Wrist Slap
04-22-2003, 09:40 PM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,862
RE: Wrist Slap
Brace height is a factor if hand (grip) is too much to the right in grip, or left if you are a " lefty," and is compounded if draw-length too long or stance is too closed.
Stand in normal stance and slightly move right foot 1/2 step forward if RH, or left foot 1/2 step forward. If wrist slap seems to stop, I suspect draw-length is too long.
Additionally, slightly bend your bow arm as " 2droptine" suggested. If you have a problem holding at full draw with a slightly bent bow-arm, draw-weight might be too much for you, or, again, draw-length is too long and you are needing to push the bow out as far as you can to keep your anchor off the back of your head.
Stand in normal stance and slightly move right foot 1/2 step forward if RH, or left foot 1/2 step forward. If wrist slap seems to stop, I suspect draw-length is too long.
Additionally, slightly bend your bow arm as " 2droptine" suggested. If you have a problem holding at full draw with a slightly bent bow-arm, draw-weight might be too much for you, or, again, draw-length is too long and you are needing to push the bow out as far as you can to keep your anchor off the back of your head.
04-23-2003, 01:42 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: egypt
Posts: 1,994
RE: Wrist Slap
also moving your wrist to a 45 will help move your forearm out of the way. Puts more pressure of the bow along the life line and base of thumb area and may take a little bit to get used to but it definatly clears up some of the slap if not all of it depending on how bad your release is...
04-23-2003, 07:23 AM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,175
RE: Wrist Slap
The higher brace on the PSE fits your shooting form. If I were you, I' d sell the Martin and shoot the PSE. IMO, draw length and poundage are only two elements of getting a bow fitted to you. It also has to fit your natural shooting style.
I don' t recommend making artificial bends and kinks in your bow arm elbow. A straight, unlocked, relaxed elbow has a bit of natural bend in it already. Bend it more than it' s natural bend and you' re supporting the draw weight with the triceps muscles instead of shooting with bone on bone pressure. Muscles get tired and shake. Bone doesn' t.
I do agree with Lilhunter. If you' re holding your bow handle like a suitcase, then you need to orient your hand differently. Here' s the best way to explain it I know.
Extend your arm like you' re drawing a bow, elbow relaxed, not locked. Inside bend of the elbow perpendicular to the floor. Hand straight out, palm down. Extend your thumb out to the side. Now, roll your forearm until your thumb is pointing up at 45 degrees (without moving the inside bend of the elbow) and totally relax your fingers and thumb. That is the position you want your hand in when you grip the bow.
I don' t recommend making artificial bends and kinks in your bow arm elbow. A straight, unlocked, relaxed elbow has a bit of natural bend in it already. Bend it more than it' s natural bend and you' re supporting the draw weight with the triceps muscles instead of shooting with bone on bone pressure. Muscles get tired and shake. Bone doesn' t.
I do agree with Lilhunter. If you' re holding your bow handle like a suitcase, then you need to orient your hand differently. Here' s the best way to explain it I know.
Extend your arm like you' re drawing a bow, elbow relaxed, not locked. Inside bend of the elbow perpendicular to the floor. Hand straight out, palm down. Extend your thumb out to the side. Now, roll your forearm until your thumb is pointing up at 45 degrees (without moving the inside bend of the elbow) and totally relax your fingers and thumb. That is the position you want your hand in when you grip the bow.
04-23-2003, 08:28 AM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Jamestown SC USA
Posts: 760
RE: Wrist Slap
I was having this same problem with my newest bow and found two things that seemed to cause it.
When I first got the bow, it was set up and ready to shoot so I didn' t worry about tuning it right off. I just shot it as is it was to get a feel for the bow. Every third or fourth shot, I would get a slap on the wrist. Once I put a new rest on the bow and tuned it properly, the wrist slap was greatly reduced, but would still happen. It wasn' t hitting me as hard or as frequently, but it was still there. I found it to be my stance as C903 described. If my feet are positioned so that the target is directly to my left and my feet are almost in line with the target, I get wrist slap. If I position my feet so that they are about 40 to 45 degrees to the target, I get a perfect release and much better accuracy.
The best way I can describe this is that your bow hand, your release hand and your left shoulder (right handed shooter) should form a triangle when the bow is at full draw. The better you can repeat this triangle, the more accurate you will be. If your feet are lined up with the target, your left shoulder lines up much closer to the line between your bow and release hand, which closes the triangle and brings the string much closer to your arm. Thus you get the wrist slap.
If you line your feet up so that they are at a greater angle to the target, you open the triangle up so that your left shoulder is farther from the line between your bow and release hand and the string is farther away from your arm upon release.
Once I figured this out, the wrist slap was eliminated and my accuracy improved greatly.
The draw length mentioned above will also cause the same thing. If your draw is too long, you will be forced to turn your body more to reach full draw, which will bring your left shoulder much closer to the line between bow and release hand and the triangle will be much more closed. If you can' t draw and anchor comfortably with your feet at a good angle to the target, your draw is too long and should be shortened.
Good luck getting it sorted out. Hope this helps.
When I first got the bow, it was set up and ready to shoot so I didn' t worry about tuning it right off. I just shot it as is it was to get a feel for the bow. Every third or fourth shot, I would get a slap on the wrist. Once I put a new rest on the bow and tuned it properly, the wrist slap was greatly reduced, but would still happen. It wasn' t hitting me as hard or as frequently, but it was still there. I found it to be my stance as C903 described. If my feet are positioned so that the target is directly to my left and my feet are almost in line with the target, I get wrist slap. If I position my feet so that they are about 40 to 45 degrees to the target, I get a perfect release and much better accuracy.
The best way I can describe this is that your bow hand, your release hand and your left shoulder (right handed shooter) should form a triangle when the bow is at full draw. The better you can repeat this triangle, the more accurate you will be. If your feet are lined up with the target, your left shoulder lines up much closer to the line between your bow and release hand, which closes the triangle and brings the string much closer to your arm. Thus you get the wrist slap.
If you line your feet up so that they are at a greater angle to the target, you open the triangle up so that your left shoulder is farther from the line between your bow and release hand and the string is farther away from your arm upon release.
Once I figured this out, the wrist slap was eliminated and my accuracy improved greatly.
The draw length mentioned above will also cause the same thing. If your draw is too long, you will be forced to turn your body more to reach full draw, which will bring your left shoulder much closer to the line between bow and release hand and the triangle will be much more closed. If you can' t draw and anchor comfortably with your feet at a good angle to the target, your draw is too long and should be shortened.
Good luck getting it sorted out. Hope this helps.
04-24-2003, 05:12 AM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Austin, TEXAS!
Posts: 124
RE: Wrist Slap
I' ll be the first to admit my draw is slightly too long. To get by with what I have because I have come accustomed to it is to grip the bow with one finger(forefinger) and my thumb. My 3 other fingers are curled and rest beside the grip. This turns my shoulder even farther. Rarely will I slap my arm now. When I do, it is because of my grip.
04-24-2003, 08:50 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: AR USA
Posts: 889
RE: Wrist Slap
you can also think about goin to an offset grip bow. golden eagle, pearson, and Mc pherson make them. the grip is offset 15 degree on the golden eagle, amd 20 degree on the pearson, which keeps your wrist and arm further from the string, therefore elliminating string slap. 
