Why 3 under?

[Andy Cooper]

The Why 3 Fingers thread got me thinking. What is the reason some prefer 3 under? My Dad shoots with two fingers, or did when he was shooting. I've never been around a 3-under shooter. I know the bow needs to be tillered for three under, but have no idea what the difference is. Can a bow so tillered be shot accurately with a split?

[McDave]

As with most things in life, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

People like 3 under because it eliminates some errors that could be made when shooting split fingers.  When shooting split fingers, the forefinger can press down on the nock of the arrow and cause the arrow to bend and rebound off the shelf.  Since this is unlikely to be consistent, erratic arrow flight can result.

People like split fingers because it gives them more control of the arrow.  You can shoot with a really loose arrow nock and the arrow won't fall off the string.  A lot of people who shoot 3 under feel that they need a nock above and below the arrow since there is nothing to keep the arrow from sliding up the string when it is shot.  The general feeling is that bows shot 3 under are noisier, even if they have been tillered to shoot 3 under.

Some people have a higher anchor when shooting 3 under, and prefer that, and some prefer a lower anchor when shooting split fingers.  I have found that there is a lot of leeway in selecting anchor positions, and not much difference between 3 under and split if you experiment with different anchors.

Some feel that split fingers is more traditional, and some tournaments require that it be used.  Not many, though.

If you know how you're going to be shooting, you should obviously have the bow tillered that way.  However, most bows can be shot either way without a problem.  I have had some bows that were tillered for split where I have had to nock too high and I felt uncomfortable shooting them 3 under, and have sold those bows.  I don't know if anyone has bought a bow tillered for 3 under and had a problem shooting it split.  Most people who shoot split won't buy a bow that is tillered for 3 under if they know about it, since most bows are tillered for split anyway, and there is no need for them to buy one tillered for 3 under.

I would imagine shooting with two fingers like your dad did would be preferable to shooting with three, if your fingers could stand it.  Since almost all people shoot with three fingers, I would assume the average person needs three fingers to comfortably pull the bow.

My perception is that a lot of people switch from split to 3 under, and not many of them switch back (I personally haven't heard of any switching back, but some probably do).

[HUNT 24/7]

I just switched to 3 under a week ago, my reason for changing was to get the arrow closer to my eye without changing my anchor point, I like my anchor to much to change.
 I like looking down the arrow, it was a great improvment once my brain recalculated my sight picture. I was hitting a foot & a half low for quite a while, it isn't quite where I want it yet, but it's coming.
 I'm using a HH longbow that isn't tillered for 3 under but it seems to shoot great, I didn't notice a change in noise either. Shooting with 2 under would hurt after a while I think, it's 70lbs.

[The Butcher]

I switched to three under last year.  I have a more comfortable anchor, than I did shooting split.  My form seems to be more solid.  I had a tendency to throw my release hand when shooting split finger, now, my hand just slides back upon release. I have had no trouble shooting bows tillered for split, I just nock a little high. One longbow I hadm, shot field points like darts, but I never could achieve good flight with broadheads.  Sold the bow.  I have more confidence now than I ever did, all because I'm more comfortable shooting.  It just seems natural for me. I feel like McDave said, I'll never switch.  Good luck, hope it helps you.

[RocketDog]

I tried 3 under for several weeks years ago and didn't care for it.  It does put the arrow closer to your eye, but drastically reduces your POA.  At around 30 yds the point of my arrow began to cover the target.  I like to shoot longer distances for practice, so went back to split.

[trcytylr]

I have a (new to me) bow that I have been practicing with for about 2 wks. It's a Jordan Stalker takedown. 52# @ 28.

I shot my Ben Pearson with split fingers and was shooting this one like that. I switched to 3 under this wk and seem to be grouping alot better. And it seems to make the bow quieter, less pop. Is that possible or my imagination?

[PhilNY]

When I was a kid we shot mostly 20 yard indoor target rounds with target bows and without sights. My friend Pat switched to three under and his shooting suffered for about 6 months, but a year later he was consistantly out shooting his previous scores and was always just a bit better than all of us with a 283 average if I remember correctly.
It took Pat a lot of dedication to pull this off.
My point in all of this is that you have to be willing to give any anchor or release style some serious time and dedication to see if it will really work for you.
I think people try three under for reasons like finger pain, comfort, closing the gap and possibly a smoother loose.
I also think tiller is not a big factor for most people, but that it may become one as you shoot near the top of your ability and even then it would only be a small decrease in noise along with a few points of improvement so long as nothing was drastically off.

[GREG IN MALAD]

Here's my 2 cents worth.
 I switched to 3-under 2 years ago and am shooting better that ever, I have never been able to focus so intently on the target that I blurr out the arrow. So if I can see the point, then why not aim with it? When you shoot 3-under or split finger you should put more pressure on the finger directly under the nock. The reason most bows are louder when shot 3-under is most people pull with the middle finger which puts more stress on the lower limb, which is why you have to raise the nock set.