Sweaty riser grip

DaveJW

New member
Hi, Have just completed my beginner course and bought my first bow. Have a SF Forged + riser. I found whilst shooting, on my course, that the riser grip got very sweaty. Am sure this will be the case on the SF + riser as it is of the same material. Apart from changing the grip to a wooden one is there a way to combat this problem?

Dave
 

AndyS

Supporter
Supporter
My wife wraps a few turns of "vet wrap" around her prodigy. It needs replacing every few weeks but she buys boxes of a few rolls from ebay, works out about ?1 per 4.5m roll, so doesn't break the bank.
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
Some people will tell you that it's not a problem: the slippery grip will tell you whether you are getting the right hand position. Some will even tell you to oil the grip, to tell if you're getting it right...

I've seen tennis tape used. I've used chamois leather stretched round the grip. I haven't used vet wrap (aka "cohesive bandage" on a bow grip. I have used it on suitcase handles, where it seems to hold up for a while.

One thing to consider: all these options are absorbent. That can be unpleasant in wet conditions.
 

ben tarrow

Well-known member
Some people will tell you that it's not a problem: the slippery grip will tell you whether you are getting the right hand position. Some will even tell you to oil the grip, to tell if you're getting it right...
+1 for the slippery grip being a good thing, though I suggest soap, rather than oil to increase the slip factor as its more person friendly
 

grndkntrl

Supporter
Supporter
I changed my SF Forged+ grip over to the wooden one, and I also use liquid chalk to keep my hands dry. It makes the whole grip interface less sticky for me.
 

ThomVis

Active member
Grip tape, sandpaper (or skateboard grip tape) glued to the grip are options.
On wooden and hard-plastic grips you can drill shallow holes near you pressure point to give some edges (relief) to the surface. For hard-plastic grips you can also search "grip stippling".
 

dvd8n

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
It used to happen to me occasionally and I used to use the delightfully named "Gorilla Snot".

It's a resin compound used by drummers and guitarists to stop them from dropping their sticks and plectrums.
 

snowman

Member
There are numerous handle tapes you can use from different sports. Bike handlebar tape comes in many forms from smooth to slightly tacky.

I went down the wooden handle route for my SF forged+ but roughened the surface with a knurled metal bar to give better grip. I prefer feel of wood rather than original rubber grip.

For DIY non slip surfaces on grips, other things I have seen are glue and sand spread on an old grip. Plastic mesh used for bags of nuts tied round a grip. Nylon bags supplied with tablet type washing powder. Even a Scotch-brite type scourer tied to a riser. I have even wondered about using a thin layer of the glass-fibre/resin material now used for medical casts. Just takes a bit of off the wall thinking about what you want to achieve.

It may be a bit of trial and error but everybody has their own preference as to what works for them but it is useful to hear what other people have used.
 

DaveJW

New member
Excellent feedback ! It is interesting to hear how people have tackled this problem.
Thanks for the ideas.
Just got back from 2 hours shooting. It was a warm night but my grip wasn't as sweaty as I had previously encountered.
I shall shoot a few more arrows and see how it goes before I resort to some of the ideas mentioned.

cheers, Dave
 

dvd8n

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
I agree. I've never had any issue outdoors and only occasionally indoors.
 

Mistake

New member
Ironman
I've lost count of the things I've used to deal with slippery bow handles and time and again I come back to a bare handle and just make sure I have my hand in the right place (it has the added benefit of making your shot stronger even when it's not raining). The most I'll ever do if I can't get the bare handle to work correctly is look at altering the shape of the handle *very* slightly with milliput and/or a thin line of skate board tape down the centre of the grip
 

AndyW

Well-known member
Well used leather golf glove. If no one you knows got an old one walk round with it in your jeans pocket for a week or so. Rubbery ones tend to induce torque - maybe just me.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I put a narrow strip of double sided tape down the centre of the sloping face. I know it gets dirty quickly and loses its stickiness, but there is a use for it. If the hand tends to slide round undetected, the tape will show signs of the archer's attempts to prevent it; and will show in which direction the hand has been moving. This can help with modifying the shape or the hand position.
 
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