at first, and only tighten it at the very last moment.

As for those who differed on the matter, did they disagree over one single kind of bow or over many kinds, and with reference to a single hand or to hands of every shape and size?!

There is no doubt that you will come across a bow whose handle is square, another whose handle is round, and yet another whose handle lies midway between square and round.

The square handle is the type preferred by the Persians; for such bows a slanted hold works well, whereas the level hold ruins the shot.

The round handle is the handle of the Arabs (1); with it, a slanted hold spoils the shooting.

For the intermediate handle, one takes an intermediate course.

Every bow has its own handle and every hand its own proper grip. Whoever has a large hand will find the slim handle best suited to him; the medium handle is for the medium-sized hand. The test for choosing a handle is that the archer should clasp it with his entire palm, pressing the fleshy pad of the palm into the grip (2). If the tips of his fingers reach all the way to his palm, the handle is too small for his hand and is worthless for shooting; if he persists in using it, his shooting will be faulty—and the same applies when the bow’s handle is too thick for the hand.

The rule for holding the handle is to close your whole hand around it; if there remains between