Sore ring finger

[d from phx]

I have developed the bad habit of dragging my ring finger. I shoot a Wilson tab. I am wondering if I should switch to a glove? Any advice would help.

[moebow]

Hard to answer without seeing you shoot.  Any number of things could be causing this.  High string elbow? Too much tension in your string forearm/wrist/hand?  Improper string hand "hook?"

Just trying to change from a tab to a glove may or may not be the answer.  My opinion is that if you are hooking and releasing correctly, you should have no pain in any of your fingers.

Best answer I can give without seeing the shot.

[BobCo 1965]

Are you completely sure that the ring finger is leaving the string at a different interval then the other fingers? If not you may want to have someone take high speed photos to be sure. I have seen people with this problem taping the the middle and ring finger together.

However, another thought:
If you can, get someone to take a close up photo with you with your tab on and at full draw. They may have to get into an uncomfortabel position to do this. From the photo, Make sure the string is not touching your finger instead of the tab while at full draw. Having the string roll off the bottom of the tab and onto the ring finger is pretty common with people with a longer draws and/or a shorter bow. If you find that to be the problem you may just have to get a different tab.

[Doc Nock]

Or...if I might share my personal experience, it could be simple body issues.

Quite a number of years ago, I was shooting pretty regularly in the yard and no problems.

One day, I come to anchor and scream like a girl! It felt like someone hit my draw hand with a cattle prod!

My arrow was gone but it hit the target.

I ran in the house and iced my hand for 30 min...went to 3 docs and was put through all sorts of tests, Xrays, etc. EMG's, all to no avail...

Finally, I got to see a real hand surgeon--he  smiled. They call it "trigger finger". Just happens. There are tendons run up the finger and go thru things he said look like a fishing rod guide...when those "guides" get inflammed, then tendon won't slide and you can tear the li'l hangers that hold them to the bone.

Long, arduous surgery follows and long rehab. Luckily, I'd not torn the hangers loose.

He shot me full of corteson, stratigically placed, and I shot bow 2 under without the ring finger for 2 yrs!

One day, I decided to try a modified split again and the finger was fine. That was oh... 6-7 yrs ago and not a recurrance.

I shot the same glove I shoot now (super glove from ABS) and the surgeon said there is no explanation...just happens!  FWIW.

[KOOK68]

Interesting. Because I have developed a callous under my ring finger. Plucking the string maybe?

[britt]

My ring finger is also very tender at times. I shoot a glove. Iam even getting a caulus on bottom of ring finger also. I shoot three fingers under.

[Green]

Reread what Moebow said above.  Most likely a high string hand elbow, but it could be high for a number of reasons.  If you haven't already done so, watch Moebow's youtube video on the rotational draw....it'll get you started on the right path to proper alignment, string grip, etc.

[Kentucky Jeff]

I had a callous on my ring finger as well.  Rod Jenkins told me you should not have callouses on any finger if you are pulling your hand off the string during expansion.  Callouses occur because you are collapsing the shot and its impossible to beat the string as it goes forward. Also, too much tension in your forearm/string hand can cause this.


The cure is proper back tension and no tension in you string hand/forearm.

[britt]

What does collapsing the shot mean? Thanks

[moebow]

britt,

Collapsing the shot means that during the release phase, some or any part of your full draw form moves in a direction that is the reverse of the drawing direction or motion.  To be really simplistic about it, if your string hand/arm/shoulder move toward your front or if the bow hand/arm/shoulder move toward your front then you are showing a collapse.

Ideally both the bow side arm and string side should move towards your back and never (even briefly) reverse direction.

This is a very short answer to a complicated subject.

[LA Trapper]

Dragging your ring finger at an odd angle or torquing the string creates that same effect on your finger. It used to happen to me.

Watch Moe's U Tube videos. I rebuilt my draw-stance-shot etc. using these videos this Spring and have them saved on favorites.  I look at them every couple of days to make sure I am not straying.

Good luck,

Billy