Shield fletching offers an excellent combination of flight stability and arrow speed. Its shape and surface area stabilize the arrow quickly and reliably in flight, which is particularly advantageous at short distances or for novice archers, as it provides greater forgiveness. Compared to other shapes like parabolic fletching, it is slightly slower, but compensates for this with improved stabilizing effect. Furthermore, natural feathers in the shield shape ensure that the arrow is deflected less upon release or when hitting obstacles than with synthetic fletching.