DON'T relax your bow hand - here's why

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

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[@jesusdamaslopez]

"Direct the thumb to the target" is one of the best piece of advice in archery I have found.

[@beverleycombley-canham1321]

This is amazing piece of advise, this has allowed me to reach the right results, answers all the torque problems I was having, can not thank you enough. Just reach my second year in archery and made so may adjustments to posture/grips/finger sling to wrist grip. Now hitting 60's like a pro.

[@billbarry2984]

Awesome, I'm a new archer with less than 50 Arrows shot, love your videos!

[@axiong1036]

This tip helped me reduce bowhand torque. By keeping my thumb pointed towards the target, it helps prevent the bow from turning left and right too much. I've always thought I would keep my hand relaxed including my thumb and the bow should be pushing against the padding of the palm. That's why I was always shooting all over the place. I kept following the bad relaxed hand tip from pros all over youtube. Thank you sir for elaborating.

[@AG-hw1uz]

Great video, pusjinh the thumb to the target has greatly help my grip slipping

[@herreragonza5891]

same here, but I had to discover this by myself

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Awesome! Glad to help Adriaan :) Thanks for watching again :)

[@ollies6659]

Excellent and really useful to me. I thought of an analogy as I was listening to you and that is a Surgeon holding a scalpel: Absolutely precise and strong but relaxed not tense.

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

That's a great analogy!

[@suelaugesen9665]

Cant wait to try tomorrow best description ever

[@theowenssailingdiary5239]

Just started watching these videos. I've focused on lower shoulder and directing with the thumb. I feel like the arrow is actually flying faster! Feel more connected to the target if that makes sense. What a great resource and I know I'm not getting the bum steer.

[@suelaugesen9665]

I ofen feel like I get bum steered in archery community

[@gordonallison1055]

nicely explained and couldn't agree more. as a field archer I use some small pressure across the grip from my first finger to stabilise the bow on release. too relaxed lets the bow move on release. Good to shoot with a non pistol grip bow to teach where the pressure needs to be at the base of the thumb.

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Awesome! Thanks Gordon :) I'm glad it helped out

[@PhilosopherLegacy]

New archer here: got better groupings today thanks to this tip! With a relaxed hand all my arrows landed to the right... I suppose because of torquing. Great tip anyway, and great channel!

[@falcozor]

Thank you fir this video. I understand much well.

[@bengteriksson8000]

Thanks again, really useful, I’ll get to it as soon as possible. It’s something that has bothered me for a long Time 👍

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Awesome Bengt! Thanks for watching :) Let me know how you get on!

[@ciendelosgrandes]

Excellent lesson! Thanks a lot! Huge help indeed. You have top teaching skills.

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Thanks a lot Rafael! I'm glad it helped, thanks for watching :)

[@littlebitofeverything8685]

Thank you! This helped me so much!

[@sat2sat111]

Great man I was doing the bow rotation due to the relaxed thumb

[@mikeewing6035]

I watched this video yesterday and tried the suggestions today. The thumb discussion is especially helpful in tightening my groups. I shoot a reflex/deflex longbow that I built myself; meaning my equipment is significantly different from yours in the area of adjustability. However many of the sources of variability are present on both types of bows. This winter I worked a lot on optimizing the tune of the bow and a set of arrows, plus other form variables. The bow is now very well tuned and I was becoming convinced that my grip is a source of variability that needs attention. But I wasn't sure what things to try. Anyway ... your videos are very interesting and helpful and I thank you.

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Thanks so much Mike - I'm always happy to help! Keep up the shooting if you can :)

[@mikeewing6035]

@@OnlineArcheryAcademy Ashe, I am amazed at the variables affecting group variability. Beyond thumb position, it seems that the positions of every finger on both hands make a difference.

[@richarddelaney4356]

Works for me,thanks.

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Awesome! :)

[@hippiehans]

YES!! Great video!! 🙌☺️

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Thanks Hans :)

[@timgazes5909]

Great explanation once again Ashe. Thank you!

[@danielefajner4088]

Thanks for the video, very interesting. Please explain us how to flip dow the hand

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Great point, I'll do that in a future video :) Thanks Daniele :)

[@jimmyhor78]

This is true for a high wrist grip that puts most of the pressure on the web of the thumb. On a narrow and low wrist grip that puts the pressure on the life line, you can actually relax your hand a great deal without the web of the thumb slipping or rotating away.

