Finger tabs for recurve

[noel mac]

i recently took my finger spacer or cant pinch off my tab and found apart from getting a very sore pointer finger that my arrows went so far to the right of the target i could only see half my sight ring to get my group in the gold. has any one known this to happen?
I promptly put my cant pinch back on.
I took it off as i was having trouble with my tab coming loose off my hand upon release. i felt this was interfering with the string after my fingers had relaxed, my tabs face is slighty cracked and i use powder to try and smooth it i have a leather face (three layers).
i have heard of the Cordovan face and was wondering if any one has some thoughts on the best type of material as i believe my scores have suffered mildly from a sticky tab face on the string even though my fingers have let the string go.
And last but not least i mentioned i have three layers of leather on my tab i also have calouses(?) on the inside of my fingers from the string how many layers is to much?

[James Park]

I would always use Cordovan leather (it is horse rump leather) - much superior to other material. I have always used two layers.

[crosshairs]

This may sound like utter rubbish but it works for me. So I'd like to share it with you.

Try not to fight the string directly with your fingers. Try not to pit your fingers' strength with the string, pound vs pound. Instead, try and maintain the shape of your hook, and not yield to the string. Your "corns" should start going away after 3 weeks or so.

[Oldtimer]

Cordovan has always worked best for me. It can be saturated and still seems to release OK. One layer of cordovan plus another layer of something softer should be enough protection. The callouses can sometimes be caused by too much tension in the fingers, as has been suggested already. If the callouses get too large or painful, reduce them a little using Heros pads, as used by rowers, or fine sandpaper, and never allow them to get so large that they split - this is very painfull !

[Lenin]

I have recently just changed my hook on the string myself. I used to just use the tips of my fingers, now I use from behind the first joint at pre-draw.

I thought that I was going to be pinching the arrows off the arrow rest when shooting as my fingers ended up touching the arrow. I went out and bought a finger spacer and have not enjoyed shooting with it at all. My scores dropped and so did any grouping that I used to have. I took the finger spacer off my tab again and shot a PB at 30m within 12 practice arrows.

Is it common for archers to not use a finger spacer? What are the chances of actually pinching the arrow off the arrow rest from not using a finger spacer?

[recurve boy]

Is it common for archers to not use a finger spacer? What are the chances of actually pinching the arrow off the arrow rest from not using a finger spacer?
Depends if you can keep your fingers apart or not. But there' no harm using one.

[Lenin]

my fingers are touching the arrow but the arrows don't seem to be lifting off the arrow rest at all. My sight settings are all the same with and without a finger spacer but the groups are much better without it.

I find the finger spacer very uncomfortable to shoot with and that is the reason I took it off. Shooting better scores without it seems to be a good thing for me but if it will effect me in the long run I would rather keep it on.

[recurve boy]

Well what tab are you using? Some spacers are really uncomfortable. The old Cavalier Elite spacer for example. That was a **** spacer. it would cut into my fingers since I use a deep grip. I even tried to file it down but that didn't really help.

I use my spacer (the new cavalier spacer) for 2 reasons:
1) spacer or no spacer it doesn't really affect my shooting, so I just leave the spacer on.
2) I hear you'll never catch a Korean without a spacer. If it works for them them ... :D

[Lenin]

Last time I checked I wasn't Korean.

I am using an elite tab with the.. don't know which spacer, it is the black plastic one.

Is this one able to cut and sanded down until you become more comfortable with it or ha it got a metal core that will only end up causing you cuts and sores on your fingers from rubbing over it?

[recurve boy]

Plastic is the new spacer. Seriously doubt it has a metal core.

[Oldtimer]

In theory, finger-spacers are meant to stop you pinching the arrow. In practice, it is a fine theory. You can still pinch quite easily when using one. However, they do also stabalise the tab in a consistent position, and you do used to the feel.

Have you tried a Spigarelli Confort tab ? The spacer is much smaller, as is the metal shield on the tab - both much better for not so large hands and fingers.

I agree about the Cavalier Elite spacer - it hurt me so much that I never even shot one arrow with it in place - not meant for short fingers with a deep hook. I put an old Kantpinch spacer with a hole drilled in it on my Cavalier instead, but these days I prefer the Spigarelli. Use whatever gives you the best groups and feels the most confortable.

[Lenin]

Don't have a problem with small hands or fingers at all, just don't like the feeling of it. I guess shooting for a long time without one makes it hard to change to something different.

Going to get the angle grinder onto it to see how much more comfortable I can make it.

[crosshairs]

Seriously, pinching isn't the main problem. In fact, I find it hard to pinch. Have you ever tried pinching an arrow without the bow, and see how hard you can pinch without the tension from the string? Have a 5 year old kid hold the other end of the arrow with 2 fingers and tell him to pull it right out of your "pinch". See what I mean?

The same applies vice versa. You can't really fight the string also. Sure you can space out your fingers. But when you get to the anchor, your feeble fingers are no match for the pinch from the string. So what's this thing about pinching that everyone is talking about?

For me, I believe it is more of "pressing". In most "pinching" cases, the bulk of complaints come from a sore index finger. If it were to be caused by pinching, surely there would have been an equal and opposite reaction from the middle finger. Then both fingers should be equally sore. But NO. It's always the index finger.

I discovered that it's mostly due to a relaxed index finger. An over-relaxed index gets pressed down by the string, which in turn presses down on the nock.

So, take note of your index finger. 0X :onfire: