Modifying your grip

[Pete McMiller]

A thread on the shooting forum regarding recurve grips prompted my own question.

How many of you have modified the grip on your bow or do you just try and get used to the grip that is already on it?  

Seems to me that the grip is so important that we would want it custom fitted to our own hand or shooting style.  Comments?

[BOWMARKS]

Do not actualy know what it is called but have used the wrap for tennis racket grips at times.

[Brett Wilmore]

Hello Pete,
I have modified my own grip on the bow from a low-wrist to a high-wrist due to carpal tunnel syndrome that was beginning in my bow hand.

I think you are talking about re-shaping the grip on the riser.  My friend Mike Pfander (in-person and on Tradgang) has tinkered with that.  YOu might try PM'ing him.

Cheers,
Brett

[Pete McMiller]

Yes, Brett, you are correct.  I am refering to reshaping a grip rather than regripping in a different manner.  Seems like it should be a natural thing to reshape a grip but I get the impression that most people don't.

[Dale in Pa]

Pete, I've done may grips in the past. I prefer longbows with low heel. I've taken down the heel,thinned out the throat and the whole grip.Lots of bows have grips that I consider too big or not contoured the way I like em.

Get out the files and or disc sander and go to it.                
                                        Dale

[Dave Lay]

i have modified several grips on recurves and longbows, as well as shelf areas..its that first hit with a file that bothers ya the most..   go a little at a time !!  you can build em up with bondo etc if thats what needs done or if ya go to far with that wood rasp !

[mrpenguin]

Funny... I've been thinking about doing this to a bow I have... maybe I will take the plunge and do it!

[reddogge]

I modified the grip on my Hoyt Buffalo with tennis racket tape. Cheap and works just fine.

[Bjorn]

The riser at the top is unmodified, and the one at the bottom is the shape I was looking for. The riser in the middle is the finished  product.

 

The riser at the top ended up getting the same treatment later.
If you need to build up the grip do as others suggested; either leather tape or Bondo or a combo of the two.

[Jeff Strubberg]

A four way rasp, sandpaper and a compatible finish and you can modify both toe grip and shelf of almost any bow.  I've done a Bear recurve (shelf), a Browning recurve (shelf), and a custom longbow (grip and shelf).

FWIW, I stripped the finish on all three and refinished them using spray poly rather than risking using something incompatible with the original finish.

[flinthead]

I modified most of the grips on bows by building up with leather pieces and tennis wrap. Then Found a couple Dale Dyes and they were perfect. Thanks flinthead

[Bowmania]

Hey Pete.  I've taken the rasp to a couple of grips and one bow window.  I would have loved to show you my A&H aluminum riser.  Looks like crap, but is probably the second best riser I've ever shot.

(I got a slow start, I'm on day 15.)

Bowmania

[ron w]

If I like the bow but it don't fit, out comes the rasp ,belt sander or whatever it takes to it feel good! I did send a Zipper back to Bill Dunn to have him change the grip.....but that's not the norm for me!

[Pete McMiller]

Thanks for the feedback.  I've got two bows with the same grip that I thought I liked when I got them but now - not sure.  At least I won't be the first one to ever do it so it gives me some confidence.  Yep, that first lick with the file is going to be painful.

[BUCKY]

I have two of the same bow.The newer one was a little slimmer then the older one.I sent it to the bowyer and he shaped it to match the new one.Now you can't tell them apart.If you can send it to your bowyer.