String Finger Tension!

[YosemiteSam]

Selfbows have taught me a lot.  First, that a good bowyer has some serious talent (and I'm not one of them).  More importantly, my selfbows exaggerate every variable of the shot.

So I had learned that my selfbows liked to have my string tension focused on my index finger (3 under).  I shoot these left-handed so I never thought about trying the same thing on my production recurves, which I mostly shoot right-handed, until today.  I went back to about 35 yards & flung a few shots with the index-finger tension. The results were amazing!  I didn't think I could smack my own arrows at that range but there it was.  

Some of you probably knew this.  But for those of you who haven't given that a try, it's worth a few rounds of experimentation with finger tension to find what your setup likes best.

[McDave]

Since increasing index finger pressure brings the apex of the string angle closer to the arrow, it should bring 3 under closer to split finger, with a reduction of noise.  I have noticed that increasing pressure on my index finger and decreasing pressure on my ring finger allows me to reduce my nock point by approx 1/8" when shooting 3 under, as measured by the nocking point necessary to get level bare shaft flight.  It is not natural for me to put extra pressure on my index finger, so I slip back into my normal string grip, which is more balanced, but your post makes me want to give it another try.

[longbow fanatic 1]

This winter, I changed my hook with my middle finger taking the majority of the load, followed by a little less than that on my index finger. My ring finger rests below with only enough tension to lightly hold the string. I learned from the Oly crowd that there is a belief that using the majority of your string hand hook as described above allows your rhomboid muscles to better engage. I'm glad you have found something that's working for you too!

[YosemiteSam]

McDave & Longbow fanatic 1 - sounds like you guys have played around with this, too.  I didn't think about dropping the nocking point down but it makes sense.

[longbow fanatic 1]

To Dave's point, make sure you bare shaft with fletched arrows before deciding to reduce your nocking point. Let the arrow flight confirm your results. Everyone releases an arrow differently.

[BWallace10327]

How does one go about bare shafting with fletched arrows?

[p1choco]

Originally posted by BWallace10327:
How does one go about bare shafting with fletched arrows?

You don't. Either you have a few bare shafts or you sacrifice some fletching and make em' bare.

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by BWallace10327:
How does one go about bare shafting with fletched arrows?

You shoot bareshafts AND fletched arrows together (2 bare, 2 fletched) and compare where they land.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by YosemiteSam:
 

Originally posted by BWallace10327:
How does one go about bare shafting with fletched arrows?

You shoot bareshafts AND fletched arrows together (2 bare, 2 fletched) and compare where they land. [/b]

This!