Why do my fingers feel this way?

[yekrut]

They hurt when I draw but just for awhile till I have done it for a few minutes. I hold the string on the first joint of my fingers and it feels tingley and sore like there bruised. also My cheek above the corner of my mouth gets red and burns when I realse alot of arrows, Why is this happeing? my form is good and I anchor in the corner of my mouth, so anyways yeah ?  :confused:

[Orion]

Have you been doing it for a few months, years?  Those tissues take a while to toughen up. Hands and fingers get sore from swinging a golf club or baseball bat or tennis racquet, etc.   I've been shooting for more than 50 years and my fingers will still hurt for the first few arrows if I haven't shot for a while, say a week or two.  Depends on bow weight, type of glove, callouses, etc. Same with your face, though a little change in anchor point or pressure on the side of your face might ameliorate that situation.  Good luck.

[Boom Stick]

My drawing fingers felt like you explained,  but with some added sharp pain.  I used a shooting glove behind my tab and that worked out great!  After a couple days I was able to lose the glove.

If the string isn't actually hitting your face,  is it possible that you're allergic to your tab/glove?

[Red Beastmaster]

My ring finger has been numb on the tip for over 20yrs. I shoot a lot and know what you mean. The fingers are loaded with nerves and releasing the string is pretty stressfull on that sensitive area. A thicker glove or tab may help.

As for soreness on your cheek, it's probably your fingers recoiling with the follow through. My moustache and beard are thinner on my right side from the constant brushing after release.

[dragon rider]

I've had the same problem, although it's pretty much faded now that I can practice regularly.  As an interim measure, or if you generally find you like them, try the "No-Glove."  They're little foam rubber covers that slide (if you work hard enough and use enough wax) over the string and sit where your draw fingers go.  They definitely make the string easier on your fingers.

[Roy Steele]

For your fingers if you shoot a lot your finger should be toughen up.This is what happen to a guy I once knew a long time ago.Heres what he said happen to him.
  He shot a short recurve he thought this may have something to do with it.Same thing happehed was too him.After a while an seeing some doctors that he had a pinched nerve in his neck.His shooting eritated it making his fingers get numb.
   As for your face its your string scraping it.

[Charlie Lamb]

Since I have to guess, I'd say you are using a tab... probably a very thin one.

Try a thicker tab and cut the length down so you just have enough to grip the string... the tab is probably slapping the bejeebers out of your cheek.

If that doesn't fix it, learn to use a glove with cordovan tips or better yet the Big
Shot glove by American leathers.

[Smallwood]

yep, what charlie said about the tab.
and i second the big shot glove for no more sore fingers.

[yekrut]

I shoot almost every day , I think it might be the velcore strap on my glove? But not sure . I do favor the glove though!! It hurts bad. It has the last few times out, but not all the time. Thanks though. On the other hand though my fingers only hurt the first few minutes then I just take it... Then they tingle afterwards

[4 point]

I have the same problem with the strap on my new Damascus glove. The back edge of the strap is sharp and it makes the side of my face raw.

[TommyBoy]

I had this problem. I shoot heavy bows and it is basically your nerves being damaged.  Get a Batemans or Howard Hill glove with the nylon inserts. It solved my problem and gave me a cleaner release. TommyBoy

[Kingstaken]

Get a thicker glove. No use damaging your finger nurves.
Sounds like your hitting your cheek with the back part of your thumb after the release usually caused by short drawing. Most don't even know they short draw. Try tucking your thumb down more and when releasing pull thru back and not into your cheek.

[BowHuntingFool]

I had the same problems with sore fingers from a thin tab! I went to Tandy leather and picked some thicker leather for $5.00. Cut a tab out of it and shot with this for a while and liked it! I then cut about 6 more tabs from that same piece of leather!

[Dave Bulla]

"I shoot almost every day , I think it might be the velcore strap on my glove? But not sure."

I hate to tell ya, but if your strap on your glove is hitting your face, you are short drawing BAD.  Not uncommon and I've been there myself.  Can take a long time to cure it too if you keep doing it and make it a habbit.

Closer to what Charlie said, the type of glove you are using can cause problems too.  I normally use a tab trimmed down so that it goes almost to my finger tips WHEN MY FINGERS ARE BENT AROUND THE STRING.  I'ts not even close when my fingers are straight.   Gloves that are fully closed at the tip sometimes cause a sore face simply because there is more material sticking out past your fingertips.  Also, check the seam or seams down the back of the finger stall.  Sometimes there is something like a knot or edge sticking out right at the very end that will tear you up when you shoot.  Depending on how deeply you hold the string and how tight your release is, you can have a problem with your fingertips scraping your face raw as they flip open on release.  A deep grip has more potential to do this than a shallow one but the benefits outweigh the soreness (to me anyway).

When I shoot a lot, I get sore in the corner of my mouth and actually wear a hole in my beard where my ring finger touches my face.

[BowHuntingFool]

Hey Travis, if you want I can cut you up a tab from some of the leather I have here. Its thicker than the calf hair tabs and you can trim it to fit, just let me know!