree clockwise takes it to -0.4.
The Behaviour of An Arrow Shot from a Compound Archery Bow · J L Park
Status history
- 2011 Transferred The result sits inside a model of the motion of an arrow leaving a single-cam compound: moving the rest 2 millimetres sideways mainly changes the angle of attack, from 0.1 to -0.2 degrees, while the path of the centre of mass stays similar, and the author concludes that the rest position is not critical as long as the arrow clears it. With the nocking-point path of a binary cam the model calls for a lower rest, 4 millimetres below the nock against 2. No shooting test on this point and no archers: the claim rests on a calculation, hence transferred.
Related
Related articles
- The compound on the draw: what the cams, the limbs and the nocking point doCompound cams, limbs and nocking point: what shapes the force-draw curve, the let-off and the path of the nock, according to what studies have measured.
- Bow tuning in archery: how to tune your bow, backed by scienceBow tuning and the research: spine, centre shot, button, nocking point, brace height and tiller. What models and machine tests show, and how precise you need to be.
Research lines
Cite
Campagna, M. (2026). On a compound the rest position matters little, as long as the arrow passes freely (Version 1). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/equipment/compound-rest-position
@misc{campagna2026_compoundrestposizione,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {On a compound the rest position matters little, as long as the arrow passes freely},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/equipment/compound-rest-position},
note = {Version 1; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
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