I am not referring to any specific rest. I am disagreeing with the statement that
"You cannot obtain better arrow flight by switching to another rest. Arrow flight is a function of correct tuning and proper spine."
If "SA" is meaning that simply changing an accessory is not a quick cure-all if improper tuning and/or improper form is/are the real problem(s), I totally agree. However, without clarification of what is actually meant by the statement, what is alleged is oversimplified, too limiting, and is just not true.
If a person has correctly and thoroughly tuned his/her bow, and has good shooting form, it is not at all uncommon that the design and operation of a particular piece of gear (type, design, complexity, temperamental, etc,) which includes the bow, may be why he or she cannot obtain good and/or consistent arrow flight and accuracy.
As I said in another thread; "All for one and one for all" is for the Three Musketeers, not for individual bow shooters. There is a mindset with too many shooters these days, that if a particular bow and certain gear is working well for him or her, he or she believes that the same will work well for everyone, and if the other person is having problems it has to be a result of improper tuning and form. Not true!
Regarding an arrow rest; whether or not the design and function of the rest is specifically appropriate for an individual shooter is commonly determined by the individual's setup and shooting style. Many variables can come into play, singly or compounding. Here are few that come to mind... even though the person is adept at tuning, even though the bow is precisely tuned, and even though the person' shooting form is good.
1. Diameter of shaft
A small diameter shaft can cause vane/clearance clearance problems when shot off a standard "bullhorn" type rest. The small shaft diameter requires that gap between the rest prongs be very narrow so that the shaft does not fall through. Considering that the valley between the fletch/vane on a small diameter shaft will also be quite narrow, the narrow clearance between the prongs is definitely going to cause contact issues. The clearance problem is magnified when large offset or helical fletching is used, even greater when vanes are used.
2. 4 fletch or vane
Shooter using 4-fletch shafts can also have the same problems as stated under "Diameter of shaft" when using a rest that has clearance issues, and the problem cannot be totally eliminated with an adjustment, the problems as previously stated can now be even greater.
3. Straight, offset, or helical fletch/vane
Again, the type of fletch or vane used and that placement of the fletch/vane on the shaft …and the type of shaft, can dictate what type of rest is best for the shooter's setup.
4. Finger or mechanical release
There is a "shooters paradox" for most finger shooters that can dictate that a certain type of rest is best for the finger shooter. There is a vertical flex that occurs when a mechanical release is used. This action can also dictate that a particular rest is best for certain mechanical release users. I once changed shaft size and weight and consequently spent most of an entire day trying to narrow down a flight problem. I finally determined that the tension on the rest prong was too soft for the new shaft setup. I slightly increased the tension on the prongs and problem was cured. Not all rests have tension adjustments.
5. Complexity or rest vs. experience
In my opinion, the best arrow rest for a center-shot bow is one that has a SIMPLE but precise and micro-incremental vertical, horizontal, and tension adjustment, with the ability to adjust for fletch/vane clearance. For the shooter that does not yet fully understand what affects arrow flight and is not yet adept at tuning, this type of rest is easy to understand and adjust.
There are rests on the market today that are just too complex for the inexperienced shooter, and way to complex for bowhunting. If the person does yet fully understand what enables good arrow flight or cause bad arrow flight, a rest having too many sensitive but mandatory adjustments…and needing to be modified, is a disaster in the making.
6. Speed of arrow
Shafts fired from many of the fast shooting (high stored energy) bows are ultra-sensitive to forces being put upon the shaft by normal physics, by the shooter, and by certain gear.
Regardless that many choose to deny it, there is a point where the speed of an arrow has many downsides. To compensate for the "downside," full blown helical fletching/vanes is usually required to stabilize the arrow. Additionally, mechanical broadheads are almost a necessity to further compensate.
Lastly, many shooter have found that regardless of how well the bow is tuned or how good their shooting form is, they have to use a "fall away" rest to obtain the best arrow flight.
So! If the bow is well tuned and a person's shooting form is "Olympic," but he or she just cannot get the best and consistently good arrow flight when using a particular rest, should the shooter change everything to meet the requirements of the rest, or try a different rest?
"Simply changing to a better rest can improve your accuracy greatly."
Bill Winke
http://www.edersbow.com/publication/...ts/default.cfm
"1turkeykiller": I have to agree with "ewolf." Why go through hassle that is being caused by the rest. Change it! If the rest is tearing the hell out of your fletching, and you have to use some special gluing techniques to hopefully cure the problem, what does that tell you?