Pleading ingorance as I am a new bowhunter.

Why does everyone stress the signifcance of gently holding your bow? What is it's importance? What are the ramifications of over squeezing the bow? Any other recommendations for a new bow hunter with a hand-me-down?

If you squeeze the grip there could be a tendency to torque the bow upon release and thereby creating inaccuracy. If you did it the same way every single time it is something you could work through. However, it's rare that a person squeezes the exact same way every time at the exact same time. Especially when you are shooting at game at an odd angle or even with a good stance. To understand this just hold your bow out with a firm grip and then squeeze the bow and watch how it will turn and/or twist in your hand.

This grip below was shown to me by a gentleman at the local range and is also posted on the Matthews forum website and really helped me become consistent with my release.

Looks like solid advice up above....keep up the good work grasshopper. Maybe some day the guy handing things down to ya will hand ya a bow with a slimmer grip too. [8D]

Welcome to the site....read and learn.

Thanks for the compliment on the advice. That's not me in the pic though. One of the reasons I love my Bowtech and can't see giving it up anytime soon is how slim the grip is. I thought about the fullwrap around wood grip but think I would not like it as much as the 2-piece.

The grip on my buddy's Switchback is way too fat for my liking.

I completely agree. Love it.

I liketo turn the knuckles evenmore than the picture above. See this forum. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Rtd97cbZo

Holding style is similar to how I hold. I draw the bow back without gripping it and let it fall in the curve of my hand. I slightly wrap my thumb and other fingers around the bow, but do not really grip the bow. Might have pictures taken this Friday. We'll see what PA-Ben has up his sleeze for fixing my form. Thanks for the tips.

Another thing to add is that using a more open handed grip, also usually gets your Forearm out of the line of fire and keep you from having nasty bruises all over your forearm.

Gripping the bow will lead to tuning trouble.
Have youpaper tuned the bow?

Don't lead him down that road......

Most of the guys I know that paper tune, end up throwing BH's on there and re-adjusting anyhow, he may as well do a walk-back, then slap some BH's on there and adjust until he groups BH's and FP's together.

Just my $.02, because trying to Paper Tune just ticked me off more than anything. I could never get a "Perfect Tear," but I can keep my BH's grouped pretty tight to my FP's at 40 and 50yds all day long.