# finger sling vs wrist sling vs bowhunting wrist sling



## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

e - 

Probably nothing wrong with what you're doing, in fact in the days of wooden risered target bows, they were quite common. 

Since I will at times shoot with a fully open hand, I want idiot proof. 
I've seen too many finger slings wear enough to let the bow fly downrange (even on me). 
The wrist sling should work, but a slight miscalculation in length can have the same results as a worn finger sling.
The wrist sling really can't fail unless you forget to engage it. Like I said, idiot proof.

(Sorry, I don't care how many pictures get posted, I think using a shoe lace just looks kinda silly when holding a 2K bow ...) 

Viper1 out.


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

Viper is correct that either should work and the bow mounted ones seem to be idiot proof.
If however, you are using a "bow hand release flip" as instructed in while shooting "NTS, or BEST method" the bow mounted wrist sling will often flip off your wrist/hand with the same result. If you tighten it enough to completely eliminate this possibility, you are often affecting the ability of the bow to move freely and will then create some torque. This is the primary reason many "NTS/High Performance coaches" steer people away from the bow mounted slings and towards the wrist attached slings or finger slings.

And I totally agree with Viper that they need to be properly attached and length needs to be looked at and adjusted just right for proper bow movement.

And after re-reading Viper's response I suspect he meant bow hunter type bow sling (not wrist sling) as needing proper adjustment.

That being said I think a well tied shoe lace in some cool colors looks pretty neat..


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

d - 

Correct, I meant the bow mounted type needs the right adjustment, and even with that weird thing can happen.

After using the "figure 8" finger sling for a number of years, and loosing the bow a few times, I switched to the para-cord type wrist sling. 
Once set up (adjusted) it can't fail even with the wrist flop, which I'm guilty of playing with on occasion. 

This is the one I recommend:
http://www.lancasterarchery.com/cr-para-cord-wrist-sling.html

but I have a few students who insist on using shoe laces ... (which can be a determining factor on who I pick on, any given day ...)

Viper1 out.


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

Shooting a bow with any sort of forward roll using a bow mounted sling will lead to grabbing. Unless you have it so tight the bow can't rotate. Even a bow which stays mostly upright will try to get away from you if you shoot downhill with one.

I have an alternative which I can take a picture of this evening.

Grant


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

I still have my old Martin sling. Leather and velcro around the wrist and leather leash around the bow to a metal clip. I'll have to find my picture.. I've been known to forget to clip that one and launch a bow.. :embara:

The CR para-cord works great but I find it a bit uncomfortable so I started recommending the Fivics version of the same (hook on the end) but now it looks they have replaced it with a buckle version which would be harder to attach.

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/fivics-wrist-sling.html


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## erose (Aug 12, 2014)

Thanks for the replies. 

I do not drop my wrist, and just as soon as the bow hits my knee I do grab it. I just don't like the feel of the bow flopping straight down, to be honest. My son does, but neither one of us has had our bows fly down range before. 

I never seen the reason behind dropping the wrist at release, so I never practiced it. What advantage would the dropping the wrist provide? Is there something I'm missing?


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## larry tom (Aug 16, 2012)

erose. I think it really is a matter of personal choice, and determining how you want the bow to react. I think a lot of Oly shooters emphasize that forward roll in order to let the bow react naturally to the forces and thus avoid torquing the bow during the shot. When I first started shooting Oly style I used the CR finger sling in order to let the bow roll forward upon my release. But I didn't like the feel of that or the results I was getting. It seemed very "unnatural" to me. So now I use a very open grip and this wrist sling: http://www.lancasterarchery.com/cr-cobra-braided-wrist-sling.html My results seem better if my bow is balanced to give me a "dead" stick at release, and this sling gives me the support I need to secure the bow without torquing it. Regards, LT


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## c365 (May 15, 2013)

Letting the bow roll over is just a natural part of the follow through until the arrow hits the target. It's the completion of a good execution. I suspect most who dislike the roll over doesn't have the sling adjusted right. Doing anything else like a stiff wrist is to have tension ready to catch or stop this natural roll over motion. This is provided your bow is balanced where it will roll over. A compound is different in that it mostly jumps forward but not much if at all roll over.


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

erose said:


> I never seen the reason behind dropping the wrist at release, so I never practiced it. What advantage would the dropping the wrist provide? Is there something I'm missing?


From Coach Lee in his explanation of the exercise.

===========================

I created the phrase “Sit Down” only for our young kids, the Junior Dream Team, just so they remember the exercise as to “order” their wrist to sit down as they would do to their dog.

