Finding the Right Grip Angle for Your Recurve Bow

Choosing the right grip angle for your bow can feel overwhelming, especially with so many options available. The grip is your primary point of contact with the bow, and small changes in angle can have a big impact on comfort, consistency, and even forgiveness in your shot. To help clarify the differences, I tested four different grip angles on the same bow: ultra-low, low, medium, and high.

In this post, I’ll walk you through what each angle feels like, how it affects shooting, and which might be best suited for different archers.

What is Grip Angle?

The grip angle refers to how steep or flat the bow’s grip sits relative to your hand.

• Low wrist grips (around 30° or less) sit flatter and make it easier to keep your bow shoulder down.

• High wrist grips (up to 45°) position the hand at a steeper angle and bring the pressure and pivot points closer together, making small inconsistencies less noticeable potentially more forgiving.

Each angle has trade-offs. Higher grips may help with forgiveness, but they can also make it harder to keep the bow shoulder down. Lower grips feel more natural for some, but can be less forgiving if your pressure point varies.

Testing Four Grip Angles

For this comparison, I used grips from RCore, all based on the same design but in different angles. This let me isolate how angle alone affects performance.

Ultra-Low Wrist (Compound-Like)

This grip sat almost flat, and while it made it very easy to keep my bow shoulder down, it felt awkward and uncomfortable overall. My draw length shortened, and the bow didn’t seem “happy” with this angle. It’s very specific and likely only suits a small group of shooters who prefer an extremely low feel.

Low Wrist (30°)

A much more natural experience. Still easy to keep the bow shoulder down, but without the pressure discomfort I felt in the ultra-low option. Draw length increased slightly, and the bow reacted better. This is a very shootable angle that I could see many archers being comfortable with.

Medium Wrist (35–38°)

This is where my setup is optimized, and it showed. The bow jumped cleanly from the shot, my draw length felt balanced, and the connection between hand and grip felt solid without excess strain. This angle is a strong middle ground forgiving, yet comfortable.

High Wrist (45°)

The high angle completely changed the feel of the bow. It forced more pressure into the pivot point, which added load on my front shoulder. While the bow still reacted well, I noticed it wanted to dip forward right after the shot. This angle can increase forgiveness if you keep your pressure consistent, but it demands more strength and control.

Which Grip Angle is Best?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

• Recurve (Olympic-style): Mid-range angles (35–38°) provide the best balance of forgiveness and comfort.

• Barebow: Slightly lower angles (30–35°) often work better, since deep string crawls already raise the hand position and load the bow shoulder.

Ultimately, the best way to find your angle is to try different grips and see what feels natural for your shooting style.

Consistency is Key

One of the great things about working with companies like RCore is that once you find your perfect grip angle, you can order the same design for any bow you use. That way, no matter which riser you’re shooting, your grip feels identical — improving consistency across your setups.

Takeaway: Grip angle influences not just comfort, but also forgiveness and shoulder stability. Experimenting with different angles can help you find what makes your shot more repeatable and your groups tighter.