how should i grip my longbow

[VinnieB]

i just got into shooting the longbow i'm trying to get used to holding the longbow tightly with all fingers but i still fell like as i release the arrow i grip the bow tighter pulling the bow down slightly. everytime i feel like i do this by arrows fly low and to the left especially with broadheads. also the string hits my arm on almost every shot. the string hits my arm very close to my wrist past where the string would normally reach. thanks for the advice

[Benha]

I grip mine firm but not tight.

[Starkman]

Vinnie,
What type of grip does your longbow have?  I have a tendency to hold my bow firmly, with a low wrist (I "push" with the muscle below the thumb, "the meaty part of the palm").  Adjusting the brace height may also help with forearm slap.
Mike form Mike's Archery Leather had posted some pics on how he holds his Hill bows.  Shoot him an email to see if he can direct you to the photos.  Here is a link that may help.  http://www.howardhillshooters.com/hillgrip/hillgrip.html
Bob

[jhansen]

I'm sure you will get a lot of opinions on this subject.  That's because there's no one grip that works for everybody or every style of longbow.  Saxton Pope noted that Ishi used a grip so loose that the bow rotated around to almost string-forward with every shot.  Others will tell you to grip like you are trying to choke the bow to death.  Neither extreme seems to work for me but you and I are different and our preferred style of longbow is probably different too.  

My favorite style of longbow is one with a locator type grip that is slightly pistol grip shaped.  This grip guides my hand into the same position each time but still permits a low to medium wrist angle.  I also want the throat of the grip to be small enough that I can touch or almost touch my thumb and index fingers together when I grip the bow.  I then make a circle with those two fingers and let my other three grip the bow with medium pressure.  As I come up into a draw I often feel the bow rotate slightly as it aligns with the direction of pull.  I believe this goes a long way toward eliminating torqueing of the bow.  The key to good shooting is consistency and that includes the way the bow is gripped.  I find it easier to repeat the grip I described than any other.  On the other hand I don't claim to be an expert.  What works for me may not work for you and that goes back to what I said at the beginning of this post.    :D  
John

[dan ferguson]

Vinnie, I haven,t shot a longbow all that long and was having the same problem, Shot recurves since the sixties, anyway my grip is a hillstyle and was struggling with it. I called someone who has been shooting and making these bows a long time, He has personally looked at howard hills bows, he told me that howard put most of his grip pressure on his two bottom fingers of the grip. It sure fixed my problem, All of the wear on his handles showed this.

[kirkwhitehead]

I like a bow with some shape in the handle, with that said I use light to med pressure. speaking to glen st. charles a few years ago he told me to think about picking up a suitcase by the handle. that was all he told me but after doing it and thinking about it, this is what I came up with: use only enough force/pressure to do it the same way every time. for anyone just getting into longbows read that again.

hope it helps

kirk

[SpankyNeal]

Since the string is hitting your arm everytime, you may have your wrist rotated too far inward (toward the string). If your brace height is correct then try rotating your hand so that your gripping the bow more on the side. The link to the Howard Hill Longbowmen site has several good pictures of this. Regards

Ken