Tab Selection help for glove user!

[Witchie Poo Cat]

Hi Guys

Ive been using an archery glove since I started archery a month or so ago. The reason for this is I spent 7 hours shooting down in Kent before my course started and after an hour my fingers were so sore one of the organisers let me use her glove and it was so comfortable I bought one of my own.

Im shooting a slightly heavier bow now, 22lbs at my draw length, and even with the glove Im finding the string is really cutting in and its uncomfortable. Its so uncomfortable in fact that I cannot hold the string at full draw for any length of time which is a problem for me as my bow arm wobbles and takes ages for me to align my sight ring!!

The tab I have tried is the cheapy "slide over the fingers" type with a little gap for the nock to fit into. When I was using this type I ended up with a very large painful blister on the underside of my index finger and so ended up using someones glove.

Im a little wary of tabs now because of this but am aware that there are a plethera of different tabs on the market. Considering my particular problem (i also pinched the arrow more with a tab than a glove) what would you guys recommend?

Also, considering that tabs are quite stiff leather Im thinking that I probably wont be able to "try before I buy" due to the shop not being able to sell it on with creases in the leather, would that be a correct assumption?

Any tips on how to select the right tab for me greatly appreciated. I love my glove, its so comfortable, but the string pinching is just too much and definitely has an effect on my shooting.

Thanks!

Witchie Poo Cat

[Little Miss Purple]

As with much of the archery equipment, tabs are a personal thing!! The A&F platform tabs are very good for starting with due to the platform, I now use an angel tab - very nice indeed

[buzz lite beer]

If your jaw bone runs parallel with your arrows (squared jaw) at the point of anchor you are likley to get away without a platform tab (wilson), (cavalier give you the option but is expensive), however the round faced anongst us will benifit from the use of a platform tab and the A&F is a popular choice,the likes of the spigarelli is a top performer.Not meaning to upset any one who shoots with a glove but you can count on the fingers of Jeremy Beadles hand the number of Top shots who use them. Horrible things

[Raedwald]

Originally Posted by buzz lite beer

Not meaning to upset any one who shoots with a glove but you can count on the fingers of Jeremy Beadles hand the number of Top shots who use them. Horrible things

Unless you're talking the top EFAA/NFAS field archers of course!

[Jerry Tee]

I think that a good platform tab is a good starting point but choose the right size and even then the two faces may require trimming if the slot is a bit small.AF have a nice rounded platform that is confortable Gompy have a large platfrom that I find easy to get square under the jaw bone.When you buy a tab try it under the chin in you anchor position and don't worry about looking strange in the shop when you are doing it other archers will understand.

[Macbow]

Originally Posted by Raedwald

Unless you're talking the top EFAA/NFAS field archers of course!

I can't speak for EFAA/NFAS but I actually asked many of the top IFAA shooters including the then current and former AFB world champs about gloves versus tabs on a US trad forum and they nearly all used a tab for a cleaner release. I just spent this weekend shooting with a recent European field champ and a former world field champ (very, very humbling indeed!) and they both used tabs. Every top class field archer I have shot with uses a tab. A tab however despite the cleaner release really smacks my nose and mouth (my poor form) which hurts but because so many good shooters use them I am still persevering.

[GreenSteve]

My Daughter and I both use A&F platform tabs they seem pretty commen down here, although they do require "modifying" trimming the leather is a given but also the piece of the platform that curls over the finger, on the corner facing away from your face tends to dig into the finger and needs snipping off and rounding then they are very comfortable and easy to use.

[ASW1973]

or of course Michele Frangilli for quite a few successfull tournaments
Depends what you do with it:
Im shooting a slightly heavier bow now, 22lbs at my draw length, and even with the glove Im finding the string is really cutting in and its uncomfortable.
having said that sore fingers on that sort of poundage needs looking at, very odd!

[Witchie Poo Cat]

Originally Posted by ASW1973

having said that sore fingers on that sort of poundage needs looking at, very odd!

Not really. Even carrying shopping bags home from Asda causes soreness in the first joint of the fingers and they dont weigh 22lbs each!

Thanks for the opinions guys. Im going to go with a platform tab without the curled over bit at the top to stop the cutting in thing. Im aware it might need trimming but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. My coach has been mentioning for a couple of weeks now that a platform tab helps with anchoring so may as well start sooner rather than later.

Incidentally, it was the field archers that put me onto the glove as thats what I was doing when I injured my finger with a tab Oh well, bye bye glove, hello platform tab!

[ASW1973]

Not really. Even carrying shopping bags home from Asda causes soreness in the first joint of the fingers and they dont weigh 22lbs each!
no but you are wearing a tab for a reason (to protedt against the pain), in alot of gents recurve cases they have twice that poundage on their fingers . If you are hurting when using any 2 layer tab have a look see how many strand string you are using (never really a reason to use less than 18 strands of fast flight) as if it is too thin it may be sitting directly in the joint and causing pain.
If the pain is justsoreness from abrasion then as i say a decent 2 layer tab will clear this up.
A platform is only part of the anchor and should not stop good contacr with the distal part of your string hand and the axis of your jaw.