During the days when aluminium arrows were the very best option, I found getting enough cast to shoot 90m was always a problem. Because of this problem I could see no point in cutting my arrows to the AMO standard length (i.e. nock to pivot point plus 1 3/4 inches) after all, I was not going to use broadheads with these so why not save some weight and gain cast by cutting my arrows to their absolute minimum usable length instead i.e. so the end of the shaft was only about 1/4" in front of the arrow rest.
However, despite trying different spines and all sorts of tuning over many years I found that I could only get what you would call an 'average' arrow flight, and although I was getting quite reasonable scores and groups from this, I just could not get the really really good arrow flight that I could see a few others were getting - and it just never dawned on me that this could possibly be because of the concept of using the absolute minimum arrow-length for my draw. I wrote it off as being due to something vague, like a poor technique, or maybe - because the ones I could see that were getting the good flight had a much longer draw than myself, something to do with my shorter draw, another one of lifes penalties for being a 'short-arse'.
Now, in the late seventies I was being billetted by Hans Wright for a week or so during the course of a Nationals (FYI: Hans Wright was one of the greatest Australian archers at that time, and was also National coach for many years) and on one of these days we went to Hans' club grounds (Frankston) for some tuning and practice. Naturally, because Hans' arrows flew so very well and mine didn't, the topic of arrow flight arose.
Hans had a look and told me that my problem was because I was cutting my arrows too short and, to prove his point, handed me his own equipment and told me to shoot a few ends with it. Now - I only shoot a 28" (AMO) draw-length while Hans Wright had a huge draw-length (something like a 32 or 33 inches from memory) so I could see there was going to be more than a few problems here (I mean, for a start - just FORGET about using a clicker 
).
However, my main objection to this experiment was that the bow was tuned beautifully for the poundage he was drawing at his own draw-length, but there was no way I could draw that far and get the same poundage, so the tuning was going to be well and truly out when shot at my own draw-length wasn't it? "No it won't, just shoot it and see..." Hans replied with a little knowing smirk, adding - "but there's certainly going to be a few inches of arrow sticking out the front isn't there?"
With some trepidation I took a shot and was absolutely astounded to see the arrow flying just as well as if Hans had shot it himself (albeit not as accurately and a lot more slowly at my shorter draw-length) and after many more arrows this first impression was well and truly confirmed - the arrows were flying from his bow way better than I had ever been able to get my arrows to fly from my bow.
After a discussion regarding some very high quality, ultra high speed movies that Hans had seen (showing the 'archers paradox' and arrows leaving the bow) I saw that what he was trying to tell me made very good sense. After that little lesson I have always considered the AMO standard as being the MINIMUM length for my arrows and both my scores and groups have improved as a consequence of that little extra arrow length.
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