Im seeing several videos lately of guys shooting their recurve bows. At the shot, they immediately point the bow to the ground by torqueing their wrist down. Not sure what they are thinking here or if it is legitimate. I know target shooters with long stabilizers who use an open-handed grip, will let the bow naturally fall away, but these guys do not have stabilizers, just a bow. Have you seen this? I seem to see it more often now. I think it's becoming a fad or something.

Yep, I've wondered at the same thing. Frank

then there is the foriegn bow shooters who are shooting off the wrong side of their bow, haven't got that one figured out yet!

They been watching Oly shooters and think thats the way to do it! ...ie,..Newbies!

The foreign guys shooting off the “wrong” side are using thumb rings. I don’t know anything about thumb rings, but the guy I see the most - his arrows don’t seem to be tuned, but he is very accurate!

Could you please post a video? Thanks

It happens to me from time to time. It is because I don't grip the bow firmly , but I just let it rest on the web of my thumb, and let my hand close naturally around the grip. It only happens with light bows , like my 55# KB , with heavier bows , being under more pressure the fingers wrap around the grip a bit more firmly , thus , avoiding the bow dropping the way you see on target shooters . So little I wrap my fingers that I had my bow go flying out of my hand more than once. I normally get really good grouping that way.

They are limp wristed.

Newbies answer to a fall away rest.

Likely just bad form, trying to get a quick view of the arrow in flight....head comes up and bow hand goes down. You can sometimes get away with it at close range but it's not an ideal way to shoot.

Yes, what was the deal with the horizontal handgun shooting? That was all the rage for a year or two, then kinda went away. Seemed dumb.

If a shooter's primary pursuit with a bow is bowhunting wildlife, my advice is don't develop and ingrain methods and habits that are not conducive to bowhunting.

Khatra l have watched a couple videos of it in slow motion. The arrow is past the riser when they twist the bow, so it does nothing unless it's just for show.

Khatra l have watched a couple videos of it in slow motion. The arrow is past the riser when they twist the bow, so it does nothing unless it's just for show.

why do the Olympic guys do it if its bad?

Lots of compound shooters coming over, and they tend to do that, maybe it's something that they brought with the switch.

Ill try that and see if it works better than throwing the bow.

NY -

A number of years ago, a friend of mine was going for his level 4 cert with "coach" Lee in Chula Vista. He asked Lee what was with the wrist drop? Lee told him, they taught that to prevent the shooter from dropping their bow arm. Right. My friend told Lee, What don't you just teach them to hold their bow arms up. Yeah, the reasoning that stupid, but my friend did get his cert.

Now, there's a big difference between forcing the wrist drop and letting the wrist drop. The former is idiotic at best (IMHO of course), while the latter may be a natural reaction to maintaining a relaxed Bow side forearm, where the wrist and bow drops naturally. The problem is, with most people, the former happens more than the latter - just because.

Viper out.

It's just like the fake exaggerated follow through with the release hand. It's just for show.

V, that's not usually a result due to the finger sling, bow weight and move forward movement at release too?

PS It's in no way just a KSL teaching since all the OA on the globe are doing it.

D -

No it's not the sling or the physical bow weight, because there are plenty of people not doing it. We tend to watch a few videos and assume what we're seeing is the rule.

BTW - KSL doesn't come up with stuff, he just copies stuff, usually without understanding why it's being done. In that regard, he's quite traditional ;)

Red -

The problem with your statement is that while the analogy is correct, it's still the difference between a natural reaction and a forced or faked one.

Viper out.

I actually watched all the Olympics and I’ve seen no archer not doing it, disregarding the countries. But you are right: OA is traditional - nobody invented new things since ages.

PS The single time the archer is not doing it is when his shot went the wrong time and he is trying to save it - hence the belief that by moving the bow hand right after release you can alter the arrow trajectory.

I just couldn't seem to make this happen as Chester describes.....

Videos like above are not proving anything, no one that I know of strangles the grip like that, you grip the bow evenly like Howard Hill said, you don't squeeze it or hold it limp, you just hold onto it.

That video should be filed in the do not watch junk pile.

Now try to shoot a 44 magnum holding the grip loosely and after they sew up the split in your fore head then you can contemplate on what people tell you about not holding onto your weapon.

RonG said" "..no one that I know of strangles the grip like that..."

Then I have to assume that you have never observed many novice shooters.

let's keep in mind that this is a technique used by some of the best target archers on the planet

i shot with a wrist sling & open grip until i quit trying to strangle my bow. it rocked a bit on release ...shot very well that way.

Rich asked: "Didn't archers add short stabilizers to their hunting bows way back when to get their bow to tilt forward after release."

Yep!

I don't remember any one adding a stabilizer to get their bow to tip forward.

I remember people adding stabilizers to increase physical weight to make the bow less susceptible to unwanted movement.

I remember people adding weight to Draven a release and absorb excess shock and noise.

I remember people adding weight to manipulate the balance of the bow.

But I don't remember anyone adding weight to hunting bows to make the bow tip forward.

"I remember people adding stabilizers to increase physical weight to make the bow less susceptible to unwanted movement."

"I remember people adding weight to Draven a release and absorb excess shock and noise."

"I remember people adding weight to manipulate the balance of the bow."

Those too!

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