Grip
Types of string grip – in almost all grip types the dominant hand is the draw hand, while the off-hand is the bow hand. When anchored, the palm of the draw hand is towards the face Primary – the arrow is held with thumb and index finger. Only useful for very weak bows Flat hook – the string is held on the fingertips Deep hook – the string is held in the groove of the first finger joint, between the medial and distal phalanges English deep hook – the string is held in the groove of the second finger joint, between the medial and proximal phalanges Mediterranean – index finger above the arrow, middle and ring finger under it Flamish – only index and middle fingers are used, either below or “straddling” the arrow Navajo – all three fingers are under the arrow Thumb – the palm of the draw hand faces outwards. The string is gripped in the first joint of the thumb (usually using a thumb ring), and the groove of the second phalange of the index finger is positioned on the thumb nail, to secure it in place. Na’vi (Avatar) – basically a way to shoot an off-hand bow. The bow is gripped with the dominant hand, and the off-hand draws the string in a reversed Mediterranean grip – index finger under arrow, middle and ring above the arrow, the palm faces away from the face. Not very suitable for compound shooting Aiming systems Linear – the arrow is drawn at the level of the eye, aiming along the length of the arrow. Only useful for short distances, where no ballistic correction is necessary. Triangular – the arrow is drawn at the level at the mouth. The arrow, the eye and the target form a triangle. Mostly used for instinctive shooting. Rectangular – requires a visor! The arrow is drawn at the level of the neck. The arrow, the eye, the visor and the target build a rectangle. Mostly used for Olympic shooting. |