# Straight wrist vs low wrist...



## Bees (Jan 28, 2003)

Paul Payne said:


> Ok....now that it's almost time to start spots again....I went to the range yesterday to get a little practice in and was all over the face (or place)...I got to thinking about my shooting 30 yrs ago when I was a good shooter (beat Terry Ragsdale once) and realized that the only thing I had'nt gone back to since I started spots again was the wrist position that I had 30 yrs ago...30 yrs ago most bows came with, or you could purchase for, a high wrist grip....after shootin about 30 arrows that I didnt have much control over I thought to myself...why not shoot with a straight wrist...I drew the bow in the low wrist position then raised my bowhand till my apex set right in the web of my hand and proceded to shoot another 30 arrows where I only missed the x twice...my new apex finally felt like an old friend...when I was watching the olympic coverage on the web today one of the things I noticed is that the top shooters also shoot with a straight or only slight lowered grip on the bow...how many other top shooters shoot this way?????


you came to the wrong place to ask that question, better hop over to the Pro field forum to ask some top shooters. :zip::zip:


----------



## Paul Payne (Apr 1, 2007)

Hey Bees..I was just trying to get a general consensis....I've since been watching a lot of the olympic coverage on nbc and it looks like a good majority of the olympic shooters shoot with a straight wrist...I went to the range again today and couldnt believe how much my shooting has improved (in practice) just changing from a low wrist to a straight wrist...I know longer get misses where I have no idea why they missed...I still get misses but they are misses where I know what I did wrong...


----------



## Bees (Jan 28, 2003)

Paul Payne said:


> Hey Bees..I was just trying to get a general consensis....I've since been watching a lot of the olympic coverage on nbc and it looks like a good majority of the olympic shooters shoot with a straight wrist...I went to the range again today and couldnt believe how much my shooting has improved (in practice) just changing from a low wrist to a straight wrist...I know longer get misses where I have no idea why they missed...I still get misses but they are misses where I know what I did wrong...


what kinda bow ya shooting????

I have compound with release and use low wrist bone to bow concept.
but I'm not really qualified to answear your questions. Sit tight some of the better shooters will show up between now and Monday and post.

don't know what finger shooters or recurve or tradition shooters use. 

my take what ever works for ya that's what ya do.. 

for now TTT


----------



## I BOW 2 (May 22, 2002)

Paul one of the probems that can arise with a straight wrist is wrist sag due to fatigue of wrist muscle group. The low wrist being bone on bone has no msucle fatigue per se to worry about. If you remember the older style bows like the jennnigs had the high wrist grip built into the riser which made it harder for the wrist to sag but stll prone to it. Ken


----------



## C Doyle 88 (Sep 1, 2007)

I still shoot hi wrist best 

My biggest hurdle was switching to lft handed----thought I was never going to get my stength up to match what was so natural long ago---30yrs also---

Lots of good high wrist grips available just have to find one for your bow---

shame all the carroll risers are all gone 

Have fun good to see you back

Dean is still doing well with the high wrist---and he always has


----------



## Paul Payne (Apr 1, 2007)

I didnt know Dean shot a high wrist...I guess that tells me what I wanted to know...I may guess my problem with shooting a low wrist might stem from haveing broken mine back in my motorcycle racing days and by shooting with a straight wrist their is less strain on it....Geeze I didnt know Dean shot with a high wrist....guess I have to look at some of my old pictures....


----------



## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

Paul Payne said:


> I didnt know Dean shot a high wrist...I guess that tells me what I wanted to know...I may guess my problem with shooting a low wrist might stem from haveing broken mine back in my motorcycle racing days and by shooting with a straight wrist their is less strain on it....Geeze I didnt know Dean shot with a high wrist....guess I have to look at some of my old pictures....


I hear ya....old college Rugby injury for me :wink:


----------



## Aim4gold (Dec 19, 2006)

Several bows used to make high wrist grips for an option - I don't think any are offered anymore - I'm sure the reason is the same throughout
When shooting high wrist, you will become tired, gradually 

Here is a good link to proper hand position
http://www.buckmasters.com/BM/Deskt...eid=643&articleId=385&moduleId=658&PortalID=0


----------



## Paul Payne (Apr 1, 2007)

BH...it looks to me like your shooting a modified low wrist position...I'm talking about a position where you draw your bow then shift your wrist up as high as it will go...I dont mean push your wrist up into the grip...I figured out I cant draw my bow in a high wrist position anymore I have to straighten it after I draw....with the position I'm talking about the ball of your thumb or palm of your hand will not contact the grip at all...the only thing that touches the grip is the web of your hand between thumb and first finger..If I remember proberly about Deans grip you will see a slight rise in the wrist and the web of the hand will be slighly lower..very little contact with the grip of the bow.


