Torqueing the string

[McDave]

Good coaching from Rick Welch and Rod Jenkins have eliminated the worst of my bad habits, allowing more subtle ones to be uncovered.

The one I'm struggling with now is string torque.  I'm not even sure if that is the right word for it, but when I draw the bow, my string hand tends to want to hold the string at a slightly different angle than my bow hand wants to hold the bow, creating a torqueing force on the string.  This is usually combined with my string hand not being totally relaxed.  This usually throws the shot off to the left, as my string hand seems to want to hold the bow in a more vertical position than my bow hand does.

To combat this, I try to hold the bow in a loose grip with just my thumb and forefinger holding the bow, so the bow can sort of swivel around to match the angle of my string hand.  At the same time, I try to get my string hand as relaxed as possible.

The problem is that it's not really obvious to me that I'm torqueing the string or if my string hand is relaxed, so sometimes the first indication I have that I'm doing it is when the arrow goes left.  Then if I work at it for another shot or two, I can get my string hand relaxed and the bow lined up with the string, and the arrows start going straight again.

Another problem is that I would like to be able to shoot longbows, and this loose thumb and forefinger grip doesn't work so well on a longbow.  If I heal down on a longbow as recommended by Howard Hill, this problem gets worse, as it is even harder for me to feel whether I'm torqueing the string or not.

Any ideas for working on this?

[moebow]

You can't fix a poor string hand by changing your bow hand.  You must learn to have as relaxed a string hand wrist as possible.  Place the string in your string fingers in the first joint, put a little pressure on the string and relax your wrist.  If your wrist is relaxed, your hand will line up with the string.  Having good alignment of your drawing arm with the arrow will help too.  If your string wrist is relaxed properly, you can actually feel the bones in your relaxed wrist pulling apart a little as you reach full draw.  

Sounds like you are used to using your arm muscles to draw rather than your back which causes all the tension in your wrist.  I would think that in the Sacramento area you could find a coach that is current with the BEST system that could help you.

[McDave]

You got me to thinking, Arne.  I'll focus more on relaxing my string hand, and less on my bow hand, and see how that works.  Also your comment about drawing with my back.  I think I have pretty good back tension at full draw, based on using the formaster, but may be using my arms too much at the beginning of the draw, and that may be what's making it hard for me to relax my hand and wrist.

[moebow]

I think you have the idea.  To start the draw with a relaxed forearm and wrist, you must use what is refered to as the LAN2 area.  That is the back of your drawing shoulder and I feel it as a rotation of the drawing shoulder toward your back.  FYI LAN2 is a martial arts term to describe the upper back portion of the shoulder.

[xtrema312]

I have been there.  I did the lose grip thing and still do.  I also really concentrated on a deep hook and relaxed string hand before the draw.  Almost bending it backwards a hair before adding weight to make sure I was not cupping.  Blank bail will help.  Also I had to shoot a more vertical bow.  Part of my problem was canting my head and string hand more than the bow.  Now I try to shoot a very slight cant just to get the eye over the string.  Then if I want to cant more I bend at the waist.

[xtrema312]

I have been working hard on my split finger issue.  I realized I tend to overdraw.  This happens when I get tension in my arm and pull with the hand and arm instead of the back.  This causes me to pull away from my face like a pluck along with some sting torque issues.  When I concentrated on my middle finger pressure not only did my release clear up, but I reduced my tendency to overdraw.  What appears to happen is when I put 80% pressure on my middle finger the extra weight gets my finger out of the way, but it is way harder for me to cup my hand, and build tension in my arm.  All that weight wants to open my hand when hanging mostly on my middle finger, and I can't cup my hand easily at all because I don't have enough fingers doing the work.

[Bill Skinner]

Watch your drawing elbow.  If it starts to get too high above your shoulder, it will twist or torque the string and it makes it hard to keep fingers, wrist, forarm in a line with the arrow.  Bill

One more thing, how is your follow through?  You might be relaxing your bow arm as you relax your drawing arm.

[Bowtie]

McDave, thanks for posting your problem. I've been experiencing the same.  Great advice from the Tradgang crew, which should help me.  Thanks to all.

[sdpeb1]

Great post guys!! Here is what I got out of it.

1. Proper use of back tension. I guess it's time to break out the formaster and keep it out. I think I lost a little of my  BT and the formaster really helped when I used it.

2. I always figured I needed to cant my head equal to my bow cant and along with that my wrist must maintain the same angle as my bow, and now I realize the way to easilly do this is to keep a relaxed wrist.

3. More pessure on the middle finger. I've never been to sure on the proper pressure on fingers. I'll try the 80%.- Steve

[Igor]

I've been struggling with the same issue.  I get the best release and arrow flight when I have a......

1. Relaxed grip on the bow with my forefinger and thumb touching (so I don't drop the bow :^) and the rest of fingers not gripping at all. Bow feels like it is sticking to the web of my hand with the pressure of the draw (shooting high wrist recurve)

2. 60/70% on my middle string finger 20% on the top and 10% or so on the bottom.

Results when I do that is to have straight arrow flight and hit pretty much where I'm looking. If not I'm nock left or shooting left (gripping bow) and a have calloused ring finger.

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Glenn

[McDave]

I've been trying out Todd's suggestion this morning, and I do believe adding a little weight to my middle finger helps me to relax my hand.  I also remember from Rick Welch's video that he taps his fingers against his chest before he shoots to get his fingertips lined up, and that seemed to help my relax my hand more too.

Bill's suggestion to keep the drawing elbow down is good form and consistent with Terry's clock, and something to keep in mind also.

[xtrema312]

I have noticed when I really get my hand relaxed with a deep hook I get a good curl on my middle finger and a little less on the others.  I can't roll the other two in or I cup the hand.  That was something I got wrong when I went to a deeper hook.  Also I have found with a real relaxed hand the pads of my palm at the base of the fingers touch my cheek.  When that happens I really know my hand is relaxed.  I also have to have my elbow back at full draw and pulling to make that happen.  I anchor with my thumb knuckle in the back of jaw or that probably wouldn't happen with my face shape.  Typically the shot goes well and my hand moves back along my face on follow through.  Often the thumb ends up on the shoulder.  Funny but my arrow seems to fly nice and hit where I look when I do that.  Go figure.  :D

[calico]

Hi McDave,

many different and good points above.

I set my shot sequence and aim and draw and release very quickly with no fixed anchor point so your post has caught my eye as this has affected me at times also. I cured it by keeping the back of my drawing hand flat. If I do not keep it flat the curvature in the back of my hand transfers into an 'out of alignment' of the first there fingers joints which transfers to a torquing of the string. In tapping the 3 fingers against one's chest you ill notice when you do that the back of the hand is flat.

[Quinn]

I used to shoot with a tab. I tried using a damascus glove out of curiosity & the first thing I noticed about it was that when I torque the string I feel it immediately. I also learned that as I got tired my drawing hand elbow had a tendency to come up at full draw and that was the source of some of my torquing.

[snag]

Hi Dave. I noticed you said your bow hand is at slightly different angle than you string hand. I have noticed, along with things Rod taught us, that if I cant my bow at the angle of the back of my right hand I feel more unified and solid. It also helps to reduce plucking the string for me. I once had a very knowledgeable man tell ask me, "when you reach out to point at something do you hold your hand vertical or slightly canted?" It feels much more relaxed and natural to slightly cant the bow. If you don't cant it then the string hand had better be vertical also I would think.