Hand position-high or low?

[Davros]

I note that most Compound bows have low hand position. Why? Having shot R/C for 12 years with a high grip I found it difficult to adapt, and feel more comfrotable with a high grip. In addition I had this theory that the centre of pressure was narrower with a high grip, not spread over the whole palm, therefore less chance of follow through varying in direction. Any opposing theories?

[geoffretired]

When I started recurve archery, the very high grip was the fashion. I was told that it gave minimum contact with the bow therefore less chance of torque. Later I read that the high grip put lots of strain on the wrist and only the very strong could use it successfully. Low grips have been growing in numbers since then as far as I am aware.
From my own point of view, if I use a high grip, my wrist is always tending to drop and become a low one. With a low grip I can relax and it will stay, there is no tendency for it to become high.

I now shoot compound and have recently switched from a 45 digree high grip to a much more upright low grip, all on the palm/thumb muscle. It has made a very significant improvment to my consistency and reduced a lot of left/right errors. Can't comment on the recurve stuff as I have not shot one in over a year now. The grips on compound bows are shaped to be low compared to a recurve too. The dynamics of the two bow types are quite different and for me, feel very different when shot.

[greydog]

Low grip for me, I've tried high grip with a compound, but it doesn't have the consistancy.

[Jerry Tee]

I find the middle option most suitable for me I tend to heel the bow with a low grip.

[Li'l Boy Blue]

Originally Posted by Davros

I note that most Compound bows have low hand position. Why? Having shot R/C for 12 years with a high grip I found it difficult to adapt, and feel more comfrotable with a high grip. In addition I had this theory that the centre of pressure was narrower with a high grip, not spread over the whole palm, therefore less chance of follow through varying in direction. Any opposing theories?

The way compound bows have developed is that they have gone very low grip but have also gone a lot slimmer to minimise the contact.
As long as your hand is relaxed when you stuff it in the grip, it will naturally sit where the grip is dictating it sits. Also with a relaxed low grip and making sure you're pushing forward through the wrist, the bow will travel in a straight line to the target.
Call it heeling but I'd rather do that and drill the 10 than go back to the old compounds and the massive grips.
Remember, the grip is just a pivot point and your bow hand is only there to stop the bow flying back into your face!!!

[Adam]

I'm another who prefers a low grip. With the pressure evenly distributed over the thumb muscle the shot is about as consistent as you'll get. It's also easier to hold up the additional mass weight of a fully-loaded compound bow this way. Finally, it allows you to completely relax the bow hand so that all it is doing is supporting the weight of the bow.

Adam

[Jerry Tee]

Perhapps we should all just stuff the grip in the hand and trust that the bow companies have got it right and relax and let it happen?

Originally Posted by Jerry Tee

Perhapps we should all just stuff the grip in the hand and trust that the bow companies have got it right and relax and let it happen?

I doubt that will be right for every one. Hand size varies as does grip size and shape. With any bow grip, it's very possible you can still use it wrong. If there is one thing I have learned about compound recently, get the grip right and learn to reproduce it the same, shot after shot. Grip is the wrong word...I think its' more of a place to put your hand, the last thing you need to do with it is "grip it". The hand needs to be relaxed..new words for it....hmmm not sure on that one.

[geoffretired]

There's a lot to be said for that approach Jerry.
Since 1982 I've been fiddling with bow grips. They never really felt right for me. They all seemed to be designed around cosmetic appeal. More recently the grips seem to be trying to get a good hand position for the archers. My latest bow is a *********** and it is the only one that I could shoot straight out of the box. There was a slight problem with my hand rubbing on a join that caused blisters. A little leather over the area and all is well.
It's the nature of many humans to want more, or better. Long live the differences!