----------



## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

Paul Payne said:


> BH...it looks to me like your shooting a modified low wrist position...I'm talking about a position where you draw your bow then shift your wrist up as high as it will go...I dont mean push your wrist up into the grip...I figured out I cant draw my bow in a high wrist position anymore I have to straighten it after I draw....with the position I'm talking about the ball of your thumb or palm of your hand will not contact the grip at all...the only thing that touches the grip is the web of your hand between thumb and first finger..If I remember proberly about Deans grip you will see a slight rise in the wrist and the web of the hand will be slighly lower..very little contact with the grip of the bow.


OOOOOHHHHH....I got ya now.

I have little contact there. But I have a jacked up left wrist so that is about all that works for me:wink: Heck it is rare that I can make an entire field round using the EXACT same grip because of my wrist.:doh: But I have a couple that work and don't change my impact point much if at all :wink:


----------



## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

Brown Hornet said:


> OOOOOHHHHH....I got ya now.
> 
> I have little contact there. But I have a jacked up left wrist so that is about all that works for me:wink: Heck it is rare that I can make an entire field round using the EXACT same grip because of my wrist.:doh: But I have a couple that work and don't change my impact point much if at all :wink:


Guess I'm lucky too.. my 'low wrist' ain't really all that low, since I broke my left wrist twice. It no longer can be 'raised' as much as my right, so a low wrist for me is likely to look like a 'modified' low wrist, but that's bone on bone for me. :wink:


----------



## carlosii (Feb 25, 2007)

Remember those recurve bows that had a built in high wrist position in the grip. I find the position built into the new risers is a lot more comfortable but I don't know if it enhances accuracy a great deal over the old style risers found in those recurves. Just MHO.

Question for Hornet...have the leaves already turned that much in your neck of the woods or is that an old picture?


----------



## Paul Payne (Apr 1, 2007)

carlosii said:


> Remember those recurve bows that had a built in high wrist position in the grip. I find the position built into the new risers is a lot more comfortable but I don't know if it enhances accuracy a great deal over the old style risers found in those recurves. Just MHO.
> 
> Question for Hornet...have the leaves already turned that much in your neck of the woods or is that an old picture?


Years ago almost all of the recurves came with a high wrist grip and most of the compounds when they were first introduced also came with a high wrist grip...I remember the first "Wing" compound I owned was called a "Slimline" It had a very slim grip but that was also machined in a high wrist position...I just think that the majority of the shooters today shoot with a low wrist and that is why the Manufacturers build all of their bows that way...Everyone I know that shoots an Apex and also has an Apex 7 likes the grip on the 7 better because the shelf is extended and allows you to slide your hand really high in the grip...If you try that on the Apex you cannot get a repeatable grip position without raising your wrist to the high wrist position...


----------



## ishootmathews (Sep 9, 2008)

*OK... so the newby has to ask again*

I have been trying to research "high wrist" and "low wrist" recently and haven't yet found a description of either that doesn't confuse me. 

I would like to try the different options and see what works for me but I need a good source to show what these terms actually mean and how to approach them. 

I THINK from what I have read I sort of have a high wrist right now but I'm not sure.

Sooooo ... where is the best/ most simple source for showing me these grips?

Thanks again Guys!!!!!! 

Scott


----------



## Dave V (Aug 13, 2008)

If you want to see the visual differences, check out www.bowgrips.com


----------



## Dave V (Aug 13, 2008)

I learned on a recurve with a really steep, heavy wooden riser. This would be considered "high wrist" It made sense to me at the time as the bones in my thumb were in a straight line with my forearm. The bow would be cradled in the web between fingers and thumb and the high angle grip kept my hand in that position. Now, the "flavor of the day" seems to favor a low wrist with the base of the thumb muscles in full contact with the riser. I'm happy now with a "medium wrist" (from bowgrips.com BTW) that gives me a comfortable feel somewhere in between the two extremes.


