Three fingers under popularity

[Swamp Yankee]

I've fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole of traditional archery and noticed the vast majority of archers seem to be shooting with three fingers under.  Barebow string walkers traditionally have done this, but has something changed that would explain why it seems to be becoming the norm? No judgement here; just curious if I'm missing something.

[LookMomNoSights]

I don't think you are missing anything.  I shoot split,  always have, don't plan on changing.  When I'm shooting targets that are not live animals,  I'm doing it to get better at shooting live animals ..... I'm a hunter mostly and though of course shooting all kinds of targets is a hoot,  I do it to be practiced to be accurate in the woods. Short story long,  I don't consider myself any sort of "target" archer.  I have tried 3 under just for kicks on a few occasions.   first off,  I thought it was loud compared to my split shooting.  Secondly and this pertains more so to new shooters or those wanting to make a change or try something different in the pursuit of being a more consistently accurate shot if they are not satisfied with their level of accuracy with shooting split, they may find with 3 under that accuracy comes more readily for them or that the process works better for them.... With the nock immediately under your eye and in your more direct line of sight towards a target, well that's a different visual than that of a split shooter.  To each their own.  What's works for you,  works for you.  Do one or the other, or both.  Do whatever the heck you want to and enjoy every second,  your world is yours and theirs is theirs.
I shoot split.

[LookMomNoSights]

I'll throw this out there too,  bet there's lots and lots of split (and 3 under) that are not putting videos out on the tube ..........

[M60gunner]

I think 3 under gets the newbies shooting groups sooner and that seems to be a big deal on YouTube these days. Here's another thought, if it makes the new hunter more accurate at hunting ranges it's a good thing. Less wounded critters running around and showing up on YouTube. Personally I have tried 3 under a few times. The last time was recently. Just can't get used to it for whatever reason. I even used my ILF rig which is tillered even. I had issues coming to an anchor point. Just didn't feel right. Maybe at 80 years old I should leave well enough alone

[Ryan Rothhaar]

You ain't nobody nowadays unless you shoot 3 under with a fixed crawl while hanging in a tree saddle! 

R

[Orion]

Yep.  Seems to be more 3-under shooters nowadays.  I switched to 3-under for a couple of years after shooting split for more than 60 years. Worked fine.  For me, it brought the arrow closer to my eye and worked particularly well for 20 yards and in shots. Not as well when the shots were farther out. Also, less finger pinch when shooting shorter bows.

But, there's less control over the arrow with 3-under, and the nocks must be snap on, fairly tight, or there's the danger of a dry fire. That, plus I just didn't like the extra limb vibration and greater noise of 3- under so I went back to split.

There are some additional pros and cons of each, but they both work.  Whatever floats your boat. 

     

[Burnsie]

Anyone try shooting two under and dropping the ring finger. Seems like you could get the advantage of having the arrow under your eye without all the extra tension of all three fingers low on the string?  Would have the same tension under the arrow as shooting split, but without the top finger. 
I believe Dan Toelke promotes shooting two finger - but split.  I've tried that and it is fine, but I'm just too set in my ways and stick with regular split.

[Tater]

     I shot split finger for 30 years, a little case of target panic got me to thinking about changing something up so I gave three under a try, just my experience, I have more control with three under and have been shooting that way for a few years now. My bows are no more noisy than when I shot split just takes a bit of tuning.
   

[Stringwacker]

I shot split for a long time; but eventually converted to three under shooting. I just got a cleaner release with the three under method which helped my accuracy.

Being a cross dominate eye shooter, the arrow under the eye thing has no benefit to me as for as looking down the shaft for target alignment. When both eyes are open the cross dominate shooter only see's the arrow in the pheriphial side vision.

Being a totally instictive shooter, it doesn't cause any issues.

[McDave]

All new archers who get trained by USA Archery instructors start out shooting 3 under, because that's what USA Archery teaches. This is a bigger deal that it may seem, because all recurve archers in the Olympics are required to shoot split fingers, and USA Archery selects and trains all the Olympic archers and coaches in the US.  This means that all US Olympic archers who were initially trained in shooting 3 under eventually have to be retrained to shoot split.

Why would this happen?  If the primary mission of USA Archery is to train Olympic archers, why would they start out training everyone to shoot 3 under?  I think the reason is that of the thousands of beginning archers that USA Archery trains, only a few will end up on college archery teams or the US Olympic team.  The rest will shoot for fun, shoot in club tournaments, hunt, or decide to do something other than archery as a pastime. The majority of these people will be shooting at distances less than the 70 meter Olympic distance, and at these shorter distances, 3 under has been shown, at least to the satisfaction of USA Archery, to be more effective than split.

