Why not pinch grip??

[Jakesnyder]

Is there anyone out there that uses a pinch grip draw? Why isnt there more people that use it? Its recorded that most native american used it and were very accurate.

[Handforged]

 Most people are two under or three under to draw heavier weights and have more control.  The natives of yesterday did a lot of things that we don't do now for good reason. Basically it's a personal choice. If you want to develop the grip strength to hold back a hunting weight bow with just your thumb and finger then I say go for it.

[EdwardS]

I learned to shoot with pinch grip.  We didn't just use thumb and forefinger, there were most of the time two fingers under the arrow pulling the string as well.  Depended on the weight of the bow.  I can still pull 45+ with it no issue.  If I can get up tomorrow I'll try to get a pic of how it was done.

Pop was raised by survivors of the Seminole Wars.  I learned from full blooded Seminoles, and this is what the ones in my family did (before they switched to compounds.)  I'm the last holdout for trad in the family, but most of the rest are passed on or dealing with injury.  Being from a mining family, that's not too uncommon.

I still shoot with it sometimes.  It helps me compensate for ruining the last two fingers on my right hand.  I've been shooting with it more now that I've not got any thumb rings.  I should make up some new arrows and get out there since we're quarantined here.

[PatM]

Is there anyone out there that uses a pinch grip draw? Why isnt there more people that use it? Its recorded that most native american used it and were very accurate.

 The grip was not the simple pinch grip though.

[bradsmith2010]

there is book by Reginald and Gladys Laubin,,he shows 10 different arrows holds used by Native Americans

[Jakesnyder]

Yea I'm talking about the tertiary grip or the secondary. I've asked a number of people and no one knows why it's not used more often.

[willie]

If you started shooting at grouse when you were six, and were encouraged to hit what you aimed for to put it in the pot, you might later work up to the point where you could shoot a heavier bow with the same accuracy and technique you grew up with.

we may seem to find it hard because we learn something new as adults

[aznboi3644]

10 years ago I first learned how to shoot with the pinch grip and two fingers under the arrow.  Mainly because all I had was a small triangle file to file my nocks.  I got pretty damned good at it and could consistently hit a paper plate at 20 yards.  Then I stopped archery and I suck again haha.

I still occasionally shoot with a pinch grip.  Part of me wants to go back.

I can draw back 50lbs comfortable with the two fingers under in a pinch grip.  No hooking of the string.  Strong fingers.

[PatM]

Yea I'm talking about the tertiary grip or the secondary. I've asked a number of people and no one knows why it's not used more often.

Probably because its strong points are not necessary for the type of shooting people tend to do today.

[mmattockx]

Yea I'm talking about the tertiary grip or the secondary. I've asked a number of people and no one knows why it's not used more often.

Can you humour a rookie and explain why anyone would want to use this grip over split finger or 3 under?


Thanks,
Mark

[aznboi3644]

From looking at Native American arrow nocks they were “V”s so a pinch grip would be necessary to hold the arrow in place on the string.  I’ve had some dry fires trying a split finger with the shallow v nocks.  Didn’t feel good at all

[Jakesnyder]

Well for starters your draw is shorter therefore you can use alot shorter bow. If you grew up and had no idea how to shoot a bow I think most would shoot pinch grip naturally. To me it would make more sense than medditeranian. The more I think about it I think it was mostly tradition. There dads shows them how to shoot.
My main reason for starting up this topic was to see if anyone out there shoots this way? Just to get some confirmation that it can be done, with the shorter draw it still has enough power to hunt with and become extremely accurate.

[GlisGlis]

Mainly because all I had was a small triangle file to file my nocks

I think this is a point
in "primitive" conditions deep arrows knocks are not that practical.
they need more work to do.
are more fragile.
need more time to knock.
need a reinforced string on bow
a short v knock requires some sort of pinch grip
If our ancestors could count on single relaxed shots they probably had adopted 3 under well before

[George Tsoukalas]

 It is not used more often here because we inherited our archery style from Great Britain and they used the Mediterranean grip (split finger) there to shoot easy bows with lower draws as previously mentioned.

There are a  variety of grips  used by Native Americans. They were all discussed in Laubin's book as mentioned above.

The pinch grip (just the  finger and thumb) was used by the Plains  Indians I believe. I think I read that because their bows were shorter and had a shorter draw length because that is all they needed for their style of hunting.

Also alluded to above the pinch grip  does not work all that well with plastic nocks.

Jawge

[Jakesnyder]

Is it just as effective in killing animals? I have read laubins book and was really surprised with all the accounts of indians killing the Spaniards and such. Do you think some of those were exaggerations? Or could it have been that the indians were ones to be greatly feared by them? Were they that accurate with short draws and floating anchors at long distances?