diff --git a/examples/controllers/handControllerGrab.js b/examples/controllers/handControllerGrab.js
index 974c6a8fe7..63f70312c5 100644
--- a/examples/controllers/handControllerGrab.js
+++ b/examples/controllers/handControllerGrab.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 //
 //  Created by Eric Levin on  9/2/15
 //  Additions by James B. Pollack @imgntn on 9/24/2015
+//  Additions By Seth Alves on 10/20/2015
 //  Copyright 2015 High Fidelity, Inc.
 //
 //  Grabs physically moveable entities with hydra-like controllers; it works for either near or far objects.
@@ -13,6 +14,13 @@
 
 Script.include("../libraries/utils.js");
 
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+// add lines where the hand ray picking is happening
+//
+var DEBUG_HAND_RAY_PICKING = false;
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 // these tune time-averaging and "on" value for analog trigger
@@ -43,9 +51,9 @@ var PICK_MAX_DISTANCE = 500; // max length of pick-ray
 
 var NEAR_GRABBING_ACTION_TIMEFRAME = 0.05; // how quickly objects move to their new position
 var NEAR_GRABBING_VELOCITY_SMOOTH_RATIO = 1.0; // adjust time-averaging of held object's velocity.  1.0 to disable.
-var NEAR_PICK_MAX_DISTANCE = 0.2; // max length of pick-ray for close grabbing to be selected
+var NEAR_PICK_MAX_DISTANCE = 0.3; // max length of pick-ray for close grabbing to be selected
 var RELEASE_VELOCITY_MULTIPLIER = 1.5; // affects throwing things
-var PICK_BACKOFF_DISTANCE = 0.1; // helps when hand is intersecting the grabble object
+var PICK_BACKOFF_DISTANCE = 0.2; // helps when hand is intersecting the grabble object
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
@@ -190,6 +198,19 @@ function MyController(hand, triggerAction) {
     }
 
 
+    this.debugLine = function(closePoint, farPoint, color){
+                 Entities.addEntity({
+                type: "Line",
+                name: "Debug Line",
+                dimensions: LINE_ENTITY_DIMENSIONS,
+                visible: true,
+                position: closePoint,
+                linePoints: [ZERO_VEC, farPoint],
+                color: color,
+                lifetime: 0.1
+            });
+    }
+
     this.lineOn = function(closePoint, farPoint, color) {
         // draw a line
         if (this.pointer === null) {
@@ -275,6 +296,13 @@ function MyController(hand, triggerAction) {
             length: NEAR_PICK_MAX_DISTANCE
         };
 
+        var otherPickRay = {
+            origin: handPosition,
+            direction: Quat.getRight(this.getHandRotation()),
+            length: NEAR_PICK_MAX_DISTANCE
+        };
+
+
         this.lineOn(distantPickRay.origin, Vec3.multiply(distantPickRay.direction, LINE_LENGTH), NO_INTERSECT_COLOR);
 
         // don't pick 60x per second.  do this check after updating the line so it's not jumpy.
@@ -284,7 +312,7 @@ function MyController(hand, triggerAction) {
         }
         this.lastPickTime = now;
 
-        var pickRays = [distantPickRay, palmPickRay];
+        var pickRays = [distantPickRay, palmPickRay, otherPickRay];
         for (var index=0; index < pickRays.length; ++index) {
             var pickRay = pickRays[index];
             var directionNormalized = Vec3.normalize(pickRay.direction);
@@ -294,7 +322,15 @@ function MyController(hand, triggerAction) {
                 direction: pickRay.direction
             };
 
+            if (DEBUG_HAND_RAY_PICKING)
+                this.debugLine(pickRayBacked.origin, Vec3.multiply(pickRayBacked.direction, NEAR_PICK_MAX_DISTANCE), {
+                    red: 0,
+                    green: 255,
+                    blue: 0
+                })
+
             var intersection = Entities.findRayIntersection(pickRayBacked, true);
+
             if (intersection.intersects && intersection.properties.locked === 0) {
                 // the ray is intersecting something we can move.
                 var intersectionDistance = Vec3.distance(pickRay.origin, intersection.intersection);
diff --git a/examples/toys/bow/bow.js b/examples/toys/bow/bow.js
index a4c36ec52f..d828f4197b 100644
--- a/examples/toys/bow/bow.js
+++ b/examples/toys/bow/bow.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     var ARROW_COLLISION_HULL_URL = "https://hifi-public.s3.amazonaws.com/models/bow/arrow_collision_hull.obj";
     var ARROW_SCRIPT_URL = Script.resolvePath('arrow.js');
     var ARROW_OFFSET = 0.25;
-    var ARROW_FORCE = 0.25;
+    var ARROW_FORCE = 1.25;
     var ARROW_DIMENSIONS = {
         x: 0.08,
         y: 0.02,
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@
 
         releaseArrow: function() {
 
-            var forwardVec = Quat.getFront(Quat.multiply(this.bowProperties.rotation, Quat.fromPitchYawRollDegrees(0, 180, 0)));
+            var forwardVec = Quat.getRight(Quat.multiply(this.bowProperties.rotation, Quat.fromPitchYawRollDegrees(0, 180, 0)));
             forwardVec = Vec3.normalize(forwardVec);
             var handDistanceAtRelease = Vec3.length(this.bowProperties.position, this.stringData.handPosition);