Now you can argue to the contrary, but there is really no need to.  The only venue I have ever seen that requires any particular string grip is the Olympics, which requires split.  Even in USA Archery classes, nobody is forced to shoot 3 under, although most people do because that is what is recommended by the instructors.  So if you prefer to shoot split, go for it, you're in good company.

[TRich]

That was really interesting, McDave.

I started off three under because that's what YouTube taught me. I eventually went to split for a multitude of reasons. I guess I can boil them down to "I think it's more useful and fun for why I shoot bows."

When I taught my mom archery, it helped her have a lot more fun once I had her shoot three under with a high anchor. She just wants the exercise and to hit the hay bale.

[woodchucker]

I've shot split finger since about the time I could walk. I always shot split finger even during that dark time in the 80's when I switched to a compound. (without sights) I gave up bowhunting when it just got too commercial. You had to have the "latest & greatest" every year, and it just wasn't for me. Around 2000, I had a friend who was a die hard Bowhunter. He kept pestering me to get a bow, and I told him "Bob, If I ever bowhunt again, it will be with and old recurves and wood arrows"

Shortly after, after doing some searching, I met Joe Skipp, Who used to be a member here. He had a traditional archery shop in his basement, and from him I bought an old 1967 55# Bear Kodiak Magnum, and a dozen cedar arrows. At the time, I bought all of my equipment from Joe. After a year or so, I read about 3under in a Traditonal Bowhunter magazine. I tried it, and it was LOUD!!!!! I asked Joe about it, and he told me that my nock point had to be dead level. I went home, and lowered my nock point, and not only was it loud, but I got CRAZY arrow flight!!!  I raised my nock point and went back to split finger.

In 2004, Joe told me about TradGang and I joined On here, I read more about shooting 3under, and I learned that I needed to RAISE my nock point!! I raised my nock point on the  old Bear and got good arrow flight and minimal noise... I started shooting 3under, and I taught both of my boys to shoot 3under. I have a small collection of old Bear Grizzlys and every one the nock point is set at 5/8"
In 2015 I bought the Bear T/D that I have wanted all my life. I set it up with a 5/8" nock point to shoot 3under and it was LOUD!!! I tried split finger (without moving the nock point) and it quieted right down, so I switched back to split finger. After not hunting or shooting last year, I strung it up again to start shooting. (3under) It was LOUD, so I set about trying to quiet it down. The answer, was raising my nock point to 7/8" I've decided this year to use my old 43# 1969 Grizzly. I strung it up and shot it with the old string and it shot just like it always has 3under. The old girl has been set up with a new string with a 5/8" nocking point, Brush Buttons and Bow Jacks, and the old Grizz is ready to hunt!!!
FWIT, my anchor point has always been my index finger at the corner of my mouth, so 3under really does't get the arrow up under my eye, but it works for me!! 

[BAK]

I have shot split since the 1960's.  Can't see any reason to fix it.  I have tried three under, and have shot my best 3d ever doing so, however it's loud and un-natural, and does not provide the same level of arrow control.

[Mint]

I noticed too that a lot of archers shoot three fingers under also. I'm guessing they tried split and liked three under better. I've had two cases where a quick follow up shot helped me harvest both a deer and hog. The hog was a lucky on the run shot after hitting her too far back but the second arrow nailed her. I don't think with three under i could load and shoot that fast but maybe with practice it is just as quick?

[trad_bowhunter1965]

Three under has been around for a long time here's some photos of Art Young shooting three under.

[Trenton G.]

I believe I remember reading somewhere that Art Young actually shot 4 under.

[Tajue17]

I shoot split im true instinctive where i can shoot in the pitch dark my reason is for hunting only.  i see 3under shooters here with range finders :  whatever as long as everyone feels happy.   

 

[Blackcow]

When I started shooting in the late 70's there nearly all of my neighbors shot, and helped me out. Nearly all of them shot 3 under. They were all dads of my friends, so on their 20's and 30's, up to past retirement age. They all hunted, and shot field out by the fairgrounds. So, it certainly isn't a new thing. I remember Mr. Glascow and Mr. Hayes shot 3u corner of the mouth, and under chin( face walked) for the long shots. The only one I remember for sure that shot split was my friends dad Mr. Rollins. I bought his 76'er at his yard sale for 10 bucks when compounds really got going here. One of my other friends still has it, btw.

[Greenstyk]

I shot split finger instinctively for 27 years until about 3 weeks before opening day of bow season the pain in my fingers had gotten so bad I couldn't shoot without flinching. The remedy was 3 under and I've shot that way for 3 years now. I still shoot instinctively and I shoot almost every day without issue.

[PrimitivePete]

I have been shooting 3 Under for the last 40 years, if not longer. For me it's been about achieving a solid anchor and less pressure on the arrow nock. Works for me, not a fad, just a fact.