----------



## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

carlosii said:


> Question for Hornet...have the leaves already turned that much in your neck of the woods or is that an old picture?


Heck no...they just started falling some the other day.

The first pic is from the FIRST day I shot outside this year. The second is from one of the next times....it was probably still March....April at the latest


----------



## Paul Payne (Apr 1, 2007)

ishootmathews said:


> I have been trying to research "high wrist" and "low wrist" recently and haven't yet found a description of either that doesn't confuse me.
> 
> I would like to try the different options and see what works for me but I need a good source to show what these terms actually mean and how to approach them.
> 
> ...


You can shoot any bow with the grip that comes standard...just use a high wrist position with your hand....granted it is a little more confortable if the grip on the bow is manufactured to obtain this position...I went to the link stated above and did not see one grip that I would call a high wrist grip...If I get some time tomorrow I'll try to take some photos of what I'm talking about with my apex and the difference between a low and high wrist position.


----------



## ishootmathews (Sep 9, 2008)

*wrist???*

I can see the differences in the grips that go on the bow ... what I am talking about is a description or pics of the actual hand position. By the way I have a Schrewd "low wrist" on the bow now.

Beyond that...Is high wrist or low wrist position prefered by most and why? 

I did look at the link above in this thread and it helped some as far as telling me that I THINK I am using the right part of my hand to hold but I want more info! 

Maybe I can get a pic of my form tomorrow or soon and you guys can at least identify where I am.

Thanks again!


----------



## Aim4gold (Dec 19, 2006)

Some helpful reading

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=456493

http://www.buckmasters.com/BM/Deskto...658&PortalID=0


----------



## Paul Payne (Apr 1, 2007)

Quote:::One of the common problems archers have is torquing their bow. Torquing a bow can lead to many problems ranging from missed shots, bad tuning, and inconsistencies in form. Like most things in archery, consistency is everything in your grip.

To get a proper, consistent grip you want the bow to rest on the pad of your thumb, not in the groove of your hand. The pad of your thumb has fewer tendons and allows you to have your bow grip placed in the same position every time. Your hand should be as close to the shelf of your bow as comfort allows. 

Ideally when shooting, your bow should be aligned vertically. With the grip on the pad of your thumb, your fingers should be curled naturally at a 45-degree angle to the riser. Check the picture below. By not having your fingers wrapped around the bow, you are able to shoot without having your fingers jerking the bow after the release, sending the arrow off path. 

If you find yourself grabbing for the bow after the shot, use a wrist-strap or finger-sling to prevent the bow from leaving your hand.

Here is a picture of how your grip should look. Notice that the hand is relaxed and how the finger tips naturally curl in front of the bow.

Finding the perfect hand position takes time. Experiment and follow these basic guidelines and you will be on your way to higher scores. :Unquote:::

DONT Believe everything you read....Most of this is true but not all of it...This may work for the Majority of shooters but not all shooters....I think we would all agree that one of the Greats in archery is Dean Pridgeon and he has gone against this "common knowledge" and had a tremendous and long lasting career.


----------



## Paul Payne (Apr 1, 2007)

These are photos of the "standard" low wrist position...


----------



## Paul Payne (Apr 1, 2007)

And these are what I am talking about...A High Wrist Position


----------



## aussiearcher (May 22, 2002)

An important point to consider when looking at the "Olympic" style shooters using the *high wrist *is that this position is *maintained by building up the grip *with all sorts of materials, usually an epoxy based filler.

These grips are very meticulously crafted to suit the individual archer enabling them to shoot 100's and 100's of arrows regularly on a daily basis, in the most efficient manner.

The high wrist is mostly used by the high performance archers, as it minimizing the torque effect induced by the thumb pad and wrist by reducing the surface area between the pivot point and the pressure point.

Consider this..If you were to look at the meaty part of the "average" thumb pad, the pressure point when placed on the normal compound bow extends about 1 1/2" to 2" below the pivot point located in the web of the index finger and the thumb. It would be pretty obvious that any amount of "varying pressure" exerted here could have a serious detrimental effect on the shot outcome.

The "built up" high wrist reduces the amount of surface area between these two places and ultimately allows for a more controlled execution of the shot.

There is a very good discussion on another forum with major input from Simon Fairweather..2000 Olympic Gold Medalist. Simon demonstrates the various grips he has used and explains the differences very well. http://www.archery-forum.com/showthread.php?t=23869


----------

