A two-finger string grip is about as accurate as a three-finger one

The summary today

Only one study has compared string grips, and it did so with nine internationally competitive archers who knew only the vertical three-finger grip. After a quarter of an hour of practice and three ends of three arrows, the two-finger grip produced the tightest group, an 11.1 cm contour against 14.1 cm with their usual grip, but the difference is not significant, so on these numbers the two grips cannot be told apart, while with the thumb grip and the reversed grip the groups stay three to four times wider. The two-finger grip was also the one that asked most of the muscles, 62.40% of maximal contraction against 59.26%, and across the four grips there is no link between muscle activity and precision. The limitation lies in the design: three arrows recorded per grip, a grip met for the first time, and precision measured as grouping rather than score. It says that a strong archer does not group worse with two fingers than with three straight away, at least over a few arrows; it does not say what happens over a full round or after months of practice.

Also phrased as: "two-finger grip"; "shooting with two fingers on the string"; "three fingers or two on the string"; "string grip and accuracy"; "the thumb grip is more economical"

Evidence

• 1990
  For Archers Published later

  9 internationally competitive FITA archers, used only to the vertical three-finger grip, three ends of three arrows per grip after 15 minutes of practice without a target: group contour 18.8, 12.7 and 14.1 cm with three fingers, 15.2, 11.4 and 11.1 cm with two, with no significant difference between the two grips, which both differ sharply from the thumb grip (42.0 cm) and the reversed grip (53.2 cm) on the last end. Precision is grouping, not score.

  Muscular Activity of Different Shooting Distances, Different Release Techniques, and Different Performance Levels, with and without Stabilizers, in Target Archery · J.P. Clarys, J. Cabri, E. Bollens, R. Sleeckx, J. Taeymans, M. Vermeiren, et al.

• 1990
  Context Archers Published later

  In the same 9 archers, mean activity of the six draw-arm muscles as a percentage of maximal contraction: 59.26 with three fingers, 62.40 with two, 56.70 with the reversed grip and 53.40 with the thumb. Across the four grips the trapezius, extensor digitorum, biceps and deltoid do not change; only the flexor digitorum superficialis and, in the reversed grip, the brachioradialis drop. The two-finger grip is the most demanding on the muscles and also the one with the tightest average group, and no correlation links muscle activity and precision (p>0.05).

  Muscular Activity of Different Shooting Distances, Different Release Techniques, and Different Performance Levels, with and without Stabilizers, in Target Archery · J.P. Clarys, J. Cabri, E. Bollens, R. Sleeckx, J. Taeymans, M. Vermeiren, et al.

• 1990
  Context Archers Published later

  With grips they had never used, the same archers recover quickly: with the thumb the group contour goes from 175.7 to 75.7 to 42.0 cm over nine arrows, with the reversed grip from 179.4 to 97.5 to 53.2 cm, but after nine arrows they are still three to four times wider than with the finger grips. It shows how much habit counts, and is a reason to read any single-session test of a new grip with caution.

  Muscular Activity of Different Shooting Distances, Different Release Techniques, and Different Performance Levels, with and without Stabilizers, in Target Archery · J.P. Clarys, J. Cabri, E. Bollens, R. Sleeckx, J. Taeymans, M. Vermeiren, et al.

Status history

1. 1990 Reported The first and only study of string grips comes out. Nine international archers, used only to the vertical three-finger grip, try the two-finger, thumb and reversed grips for a quarter of an hour, then shoot three ends of three arrows with each. Between three and two fingers precision does not differ significantly, with a group contour of 14.1 and 11.1 cm on the last end; with the thumb and reversed grips the groups improve quickly, from 175.7 to 42.0 cm and from 179.4 to 53.2 cm, but stay much wider. There is evidence in favour from archers, and it is limited: one study, nine people, three arrows recorded per grip.

Related

Related articles

• The string grip: what changes between two fingers, three fingers and the thumbTwo fingers, three fingers or the thumb on the string: what studies have measured on grouping, steadiness, muscles and release, and where the data stop.

Research lines

• 22 studiesTraditional and historical bows, from models to archers
• 102 studiesFrom the total on the scorecard to the arrow's coordinates

Other claims in this domain

• CorroboratedBetween one and a half and two tenths of a second pass between the clicker sounding and the arrow leaving7 studies · 94 archers measuredStatus since 1990
• ReportedA camera diagonally behind the archer measures the vertical sway of the aim well, but not the horizontal1 study · 3 archers measuredStatus since 2010
• ReportedA continuous final pull through the clicker leads to better shots9 studies · 56 archers measuredStatus since 1993
• ReportedA sound or light cue about the angle of the bow arm tightens beginners' groups2 studies · 1 archers measuredStatus since 2012
• ReportedA thumb grip on the string is less tiring than a finger grip3 studies · 9 archers measuredStatus since 1990

See all claims on technique and biomechanics