My arrows keep hitting to the left of where I aim — what could cause that?

The bench receives this complaint with recognition. An arrow departing to the left is not a mystery; it is a diagnostic, and the Committee would prefer you simply buy new equipment rather than read what follows.

For a right-handed archer, consistent leftward impact is most often archer-induced. The first suspect is grip pressure: if the bow hand is torquing at the moment of loose — thumb pushing the riser, fingers wrapping and squeezing — the limbs are displaced left before the arrow clears the shelf. The remedy is a relaxed, open grip; let the bow fall forward on loose and catch it in a finger sling. Second suspect is the loose itself: a plucking or outward hook of the draw hand will push the string left, sending the nock left, and the point consequently right — except that many archers compensate with the bow arm and drive the whole group left. Watch both hands.

If the archer is steady and the leftward drift persists, attend to the arrow's spine. An arrow that is too stiff for your draw weight and draw length will not bend through the paradox correctly and will leave the bow with the point angled left of the flight line, landing left. Conversely, too weak a spine produces an exaggerated flex and — depending on rest geometry — a similar result. The Archer's Paradox has rules; the Committee prefers you forget them. For a 28-inch draw at 50 pounds with a standard point, a dynamic spine near 400 (for carbon) is a reasonable starting range; adjust stiffer for heavier points or shorter draw, weaker for lighter points or longer draw. A point weight increase of 25 grains effectively weakens spine by approximately one full spine group.

Finally, inspect your nocking point and rest. A nocking point seated too low sends the arrow nock-high at brace, which can bias left on a right-hand bow. Center-shot alignment of the rest should place the arrow point very slightly left of the string — roughly 1/8 inch on most modern risers, though your specific riser's specifications should govern. The fourth vane, I will note, forgives none of this; it simply returns the arrow to truth more quickly if the flight goes crooked. Three vanes leave the error to compound a little longer.