So here's the deal. I've shot trad bows on and off for 20 years. Mainly longbows and recurves off the shelf. My current setup is a 48#@28" 3 piece 60" pronghorn. My current arrow is a 2016 easton legacy. Beauty of a bow! When grip a bow "normal" i always fight inconsistent arrow flight. Mainly in the form of a tail high issue. Very erratic flight. When I grip the bow basically the same but slide my pointer finger to barely make contact with the shaft I then get consistently good arrow flight. Bare shaft and fletched show the same results. Why is this? Actually touching the arrow feels normal to me as I've been doing it for years. I would prefer to correct an issue that is happening with a normal grip. Thanks!

I don't know but it sure seems like a nocking point issue. That'd be my guess but you've probably played with it already.

Mike, do you have, or can you take a photo of your hand on the bow....from the back of your hand so we can see the entire grip?

I too think it is more of a nock height issue or maybe a tiller issue?

Could be that your finger is performing the function of an elevated rest.

I think your finger is actually pushing up on the arrow negating your nock set issue. Try moving the nock set down 1/16"-1/8"

Bob

I'm with Bob.

From what I see in your picture, you have a brush type rest on the shelf? Also, it appears to me that web of your hand is to the side of the grip, as though your wrist is bent, like you may be trying to avoid string slap on your bow arm.

Like George said, how about another picture.

What Bob said ^^^

Deno

Here is a behind view. And yes I do get arm slap occasionally

let try this again

don't know the answer to your question , but that is a nice looking bow

would try waht arowmaker said with out the finger up there

Having shot and owned many bows I have found it is important to find out how each bow needs to be held and shot. My current pet Hill longbow likes me to touch the bottom of the arrow, so that is what I do.

Actually, I don't think it is the finger, but the balance of bow, how it is tillered. The balance of the two limbs when drawn and the timing of how they recover from your release varies from bow to bow, even if they are made to the same dimensions. So they require a little difference in where against your palm you take the weight of the draw.

I think your bow balances the weight of the draw a trifle higher than it's kin so shoots sweetest when you grip it with your palm a little higher, and it doesn't care about your finger.

So I would keep your grip, but if the touch bothers you raise the rest and nock point by equal amounts and see how the bow balances that way.

Me, I would just hold it as it likes to be held. Most wooden bows are feminine after all. I'm not sure about the metal handled ones. Crossbows are perverse. - lbg

What it looks like I am seeing, is the arrow is running down hill like a high nock point, but it looks like the rest is a little too low and too far forward. If you move the rest back closer to the hand contact point, it cuts down on torque. Raise it slightly for better clearance. You will need to read adjust the nock point to match but the arrow won't be running down hill so much. Pictures can be deceiving but that is what I am seeing. Good Luck >>>-----> Ken

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runner x2

I think when you move your finger youre loosening your grip on the bow which my have been to tight causing torque

Nock high and low during flight is not normal from group, but impact left and right and high and low are the result of a bad bow hand.

In past videos, I have explained the importance of a consistent bow arm. It's the single most important thing in the shot sequence in my opinion. You can get away with a sloppy release but you can't get away with an inconsistent bow hand.

I can make an arrow shoot 6" weak or stiff simply by gripping and not gripping a bow. The question is, do you hold the bow exactly the same on every shot? If not - even if the pressure on the riser is slightly different - the arrow impact will move. This is why I do not grip the bow at all. Let the bow jump to target.

This will require the use of a wrist or finger sling, but the only way to grip the bow the same each time is to not grip it at all.

At 2:45 in the video above I'll discuss the grip.

Your second picture shows your grip better, however, the bow is not strung there, right? As you are at full draw, is the pressure from the bow on the web of your hand, or the heel of your palm? What is the brace height?

longbowguy - thank you for laying to rest the sexuality issue. But if you don't mind, it's "transbow".

All great advice guys. Thanks a bunch. Its hard not to grip a new Pronghorn Jimmy! I'd hate to see that bow bouncing off the ground.

Fiddlers (vionists) achieve tone (and avoid shrieking and sqawking) by almost-not-holding their bow.

Unlike Jimmy's, their bows won't fly away if they barely hold. If you are confident and appreciate a bow (or a fiddle or women for that matter) you DON'T find it "hard not to grip."

Your first photo shows a rug rest that's way too far forward and possibly a too-high nock...two bears X2

Also arromakr X2

Wear an arm guard...it looks like you're afraid of string slap which would cause that anxious grip all by itself.

Either remove the quiver or always shoot with arrows in it.

Good info JK. Herb peaks his shelf right where the rug is. His shelf is more faceted than curved. Deinetly need an arm guard. I shot this morning with tips from jimmy video and was pleased with what I found. I also dropped the nock height a little and the fletched and bares came together more. Lots of things to work on

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