arm slapping

[Blacktail]

o.k. i don't know if this is the right area but i will ask...i have been shooting one of my bows alot for the season and the string is slapping my arm alot...so,i am going to make a cheap arm guard....so,what causes the string to slap the arm...john

[ErictheViking]

Too low a brace height or turned in wrist probably.

[half eye]

Hey blacktail,
        Assuming your string is tracking down the middle of the bow, I think I might lean toward having your bowhand wrist "rolled" inward toward the middle of the bow.....maybe a better way to say it would be that you are pulling the draw weight against the palm of your bow hand....instead of a rigid wrist and pulling against the web of the hand between the thumb and forefinger.
If your wrist is rolled inward the string gets a shot at your forearm maybe 3-6 inches above the wrist (depends on how high a brace height ya use).
        Having said that....ever notice that a lot of the "ancient" drawings showed guys using bracers and that they still sell a lot of arm gaurds? If shooting against your full palm is the best way for you then ya might want to think about an armgaurd, but if ya can manage the "upper part of the hand grip and a stiff wrist, you might be able to avoid the string slap.
       If your bow has a bad string track down the bow, it's probably going to keep slappin. All the above is just one guys opinion so ya might want to wait and see the other fellas got to say about it,eh?
rich

[mullet]

 John, a Fast flight string will also solve the problem.

[aznboi3644]

I use the slap as a notification of my form being off.

[George Tsoukalas]

Probably a low brace height. Most of my bows are braced around 7 inches as measured from string to the back of the bow. I always wear an arm guard. Jawge

[ken75]

well for what its worth heres my pennies. i get wrist slap from low brace and arm slap from either poor form or over bowed, but that is just my expirence im not a pro !

[Blacktail]

o.k. it sounds like i roll my wrist or the brace height is low...the bow has a 5" brace...i like eddies idea...i am using b-50 and i want to change that some day...john

[M-P]

Hi Folks,  I'll put in my two cents worth.  I think that a straight handle  ( which leads to a "low wrist" and more palm on the bow) and a low brace height almost inevitably lead to a small slap.   That said, the slap should be slight and easily disregarded, especially if you're wearing a bracer.  Since most wooden bows have traditionally been braced at 5-6  ( very low compared to fiberglass recurves) and have straight handles, bracers have been used in nearly every culture.   As others have already pointed out, the slap can and should be kept to a minimum by keeping your wrist as straight as possible.  The wrist can roll down to put more palm on the handle, but should still look straight when seen from the top.  Increasing the brace height will help, but slightly decreases performance of the bow.   Or, switch to making a more modern looking bow with a shapelier handle.    Ron

[George Tsoukalas]

See Selfbow Care and Tuning. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/archer.html

[zenmonkeyman]

Do the bow limbs twist through the draw?  If they both go the same direction, the bow may turn as it releases, giving you a slap.  Just another possibility to consider, since I'm guessing your bows are all braced about the same height, and this is the only one that gives you trouble.

[denny]

Increase the brace height to about 6.5 inches and cant the bow when you shoot.

[Gordon]

I'm with Eddie - put a low stretch string on it and see if you still have the problem.