Tight or relaxed grip on riser?

[gobblegrunter]

Hi all,
I'm a recent wheelie convert, (sold my compound to buy my first custom longbow). It was always a big "no, no" to grip the compound riser because of torque, but it seems to be common practice amongst trad shooters with their bows. I suppose that due to less stored energy there isn't as much concern of torque?

[mwosborn]

Not an expert - but I don't grip it to death.  I guess I would say "medium".

[jhg]

Remember how you used to hold your girlfriends hand?

 Just like that.


Joshua

[johnnyk71]

like G. Fred says, "you gotta grab that longbow and wrestle it into submission". or something to that effect.

if it's a nice, fat Hill-style grip, it won't torque.

[Dick4bows]

Tight on a longbow and loose on a recurve.  Also your grip on a longbow should be gripped slightly toward the shelf.   Dick

[Killdeer]

Your bow will teach you how to hold it.
The general thing is to hold a recurve with the high wrist and open hand, but there are recurves with locator grips that disagree. A Stewart takes a different grip from a Centaur, and the Hill throws the both of them for a loop (all longbows).

I find that when I go from my Centaur to my Stewart, it takes a few arrows for my hand to figure out what the bow wants, and my brain will manage that in the background.

My K-Mag... now that feel is in my bones!
Killdeer  

[Killdeer]

Oh, and you get extra points for going to a longbow from a compound. Big difference in grip. It is much easier to transition to a recurve.

Don't get me wrong, it is not like winning the war on terrorism, you can do it almost without thinking. Do your bale practice and some fun targets to break it up, you will take to it like a kid to candy.

Killdeer  

[Keuka]

I don't grip any bow tight. A tight grip can cause problems with any bow. I don't shoot wheels anymore but I shoot both recurves and longbows.

I hold my recurve with a straight wrist and light grip like a compound. The force of the bow is supported in the web of my thumb and first finger. I actually only wrap my first finger around the grip to keep the bow from jumping foreward on release.

I shoot a longbow, with a longbow style grip, with the heel of my bowhand down and resting against the handle. My fingers are wrapped around the handle but in a relaxed and very light grip. I don't grab it like it's going to jump out of my hands.


There are a few good books I might suggest. The first is "Instinctive Shooting II" by G. Fred Asbell. The other is "Become The Arrow" by Byron Ferguson. Both of these books are full of excellent advice and can save you a whole lot of time and frustration. Both authers seem to end up at the same place they just take different roads to get there.

[Keuka]

Poor spelling, it should have been "authors" not "authers". It's getting late and I should be in bed.

[neargeezer]

I have to shoot all bows with a relaxed grip. I shoot best with no real tension in my hands, but good tension between my shoulder blades. If my grip is not relaxed I will torque the bow.

[Jon Swanson]

I don't use the death grip.  I use a semi-relaxed grip.

[Arwin]

I have a pretty relaxed grip. I'm finding a larger grip is comfy to hold without squeezing.  

[Steelhead]

I like a relaxed grip on both longbows and recurves.

Kinda like your holding a small delicate bird. Just loose enough to not hurt it.But tight enough to keep it from getting out of your hand.

[Arwin]

Originally posted by Steelhead:
I like a relaxed grip on both longbows and recurves.

Kinda like your holding a small delicate bird. Just loose enough to not hurt it.But tight enough to keep it from getting out of your hand.

Perfect way to describe it!!!!   :cool:

[onewhohasfun]

I heard it on Trad-Gang. Hold your longbow like you were choking a snake. Seems like two different schools of thought.

[stevewills]

i grip it and ripp it

[kbetts]

Tom Parsons told me to stop holding my bow like a girl (no offense ladies).  I hold my longbows much firmer than a recurve.  I went from a compound to a recurve first and then to a longbow.  The first week, the longbow beat the snot out of me until I figured it out.  Firm, but not tight.

[bornagainbowhunter]

Each bow is different.  Just figure out how your bow NEEDS to be held.

[hvyhitter]

I use a very firm grip on both. I pull the bow into the web of my thumb them close my fingers around with a firm grip. Your bow hand controls where your shot goes so I want to have complete control of the bow from draw to follow through. If you torque your bow its usually bad form or your hand just doesnt fit the grip on that bow.

[DRR324]

I grip my predator recurve with just my top finger wrapped around and touching the end of my thumb.  My other 3 fingers are curled into my palm- and my hand is slanted out.  Just like shooting my old compound- to my bow, less pressure is better.