[@JohnLee-vj9lh]

Great video mate thanks for sharing and info 👍🏹🏹

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

No worries, thanks for watching John :)

[@jenstahlberg686]

Thank you for this, this might be what i was doing wrong🙂

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Thanks Jen! Let me know how you get on!

[@ronsarchery6378]

That makes perfect sense. Thanks.

[@juniorwales6286]

A simple mistake can change the whole thing that you want 😌 need to be consistent to what you're doing, nice video bro, keep it up 👏

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Exactly! No worries, thanks for watching :)

[@imti3315]

Great video!

[@martinMD]

Brilliant 👍. I think that's been my main problem

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

I'm glad it helped out - it can be very confusing at first!

[@ThoseWhoDare]

Thanks. Makes sense 👍

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Thanks for watching :)

[@fromthegroundup.5766]

solid info!! thank you

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Thanks :)

[@simoneverduin1929]

Thanks. Very helpfull!!

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Thanks Simone :)

[@arushchoudhari2193]

Hello , I really love your videos and they're really helpful . I have a problem with my release and I saw your video ... and i noticed that I dont have a string connection . so would i have to change my anchor point for that?

[@mizzdila9638]

thanks

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching :)

[@mocheford]

thanks man. I will report this to my compound!

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Thanks Benjamin!

[@goodyKoeln]

You shocked me a little with the title. 😳

[@clij5202]

Yeah. Me too. First I thought: the return of the death grip. But no. It wasn’t.

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Haha! :P

[@mikeyb9819]

Hi Ashe, thanks for another informative video. I noticed a previous question from one if your subscribers regarding the dropping of the bow hand. I’ve always struggled with this, never sure if I’m supposed to allow it to fall (this video would suggest not?) or, whether it’s a forced action? I’d be really grateful if you’d cover this in greater detail in a future video.

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Some of it is the natural reaction of the shot, but there is also some direction and effectively 'popping' the bow hand. I'll definitely cover this in a future video :) This drill might offer some extra insight: www.onlinearcheryacademy.com/portfolio/follow-through-drill/ Notice how in the drill you're practicing the movement even without a bow, so this then translates to when you're shooting. N.B. It also depends on your preference, if you prefer a more back heavy stabiliser setup and more static release, you would tend to direct the hand less (think Brady). But if you prefer a very aggressive release you would direct it more (think Choi Mi-Sun).

[@RAVI-bc6uw]

My son 13 years old and हे play compound bow but his arrow मिसिंग the target and get क्रॅश and ब्रोकर so plz give advice how to make correct sight for 50 mtr

[@gabrielfabi1404]

Does this apply also to compound bows ??

[@polycrase]

Of course, same principal of connection and direction apply.

[@tonyknight3205]

Why don't the design a bow with a 45-degree hold?

[@trangdang8899]

this may be the reason why my arrows keep drifting left and right all over the place! I'll check on this later

[@AbdElrahmanMohamad536]

I don’t understand the 4 fingers position u refer to as “knuckles back” do u mean wrist extension + metacarpophalangeal flexion and interphalangeal relaxation?

[@helikos1]

It really aggravates me when the instructor at my club says that I'm strangling the life out of the bow. I shoot a 50 lb bow I need to hold it and push the bow out as I pull with my draw hand otherwise I can't draw the damn thing

[@billbarry2984]

You don't need a 50# bow to target shoot!!!! I had the same problem sounds like you're over bowed! I sent for lighter limbs, I'm only drawing 30# at 28 inches of draw length, man what a difference in the ability to work on form. After I get used to shooting I can use the 50# limbs for hunting!

[@helikos1]

@@billbarry2984 Mate I'm shooting it fine and I do field shooting as well. I get where you're coming from. At the club I mentioned they predominantly shoot recurves, I shoot longbow its a different style as such different technique. If you draw a bow just by pull at the string then you're not learning how to properly draw a bow. It takes both pushing and pulling, stance is important as well. Thanks for the advice.

[@kabagyantv0019]

Can I borrow your recurve bow sir because my bow is only a bamboo??

