string follow?

[Ian johnson]

what is string follow, I think I have a selfbow that has it?

[Bjorn]

String follow refers to the bow retaining a certain amount of it's strung shape (bent). A little is good and even beneficial; but more than 1-1/2" means the bow is weakening. This term generally applies to non-laminated bows.
C'mon all you self bow gurus chime in here.

[Ian johnson]

my hickory selfbow keeps slapping on the wrist past my armguard, is this too much string follow?

[Bjorn]

You mean the string slaps you on the wrist-right? Change your wrist position to more like 'shaking hands'-unbroken and more straight. Keep your elbow unlocked.
String follow means that the bow retains it's bent shape when unstrung-is it doing that? And how much. Check your brace too-likely it should be right about 6" depending on the bow.

[Ian johnson]

yes it is retaining some shape after being unstrung

[ChristopherO]

Ian,
That sounds like it is not string follow: that is from having your fistmele (brace) height too low.  Then it is slapping you so far forward.  As Bjorn said, sting follow is when you have your bow unbraced and it has retained some or much of the shape of the bow as when it was strung.  
Some say "Set" to mean string follow but from what I've studied Set can create string follow but is not sting follow in and of itself.  Set is the compression and breakdown of the belly wood that robs the bow's efficency and causing the limbs not to spring back into original shape.  Thus a cause of String Follow.
But keep in mind that some bowers intentionally tiller their bows with a predetermined amount of String Follow (sf) from the get go to remove or deminish hand shock.  The belly wood's integrety has not been compromised by compression and breakdown in this case.
Hickory is notorious for Set and the subsequent sf.  I just completed my first Hickory board bow that was reflexed as a board.  At tillering and the first brace the relex was removed and a small amount of set/sting follow started to show.  From information gathered from Paleoplanet.com I was motivated to clamp the bow back into a small amount of reflex and belly toasted it with a heat gun.  This reintroduced the reflex back into the bow and strengthened it at the same time.  After shooting the bow some it lost the reflex again but the set/sting follow was reduced to a minimum.  This was done in an attempt to keep the bow as effecient as possible.
I mention this to hopefully help explain what string follow is, what Set is, and how they effect the bow.  As said above it probably does't hurt too much if set/sf stays with 1 1/2" but I personally prefer as straight a  bow as possible.

[onemississipp]

Ian,
  I'm having the same problem, I started changing brace height around. I then asked for advice and when someone figured out what I was talking about. Almost getting slapped on the bottom of my thumb, I received the following advice. "I have found that string slap at the base of the thumb/wrist is either too low brace height for the bow and/or a too stretchy string.
A more none-stretch string type could solve the problem all by itself.
String slap higher up the arm can be about form and whether your arm is into the string or away from it but that low down towards your hand means the string is travelling forward to slap you almost on the hand.
Mark in England "

This makes sense to me, because I had not changed brace height until this started. I also had not shot this bow in awhile, it was my first selfbow and first string I had made. The string and bow both have 700+ arrows through them. I'm going to make a new string tomorrow and try it. I'm betting this is going to fix my problem.

[George Tsoukalas]

Nope. Raise your brace height until the bow stops attacking you.  

[Flatstick]

I agree with George,it's your brace height. Twist the string to shorten it a little at a time until the string stops slapping your arm.

[onemississipp]

Well George Tsoukalas and Flatstick give yourselves a pat on the back!!!! I started out this morning in a hurry and had my helper (2 year old daughter) helping me cut some darcon, there is a compound shooter at work that couldn't understand how you twist your own string. So I cut string and gave him a quick lesson, even gave him some hands on. So we got a new string but when I got home it was to short, in to much of a hurry I guess.

So I rechecked brace height (followed George Tsoukalas advice) and set it 6 1/4" from belly, went outside and waited the thumb numbing slap. No Slap!!

Thanks guys!!!!

It is really nice to have guys with the experience and knowledge to help out the new guys!