String walking is considered barebow's toughest technique. Here's how to build your crawl chart systematically — finger by finger, distance by distance.
„Why is string walking so much harder for me than gap shooting already was?" Because it genuinely is: the community fairly consistently agrees that exact finger placement on the string is the toughest part of barebow to master. No other piece of the aiming puzzle demands this much fine motor control while giving you so little visible feedback.
The reason: your „crawl" — how far your draw finger sits below the nocking point — changes the angle at which the arrow leaves the string, and with it, where you hit. To make that graspable: it works a bit like a garden hose you tilt flatter or steeper — a tiny angle change at your hand shifts the point of impact on target by centimetres to metres. And it's exactly that millimetre-level precision on the string that makes string walking the discipline's crown jewel.
The good news: it's purely a systems problem. Once you've built it properly, it's one of the most repeatable aiming methods there is — this guide shows you how to earn it step by step.
### 1. Understand the physics behind the crawl As your draw finger moves farther down away from the nocking point, the angle at which the arrow sits on the string changes — and with it, how high or low it hits for the same sight picture. Unlike gap shooting, where you change where the arrow tip aims, in string walking your aim picture stays nearly the same; instead you steer through your hand on the string.
### 2. Fix your reference distance first Start with one core distance — for outdoor target archery, your competition crawl at 50 metres is the natural choice, since that's the World Archery standard distance for barebow in target archery. Tune plunger and arrow rest completely for that one distance before you add any other crawls.
### 3. Build the chart with the walk-back method Stand at your reference distance, then move 5 metres closer at a time. At each new distance you adjust your finger position until your group centres again, and note the exact crawl value off the scale. Your chart grows systematically from a known base, instead of you guessing fresh at every distance.
### 4. Deliberately train the fine motor control Just one or two millimetres of shift on the string can move the point of impact by several centimetres on target. That's exactly what makes string walking the „most challenging part" of barebow — so practise deliberately and slowly, watching the scale, not just „by feel".
### 5. Keep the anchor iron-clad fixed The entire point of string walking is repeatability — and that only works if your anchor point stays constant while only the crawl varies. Change both at once and you have two moving variables instead of one, and your chart becomes useless overnight.
When your whole focus is on finger position at the string, don't lose sight of your draw length. Without a clicker there's no mechanical stop — keep your anchor clean instead of unconsciously drawing further while concentrating on the crawl. That protects shoulder and elbow from strain caused by inconsistent draw length.
Alongside the numbers, keep a small photo log: photograph your finger position on the tab at each core distance every few weeks. That way you'll spot immediately if your technique has drifted slightly over the season — an effect that, in pure numbers, often only shows up once your groups have already suffered.
### What exactly does „crawl" mean in barebow? The crawl is the distance your draw finger sits below the nocking point on the string. In string walking it replaces a sight setting: instead of adjusting the bow, you change your hand position.
### Why is string walking considered the hardest barebow technique? Because tiny millimetre differences on the string shift the point of impact on target by centimetres. The fine motor control and the discipline of logging every distance take months to settle in.
### How often do I need to recalibrate my crawl chart? Check it at the start of the season and after longer breaks — even small changes to the string, anchor or draw weight shift the values. Day to day, a spot check every few weeks is usually enough.
### Can I combine string walking with gap shooting? Yes, many field and 3D archers do exactly that: string walking for their core distances, gap references for estimating unknown ones. The key is that your anchor stays absolutely constant in both cases.
Barebow Anchor: Fixed Point or Walking Anchor?