Does anyone roll the string as they draw the bow.

[BillBow]

When I joined an archery club 60 years ago I was taught to roll the string as I drew, which when shooting of the hand helps to keep the arrow close up to the arrow pass, Then a few years ago  getting back into archery via a Recurve bow (with an arrow rest) I carried on rolling the sting on the pads of my fingers (not in the first joint) with no problem. NOW having got into shooting Longbow I am again shooting of my hand, but with the popular plastic nocks that I am now trying I find rolling the string has no effect as the nock is loose on the string after snapping through the 'Neck' of the nock.
I have just been told by a 'Stringfellow' that I should not be rolling the string, so I am asking for advice on this, as it would seem likely that coaching has changed.
I expect many archers will not know what I am talking about but I would like your views on this. Do you now keep the arrow up against the bow by tilting the bow slightly.

[Marc St Louis]

I think that when you are young or new to archery you tend to increase the tension to the muscle of your fingers as you pull back the string, probably because you're not used to the pressure the string has on the fingers.  This most likely results in the rolling of the string which pushes the arrow away from the bow, you see this all the time in young people or new archers with the arrow popping away from the bow as they come to full draw.  That's probably why archery teachers, including myself, tell them to roll the string a bit so that the arrow is pushed against the bow.  As you get more experience you know instinctively to keep the finger muscles tense from the beginning of the draw so that you don't get this problem.

[BillBow]

That's probably why archery teachers, including myself, tell them to roll the string a bit

 Thanks for your reply, SO archery teachers DO still tell begginers to roll the string, so am I right that the arrow nock should be tight enough to give that control and not just rotate inside the nock.?

[Marc St Louis]

Yes the arrow nock should be snug

[crooketarrow]

  Your arrow comes off the shelf the same place on all arrows as long as your release is the same.. About 6 to 8 inchs from the tip. This is why you can shoot a slow self bow with crooked arrows. As long as the first 6 ,10 inchs of your arrows straight. Now were not talking really crooked arrows.
   Rolling the string has no benfit. Matter afact it can help with a bad release. I roll my string tight left or right dos'nt matter. Just so it stays the same with you draw. Release with your third finger down first this also insures your release is the same every time and you don't roll your string on your release.
   I can't see any good reason to roll your string.
    I'VE HEARD OF OTHER PEOPLES REASONING LIKE YOUR'S FOR GOING THIS. BUT NO I'VE NEVER DONE THIS. I CAN'T SEE ANY BENFIT IN DOING IT.

[FAW]

With a deep hook or "hold", it should be a natural phenomena to have the string roll enough to keep the arrow against the sideplate - this is why shooters can fire an arrow upside down and in all sorts of bodily manoevres. This act of "rolling" keeps the serving taught, a flemish string from unwinding and helps stabilize the flight of the arrow. When the release happens, the string just slips away from the relaxed  fingers and takes only a split second to neutralize.

[crooketarrow]

  Thats why you stwist your string tight. FOR FINGES HOLDS THE ARROW IN PLACE.
 At lease mine do.

[BillBow]

With a deep hook or "hold", it should be a natural phenomena to have the string roll enough to keep the arrow against the sideplate - this is why shooters can fire an arrow upside down and in all sorts of bodily manoevres. This act of "rolling" keeps the serving taught, a flemish string from unwinding and helps stabilize the flight of the arrow. When the release happens, the string just slips away from the relaxed  fingers and takes only a split second to neutralize.

I have only just started using the Deep Hook Hold (since moveing up from 35# draw to 70# I seem to need a bit more than just my fingertips round the string) but even with just fingertips I have always rolled the string just enough to keep that slight preasure against the "Sideplate/ Arrowpass/ Strikeplate. But it would seem many archers don't know what I am talking about.
One thing I have noticed though is that archers shooting using the Thumb release  shoot off the opposite side of the bow,because the "natural phenomena that you speak of" is reversed by the thumb hooking from the opposite side to the finger do.
Thanks for your viewpoint I'm glad someone knows what I am saying.