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

So it seems like a firm palm and thumb, relaxed fingers, to keep from steering the bow thru the shot? Learning, so this helps. Thanks

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

You got it Jim! :)

[@hackerjack79]

Not sure I agree on this. The problems you describe with the wrist twisting to me are not because it is relaxed but because the positioning is incorrect. Correct hand positioning on a sculpted grip should result in the weight being pulled back directly through the wrist at a central point of balance, if it slips to either side then you have not found the central point. By introducing stiffness/stress in the wrist and thumb you are twisting the bow, something that is incredibly difficult to do consistently. No doubt it feels better for a lot of archers because most archers are not getting a correct balance in the first place, so gripping (and yes this is gripping if you are directing with the thumb) feels more stable, but all you are doing then is correcting in the wrong place.

[@cococalm]

Language is a complicated tool. I have to agree with you on what you say as well as disagree. At the end of the day, it all depends on what the coach explains as being relaxed and what the archer understands that to be and then when these "actions" take place. Claim : A relaxed hand changes the direction of the hand and thumb in the grip and giving no direction. Agree : If the hand is relaxed too soon, the hand set will be incorrect. And usually, if someone is gripping the riser, their hand is not set right even before tension is applied. Claim : A relaxed hand changes the direction of the hand in the grip. Disagree : The hand correctly set in the grip with thumb directed towards the target and then relaxed UNDER LIGHT BOW STRING TENSION does not change position in the grip hand unless the archer MOVES the hand in this process. If you are not giving the bow direction, your shot cannot be consistent. Direction is a combination of shoulder "push" and bow momentum upon the release for as long as correct shoulder tension has been consistently maintained throughout the cycle. Relaxing the hand is to ensure the "end flop" of the hand is a - CONSEQUENCE - of the bow momentum and - NOT AN ACTIVE MOVEMENT.

[@guns4funfreedomkeeper999]

I like to think of it as having a firm wrist but a relaxed hand.

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Great description, I might steal that at some point :P

[@troublingleaf]

I had the same thing learning wing chun, it's important to learn the techniques fully relaxed as this wayyou create muscle memory with good movement, but obviously in practise if your maintaining jelly arms in training the majority of techniques are useless, so it went from jelly arms to tension at the point of impact, the same applies here and to most things we do, if you can relax the right parts of your arms and learn solid technique you'll be faster, more accurate and as a bonus you cut the learning curve dramatically!

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Exactly, great point. And a key thing is the strength you have to do it. If you pick up a heavy dumbell in the gym it will feel like there is a lot of 'tension' to hold it, which there is. But if a bodybuilder picks up the same weight they will feel much more 'relaxed' because they can more easily hold and control the weight. This applies to the bow arm and draw hook too. To be able to feel like you have a relaxed bow arm or relaxed draw hook you first need the strength to be able to maintain your technique :)

[@mortenjacobsen5673]

This is a good example of why kiss dont work and spesific instructing is better

[@louluoma768]

I’m ❤❤a

[@markstelzl1245]

Relaxing your bow hand is different to relaxing you arm or wrist. 😱

[@bluehaven3391]

Just subscribed...hope to learn a lot from you, but one criticism (maybe its just me?)..... why not repeat what "to" do at least as many times as you repeat what 'not' to do...my head is ringing with the words "relax your hand"......which you rightfully advise against....

[@ricardobocus6304]

"curl it"? /"point it down?" Still confused about how to treat/position/use the forefinger

[@OnlineArcheryAcademy]

Hey Ricardo, if you're not sure at the moment the best thing is to keep it relaxed and make sure to get the other main points :) The index finger pointing to the ground...etc is more a finer part of this technique area :)

[@BtoBaCh]

I do not agree. The connection and direction comes from a correct grip and having the grip position in the correct position. You need to make sure the bow is directing the bows force to the arm bones. It doesn't matter if the hand is completetly relaxed, a correct grip won't slide.

[@jontis8453]

A correct grip is not a grip that is completely relaxed. If totally relaxed, your grip will slide. If you do not notice any difference, that means your grip isn't totally relaxed ;)

[@BtoBaCh]

@@jontis8453 I insist. If the grip is placed correctly it won't slide. The bow's energy is mostly driven to the bones.

[@asamitchell7948]

I relax my grip but keep my hand tight

[@rwpens]

Wrong

[@drmitofit2673]

This style of video coaching is 95% repetition and frustrating to watch to the end.

[@toxy1948]

OK-why should we listen to this guy? What has he achieved-an Olympic archer??

[@mikeyb9819]

You should listen because he talks sense! He’s made the GB team and his partner, and co-editor (as I believe) is an acknowledged, world renowned coach.