How do you hold yours?

[cliveanne]

Originally Posted by tel

I was using a finger sling quite happily until I got fed up with being constantly told I was gripping the bow (I wasn't, the sling just gave that impression!) So just for the peace to concentrate on what I was doing I switched to a buckle sling. I do nothing different in terms of holding but nobody says a word!

When I an told that I'm doing it wrong, I ask why & what, I then tell 'em that I have done this for xxxyrs or so, & this is the way that suits me, I thank them for their concern, & carry on, perhaps having tried their method. As a coach, I will not interfere with another archer shooting, unless asked. The only exception is if I see something dangerous.

Go for it doubletop, you may like it, you may not, but you will have tried

[doubletop]

clive anne

made a finger sling using your instructions and tried it at home you are right it does feel strange however my shooting was no worse at 9m than it was before mind you it was no better either so i'll keep with it and see how we go
many thanks again

[cliveanne]

Originally Posted by doubletop

clive anne

made a finger sling using your instructions and tried it at home you are right it does feel strange however my shooting was no worse at 9m than it was before mind you it was no better either so i'll keep with it and see how we go
many thanks again

It took me a few sessions to get used to it. Now? I don't want one, I think it is the way my index finger & thumb combo' wrap around the grip without holding on.

[jaarus]

Just stumbled across this thread..

This is an area I know I could do with advice on.
As I grip the bow...and I mean grip it!

I try to relax during the draw but at about three quarters to full draw I start gripping it, hard.
I cant seem to put faith in slings (though not tried a finger sling - only the wrist type slings often on beginner bows) as they aren't 'there' if you get what I mean.... hard to explain really.
If I dropped it with a wrist sling I know the bow wouldnt hit the ground but as there is no positive contact from it its kind of like a safety net..you know its there but you still dont want to fall.
(bit of a bad example - I am full of bizarre examples like that so apologies!!)

In my grip, my little finger is away from the riser (like a pinky while drinking a cup of tea for yet another slightly odd example )
But the rest of my hand grips the bow for dear life.

Can anyone suggest a technique to prevent this?

Could it be that my bow grip is too small or too large or too high / low etc?
I am about to buy a new riser in the next month or so (got about £350 saved for one) but would be useful to have a potential pitfall ironed out so I can speak with the shop about it.

Kind regards
Jaarus

[cliveanne]

Hmm, interesting
you could alway try a finger sling... buy, or make one. Put your bow together & without loading an arrow, pull the string back a few inches, just enough to put a little tension on the string fingers, then let the string-fingers relax, keeping the bow-hand relaxed. run this through for several times, until it starts to feel natural. It could take some time, but stick with it. Hope this helps.

[geoffretired]

Jaarus, if you have learnt to grip the bow, it is very difficult to "unlearn" that.
Trying NOT to grip the bow doesn't work as easily as TRYING something new.
( I use the idea of a small boy who picks his nose.Telling him to stop doing it doesn't work; getting him to carry a big box , does.)
As a temporary measure, hold the bow so that all the fingers are bunched like a fist, and the thumb stuck out. The bow will fit into the gap between thumb and index finger. All the fingers will be on one side of the grip, none in front. Keep the fingers as a fist and shoot. You will need a sling as there will be nothing else to catch the bow.
When you have succeeded in not gripping the bow a few times, you will have learnt "that feeling". You will know that gripping is not necessary. Then you can start relaxing the bunched fingers, keeping them on one side of the grip. Soon, you will be able to keep the fingers relaxed and have them where you choose.
While getting used to this idea it is best to be at short range. All your concentration is on the fist at the beginning of every shot and the bow jumping onto the sling at the end.

[OpaNL]

Jaarus:

You really need to get rid of that: don't blame or change the bowgrip, that won't help.
Some just find it hard to rely on and trust the sling: a finger sling feels flimsy and a wrist string (the one fitted to your bow) feels to be in the wrong place.
You're not alone in that: In all the coarses I taught there was always a few that had problems with it. Here's some therapy:

#1: See what gripping your bow does: hold your bow loosely up in one hand and aim. Keep aiming and suddenly tighten your grip: you'll notice that your bow will turn to the side quite a bit.

#2: Try to tuck your middle/ring/pinky in your hand next to the grip when holding the bow.

#3: Make an other sling, a little different from the ones described in another thread: they go around the wrist, between index and middle finger, around the bow and then fasten on your thumb. Just feels like you got it all covered.



#4: Tighten the sling until it really pushes the bow in your hand: it shouldn't be that way but it might help you to get the 'no disaster is going to strike" feeling. Change to a loose one later

#5: If everything fails, and for this one I take no responsibility, tape some flat headed push pins to the front of your riser and shoot like this for a while. Did this once, with consent of the victim, worked like a charm, he never gripped his bow after that, but I got "wounded" when I took them off..


Peter

[clickerati]

Originally Posted by geoffretired

As a temporary measure, hold the bow so that all the fingers are bunched like a fist, and the thumb stuck out. The bow will fit into the gap between thumb and index finger. All the fingers will be on one side of the grip, none in front. Keep the fingers as a fist and shoot. You will need a sling as there will be nothing else to catch the bow.

I've just started trying this while wearing my Sling-it, although I keep my index finger out and not curled under. It definitely helps, but I've found my hand springs open after the arrow as left the rest, however the bow tips forward nicely and I'm not afraid of dropping it.

I do quite like the idea of the finger/wrist sling as it combines both concepts. I don't get on with finger slings at all. Wrist slings are far more comfortable, but I'd like to see if they feel different.

[Jerry Tee]

I use exactly the same grip for compound as I used for recurve, back of the grip down the life line and wrist behind that with a finger sling. I do not like the shoelace type of finger sling I find they are too thin and do not inspire confidence. I use a sling made from a strip of leather about 1/4 to 3/8 ths of an inch wide stitched up so that the loops are a 'ring fit' over the thumb and index finger. Any pull on this type of sling will tilt the loops locking them on the finger and thumb due to the width of the leather.
The high wrist position may have some effect on the way the bow is working. The manufacturer assumes that hand position on the grip will be an even pressure along the lenght of the grip which fixes the center of pressure of the resistance to the draw weight of the bow at a certain distance from center of the bow A lot of characteristics of the bow are calculated using this, if you alter this center of pressure by using a high wrist grip it may have certain knock on effects on the bow such as nock travel.

[wingate_52]

Fingers relaxed. Thumb pointing towards gold. Middle, third and pinky curled and relaxed at 45 deg against index finger, which is higher than the thumb and pointing foreward. High grip.