Arm guard noise? HELP!

[Bentstick81]

 Hunting season is almost here. When i shoot my selfbows, when i release my string, i get a lot of string noise when the string vibrates against my arm guard . Especially the leather one i have. I need help figuring this out soon, because hunting with that noise is going to spook deer, maybe causing them to string jump my shot. The string is just barely scraping the arm guard. Sort of like a guitar, it vibrates against the arm guard. The only place that the string hits my arm is right where a watch would be on your wrist, bout where the wrist meets your hand. Thanks

[Scowler]

Do you bend your bow arm elbow when you shoot?  Maybe you could open up your stance a little?

[FlintWalker]

I wear one of those sock looking do-hickies to hold my sleeve out of the way when I'm wearing heavy clothes. When I ain't wearing much I don't use anyhting. Wear what ya need to when you're practicing,  but leave it off while hunting. One good quiet shot when it counts will be worth a little sting from the string

[johnston]

Could your brace height be too low? New strings that stretch while shooting sometimes give me the same problem. Goes away when the brace hgt is corrected.

Lane

[Little John]

The string can only go one place, it is up to you to not hit the string with your arm. Try not to throw your arm or wrist into the line of fire of the string. Maybe bend your wrist or elbow a bit or hold onto the side of the handle a bit more. I know I did not say this well  but your arm is in error not the string. Good luck.                              Kenneth

[Bentstick81]

 I shoot with a slight bend in my elbow. The string just hits the arm guard, just enough, where it makes a vibrating noise, down where a watch would go. I hardly ever hit in the middle of my arm. I was wondering if the leather guards a so stiff, that it magnifies the noise?

[JW_Halverson]

if it is contacting you at the wrist it really does sound like your brace height is a bit low.  Measure from the back of the bow to the string.  My brace height (by preference) is about 6 1/2 inches.  Some say it is too high, others say it's too low.  Works for me.

[soy]

I agree with jw check your brace height.and a wool sock will not make a loud noise like the leather when it contacts the string

[PeteC]

I shoot all of my selfbows with about a 5 1/2" brace height,or a little less,and never hit my arm. If one will keep the back of the hand in line with the top of the forearm,(a flat plane from the knuckles to the elbow),the string will not come near the arm.Then a guard is not necessary.Everyone I have taught to shoot in this position has no need of an armguard. This is only my humble opinion,but it works. Hope you can get it fixed. God Bless

[FAW]

Bentstick81, I sympathize with your problem. Just a story from my perspective. I have two longbows which get my continual use, both have straight limbs and handles. Both are supposed to have a brace height of 6 1/2" thereabouts. When I noticed that slapping sound you are talking about and/or vibration in one of the bows, I set to getting rid of it by increasing the brace height enough to get rid of that sound and because one longbow backs the other on my hunting trips, I set them both the same. It completely eliminated the noise from one bow, however, to make the other bow's noise disappear, I also had to change my grip a bit by moving my bow hand around a bit and making sure to keep the elbow bent. As long as I do that, both bows are quiet. I think it comes down to what you can make work for you, particularly if the arrows are flying true and the only glitch is the noise. I don't think it will take much of an adjustment. In my case. I have to wear the bracer and as you have identified that is where the noise comes from it's just a matter of making that small adjustment to keep the string from any contact with the arm, regardless whether you wear a bracer or not. As long as that string is contacting your forearm, there will be noise.

[JW_Halverson]

I shoot all of my selfbows with about a 5 1/2" brace height,or a little less,and never hit my arm. If one will keep the back of the hand in line with the top of the forearm,(a flat plane from the knuckles to the elbow),the string will not come near the arm.Then a guard is not necessary.Everyone I have taught to shoot in this position has no need of an armguard. This is only my humble opinion,but it works. Hope you can get it fixed. God Bless

5 1/2 inch brace height? Go ahead and rub it in, you have perfect form and I suck!  Thanks!

But seriously, he's right, better form in your grip style and how you hold your bow arm will make a difference.  I often stick a ruler under the armguard straps across the back of my wrist.  That way I know how badly I am turning my wrist "out".  PeteC might even have been the person that told me about good form with my wrist years ago, if I remember right. 

I have to compromise a little with proper form because I tend to torque the bow more with good wrist form, so I raised the brace height a little and cheat just a tiny bit (sorry Pete) with the wrist.