Buck Magnet, you're opening a can of worms I don't think anyone understands. Certainly not ME. [&:]

I've tried to visualize what happens during the release, when force is being applied to the nock end of the arrow while the arrow's inertia is resisting that force. I know the force isn't distributed along the full length of the arrow all at once because an arrow is not absolutely rigid. The nock end starts moving just a splintered second before the point, the point is the last part of the arrow to surrender it's inertia, so the arrow is forced to flex (paradox). How much the arrow flexes depends on how much force is applied, shaft stiffness, tip weight and how directly inline, from nock to point, that force is applied (straight and level nock travel).

As a fingers shooter, I know my string is not going to apply force to the arrow nock anywhere near straight. So, I have to pick a stiffer arrow than someone shooting a release; I have to adjust my centershot to compensate for the lateral displacement of the string when it goes around my fingertips; I have to use more surface area for my fletching; I have to use a somewhat higher FOC. All those combined will help minimize paradox, send the arrow in the direction I want it to go AND stabilize the arrow as soon as possible.

When the arrow leaves the string, the energy is distributed throughout the arrow's length but the arrow shaft has not stabilized to put the energy in the nock end directly behind the energy in the point end. Until that arrow completes paradox, stops flexing, and settles down into a straight line, some of the arrow's energy is going to be offset from the point.

You ever watch slo-mo video of Byron Ferguson shooting aspirins out of the air with his longbow? It's amazing how much the arrow is flexed when it hits those aspirin.

Anyway, back to the point, energy and momentum transfer from back to front occur during the release. By the time the arrow has left the string, that stuff is fully distributed along the arrow shaft. It's how that energy is aligned that's important.

Might be totally wrong, but that's the way I imagine it works.