I am a right handed shooter. I have always had a problem with the arrow sliding off the rest, almost every time I nock one and go to draw it. This had been my biggest problem for a long time with shooting a bow. I shoot split fingered. Any suggestions on how to keep the arrow on the rest? It has cost me shots at game, and is just plain frustrating when target shooting... Thank you!

cant the bow a little?

You're tensing your hand and curling your fingers when you draw. Spread your fingers more so they are not touching the arrow before you draw. Or stop curling your fingers,lol.

I think you are twisting the string to the left as you draw. Try twisting the string with your fingers to the right before you draw. Hope you get it worked out. Jack

Grab right on up to your first knuckle. If you use just the tips of your fingers to draw it can roll the string easily. A good deep hook wont effect anything after a bit of practice. Also, snap that arrow on straight. I see a lot of people hold the arrow at 45 degrees from the string, then snap it on, then roll the arrow around to the rest. That's just making string into a spring.

What GLF said. Roll the string towards the riser as you draw.

Thanks for the tips, that all makes sense, gonna try it. I do use the tips of my fingers so will try the deep hook. I also do curl my fingers. I usually load the arrow slightly away from the riser, will try it straight on. Why didn't I think of that? I have thought about and tried twisting the string before, but it never seemed to work. I'll try all these things.

3 under and canted bow solve this problem and many other

I don't know how anyone shoots with tips of the fingers. You have to force a release pretty much that way. You will get a very clean release with a deep hook, and that's what will help keep the arrow on the rest. Yeah...there will be a few who tell you they can shoot otherwise, but most people will do best with a deep hook...first joint in the fingers.

Relax as suggested and do what George said.

"Yeah...there will be a few who tell you they can shoot otherwise"

Yup, right here George.

I shoot with my finger tips, split finger draw. I make my tabs with a spacer between the first and longest finger. Haven't had a problem with pushing the string off the shelf and I believe the spacer may be some of the reason.

Questions I have for TrapperKayak are, How much shelf does your bow have? And, some recurves have very flexible limbs that would allow some side to side movement, does yours?

Watch John Schulz' video on Youtube...#2 I think.

Put a small piece of fletching beside your rest(1/2") and this will hold your arrow and cause no effect to flight

I suggest you work on relaxing the back of your hand as you draw. Whether you shoot a deep hook or fingertips if you are tensing up as you draw you will tend to roll your fingers toward the string and consequently push the arrow away from the shelf.

Another consideration is whether you are maybe drawing a heavier bow that you should at this time. If you are struggling with a somewhat heavy draw weight you will also tend to roll your fingers into a tighter grip rather than relaxing.

Plenty of other good suggestions above as well.

Your torquing the string when you grab on twisting the string away from your riser.

Trapper, I used to have the same issue and realized that the only time the arrow would come off the shelf was when my elbow was raised up. If I concentrate on keeping my elbow straight to my anchor, the arrow never comes off the shelf. It could be like the others have stated that when I pull straight back that my hand is more relaxed... whatever it is, it works for me. Oh & I shoot split finger off the shelf.

If you are doing it correctly, you should be able to cant the bow OPPOSITE way- (arrow against the riser from BELOW) and keep the arrow from falling. I do this every time I teach when a new shooter complains about the arrow falling off the shelf. I do this on center shot bows and no-shelf longbows.

If you cant clockwise (RH shooter) to keep the arrow from falling you are masking a symptom, a form error. That is not why we cant the bow.

Perform a simple little test and you will see what causes it. Take a deep hook on the string. Put a little tension on the string. Now curl your fingers a little more, the arrow will move to the left away from the rest. Repeat as you put tension on the string let your fingers uncurl slightly the arrow will move to the right up against the sight window. You can literally move the arrow left and right out in mid air by curling and uncurling you fingers. That is if the fingers are touching the nock or the nock is a snug fit on the string. It is simply twisting or untwisting the string. (right handed shooter) That is just to see the cause. Ideal is not to disturb the string. In a reverse cant you have to put a little torque on the arrow to prevent gravity from causing the arrow to fall. Just a little tip of the trick shots. Hope that helps. Good luck. >>>-------> Ken

Thanks. All of these suggestions are very helpful and make sense. This happens to me on even light weight bows, 40# and even less. I was never really taught any form, nust self taught and obviously at 61 have engrained some bad habits that I need to unlearn. The shelf on my Bear is the same as all Bears with rugs. The other two have rests but these do not keep the arrow on. It is as you say, finger tips, twisting, torquing, not relaxing, etc. I am going to Cabelas in Buffalo tomorrow, on way now, and will try a few bows there and test these out. They had a 55# Montana ladt week. Will try that, narrow rest. Thanks.

Have the back of your hand parallel to the belly of the bow when you first grab the string. When you draw your hand will naturally curl around and pull the arrow toward the site window.

MP

use your first finger on your bow hand as a guide tell you get to full draw.

Do you shoot with a glove or tab? I shoot a Bateman tab with the spacer. No issues. When I fiddle around with a glove I sometimes have that same problem. I'm not sure why. Maybe the spacer helps?

Deep hook and cant your bow a tad more. I myself do not shoot well at all unless I cant the bow quite a bit. Also if you are using flemish twist, is it twisted the right way? Shawn

Back in the day I used the Can't Pinch tab...it had a hard rubber spacer between the index and middle finger whereby you literally "can't pinch" the nock.

Now I use a glove but also use a deep hook, and don't curl my hand or fingers on the draw.

Trapper, look at the back of your string hand and wrist. If it's not a straight plane with the back of your forearm as you draw, then your arrow will fall off every time. Straighten you wrist and the string roll and finger curl will probably take care of itself.

Some good advice with a deep hook. Just a thought you might be pulling too much weight which will cause you to grip the string more as you pull it back.

I shot two bows today, both 55#. One was new Grizzley, and the other a new Montana, at Cabelas. I took this advice and tried it. Did the deep hook to the first knuckles, and held my hand parallel to my wrist and forearm, all on the same plane. I relaxed my fingers and hand. I shot bare fingers, no glove or tab. Have never used a tab. The arrow did not slip off the shelf after the first try (but first try did because I tensed). I shot about a dozen arrows and very well. None slid off. So thanks to your guys' advice I now have a pretty big problem Ive always had, solved. I appreciate the help, thanks! Oh, and I liked the Grizzley recurve WAY better... Shot very nicely. Felt smoother...less shock.

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