Of course there will always be disbelievers, but I have taught this movement now very successfully for quite a number of years. The archer must learn to let the bow jump cleanly from the hand. I teach this wrist movement to make the bow jump straight to the target. As a teaching method the shot should be made without a finger sling and the Coach should catch the bow on release. This method is described and demonstrated in Total Archery; refer page 120, photos 62.

We must understand that every sport evolves and develops refinement over time. I will explain the “Sit Down” movement, but I prefer to call it the “50/50 Release Synchronization Movement” or “:RSM50/50” for short. For this I will need to use my analogy of “the barrel of the gun”; the longer a barrel of a gun, the more accurate it will be.

Through the Biomechanical Efficient Shooting Technique, the B.E.S.T. method, all the parts of all the steps in the shooting cycle are part of that barrel. Any deficiency in any of the steps will make the barrel shorter and as such less accurate. Assuming that all the steps up to Holding have been implemented correctly we have a nice long accurate barrel. Now, to be completely successful the long barrel has to be maintained throughout the release and follow through.
As in all other sports the follow through is crucial for the successful execution of the entire action. It is like a chain, if one link is missing the connection with the whole will be lost. In a way we can compare it to the cocking of the wrists in golf, as part of the back swing and uncocking to generate maximum clubhead speed through impact. However, in the follow through the hands need to be recocked otherwise it would be impossible to control body balance and accuracy in the shot.

This is obviously very much of a simplification of a golf shot, but the importance is to maintain body balance throughout the shot. Similarly in the archery shot, balance must be maintained till the arrow hits the target. Now let’s go back now to the Holding phase, which initiates the aiming, expansion and release phases. We are now ready to release and the body is very well balanced, including the 50/50 front and back forces. However, when the string is released, refer Total Archery; pages 120 -123, a force imbalance between the front and back will occur. Unless certain actions take place the bow arm will either move left, right, up, down or even forward, which in effect shortens the barrel of the gun and of course the accuracy. To prevent any of these movements and ensure that the bow arm is kept still as long as possible, the bow hand must flick down from the wrist. This is a deliberate and quick movement and must be synchronized with the release, as such it is called “RSM50/50”. The purpose of this action is to counteract any tendency of movement of the bowarm and as such to keep the barrel of the gun long and more accurate. 

To do this successfully the knuckles of the bowhand will have to make an angle less than 45 degrees to the horizontal, generally advocated; probably more something like twenty degrees. On release when the bow jumps towards the target the bow must be allowed to jump forward unobstructed and rotate freely without touching the index finger of the bowhand.

Further, a lot of archers have too short a finger sling, which will impede this movement of the bow. To check correct length of finger sling the tip of the thumb should be just forward of the throat of the grip at the maximum amount the bow can jump before being stopped by the fingersling.
.
Further, as you can not open your fingers quick enough to let the string go, neither can the bow wrist down movement beat the string either, so the movement will not effect or interfere with the forward movement of the riser, but will assist in balancing the 50/50 division of forces on release and maintain a long barrel/accuracy.


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## erose (Aug 12, 2014)

c365 said:


> Letting the bow roll over is just a natural part of the follow through until the arrow hits the target. It's the completion of a good execution. I suspect most who dislike the roll over doesn't have the sling adjusted right. Doing anything else like a stiff wrist is to have tension ready to catch or stop this natural roll over motion. This is provided your bow is balanced where it will roll over. A compound is different in that it mostly jumps forward but not much if at all roll over.


My bow does jump out of my hand, is caught by the sling, and then the tip of the lower limb hits my leg.

I guess the primary reason for disliking the dropping of the wrist is that is one more thing my body has to do to finish the cycle. I'm a fan of the KISS method, so the least my body has to do the better I feel.


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

Viper1 said:


> (Sorry, I don't care how many pictures get posted, I think using a shoe lace just looks kinda silly when holding a 2K bow ...)
> 
> Viper1 out.


That's part of what I love about shoelace finger slings. It's the contrast. High tech and low tech. Expensive and inexpensive.

Also, flat shoelace finger slings using a cow hitch help distribute the weight more evenly than paracord, and are self-cinching, unlike the common commercial finger slings. So, cheap *and* better.


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## crick (Apr 15, 2015)

i shoot bb olympic recurve and use a finger sling. i shoot compound and use a wrist sling. I like the finger sling on the recurve, it's more comfortable, feels more secure, and since i'm mostly target/field shooting with it, there isnt an urgency to get the sling on fast. i dont let the bow drop straight down since its barebow - rather i have a stab weight on it to prevent the top limb from smackin' me in the head. but i prefer the finger sling cuz it catches my bow better, feels more comfortable. with a wrist sling, i would end up grabbing the bow.

with my compound, it's inconvenient to have a fingersling since i'm picking it up and putting it down a lot. i plan on bow-fishin soon, so i cant imagine myself strapping a finger sling every time i need to pick or put down the bow. Also the shot reaction from my compound is different that a wrist sling works just fine.

