Deep Hook

[Sean B]

I've been playing around a little with my form.  I used to shoot thumb up, string on the finger tips.  I shot that way for over 20 years and was very accurate, but It left me "snap shooting".  This past spring I tucked me thumb and grabbed a deeper hook with my fingers and I was surprisingly more accurate and it enabled me not to "snap shoot".

The only thing now is, my fingers are getting tender deep in that first crease.  I am using a glove in combo with a tab, and its working out great, except that for some reason, there's a snapping sound coming from the tab when I release.  I could probably go to a bit of a thicker glove.

[moebow]

Sean,

Let me get this straight.  You are wearing a shooting glove WITH a tab on top???  That's pretty much overkill and might be part of your problem.

One of the problems with a shooting glove (my opinion only!) is that to get a deep hook with the glove, you have to "bend" an entire tube of leather so the leather bunches up on the inside of the bend AND creates pressure on the outsides of your finger joints.  All this reduces your ability to really form a deep hook.

Now when you place a tab on top or all that you loose all feel of the string and have all that thickness focusing pressure in your finger joints.

Some folks have sensitive nerves running in the center of the finger through those joints and they do become sensitive and hurt.

Try this,  go to just a tab, and carefully place each finger on the string while you are looking at it. Index finger, place the string JUST in front of the joint(towards your finger tips.) On the middle finger allow the string to lay JUST behind the joint, then lay the ring finger pad on the string.  Now bend your index and middle fingers back so they are pointing back at you.  DON'T LET THE STRING MOVE OR ROLL during the draw!!

Then if you can just relax your hand/fingers (DO NOT OPEN THEM!!), just let them relax.  The string will flip your fingers out of the way and you should get NO burn or discomfort at all in the string fingers.

See if that helps any.

Arne

[McDave]

There are some good tabs out there. I used a Martin Archery Mitt for about a year, available from 3 Rivers, which offers the max protection of any tab I've seen.  Recently I switched to a tab made by Scott Teaschner that is sold through Rod Jenkins at Safarituff that offers a little less protection, but still totally adequate, that I like better.  It is strictly a 3 under tab, but the Martin tab can be shot either way.

I'm sure most people shoot best with the minimum tab or glove that works for them, but for Heaven's sake, we're doing this for fun, not as some kind of Comanche rite of passage to manhood, and if something we're doing is causing pain, we ought to try to correct it.

[Sean B]

Arnie, The tab over the glove fixed my problem.  The only issue that I have is a small "slapping" noise coming from the tab.  The glove is a thin Damascus glove that's just about worn out, and the tab is an older cheapo tab that I used in the 80's when I shot fingers with a wheelie.

I was getting sore in the crease of my fingers with the deep hook with the thinner glove.  I guess I could just buy a glove with thicker finger pads or a better tab. Thanks

[damascusdave]

To me shooting a bow with a second rate tab or glove is like shooting a rifle with a bad trigger...you can make it go bang and send a projectile down range, but heaven knows where it will end up...I have a couple of gloves and a bunch of tabs and every single one of them was worth the money I spent on them

DDave

[TSP]

I also use a deep hook and usually wear a glove under my tab (it gets cold here in the fall)...except mine is a fleece or Jersey glove not a shooting glove.  It doesn't affect my shooting so I'm not convinced the glove is the cause of your problem...especially if it's a thin Damascus glove.    

I'm guessing your tab is probably too long near the fingertips, causing it to 'flap' at release.  The front tab edge need only extend to the end of your fingers when they are 'deep hooked' on the string, enough to protect them.  No need for it to be longer.  I'll bet that trimming the tab will take away your slapping/flapping noise.

P.S.  I think in his last post (2nd to last paragraph) Moebow actually meant to say do NOT open them (your fingers that is, at least not consciously).  Releasing the string isn't a conscious effort, it should just happen.

[moebow]

Right you are TSP -- correction made.

Thank you for pointing that out!!

Arne

[Bear Heart]

I use a deep hook and a black widow 3 under tab. The regular one not calf hair.  It has three layers,  leather rubber leather.  The design of the tab lines your fingers up and promotes a deep hook.

[dragonheart]

Try a crossover glove from American Leathers.  I have been shooting one for about 2 months now.  Great glove with plenty of flex in the stalls, but with the protection of an insert glove.  I also shoot with a deep hook.    

[Sirius Black]

I really like my Bearpaw Speed glove. It has nylon fingertips, and takes a short time to brake in, but I can get a deep hook on it now.

[Tony Z]

C'mon Sean. Make a few more arrests or something. That police job is making you soft.