I see time and time again people who have more years under their belt shooting trad than I do being alive using guards for their bow arm. I consider myself a novice archer but gave up using an arm guard long ago as I found after a bit of practice I quit giving subjecting myself to string slap.

Why do guys like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1gc8EUQZ8g&list=PLAS5TQYStxSsXLJxOBK_A_glPo9S9PqlH&index=2

still wear an arm guard? Is there something I'm missing?

Often it is to keep their sleeves from catching on the string as they shoot. Some use large rubber bands to do the same thing. I rarely do more than brush my arm with the string, but as I add layers when it gets colder, I use an armguard to insure a smooth shot with no possibility of the string catching my wool coat.

for hunting I would use a short piece of ace bandage that had the self stick Velcro sewed on just wrap a couple times,,, but I haven't used an arm guard in years got used to shooting without one,,,,,,,had to because I kept forgetting it.

When shooting a recurve I don't get string slap but shooting a longbow I do. I have 2 longbows and both string slap me.

Up until a couple months ago I'd only owned recurves with 8"+ brace heights and it was never an issue.  My new longbow braces at 7" and with a locked forearm I get slapped every time.

I don't hit my arm every time. Just often enough to make using one necessary...leaves a nice red, painful welt. Besides that's the way I was taught and it keeps the bowstring out of my clothes.

The fact is good archery coaches tell us that unless the string ends up very close to our arm, even hitting our arm on occasion on follow through, our form could be better...being happy with not wearing a bracer of some sort is likely accepting form that is not as good and consistent as it could be...watch some video of the world's best FITA archers and notice what they do

DDave

Keeping clothing out of the way is a really important reason for using one. Some years a go, I hit my heavy coat sleeve, which cost me a nice 8 pointer.

Just whacked my coat sleeve when shooting a warm-up shot before heading out to my stand. Arrow hit a foot high and 6" off to the side. That's all the reason I need.

I use an arm guard primarily to keep my sleeve out of the way. I generally don't hit my arm because it is bent quite a bit when I shoot but I have hit it on occasion and I want to be sure it doesn't happen at crunch time. I wear an arm guard every time I shoot my bow as a habit.

For the same reason you'll see top-flite 3D archers like Rod Jenkins with his nose taped up....as has been pointed out, not needing an arm guard does not necessarily equate to having good form.  Sometimes it's quite the opposite.

Quick, cheap insurance. I occasionally take a shot or two without it. Unless I'm shooting one of my sub 7" BH longbows, it usually isn't a big issue (maybe a little redness where the string grazes the arm). However, it only takes one slip up to end up with a reminder that lasts for days or weeks. To me, its worth the extra few seconds it takes to slap one on.

Because I have Dupuytren's contracture of the elbow and I get hit hard when I get hit, which is most shots.

Besides, when I was shooting 80# daily you really didn't want that slap.

I wear one because I'm a %^#+ and it hurts.

As Charlie Lamb said: "I don't hit my arm every time. Just often enough to make using one necessary...leaves a nice red, painful welt." I also use it while hunting because my clothes are often bulky and I have missed before just because of clothing getting caught by the string. When you are changing positions and shooting it changes angles. That's why it sometimes hits your arm.

I shoot a 75 # longbow and I can still see the mark on my arm from a practice I did wearing just a T shirt last July (no armguard)... I won't do that again, LOL!

I usually don't wear one with short sleeves, but I wear one when I wear long sleeves or a jacket to keep the bulk down.

Shoot a low brace height LB or a low brace non center shot selfbow. You will catch on quickly why, not every time as stated above but just enough times.

The armguard is part of my bowhunter uniform.

I will "tick" my arm with the bowstring sometimes and for sure cold weather clothing can find the string if I let it. The armguard is as necessary as the tab to me.

Not much looks cooler than a nice tooled leather arm guard and a leather shooting glove.