The Sling and the Bow Hand in Archery

A sling is simply a small piece of leather used to stop the bow from falling on the ground. It's a very simple and yet vital piece of archery equipment. However, many archers fail to use the sling correctly.

A sling's true purpose is to enable the archer to shoot with a more relaxed bow hand and thereby increase the accuracy of her shots. If you are shooting without a sling, then needless to say you are going to hold on to the bow during the release and follow through. With this method, you are holding the bow slightly differently every time, since you are not a machine and don't do things exactly the same way every time. So, to overcome this variance and achieve greater accuracy-just stop holding onto the bow. If you don't need to hold the bow then the wrist can remain more relaxed and the bow can move freely after every shot. You can do the same thing over and over the same way with this technique, given the fact that you don't have to tense as many muscles in your wrist and hand as you do without a sling.

There are three kinds of slings. These are the wrist sling, the finger sling, and the bow sling. The wrist sling comprises a piece of rope that attaches to your wrist and then wraps around the bow. A hook is used to secure the line and it is very easy to adjust. The finger sling is attached by loops to your index or middle finger and your thumb. This type of sling is more difficult to adjust than a wrist sling. If it's too long, you have to tie a knot in it in order to shorten it. A bow sling is attached to the bow. You slip your hand through a strap when taking hold of the bow. After your release, the strap will press against the top of your hand and the bow will only be supported by the strap. This is the most easy to adjust o f all three kinds of slings.

All three kinds of slings are quite effective. In normal situations and with a proper adjustment put on the sling, the bow will never hit the floor and your wrist and hand can maintain maximum relaxation. The differences in the slings have to do with psychology. All three different kinds have unique traits that unconsciously influence your shots. You have to be absolutely convinced that the bow is not going to hit the floor, or else you will instinctively react to the bow coming out of you hand with your release. You will therefore interfere with the arrow's flight as it will rub against or even strike the bow.

Of the three slings, expert archers generally favor the flinger sling. The great advantage of the finger sling is that it gives you the impression that it cannot interfere with your shot because it is so small. The bow then seems to move with more freedom in your hand. This is, needless to say, more in your mind than your body. The bow is actually going to leave your hand in precisely the same way as it does with the other two slings.

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