longbow strait handle

[arrow flynn]

personally speaking I think that the handle on a longbow should put your hand in the correct position every time easily for accuracy.Strait handles on longbows are terrible.Iattended bob wesleys bow camp in 95.He put a mark on my bowhand thumb knuckle to line up with the back of the riser.yes he is right but you could shape the handle into a low wrist grip that automaticly does it.We need to evolve anyone else in this forum agree?

[McDave]

Some people love straight handled longbows, just like some people love all the other types of bows there are.  More power to them!

They make longbows in all shapes and sizes, from straight handled and straight limbed, to contoured handles and R/D limbs just like recurves, in one, two, or three pieces.  You pays your money and you takes your choice.

[arrow flynn]

accuracy starts with how you place your hand upon the bow.with the proper grip the steep learning curve would not be as steep with longbows.my apologies to howard hill devotees.

[TSP]

Sorry but you sound like a greenhorn.  Accuracy starts with the shooter...the rest falls in place with experience.  There's nothing wrong with straight grip designs, you just need to learn how to shoot them.  

Actually, if you do you'll probably become a better shooter regardless of what bow you decide to shoot.

[arrow flynn]

Ishot very well with a modified straitgrip a wedge grip.It was on a Wesley special modified for me by sunset hill.Its very hard for most people to put their hand repeatabley on the handle that's why you see the evolution of handle design on bear bows etc.It happened that way because it improved accuracy .Ahandle that you have to get used to will not be as accurate as one that feels rt from the start.Check out moe arne on you tube look at the contorted way he holds the bow handle to get away from the inherently bad design of the strait handle.He has recognized the weak point of his equipment and overcame it.Otherpoints of his style are are worth trying and adopting.Anyway I guess its not a longbow unless the handle is strait.

[moebow]

LOL Arrow.  That "contorted way" I hold a bow applies to ALL bows and is what I teach to everyone that comes to me for coaching.  It works for ALL bow grip styles from compound to target recurve to hunting recurve to longbow. Dished, locator, or straight or "pistol grip."  To be sure, I DID NOT invent this!  It is what is taught by most trained coaches.

It IS cool if you feel more comfortable with some kind of locator grip on your bow!  I would suggest though that good understanding of the hand and how the bow interacts with the hand will lead you to something similar.

There is a little hand drawn page out there somewhere that shows the places and points in the hand where the grip sits in the hand.  I am kind of between computers right now so maybe someone out there can post it again.  It IS what you see in my videos.  See if this works,   https://www.dropbox.com/s/g9ag4v0ap9pcdw8/Bow%20hand%20diagram.jpg?dl=0

Arne

[Sam McMichael]

I like the handle configurations on my Hill style bows and have no particular difficulty in repeating a satisfactory grip. My suggestion is to find whatever bow fits in your hand well and simply avoid those that do not.

[forestdweller]

I love a flat longbow riser. I actually prefer my selfbow riser which has no indentations and is simply 1.5" wide over my factory made glass longbow riser which has an indentation.

A nice flat grip allows you to put your whole palm of the hand into the bow and is more comfortable for me. It also gives me what feels like more bow control.

I think it depends on how you grip the bow as well.

If you grip them so that you don't roll the knuckles off the riser at an angle than a flat grip works best since a pistol grip tends to dig into the crook between the thumb and forefinger if you do not roll your fingers off the riser.

A straight arm grip where you do not twist your wrist simple feels more comfortable and works better with a straight riser.

[arrow flynn]

Iknew I would get a rise out of you Arne.You say most coaches teach the method you do I guess I'm definitely in the minority.I do like and use the rotational draw that you teach.There was a thread on the other site that covered the proper grip. Ithink it was started by sunset hill it was more than a few years ago.