bow grip

[addo]

I had a winstar 2 riser for 9 months.Recently changed to a nice new shiny nexus.Since buying the nexus i have noticed that the horizontal spread of my arrows has got a bit worse.My spread was improving steadily with the winstar but improved drastically when i squared up the wooden grip.I think this was because i could feel the bow sitting in the same part of my hand every time i shot an arrow.Both risers come with a bulbous grip and it seems that i have the same problem that i had with the winstar before i altered the grip.I'm on the dole at the moment so money is tight but it makes sense that i should buy a spare Hoyt grip,square that up and replace the standard one supplied and see what happens.

My problem is that i'm not sure if the spread has got worse because of the grip.It could be a combo of poor form and improved speed of my new bow.(its proper fast compared to my old bow) Its a lot less forgiving when i make a poor shot.

Anyone got any ideas/opinions

[King Custard]

My ideas are very similar to yours - as in grab another grip and customise it.

My opinion though is to keep shooting the new grip for a little longer paying particular attention to hand position.
It may well be that ou need to adopt a different hand position with the nexus grip...that previously or now there is a different amount of torque being induced on the release.

I would suggest waiting (ha) for a wind free (or less windy) day...and shooting without stabilisation to mask any torque effect ..shoot and scope 2 & 1/2 dozen- measuring the group sizes with a tape measure....
then change grips - and do the same again. Alternating grips and finding the right position for your hand on the new grip. (I've found this ain't always easy nor quick)

I've personally questioned the nexus grip for 'ease of consistent hand position'...but found it was myself rather than the grip that was at fault.

My guess is that your bow hand and grip will become more of a 'unit' the more you shoot.....but of course, a change to a grip shape that you are used to may shrink groups pronto.

[kingsimon]

Hiya,

Not a big fan of the stock grip you get on the Nexus so I used Millput moulding clay to try and get the grip I wanted.. After much crafting I ended up with what I wanted. This how ever was exactly the same the shape as the Ergo grip that you can buy from Hoyt.. Its wooden and cost about £13.00.

I've just ordered a Jager grip in Yellow and Black but they are pricey so I say try the Ergo first... See if a shop will let you try it in store.

All the best Simon.



Oh and Set you bow shoulder before lifting bow. That cured my left and right variation

[addo]

I've personally questioned the nexus grip for 'ease of consistent hand position'...but found it was myself rather than the grip that was at fault.

It is comfortable in the hand but I'm finding consistent hand position very difficult.I shot a six gold end in practice last week at 80 yds.Problem was that i had a lot of good ends and a lot of bad ends in that session.I,ll stick with it a bit longer cos i can shoot 600+ short metric with it.

I'm in the Middlesex FITA next week so i got a week to work on it

[addo]

Oh and Set you bow shoulder before lifting bow. That cured my left and right variation

Thanks I usually set my shoulder as you suggest.I also raise my bow with a bit of tension on the string as well which has helped a bit.I'll keep trying this idea now someone else has recomended it

[King Custard]

I have in practice taped a cocktail stick or matchstick to the grip, to enhance the feeling on the hand....to make it more obvious 'where' I am positioning my hand. It might be worth a hours practice, just to see what feedback it allows you.

Personally I found it very useful...but like you I am trying out different grips right now, with little to report except that I personally cannot shoot the Jager grip - not without virtually eliminating arm/string clearance

[Ffish]

I dont have a Nexus, but have a Helix which has the same grip, and I've found that the standard plastic grip was total pants, and got the feeling that Hoyt actually WANT people to go out and get an after-market grip, or customise the plastic one to suit your needs.

I have a Loesch grip on mine, and bearing in mind that I only really hold the bow with the web part of the hand between thumb and index finger, and with some contact at the ball of the thumb, I find the grip really lends itself to this style. They're not cheap though, and I was fortunate to be able to buy my riser with the grip already on it, but it might be worth you looking at Loesch's site to see if they've got something that suits your style?

[Murray]

First off, customise away. Everyone's hand is different, and if you don't customise, how will you know what works?

The primary indicator of poor grip would be the bow leaving the bowhand at an angle, or twisting on release.

However, check your bowhand tension as well as position. In particular, too much tension on the thumb side is, in my experience, the cause of a significant amount of horizontal group spread.

Try shooting short range without a stabiliser and see what happens to the bow (best with a buddy watching your bow reaction, or with the assistance of a video camera).

[addo]

The primary indicator of poor grip would be the bow leaving the bowhand at an angle, or twisting on release.

This is what happens to my bow half the time.I'm pretty well convinced now that the grip on my nexus is my problem.

I simply want to square the grip up(i.e take the curves off)Can anyone advise me on what tools to use to perhaps reshape my grip.If it was a wooden grip i could set about it with a plane and some chisels and some sandpaper (as i've done before).I dont think i would get a good finish with the above tools because the stock nexus grip is plastic.I know it would be easier to buy a wooden grip and customise it,but moneys a bit tight at the moment.

[Murray]

Add some car body filler to build it out a bit. Milliput is another (slightly less messy and slightly quicker) option. Then use your normal tools to reshape it (blade/file/sandpaper).