# 3 under vs split



## jahiatt (Dec 28, 2010)

Today I experimented with 3 under instead of split. I liked it after a few shots.
Although Im only a backyard shooter and terrible, my arrows did start to group a bit.
I did shoot low more often and I seemed seemed to raise my anchor point so I could look straight down the arrow. It sorta seemed like I was trying gap shooting instead of my usual instinctive. 
Any comments on technique and pointers would be appreciated. I liked the feel of 3 under, but dont really know what Im doing is correct.
Thanks


----------



## Ft. Jefferson (Apr 11, 2011)

I've watched 3-under sweep the 3D world in traditonal over the last 12 years or so. Scores are up all over the place. I've seen men I know jump 20 points on their 3D scores almost overnight by switching to 3-under. It works, and it works well for many.

That said, I hate the system. The arrow feels odd on the string and it inhibits your ability to shoot from odd angles with drastic cants as when hunting. Many will tell you they can shoot form odd positions while using 3-under but I've yet to see any archer do this in practice. They all rely on strict vertical, or near vertical bow position and classic form with solid anchor. Nothing wrong with this on the 3D range but it's not great for hunting.

But what the heck. Arthur Young shot 3-under over a hundred years ago. He did okay.


----------



## ia bhtr (May 22, 2002)

Ft. Jefferson said:


> I've watched 3-under sweep the 3D world in traditonal over the last 12 years or so. Scores are up all over the place. I've seen men I know jump 20 points on their 3D scores almost overnight by switching to 3-under. It works, and it works well for many.
> 
> That said, I hate the system. The arrow feels odd on the string and it inhibits your ability to shoot from odd angles with drastic cants as when hunting. Many will tell you they can shoot form odd positions while using 3-under but I've yet to see any archer do this in practice. They all rely on strict vertical, or near vertical bow position and classic form with solid anchor. Nothing wrong with this on the 3D range but it's not great for hunting.
> 
> But what the heck. Arthur Young shot 3-under over a hundred years ago. He did okay.


While I understand the thought process behind this thinking , I will disagree with it , yrs ago when I switched from fingers & pins to 3 under barebow bowhunter the 1st thing I did was come up with a good repeatable anchor which consisted of index knuckle on my cheek bone with the web between my index finger and my thumb wrapping down to where my jaw sat right on top of my thumb , also when at full draw I had the feather on my arrow resting right against the beak of my nose , this gave me a very repeatable 3 reference point anchor , I was shooting mid 60s for #s and a 29" 2216 which gave me point on at 30 yds , a one pin sight if you will , my form was pretty solid and at 3Ds , hunting , Field shoots or indoors I never ever had an issue , shot low 90s indoors and usually 1 of the higher scores on the 3D ranges regardless of class, I no longer shoot bb , but it is an was my single most enjoyable way to shoot , sadly it is also where I picked up my TP


----------



## Ft. Jefferson (Apr 11, 2011)

ia bhtr said:


> While I understand the thought process behind this thinking , I will disagree with it , yrs ago when I switched from fingers & pins to 3 under barebow bowhunter the 1st thing I did was come up with a good repeatable anchor which consisted of index knuckle on my cheek bone with the web between my index finger and my thumb wrapping down to where my jaw sat right on top of my thumb , also when at full draw I had the feather on my arrow resting right against the beak of my nose , this gave me a very repeatable 3 reference point anchor , I was shooting mid 60s for #s and a 29" 2216 which gave me point on at 30 yds , a one pin sight if you will , my form was pretty solid and at 3Ds , hunting , Field shoots or indoors I never ever had an issue , shot low 90s indoors and usually 1 of the higher scores on the 3D ranges regardless of class, I no longer shoot bb , but it is an was my single most enjoyable way to shoot , sadly it is also where I picked up my TP


I read your post and don't see where we disagree. I readily admit 3-under allows higher scores at target shooting. I just don't like it. I especially don't like it for hunting. Not being a user of tree stands, I always hunt from the ground and have to contend with lots of brush to shoot through. I can't remember the last clear lane I shot an arrow down when aimed at a game animal. In almost every case when I'm hunting the shot is taken from low under a bush or limb - bow layed over to horizontal or nearly so. I don't see 3 finger guys making this kind of shot, ever. Not in 3D and most certainly not in hunting.

But if a high score is what you want in target shooting, or if you hunt from elevated stands with good sight lines, there is nothing wrong (and everything right) with 3-under.


----------



## ia bhtr (May 22, 2002)

Ft. Jefferson said:


> I read your post and don't see where we disagree. I readily admit 3-under allows higher scores at target shooting. I just don't like it. I especially don't like it for hunting. Not being a user of tree stands, I always hunt from the ground and have to contend with lots of brush to shoot through. I can't remember the last clear lane I shot an arrow down when aimed at a game animal. In almost every case when I'm hunting the shot is taken from low under a bush or limb - bow layed over to horizontal or nearly so. I don't see 3 finger guys making this kind of shot, ever. Not in 3D and most certainly not in hunting.
> 
> But if a high score is what you want in target shooting, or if you hunt from elevated stands with good sight lines, there is nothing wrong (and everything right) with 3-under.


