thumb up or in?

[finger lakes bowhunter]

I have been figuring out proper form through trial and error and I find that I shot better with my thumb up, like fred bear did for a time. On some of the shooting dvds I have they say it is important to keep the thumb in for constant placement.  I find that my chunky thumbs do not fit well under.  When my thumb is up I can get my palm on my cheek bone which is my reference point.  Is there any other reason that folks put there thumbs in besides reference point.

[Red Beastmaster]

I have no tension on the hand except for the three string fingers. My thumb and little finger are limp and curl "in".

[NDTerminator]

My thumb curls in/under and lays along the jaw.  Just feels natural there and also acts as a second reference point...

[Diamond Paul]

My thumb curls under and settles against the point of my jaw bone.  Thumb up is very awkward for me.

[madness522]

I tried thumb up and while it was a position I could get used to I found that I plucked the string a lot more with it up.  I like it tucked down and providing a second anchor point right in front of my earlobe and behind my jaw bone.

[Whitetail Chaser]

When I first started shooting in '92, I shot thumb up.  Somewhere around '95 I changed to thumb in.  For me the thumb up just put too much of my hand in contact with my face.  The thumb in lets me focus more on a point of anchor; the base of the thumb at the angle of my mandible.

Brett

[scriv]

I was taught to shoot thumb in back in the 70's have done it that way ever since.

[mike g]

Howard Hill in his writings says to tuck your thumb in and touch your little finger....
    He claimes you will get better feel and a cleaner release....
    It takes some getting used to, to me it feels like it makes my fingers weaker....
    I think that what ever works for you and your comfortable with , is what is right....

[ewilson]

The thing to watch with the thumb up is putting to much torque on the string.

[joe skipp]

Thumb in.....

[longbowguy]

Partly it is an individual thing and partly a form thing. Form first: if you choose to have a fairly high anchor as an aiming aid, as for 'gun barreling', or if you want good short range gaps, you might try the high thumb method.

If you want to shoot more instinctively, or at long range targets, with a lower anchor, you might try the thumb down position. This one may enable you to tuck your thumb beneath your cheek bone.

But your physical structure may leave your little choice. Some archers can do one but simply cannot do the other with any smoothness and ease. Try both for a while........if you can. - lbg

[zinndl]

I have only been shooting long bow for about one month; I shoot a reflex deflex type made by a local bowyer it is 66" 49# @ 28".
I have been struggling alot with inconsistant shot placement so I have been working on proper form. Until two days ago I had been shooting with thumb in then I tried the thumb up after seeing it used in a book, it was very akward but immediatly my groups improved; I'm talking about going from 10 to 12" groups down to 2 to 4" and often bullseyes out to 30 yards!
I still put my middle finger in the corner of my mouth and my thumb lays up along the back of the cheek bone. I think with the thumb in I had been strumming the string and the thumb up seems to give me a much cleaner release, and after a couple days it is starting to feel comfortable.

[BLACK WOLF]

I use thumb in.

zinndl,

It sounds like you also picked up a secondary anchor point by placing your thumb along the back of your cheek bone. Having 2 anchor references can definitely help with developing consistantcy.

Ray  

[Haldir]

Originally posted by zinndl:
I have only been shooting long bow for about one month; I shoot a reflex deflex type made by a local bowyer it is 66" 49# @ 28".
I have been struggling alot with inconsistant shot placement so I have been working on proper form. Until two days ago I had been shooting with thumb in then I tried the thumb up after seeing it used in a book, it was very akward but immediatly my groups improved; I'm talking about going from 10 to 12" groups down to 2 to 4" and often bullseyes out to 30 yards!
I still put my middle finger in the corner of my mouth and my thumb lays up along the back of the cheek bone. I think with the thumb in I had been strumming the string and the thumb up seems to give me a much cleaner release, and after a couple days it is starting to feel comfortable.

Good for you, zinndl    

We'll see...