Help with string slap

[jaker_cc]

Shooting my longbow today I got slapped about 4 times. Really really sucks. Any help or advice on grip changes or anything to work on.

[jerp]

Pretty common especially with low brace height bows. There are guys whose form is good enough that they never get slapped. I am not one of those guys. When I don't wear an armguard I might get popped once out of every 10 shots which is plenty to get me thinking about it so I wear an armguard.

[RickBarbee]

Grip, brace height, or a combination of both.

Just have to play with it & see what is comfortable yet still shootable. I've known lots of folks who hit their arm all the time, and had to wear an arm guard, but shot real good.

Rick

[LeanMachine]

I'm not familiar with shooting the longbow as I am a recurve guy. However with the recurve, if I'm hitting my arm it because i'm holding my bow arm too straight. Put just a hair of bend in your bow arm and it will fix it. If you mentally try to rotate your bow arm elbow up, It will usually put just the right bend in it.

[Bisch]

It will also help to open up your stance just a bit if you are not already doing that.

Bisch

[Felix40]

And dont try to stretch your draw length further than it really is. Its tempting to want more speed but its not worth sacrificing form. I have to remind myself of this pretty often.

[Featherflinger]

I may not be doing it right and may not be much help but I almost always pop my arm with my longbow. I just wear an armguard and deal with it. I've tried fixing it but just shoot better with my bow arm straight. I have a fairly high grip with my elbow slightly out but for some reason it almost always gets me. I've just accepted it.

[Gummi Bear]

I have to wear an arm guard when I shoot my longbow. It whaps me right where my wrist and hand meet up. Whelps up something awful. I just can't twist my hand around to keep that from happening without it feeling really weird.

I don't need one when I shoot any of my recurves though. The brace height is so much more forgiving...

[Greywolf in Hawaii]

Make a fist stick your thumb up real high, now put it in the low part of the grip and see if the string touches your thumb? if it does raise it till it don't. then tune from there.
Now the grip tuck the pinky and ring finger in against the riser, hold with you thumb and other two finger. you can't torque the bow that way.
Don't over extend you draw just push it out naturally.
you might consider going to a bow #10-#15 less than you have now and revisit your shooting form.

Video your self it will show you exactly what your doing wrong..or right in some cases.
don't be afraid to go get a couple shooting lessons to "Get back to basics"

[TMiddleton]

What brace height are you guys shooting that you keep hitting your arms? Has it ever been mentioned what the OP brace height is?

[Bisch]

What brace height are you guys shooting that you keep hitting your arms? Has it ever been mentioned what the OP brace height is?

No, he has never mentioned his brace height. He should measure it and see what it is. On just about every longbow I own (all reflex/deflex) the brace height is 7.5" or higher. A too low brace height will cause the string to hit your arm also.

Bisch

[Mike Murphey]

Raise your brace height....twist the string to about 7.5"

[garfish]

Try raising your brace height. I like mine about 1/4 inch above my thumb
but every one is different and form inters into the mix also. I don't hit mine
often, but I wear the arm guard anyway. I always hit my arm on occasions
when I don't.

[konahoss]

It will also help to open up your stance just a bit if you are not already doing that.

Bisch

This is the best method IMHO. Also rotate your elbow out, it will help a ton.

[chackworth3]

This is the best method IMHO. Also rotate your elbow out, it will help a ton.

This works for me too