Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: danny f on October 19, 2012, 06:34:49 pm

Title: reducing wrist slap
Post by: danny f on October 19, 2012, 06:34:49 pm
hi there ive just started shooting my first bow and was wondering if there are any ways of reducing wrist slap i havent got a wrist protector yet and my wrist has taken a real beating. do all bows do this or is there something wrong, is there anything i can do like bracing the bow slightly higher. any advice appreciated thanks.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: JW_Halverson on October 19, 2012, 06:40:52 pm
Higher brace will certainly help. 

Also, check the angle of your wrist on your bow hand.  Stick an old arrow shaft or wooden ruler under your wristwatch band and make sure that the back of your hand is in line with the rest of the arm.  I tend to turn my wrist out and get slapped for doing it. 
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: HoBow on October 19, 2012, 07:45:57 pm
JW got it.   Raise the brace height of your string,
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: Bryce on October 19, 2012, 07:54:01 pm
I 3rd that. Slowly raise the brace height, till it stops slapping yah :)

Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: bubby on October 19, 2012, 08:36:07 pm
before you raise the brace, how high is it now, it could just as well be form if it's allready around 6"
you can also slip a pc of thin cardboard in your sleeve and put some rubber bands on toi hold it till ya get a bracer, Bub
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: BOWMAN53 on October 19, 2012, 08:45:06 pm
Cardboard cut to the size of your forearm and rap it with paracord for a quick makeshift arm guard. I used that for a little bit untill I made another better one out of an old tire inner tube. (Works really well).
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: PatM on October 19, 2012, 09:27:02 pm
String that isn't a bungee cord...try FF.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: macbow on October 19, 2012, 11:46:52 pm
Another easy arm guard is cut the toes off a,tube,sock and slip it on your arm. You can add cardboard or leather inside.

A low brace height will almost guarantee hitting the wrist with,a long bow .recurves are usually braced higher and you'll have less trouble.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: burchett.donald on October 19, 2012, 11:49:31 pm
   Danny,
                Wrist slap can break a vein and cause a visit to a surgeon. Protect yourself until you get it all figured out. I had a problem with it and found it was form. Even after years of shooting I still get a little twing every now and then, usually when I'm getting tired, but I do shoot a low brace at 5 3/4".
                                           Don
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: Gordon on October 20, 2012, 12:38:34 am
I used to have a terrible problem with wrist slap. Then I switched to FF strings and the problem went away.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: crooketarrow on October 20, 2012, 09:59:14 am
   For most people it's just stwitch over from a compound and their still trying to lock their elbow. CURVE YOU WRIST ANS SET YOU ELBOW OUT SOME. Other than this you can GO to FAST FLIGHT THAT HELPS SOME WHAT.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: danny f on October 20, 2012, 11:05:09 am
cheers for all the advice, i have raised the brace to 6" as it was only just over 5" and have made a makeshift leather protector for now. i will have a play about with different shooting styles. thanks danny.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: dwardo on October 20, 2012, 12:43:24 pm
If it isn't brace height and is form try not to lock your bow holding arm at the elbow, also loosen your grip on the bow a little ;)
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: danny f on October 20, 2012, 03:35:19 pm
done a load more shooting today and ive hardly had any wrist slap. i got one good un though half way up my forearm where it wasnt protected that one made a nice lump. :(
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: Traxx on October 20, 2012, 03:39:01 pm
Regardless of the Cause,Get some sort of protection on.Enough slapps and youll start bad habits,like flinching on the shot.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: Jodocus on October 20, 2012, 04:04:36 pm
Not using a protector should be a fast way to reduce wristslapping. Worked great for me  >:D  ;D
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: AngelDeVille on October 20, 2012, 04:07:44 pm
Not using a protector should be a fast way to reduce wristslapping. Worked great for me  >:D  ;D

I did the same thing, I don't use one anymore.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: Fred Arnold on October 20, 2012, 04:50:33 pm
I usually only get string slap from a string follow bow. It no longer happens when shooting recurve's and hybrid's. Some of my selfbows have given me a problem but usually cured by raising the brace height as stated previously.
I wear a guard during hunting season just to hold loose fitting sleeves from getting in the way.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: George Tsoukalas on October 20, 2012, 09:46:16 pm
No, it is the nature of the selfbow. They are braced lower than even their fg cousins... longbows. Make yourself an arm guard. It is not hard. I make mine. I set my brace height, measure from string to back of bow, at the lowest point at which good flight is achieved which is typically at 7.25 to 7.5 inches. Check my site for tuning info. Changing form as described above may help. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/selfbowcare.html
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: Mark Smeltzer on October 21, 2012, 06:04:16 pm
If you rotate the bow in your hand untill the back of the handle is in the knuckle of your thumb not the web you will very rarely hit your wrist.
I don"t agree with " raise the brace ht. until it stops hitting your wrist" Also your wrist position has allot to do with it, as already said above.

Mark
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: bushboy on October 26, 2012, 01:16:03 pm
maybe check to make sure the string is tracking true down the center of the handle as my first couple of bows were not and made for some nasty welts!maybe you already have?just saying. regards!
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: bhenders on October 26, 2012, 01:35:50 pm
Want to eliminate wrist slap entirely?

Change to a thumb grip and release - problem solved!
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: jimmy on October 26, 2012, 02:32:42 pm
I recently stopped using an arm guard.  I brace at 5 1/2" on average.  I guess it's the way I hold the bow, wrist slightly bent, elbow slightly bent.  It shortened my draw length by about one inch and I don't get wrist slap at all.  If anything, the string sometimes just barely grazes my wrist, so slight that I don't really notice.  Anyway, I did away with it, so it is possible.  You just have to bend a little here and there.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: danny f on October 27, 2012, 02:36:03 pm
thanks everyone. :)
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: adb on October 27, 2012, 02:48:59 pm
You can shoot a longbow without a bracer, but you'll probably only do it once. Some string contact with the inside of your bow arm/wrist is normal. Excessive string contact is not, and is usually a result of low brace height or stretchy strings. Wrist slap is caused by excess string vibration. Plucking the string, aka a bad realease, is a common problem as well.
Shooting modern recurves or longbows that are centershot is a different story, and if done correctly, should result in little or no string slap.
Title: Re: reducing wrist slap
Post by: George Tsoukalas on October 27, 2012, 05:24:47 pm
Be careful bending your wrist too much. Bend your elbow. Writs were not made to take that kind of strain unless straight. JMO. Jawge