Whether you just got your very first set of stabilizers or you're a seasoned pro looking for those one or two extra points that can win a match, any recurve archer should know how to balance their stabilizer system.

No idea where to start? No worries! You can follow this step by step guide to getting your sight pin to hold steady, balance your bars, and fine tune your set up.

Choosing the right stabilizer length is a big deal. Unless you are shooting barebow, your stabilization system needs to work with your shooting style, body mechanics, and the way you like your bow to feel and respond.  

If you have a stabilizer system that is too long, it can be very unwieldy, sluggish, or cumbersome, or unresponsive. 

If you have a stabilizer system that is too short, it can be overly sensitive, jittery, twitchy, insufficient stability. 

The lengths of your front rod, side rods, and extension need to work together - if they are mismatched in terms of length, your system can be working against itself and prevent you from getting the best feeling set up possible for you. 

So how do you pick the right length for you? Here at RamRods we’ve been making stabilizers for a long time and have gotten tons of feedback directly from customers and our team of professional archers from all over the world. From all of that data and feedback we’ve found that the best approach is to first determine your total system length and then fine-tune the side rods and other accessories to create a setup that complements your individual shooting style. 

Your total system length is the measurement from the stabilizer bushing to the very end of your stabilizer setup—not counting dampers or weights.

For example, let’s say an archer uses a 3 inch extension, an adjustable V-bar, a quick disconnect, and a 27” front rod.  Their total system length would be 31.5 inches. 3" + 0.5" + 1" + 27" = 31.5"

Another example would be no extension, a fixed v bar, an eyebolt, and a 28” front rod. The total system length would be 30 inches. 1" + 1" + 28" = 30"

If you’re looking for a quick recommendation—maybe you’re helping a new archer or setting up stabilizers for the first time, measure your height and use this chart to find the category that fits you best. We made this chart based on the feedback from archers from all over the world at all different skill levels and have found it to be a super solid starting point for discovering your total system length.

If you want a more precise calculation for determining your recommended system length, take your height in inches and multiply it by 0.45. The result would be your recommended total system length in inches.

Example:

If you’re 6 feet tall  or 72 inches, multiply 72 times 0.45 = 32.4 inches, so your recommended total system length is 32 to 32 and a half inches. 

Does this really work? It really does!  We created this formula by analyzing the average stabilizer lengths used by the entire RamRods Archery Team. Almost every single one of our athletes fall within ±2 inches of this calculation.

Alright, so we’ve nailed down your total stabilizer system length—a solid starting point. Now, let’s figure out your side rod lengths and whether you should be using an extension. 

To do that, we’re gonna need to take a look at your shot style.