Glove to tab converts.. I need your input..

[njloco]

I had a three time world and, two time national champ to switch to a tab, took a little while, but I would never switch back and, now I can shoot either way. He did insist on me getting a Bateman tab though.

You have to make sure it's cut to the correct length for your fingers.

Good luck

[maineac]

I am with Doug K. i cut my own out of vegetable tanned leather, soft and pliable, not as thin as deerskin, but thinner than belt leather. No a spacer.  I think it keeps my release smoother because it turns my bottom fingers (shoot split) into a single unit.

[DanielB89]

alright fellas,

I have 2 tabs at my house currently.  Both are homemade.  lol.  They are of great quality, but i'd like y'alls opinion on them.   I just found out what is doing the scratching on my face..

 

the corner where the pencil is touching is what keeps scratching my face.. You can see where I tried to smooth out the leather some.. it worked some, but i'm wondering if I need a different tab.. The release feels good, and the arrow still waves good bye, but i could see getting used to it when i can correct the face scratching issue..

[AZ_Longbow]

The tab looks pretty nice to me, Id say take your broadhead file and lightly round out that corner on the leather. Had to do that on an armguard that was irritating my forearm.

And for the waggling arrow, be sure your hooking your fingers in the exactly same location you do with your glove. its easy to miss when your worried your fingertips are going to meet the string, or that you might loose your tab.

[DennyK]

I was a die hard Damascus glove shooter until I tried the Black Widow Cordovan leather tab. No going back for me. My bows are quieter and much a slicker release. I shoot split fingers.

[McDave]

Good detective work, Daniel!  I have a tab sold by Rod Jenkins, that is for 3 under, but is otherwise similarly constructed to yours.  I like it, but it scratches my face too.  I never would have suspected the back of the tab as being the source of the problem.

[coldwinterlake]

I didn't read all the post but I am quite new tab convert. I used to shoot with gloves but I felt like the padding was too short and if i tried to get a deep hook the string would get stuck behind the padding...
I use BlackWidow super leather tabs now and I'm shooting split. It really took some time to get my tab trimmed. I think I trimmed it a little right away but then shot with it almost to weeks before trimming again.
Now that I'm used to shooting with tabs I can say it didn't make me shooting smaller groups etc. but I get better back tension because of the deep hook and more relaxed forearm.
One other good thing is that tabs don't develop grooves. At least mine doesn't.
I have to admit tab felt little ankward for the first few days but the trimming is the key to make it work

[DanielB89]

update:

I have put a few hundred shots through the tab and determined that the palm piece is just too large for my likings, so i did a little modifying..

 

I also managed to start grouping pretty well with the tab.  This was one of the better ones..

 


I will keep y'all updated through the process.. thank you for all your input.  If you have a recommendation for a tab i should try out, or have an old one i could try out, please let me know.  I don't mind buying a tab, but would love to test them out first..

[Orion]

I shot a glove for nearly 50 years. Tried tabs on and off, but could never get one to feel right until I shot a Black Widow tab -- split finger.  That was three years ago, and I now shoot it almost exclusively.  I get a cleaner release with a tab, but it is slower to put into action while hunting so I still sometimes use a glove hunting, or bare fingers.

Tabs differ, just like gloves.  I suggest you try several until you find one that feels good to you.  Do need to give your tests more than a day though.  A half-dozen or so shooting sessions should give you a good idea as to whether it's working or not.  Good luck.

[Homebru]

I'm with Orion on this. I get a better release with the tab. I think that's partly because I tended to leave the string to far out on my fingertips with a glove.

I've posted this pic of finger placement several times recently from Kisik Lee.  He ought to have a pretty good idea how to place your fingers on the string.

   

As Arne posted above, the tab should be placed as far back on your fingers as possible.

   

It's strange at first.  I've been shooting a tab exclusively for a month or so.  It's starting to feel normal.  Why did I switch?

First of all, Olympic archers shoot tabs, not gloves.  There is probably a reason other than just rules.

Second, I find a glove bothersome when I'm hunting.  I can spin a tab around to the back of my hand and do things and then put it back in place without any problems.

Third, I can wear nearly any glove (think plain leather to fully insulated) that you can buy me and still shoot a tab.  

Hope this helps.
homebru

[DanielB89]

The only thing that is weird about it right now is i'm not really able to hit my anchor point and get a good release.  I can't explain it, but if I have to force my fingers over to the corner of my mouth i get a bad release. (arrows show stiff)

If i just draw and shoot, and have a floating release, they fly like darts, but I do not like not having a solid anchor.

[McDave]

I'm trying to figure out what you're saying.  I think you're saying that you COULD get a solid anchor and a good release with a glove, but not with a tab.  If that is the case, then I would guess that the thickness of the glove over your fingertips allowed you to feel like you were getting a solid anchor with a glove, even though your fingertips were not really touching the corner of your mouth.  With a tab, where you actually have to touch your fingertips to the corner of your mouth, it doesn't work.  These are the alternatives I see:

1.  Stay with a glove. Rick Welch, my mentor, has always used a glove and few people can outshoot him.  I'm sure he wonders why I switched to a tab (but probably doesn't lose much sleep over it).

2.  Just keep shooting with a tab with the same anchors you've always used, and you'll probably get used to it.

3.  Pick a new anchor, like the cock feather on your nose and your thumb on your ear lobe, that might work better than the anchor you've always used.  

4.  There's nothing wrong with a floating anchor if it works for you.  I sort of use one myself.

Note that all of the 4 alternatives are wins.  Not very often in life that you can roll the dice and be sure of coming up a winner.

[Cwilder]

It took me a few week to get use to a tab. But I'm glad I gave it the go and made the switch.

[Msbow]

I tried switching to a tab. With my glove my arrows fly perfect when I shoot my tab my arrows fishtail I'm sure it's something I'm doing or its my homemade tab I dunno so I'm still not converted yet but I can see that a tab would be more convenient for hunting IMO.

[DanielB89]

MCDave,

you made a great point.  My glove has some thick leather on it which lets me have a "solid anchor", but then again, i'm not actually touching my face with my fingers.  

Overall, I am very pleased with the tab.  I am not sure how people say its more convenient than a glove though.  I just put my glove on and go.

I do feel like the bottom part of the tab(middle and ring finger) being 1 piece as compared to a glove makes for a lot smoother release.  The string just feels like it slides off my fingers with no effort.

[Terry Lightle]

I shoot with a Bateman cordovan and have for many years.It is also our #1 selling tab by far,never had a complaint with them.
Terry

[DanielB89]

3 days in..

I am still having a problem finding my anchor.. I feel like I am having a "floating anchor".  The arrows are flying well, though.  

Can anyone post any pictures of your anchor while using a tab?

Is your anchor just as solid with a tab as it is with a glove?

[jt85]

My anchor has become considerably more solid since going to a tab

[damascusdave]

I shot at a 3D event yesterday...I shot left handed with a tab for the first 20 targets, 3 finger split...I shot right handed for the next 20 targets, 2 finger split with a glove...I shot about the same both ways in the end...I am 63 years old...if I can do it you can do it...I think a fair trial is 1000 shots

DDave

[DanielB89]

Dave,

thank you for your replyl.  

jt85,

my anchor is not quite there yet.  I am only on day 3 of shooting with tab and am having good results, just not quite getting the anchor yet.  I'm hoping it's one of those things that just "works itself out".