We have a guy on our range who's shooting olympic recurve with all the bells and whistles but uses a wrist sling *shrugg*


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## StarDog (Feb 17, 2007)

Viper1 said:


> e -
> 
> Probably nothing wrong with what you're doing, in fact in the days of wooden risered target bows, they were quite common.
> 
> ...


Hey, I have a really cool sparkly rainbow shoelace!!!


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## Astroguy (Oct 11, 2013)

When I was introduced to FITA back in the 80's. And was introduced to the wrist sling and clicker for the 1st time. Once the routine change felt comfortable I ended up using a wrist sling and clicker on my target compound as well. I do have a mounted sling on the PSE Freak.


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## ThomVis (Feb 21, 2012)

Viper1 said:


> I've seen too many finger slings wear enough to let the bow fly downrange (even on me).


Personally didn't see that happen yet, but I did see a lot of people using the finger sling with the cow hitch the wrong way round. This way around the hitch will work loose when the riser drops into it:









Put it upside down, so the strands going away from the fingers lay in a U shape, and the hitch will tighten when the riser drops into it.


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## c365 (May 15, 2013)

And in addition to ThomVis's post, do this by Golden Gate Joad. Go to the hardware store and get a foot of clear vinyl tubing, I use 3/16" inside diameter but will depend on the lace thickness.

http://www.goldengatejoad.com/2013/...er-sling-you-dont-have-to-retie/#.VehAg_SriSo


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## archeryal (Apr 16, 2005)

For my JOAD kids or someone just trying out a finger sling, I've been using the same tubing trick. You can also use it as a test bed to find out the exact length that works for you (how loose do like it, how much do you want the bow to jump into the sling, etc.) When you find this length, I sew the loop where it crosses the string that goes across between the fingers. I start the thread about on the middle of where the string crosses (rather than even with the edge of the crossing string so there a little tension on it), making the finger loop a little tighter so it holds the finger loop open. Rather than leaving the string beyond the center knot loose, I cut the knot close and melt it together. 

These are just minor variants of your theme. The important thing is to have a secure, self-tightening design. The regular commercial finger sling can let the fingers slide out, leading you to grab the bow. When this is so cheap make a better one, why not? I looked at the slings on the K-1 website and was able to accomplish my homegrown version very quickly. 

K-1 also has a hybrid (wrist/finger) and wrist with hook design which looks nice.


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

Pictures of my sling and fivics sling


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## Mulcade (Aug 31, 2007)

I'm a big fan of the shoelace finger sling. Simple solution for a simple problem. I'd use a paracord finger sling but for the fact that I have large hands and standard fingerslings won't allow my hand to fully open when I have it on. Yes, I could make a bigger one. Or, I could buy a pair of shoelaces for less than $1, tie a knot to make a loop, and have two ready to go. That and I don't have to start over if I make it too short!



ThomVis said:


> Personally didn't see that happen yet, but I did see a lot of people using the finger sling with the cow hitch the wrong way round. This way around the hitch will work loose when the riser drops into it:
> 
> Put it upside down, so the strands going away from the fingers lay in a U shape, and the hitch will tighten when the riser drops into it.


That's one way to do it and frankly, probably the fastest. I prefer the clove hitch method as it feels a bit more secure. Takes a little longer to tie on and it's become so ingrained in my process I sometimes forget how to tie it on. I always have to laugh at myself when I start approaching the line in practice, look down at my hand, and say, "well, sheep..." I just step away for a moment, come back, and it flies right on. 

You can find information on the clove hitch method at the Texas Archery website. http://www.texasarchery.org/L1/ItemsOfInterest.html Search for fingersling and it'll take you right to it. I'd post the direct link to the video, but there is some much information there, hopefully some of the new folk will get the itch to peruse the wealth of knowledge. :darkbeer:


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## sprinke (Jul 9, 2015)

Here are some pics of my handmade wrist sling, which I put together using parts from a couple of trade show name badge holders. Fully adjustable!


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## j.conner (Nov 12, 2009)

I have used a wrist sling (bow mounted) for BB recurve for a long time and generally prefer that. I use a finger sling from time to time just to change things up a bit. I also prefer the look of my bow without a wrist sling attached.

