Well , my knocks are parallel to the string . The arrows have the facory fletching - It's probably a couple of degrees offset . The arrow channel shows wear - How ever the aluminum was coated/colored has worn off . So the arrow rides against raw aluminum (it feels pretty smooth but maybe the friction is too much ). Just a couple of questions -1- The arrow retension spring , ths is the small spring that holds the arrow down against the rail , right ? How much pressure should be on this? 2-Should your string should have a significant amount of downward pressure on the rail ? Thanks .