Part of the reason there are so many companies and so many bows is that there are so many personal preferences for a bow. You are correct about going to a shop (or, better yet, shops) and shooting as many bows as you can. Each bow feels and shoots different for each person. My bow is very comfortable to me, but some people don't like my bow. Some new bows feel awkward to me, but other people love them. Shoot a bunch. Get a list of the ones you like and then ask specific questions of people who shoot those bows. That is the best approach, in my humble opinion.