Proper grip for longbow shooting

[Michael Forbes]

#7591

I am shooting a Martin Stickbow and I need some good advice. I shot a recurve a little bit, years ago, and feel that the straight grip on the longbow is one of the sources of my lack of accuracy and consistency. I really am at a loss. I have been thinking of checking out recurves to see if the learning curve is shorter. Anyone have some good advice or other websites, etc, to check out? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

[sammy smallwood]

#63666

shooting a longbow can sometimes be a challenge.
if the grip you are using now isn’t working, change it up and see if something else works better.
most longbow shooters heal the bow alot more than what a recurve shooter does.
hope this helps,
sammy

[jerry]

#63812

i would sugguest u try a ‘low hand grip. like bone on bone. better controle; but a firm grip’ ok let me know if it worked out for u. via internet, ‘jerry’

[Michael Forbes]

#9285

Thanks for the suggestions. The ‘bone-on-bone’ is a handy way to think of the grip. Plus I have noticed in some photos, how more experienced shooters grip their bows and tried to copy that. I have also tried to fatten the grip with additional wrappings of leather, hoping my hand ‘indexes’ on the grip the same way, shot after shot. Now, back to the bow for practice. I will visit again with results, later, Thanks, Portagerat

[looselystrung]

#63361

I shoot a Martin Savannah similar to “Stickbow” and as Jerry suggested a “low wrist” bone on bone grip works best for me.High wrist for the Bear recurve just was not my flavor and could not shoot it well and got rid of it.
For the longbow I more or less point thumb straight up and let grip settle along inner thumb, & palm to tranfer pressure into wrist and arm etc. If you ever shot a compund bow…the grip is similar Dan

[Buckhorn73]

#20894

As John Scultz would say ” Howard would tell his students to get a hold on the bow like picking up a suitcase”. That seems to work the best but depends on physical makeup and what your hand muscles allow you to do comfortably. As has been stated, when holding a longbow there is a more heeling grip and more solid than the relaxed hold required for a recurve.

[donw]

#45039

i found the ‘suitcase’, or low-wrist/heeling, if you prefer, grip more suitable for shooting a longbow.

where i like longbows, i prefer the recurves for that very reason; i find it difficult to grip the longbow as they should be to be shot properly and accurately. the recurve handles suit my shooting form better with less effort.

i found, in my case, the ‘compression’ of full draw with a longbow, on my hand would cause the bow hand to “spring” forward on release sometimes resulting in some undesired results.

[Chris Shelton]

#45597

Mabye it is not your grip at all, the way it was explained to me is that the biggest difference between a longbow and a recurve is that the recurve is center cut. That is obvious but that could be your problem depending on your amount of practice, supposedly longbow shooters are going to have to practice more because it takes more getting used to, that is the arrow wraping around the bow instead of kinda going through it, its like a recurve shooter and a compound shooter. We have to practice pretty constant to remain in good standing but compound guys can shoot one time before hunting season and be fine. I dont know how much of what I said was true, but that is what Dale Karch told Tred Barta in one of his episodes?

[Carl]

#55247

i shot recurves for years and never did like the straight grip i saw on many longbows i tried – i recently had roy courcey build for me my first longbow and had him add some palm swell and leather wrap the grip – i am VERY pleased with the results

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