I have taken a dozen game animals BB , stalking , tree stands , open cover and dense cover , it is by far the easiest & fastest way I have ever used hunting , actually the 1st deer I killed Barebow , I had placed a practice arrow thru the center of a leaf @ 20 yds from a tree stand thru a small hole in one of my shooting lanes , as luck would have it , alittle later that evening a nice 8 pt came thru that same lane , made a nice smooth shot , blew the arrow clean thru him , watched him leave and heard him crash , got down to retrieve my arrow that I shot him with and the practice arrow and the kill arrow were touching side by side in the leaf I shot at in practice , that was kinda cool 

A high score in shooting wasnt what I was after when I went 3 under , we had a couple guys shooting this way so thats what I did and it worked well for me , what I referenced to wasnt talking about high scores , what it was referring to was every imaginable situation shooting that you can have and that accuracy was had in every aspect of shooting 3 under , thats what I was meaning , was that there was not a time that 3 under was a hinderence of any kind , it was ( for me ) a huge asset , quite honestly I cannot imagine any type of anchor not allowing a person to make a shot that another type of anchor would allow , from personal experience with good success over the years shooting everything from the affore mentioned 3 under to open class with a hook and shooting some nasty 3D courses , never ever had an issue with any anchor or shooting style and , for me anyway , 3 under was always the easiest to shoot , but I can sure only speak for me because everyone does shoot differently and what works for me deffinately mite not work for some one else , conversly , what doesnt work for someone could easily work for other people , thats what is so Great about our sport , countless different ways of accomplishing the same thing , personally I enjoy a challenge to make something work , especially when I am told it cant be done , that makes it all the more fun


----------



## Ft. Jefferson (Apr 11, 2011)

ia bhtr: I have to be honest and tell you your viewpoint and experiences more closely match those of my friends who shoot 3-under. I just couldn't make it work the few times I messed with it over the years. I always felt like the arrow was going to fall off the rest - even when canted. I had wild shots going high-left for having lifted the arrow with my top finger. I understand this is my poor execution. But this is my finding. I couldn't get comfy with it and did not feel secure.

Even indoors at 20 yards under ideal conditions I felt awkward shooting 3-under. I guess archery is a very personal thing and what is great for some is poison for others. I did not sense any contention in your posts nor do I purposely mean any. I do find it somewhat amusing how two persons doing the same basic game can have such different approaches.

Like in golf. I do not use any clubs off the tee that resemble woods. No driver or 3-wood. I can't hit them straight so do not handicap myself with them. I simply advance the ball with irons which I can control much better. It looks kinda funny on a par 5 (at the tee) but I usually don't end up with a snowman on my scorecard. Just keep beating the pill down the lawn and out of the woods. LOL

Archery is just another form of golf in my mind.


----------



## 2413gary (Apr 10, 2008)

I shoot three under and have for a long time. hunt,field,3d's no problem . I don't understand what you mean about canting the bow with 3 under I don't have a problem ever. not trying to start any thing just don't understand what Ft. Jefferson means.


----------



## ia bhtr (May 22, 2002)

Ft. , I Reeeeaaaaly suck at golf , I would wonder if you have had probs with the arrow on the rest if maybe you werent getting a good curl from your fingers while drawing which rotates the string/arrow into the rest ...... when I shoot fingers / pins I do shoot split and use a tab , a glove doesnt work for me , when I shoot 3 under it is just the opposite I have to shoot a glove because a tab doesnt work for me , I am sure there are plenty of people that use a tab or a glove for either style ,


----------



## Ft. Jefferson (Apr 11, 2011)

ia bhtr said:


> Ft. , I Reeeeaaaaly suck at golf , I would wonder if you have had probs with the arrow on the rest if maybe you werent getting a good curl from your fingers while drawing which rotates the string/arrow into the rest ...... when I shoot fingers / pins I do shoot split and use a tab , a glove doesnt work for me , when I shoot 3 under it is just the opposite I have to shoot a glove because a tab doesnt work for me , I am sure there are plenty of people that use a tab or a glove for either style ,


Hard to say how I mess up 3-under. For one thing I do not use the popular "deep hook" type grip on the string. I've always shot off the last 2/3rds of my three finger pads. Never in the joints. That is both awkward and painful at times. Feels like I'm pinching a nerve in my joints. So I've alwasy shot off the pads. This works for me. I do induce rotation of the string upon drawing. Hard not to do this. But when shooting 3-under I still found the arrow might move once in a while. Trouble with once in a while is you start looking for it to happen. Once you start taking attention away from the actual shooting elements crap happens fast. I can't shoot 3-under. Mostly it is in my head. LOL


----------



## whitebuck (Oct 17, 2003)

The one thing nobody has mentioned is that 3 fingers under instantly improves your line, your eye can sight down the full length of the shaft, so any left/rights are due to you

The lack of a finger above the arrow removes the unwanted pressure, however light, from the nok, so your up/down variation is greatly reduced and sight marks become more reliable IMHO

I struggled for years shooting Bowhunter with split fingers, then the current English Field and Hunter records holder came over, gave me his tab and spent 10 minutes with me, the first thing he said was my point of aim would be reduced so be prepared

I went on to shoot my first FM score 2 weeks later ..... I've never looked back


----------



## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I shoot three under almost exclusively, except for the longest distances. Shooting three under is also a necessity if you stringwalk. I think it depends on how you learned. I shoot almost exclusively three under and feel comfortable with it -- both in my grasp of the string, my draw and my release. I try to mimick that feel when I shoot split, but it tends to feel a little less natural to me. As such, I try to spend a lot of my practice time shooting 90 meters so that I can build up the comfort level for when I need it. My primary discipline is FITA barebow recurve but I also shoot NFAA barebow with a compound. I use the same form for both which may also explain my comfort level with three under.


----------



## zestycj7 (Sep 24, 2010)

I also shoot fingers under, no index finger. I still shoot with my middle finger in the corner of my mouth, same as when I shot split fingers. It is the only way to go
Don.


----------

