gripping ?
01-18-2002, 11:21 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,175
RE: gripping ?
There are three basic positions for your wrist when gripping a bow. Straight (also called high wrist), neutral and low.
Straight wrist is dropping your hand till the main joint at the base of the thumb is inline with the forearm. That puts the pressure point of your grip entirely in the web between your thumb and forefinger. Very little contact with the grip. The wrist bones are semi-locked in, but not completely, so their is some muscle involvement in keeping the wrist straight. It is not a strong grip and it limits the amount of weight you can draw. However, there is very little contact with the handle and little chance of torquing the bow. It increases your draw length up to an inch.
Low grip is bending your hand up so that the pressure of the grip is fully on the meat of the thumb. The bones of the wrist are locked into their limit of motion so it's a very strong position and let's you draw the maximum amount of weight. Low wrist lowers your draw length by an inch or so. Downside is that there is a LOT of hand contact with the handle and it can be very prone to torque.
Neutral is just that, neutral. You don't bend your wrist at all. Pressure point is still on the web, but it's also spread onto the meat of the thumb. It isn't nearly as consistent because the bones of the wrist are not locked in and the angle of the wrist can float with muscle tension.
Most folks nowadays use the low wrist. 10-15 years ago, high wrist was king. Very few people use the neutral wrist.
Straight wrist is dropping your hand till the main joint at the base of the thumb is inline with the forearm. That puts the pressure point of your grip entirely in the web between your thumb and forefinger. Very little contact with the grip. The wrist bones are semi-locked in, but not completely, so their is some muscle involvement in keeping the wrist straight. It is not a strong grip and it limits the amount of weight you can draw. However, there is very little contact with the handle and little chance of torquing the bow. It increases your draw length up to an inch.
Low grip is bending your hand up so that the pressure of the grip is fully on the meat of the thumb. The bones of the wrist are locked into their limit of motion so it's a very strong position and let's you draw the maximum amount of weight. Low wrist lowers your draw length by an inch or so. Downside is that there is a LOT of hand contact with the handle and it can be very prone to torque.
Neutral is just that, neutral. You don't bend your wrist at all. Pressure point is still on the web, but it's also spread onto the meat of the thumb. It isn't nearly as consistent because the bones of the wrist are not locked in and the angle of the wrist can float with muscle tension.
Most folks nowadays use the low wrist. 10-15 years ago, high wrist was king. Very few people use the neutral wrist.
01-18-2002, 12:31 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Marquette MI USA
Posts: 69
RE: gripping ?
I shoot a low wrist...and to combat torque, I sometimes take the grip right off of my bow (my pearson) so that I have a very narrow handle....this makes it hard to torque. If you shoot a new Hoyt, you will notice the grip is narrow, and shaped for a low wrist positon.
Give it a try....cant hurt!
John
Give it a try....cant hurt!
John
01-18-2002, 12:33 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 68
RE: gripping ?
I totally agree ossage my Parker UL31 has a mid to high wrist grip stock... this year they finally made a low-wrist walnut grip option. I am waiting for it to show up at the proshop so I can try it 
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SuperX
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SuperX
01-18-2002, 05:59 PM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Two Harbors , Minnesota
Posts: 261
RE: gripping ?
I shoot Mid to high. Might be why I like the angled grip of my splitfire. On my Merlin there were 3 grips that I got with it I like the mid the best although I find it a little wide.
01-18-2002, 06:46 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Randolph NY USA
Posts: 26
RE: gripping ?
In the February 2002 issue of Bow & Arrow Hunting, Bernie Pellerite has a column discussing grips. It explains all of them and goes very in depth on the low wrist grip (including some great pictures).
If a low wrist grip is done properly, there should be very little contact between the bow and hand. You are essentially heeling the bow all the time with the base of the thumb. This is creating as close to a "bone to bow" contact as you can and eliminates using most of those pesky muscles. The more of these that are eliminated, the steadier the sight picture. The low wrist grip if done properly should be quite tourque free.
Where people get into trouble is by contacting the bow from the webbing to the base of the palm while crossing the lifeline on the hand. This is actually more of a neutral or medium wrist grip and can be very prone to tourque.
Hope this helps!!!
If a low wrist grip is done properly, there should be very little contact between the bow and hand. You are essentially heeling the bow all the time with the base of the thumb. This is creating as close to a "bone to bow" contact as you can and eliminates using most of those pesky muscles. The more of these that are eliminated, the steadier the sight picture. The low wrist grip if done properly should be quite tourque free.
Where people get into trouble is by contacting the bow from the webbing to the base of the palm while crossing the lifeline on the hand. This is actually more of a neutral or medium wrist grip and can be very prone to tourque.
Hope this helps!!!
