getting off the string..finger issues....

[AkDan]

Well I'll give a brief history.

Intially 20 odd years ago I started with a glove, 10 or 12 years ago I went to a tab and loved it....

at some point a few years back I noticed I was having some finger pain issues so I went to a bateman glove with reinforced stalls like Byrons using and it helps.  I cant gorilla grip the string.  I dont shoot as much as I used too either over the last 4 or 5 years.   Excuses and I've got plenty of them lol  Well this year my shooting has gotten painfully bad.   My computers right but my left and rights are terrible.   mostly way right (though I'm toying with my grouse arrows mostly which are not my regular arrows by any means, even with my regular target arrows they are going right).  

Today they made the comment I'm not getting off the string.   I have had issues with the heavier glove especially in the colder temps letting things go, but this year it's getting worse.

tips tricks drills to help relax and not deep hook so bad?  I've hooked pretty hard for years.  Buddy has one idear I'm going to work on at the short bale in the house.   I'd love to go back to my tab but man alive is it painful if I'm not careful or shoot too much.

[moebow]

AkDan,  Without seeing it is really hard to help.  It sounds like you have way too much tension in your string hand and wrist.  This is something the "deep hook" can help with.  Not sure what you mean by a "gorilla grip".  The real definition of a deep hook is that your index and middle finger has the string in or very near the first joint (from the tip) of the fingers and that those finger tips are pointing back at your throat at full draw.

IF you are shooting with a deep hook AND a relaxed finger release, there should be NO pain and no callus build up.  I did a video a while back called "release tips" that may help give you some ideas.  You can find it on Youtube by doing a search for TheMoebow1.

Bottom line suggestion would be to work on keeping your string forearm, wrist and hand as relaxed as possible all the way to full draw.  Then when ready to shoot, you will find that just starting to think "relax" the fingers and the string will be gone.  The fingers get flipped out of the way (with NO pain).  But if you are getting to full draw and thinking "open the fingers to shoot" you will get a good "rub" of the string going across the fingers.  No one can open their fingers fast enough to get out of the way of the string and that causes the problem.  The problem just gets worse as the string gets closer to the finger tips too.

Arne

[AkDan]

Thanks Moe...

I'm in the first groove....definatly have a lot of tension in my string hand to the point without the stiffer stalls in the bateman reinforced cordovan glove my fingers are in pain.  Something I've fought for a ocuple years now shooting the cordovan tab before hand.

The bateman keeps me from curling too far yet its not letting me off the string like the 1 layer gloves or cordovan tab was.  I may try the cordovan without the reinforcement.

When I'm at home I am fine for the most part.   Annoying as heck!!!

I'll dig up your videos, looking forward to checking them out!  I havent been back to Minny in awhile now...one of these years I'll stop by...my family is starting to wonder if I've gone awol   !

Dan

[AkDan]

Thanks again MOE!  been working on rotating the shoulders and relaxing....I have a TON of tension, wrist, hand, fingers, just everything in general.  as to be expect I'm coming off the string much better.  Lots to work on and break things down in the months to come.

my knuckles (first joint) are quite a bit sore...probably too much time and not enough shooting. I hope anyways!!!  Its atleast for now made shooting a glove mandatory.

and thanks for doing the videos!