Sore bow hand

[NittanyRider]

I just recently bought my first traditional bow (a Great Northern Fieldbow) and have started practicing in my basement, where I've set up a ~9 yard range.  Anyway, the shooting has been going well, but just recently I developed some soreness in my bow hand around the base of my thumb.  If I lay off of shooting for a few days it gets better, but then comes back as soon as start shooting again.  My bow has a stright grip, and I have been rotating my hand clockwise just slightly on the grip (I'm right-handed) when I shoot to avoid arm slap.  If I rotate my arm back counter-clockwise, the string slaps my arm.  Because the string slap is the more painful of two, I quickly go back to rotating my grip.  So, my question is... could the slight hand rotation be the cause of the soreness, or is it because I'm new to the sport and I'm using muscles in my hand that don't normally get used?  Any help would be much appreciated.

[PrarrieDog]

I'd say muscles. Rotation would be felt in the shoulder.
I might suggest a change in practice.
Shoot several times a day. 3 or 4 short sessions using no more than 10 or 12 shots at a time. This might help stregthen the muscles without tiring them out.

[nipp-c]

Without seeing the way you grip the your bow in person it's hard for me to say, but it sounds like instead of holding the bow in the web portion of your hand. You are trying to hold it with your thumb. there are no major muscle groups around your just bone and muscle tendons. If the pain is is going from your thumb into your into through your hand and possibly into your forearm, then you are causing strain on your tendons; however if the pain is only at the base of your thumb you are putting to much pressure on the bone of your thumb and hand. My suggestion to fix this would be to change your grip so that pressure of holding your bow is place more in the web of your hand rather than your thumb.

Your second problem is string slap I've found that the most common cause of string slap is from having your release shoulder ( In your case right shoulder, because you shoot right handed) out of alignment with your bow arm. The best way to correct this is to realize that your shoulders have to in a straight line and at the same time  your bow has to be parallel with your shoulders or else your arrows will ether shoot off course, or you will get string slap.

This will take time but don't give up you can shoot with other traditional archers they can help you with your problems also you can post pictures and/or video here which makes it easier for other people on this forum to help you. There are also a number of good books and dvds that are well worth the price

[NittanyRider]

Thanks PrarrieDog and nipp-c for the replies.

I'll try practicing more frequently and for shorter intervals.  Last time I shot, I tried shooting through the fatigue... didn't work, though.  I wound up shooting out a light in my basement because I was tired!

As for my grip... you might be onto something nipp-c.  Although my hand is only rotated a little, there is definitely more pressure on my thumb bone (at the base), than the "web" part.  I'll try rotating my hand back and focusing on alignment with EVERY shot.  The arm slap didn't happen every time, so it was/is probably more related to my right shoulder alignmet rather than my grip.  

Thanks again - I'll keep you posted.

[Junction hunter]

Had the same problem. Try move your thumb below your pointer finger. That help me.