With BB recurve (no stabilizer), however, the balance is never such that the bow rolls forward after the shot. At best, it stays upright. Usually, it rolls back slightly, in which case the wrist sling can be stet to stop it. It does have to be carefully adjusted such that it is barely slack when shooting. I can shoot with a completely open hand pretty much all the time with a well-adjutsted wrist sling.

To be honest, I do not entirely understand why having the OR bow roll so dramatically is a good thing. Having the bow feel dead in my hand, with no tendency to go anywhere, seems ideal. The wrist flip seems a little contrived too, IMHO. After my release (BB), my wrist drop a bit, but really only from the weight of my weighted riser (about the same net weight as an OR rig). All the flipping and rolling seems like more to go wrong. I teach and demonstrate it, but generally tell students to use it if it feels good and their scores increase, but do not feel like it must be done or do it if scores deteriorate. None of the other archery disciplines flip and roll, so I take it with a grain of salt.


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## ThomVis (Feb 21, 2012)

j.conner said:


> I have used a wrist sling (bow mounted)


Bowsling:









Finger sling:









Wrist sling:


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

j -

None of the other archery disciplines are shooting consistently at 70M. It's that simple, really. 
Even at 18M/20 yds, the number of Oly shooters coming near possibles is huge compared to the number of BB types doing that well. 

The purpose of the forward roll is to ensure that you keep out of the bow's way. 
A bow that remains stable (vertical in the hand) will be more affected by torque than one that has a "direction" due to forward balance. 
At the level these people are shooting, or aspire to be shooting, seemingly insignificant bow hand contact can mean the difference between a 10 and an 8. 

This has been the accepted practice since the mid 1970s. 
It just produces better scores.

Viper1 out.


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## j.conner (Nov 12, 2009)

I am definitely aware of the theory, but it would be interesting to see it empirically tested by another archery discipline. It seems like the moment of inertia of the bow would resist torquing regardless of the directional vector and that the arrow would be gone before any gyroscopic stabilization would occur. It would be interesting to see compound bows in the Olympics and if they adopt the rolling bow technique. Their game would have to be similarly difficult, of course, like a 5-spot at 100m, in order to be comparable. 

Meanwhile, back on topic, here is an easy way to make a finger sling.

Cut some paracord to about 9". You can get a more precise fit with a little trial and error on this part. Burn the ends with a lighter until you get a nice little ball at the end. Then cut some 1/4" ID tubing into two 1/4" slices.

View attachment 2832762



Fold the end in half, pinch it, and press it through the tubing slice. Do this on both ends of the paracord.

View attachment 2832770



Now you have a finger sling! The melted ball on the ends of the paracord should be large enough that it cannot squeeze back through the tubing.

View attachment 2832778



You can make them out of different colors of paracord and even leather lace (by tying the ends instead of burning them).

View attachment 2832786



This is not quite as simple as using a shoe lace, but it is a little custom and easy to keep a few in your quiver, bag, or back pack. I hope you find this useful!


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## erose (Aug 12, 2014)

j.conner said:


> I am definitely aware of the theory, but it would be interesting to see it empirically tested by another archery discipline. It seems like the moment of inertia of the bow would resist torquing regardless of the directional vector and that the arrow would be gone before any gyroscopic stabilization would occur. It would be interesting to see compound bows in the Olympics and if they adopt the rolling bow technique. Their game would have to be similarly difficult, of course, like a 5-spot at 100m, in order to be comparable.
> 
> Meanwhile, back on topic, here is an easy way to make a finger sling.
> 
> ...


That I do thank you! This year we are able to finally use a sling for 4-H and I am looking for something cheap for my students and this would be perfect.


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

A recurve balanced for optimum float will have a forward center of gravity. That balance will result in rotation.

Compound is a completely different situation due to the holding weight and relative mass of cams and limbs.

Grant


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

grantmac said:


> A recurve balanced for optimum float will have a forward center of gravity. That balance will result in rotation.
> 
> Compound is a completely different situation due to the holding weight and relative mass of cams and limbs.
> 
> Grant


How do you figure "optimum float"?


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## ThomVis (Feb 21, 2012)

Some creative solutions in this topic, but I personally wouldn't trust a trade show name badge holder clip or clear plastic tubing to stop my rig tumbling to the floor. YMMV.


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## c365 (May 15, 2013)

ThomVis said:


> Some creative solutions in this topic, but I personally wouldn't trust a trade show name badge holder clip or clear plastic tubing to stop my rig tumbling to the floor. YMMV.


Me neither, that's why the Korean shoelace/paracord endless loop sling.


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