Pulling Mostly with middle finger??

[Bullfrog 1]

I shoot split. This seems to keep my elbow in line. Anyone else?   Bill

[moebow]

IF your forearm, wrist and hand are relaxed, the bow weight will place you elbow in proper alignment.  The weight distribution on your fingers will also be pretty automatic with  ABOUT 50% middle,40% index and 10% ring finger.

Arne

[Chimaster]

Do you guys think if you put to much tension on your ring finger that, that will torque the string in a negative way?

[moebow]

Yes, I do.  Get the forearm and wrist relaxed and your finger tension will even out to what you want/need.  Tension or mentally applying pressure will nearly always affect the shot adversely. Let the bow weight align you, don't try to align the bow with muscle or tension.

Arne

[slowbowjoe]

"Do you guys think if you put to much tension on your ring finger that, that will torque the string in a negative way?"

Sure does for me. Too much on the top finger does also, though not quite as dramatically. I find it's pretty subtle finding the best way to consistently get the proper balance, but makes a huge difference. I'm pretty much reenforcing what Arne is saying.

[Owlmagnet]

This thread is pure gold. I have had a longstanding bad habit of putting way too much tension on my ring finger--and I have the callous to prove it! Attempting to rebuild my form after a non-archery related shoulder injury, I am really trying to achieve the tension-proportion moebow advocated. It has been a difficult challenge....

[moebow]

Owl,

Finger tension on the string is a result of forearm and wrist being relaxed.  If you are relaxed there AND if you are using a deep hook, then there should be no pain or callus build up.  Take a look at my "release tips" video and see if that helps.

 

Arne

[Owlmagnet]

Thank you, Sir!

[Terry Green]

I 'pre-set' my fingers with the middle one leading and the other two set back....this way my fingers are where they would end up being at full draw if they were 'rolled' back by the string, but not in the 'bind' they would be in.

[Fattony77]

Does the finger force distribution change for 3 under shooters?

[moebow]

No, it shouldn't.  Is there a reason you think it might?

Arne

[Fattony77]

Not really. Just was wondering if their lower position on the string made a difference as to which one should be the "main" one. Thank you.

[dragonheart]

Pull my finger!    

[Easykeeper]

Originally posted by moebow:
Yes, I do.  Get the forearm and wrist relaxed and your finger tension will even out to what you want/need.  Tension or mentally applying pressure will nearly always affect the shot adversely. Let the bow weight align you, don't try to align the bow with muscle or tension.

Arne

This is a great post.  I've found what Arne said here the key to consistent shooting for me.  Easy to say, not always so easy to do.

As far as the weight distribution, I find any effort to do anything other than get a deep hook and relax is counter productive.  I find it very hard to consistently reproduce any finger pressure that isn't an outcome of the relaxation that Arne described so well...    

[olddogrib]

Chimaster,
Most definitely and I tolerated a loud 3-under release and a slight left tail kick(I'm rh) coming off the bow for years without figuring out the ring finger was causing it.  In my case I think it was less the pressure of that finger as when I deep hooked it I think I had a tedency to rotate my string hand slightly counterclockwise to where the back was no longer vertical as I came to anchor.  Think of it as trying to twist your fingers into the string.  That's an over simplification and it mainly just finger tension.  Bad things happen when the string gets torqued out of the plane it should travel.  I remedied it by deep hooking the index and middle fingers and backing the ring finger off to the pad. Some drop it at full draw and shoot 2-under and there have been other suggestions that I'm sure would work just as well.  As Arne preaches, the back of that string hand must be relaxed and vertical!