An accumulation of little things is all that separates the great participants of any sport from the average ones. Often these “little things” only seem little in retrospect. They are not so obvious when looking forward because they are gained only from years of practice, training and experience – often by pioneers in the field. But fortunately, archery has been around for a long time. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The “little things” in archery are well understood and can be learned the easy way, through the repetition of proper technique. By focusing on solid fundamentals, one summer is all the time you need to totally revamp your shooting ability. Make this your summer.

This month I’m going to focus on the grip. The seemingly insignificant act of placing your hand on the bow is an example of one of those “little things” that is so critical to reaching your potential as an archer and bowhunter.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A RELAXED HAND

If you shoot with a release aid, your bow hand is the only part of your body that should touch the bow. It is the central point of control and the bottleneck for all the feedback you receive during the shot. For most archers, the grip is never even considered, but it should be just the opposite. More attention should be given to your bow hand than almost any other aspect of shooting form.

A proper grip starts with a relaxed hand. You’ll never shoot to your ability if your bow hand is tense. This tension will creep into your aiming and it will become very difficult to make a natural follow-through without trying to “help” the arrow. The bow will do just fine by itself, you don’t have to help it.

Focus on your bow hand as you aim. Think of it as nothing more than a lifeless cradle at the end of your bow arm. It should do nothing (be completely dead) before, during and after the shot. Let your fingers hang naturally. Trying to force your hand to stay open will only increase tension.

CONSISTENT HAND POSITION

How you place your hand on the grip is just as important. You can introduce torque by inconsistent hand placement. As you experiment with several grip positions, strive to find the one that allows you to feel the force of the bow being pulled straight back against a small point in your hand. You shouldn’t feel even the slightest bit of stretching in the skin of your hand.

Eventually you won’t have to look at your bow hand to know that you’re lined up properly - you’ll be able to instantly feel any small change in hand position. Raising your level of awareness regarding your bow hand is important in developing this sense. This is also where getting used to a specific bow has its advantages.

After you place your hand carefully on the grip, don’t change the position of either your hand or your wrist until after the arrow is in the target. I see many archers bow their wrists and even slide their hands around on the grip as they draw the bow. This may put them in a more powerful position for drawing the bow, but it does little for consistent shooting. You’ll never be consistent if you move your hand or wrist at any point after you place it on the bow. Once your hand and wrist are set in place, leave them alone. If you can’t do that, you’re shooting too much weight. Turn your poundage down until your wrists get stronger.

GRIP DESIGN

You’ll shoot most accurately when you reduce the total area of contact between your grip and your hand. A wide grip, for example, gives you plenty of leverage for turning the bow. The handle will turn just as much as your hand turns. Conversely, when you use a narrow grip, contact more closely resembles a single point or a line. Now as you turn your hand, the bow doesn’t react as much. The difference in your accuracy will be noticeable.

A grip’s design can affect accuracy in other ways, as well. I’ve owned bows that were difficult for me to tune and shoot accurately. It often came down to the way the grip felt in my hand. I could tune these bows, but only when I gripped them in a very uncomfortable manner. I’m sure if I’d shot those bows a lot I would eventually have gotten used to gripping them in the method required for good arrow flight, but what’s the point. I’d rather shoot the ones that feel good.

This brings up another point. The comfort of the grip is one of the most important single aspects to consider when choosing a bow. When it comes down to selecting between two different bows that both fit you, always pick the one that feels the best in your hand. With a comfortable grip you’ll be able to relax your hand and shoot properly.

By focusing on your bow hand, you can take the steps needed to eliminate torque and improve consistency. As a result, you’ll be much effective on the 3-D course this summer and in the field this fall.