Somebody (don't remember who) advised pulling with the meaty part of fingers, rather than with the joint.

Said it would make a cleaner release.

I've been playing with that. I think it's correct.

My fingers are strong enough, but I'm not sure I could make it through a long 3D (50+ arrows) that way.

What's your experience? Meat or joint?

Runner...didn't he also destroy the nerves in his hand?

jk, I would advise you to try both and see how it works out. I can't shoot worth a darn with the tips, I need to use the first joint. I can't advise you though.

thanks guys I am going out to try that now

If I use the first joint or near I get premature release, but if I take a bigger bite it seems fine. I did try several diff releases and found one I like, plan on getting a few and making some more. But If Need be I can take one shot with my fingers.

It's certainly possible to damage, or at least seriously stress, finger muscles. One type of damage is literally called "trigger finger"...you can Google it...and I did have it years ago...but at that time I was pulling 60# and holding it for 4 seconds or more...very bad idea as I think (me, I think) instinctive factors may be lost after they're first available.

Done both. Better release for me using the joints. The joint lets me feel like I am relaxing my forearm uniformly. Probably while the back muscles, as some who know better than me on here have said, are doing their thing. What I do know is when I use my joints, and my release is good, the old bow just rocks gently forward.

Fingers cause too much plucking for me.

I have very little control when on the tips, I prefer just behind the first joint and a tab.

I've done both and deep in the creases is what I've stuck with.

I've done both and deep in the creases is what I've stuck with.

Not many good archers use the finger tips any more. Certainly the Olympians do not. So the question nowadays is do you deep hook to the crease of the middle finger, or deeper to the meat of the second phalange. I go deeper and after looking at many pix I think most Olympians do.

Depending upon the length of the various fingers the string may then cross the crease of the fist finger and the tip of the second. - lbg

First joint......always!

It has to depend on what weight you draw also I imagine? I've always shot off the meat of my fingertips because I figured it would give the cleanest release, but more than one discussion here has proven that with practice you can get used to almost anything, right?

Of course I haven't shot anything heavier than 55# for more than 50 arrows at a clip (and it's usually my lighter bows that are 35-45#) so couldn't say I wouldn't need to go deeper with more draw weight.

I go back and forth. The whole deep hook thing has been very prominent these last years, but I noticed a lot of pros I was looking at were not doing it. In FITA with the below the chin anchor you can get tight to your face with a deep hook. But Jimmy has a video about left shots and having too much to get your hand in tight. He is talking glove or tab materials, but a whole set of digits is a lot more than that.

Runner cut the plastic bail bushing off a five gallon bucket and filled it with a bag of quikrete. Keeps it by the computer chair. Does fingertip lifts to keep those digits mighty. lol

I used to shoot off the pads until I read about deep hook here many years ago. Funny I never thought about using the joint. Now I rarely shoot off the pads unless I'm goofing around for kicks trying something different. I'm not good enough a shot to see a difference. Sometimes I'll shoot my forty without a tab but for a few shots only though. Got me some pussy fingers. lol

I can promise you Brady Ellison, one of the best recurve archers in the world, shoots more arrows per year than Horace Ford and Henry Ford combined. Check out where his coach says to place his fingers.

http://www.kslinternationalarchery.com/Techni que/KSLShotCycle/KSLShotCycle-USA.html

Brady uses a tab

Also check out where they put the pressure of the bow hand on a recurve grip. It really helped my shooting. You'll need a sling to shoot like that though.

http://www.kslinternationalarchery.com/

well I am really confused now,, I thought I had is all figured out,, hope the deer dont since it,,:):)

You shoot on the tips forget using your back. It takes a very tense arm and hand to do that. Some people do it ok and seen one once that was a champion but mostly the top shooters use the first joint. You can relax your forearm and fingers to an extent and use your back instead of forearm and get a much cleaner release.

Chas, if you don't mind, work that magic to show the good people the grip portion as well. Maybe save a few deer a slow death.

Deep hook, close your fingers. Easy to duplicate! If you are using your back muscles the right way the release will be a clean as any

Runner/Pat... I didn't understand his point about back/tips.

MAYBE he meant that his own fingers aren't strong enough to let him use his back properly.

Maybe he's referring to his own finger strength Vs draw weight.

OK, I give (for now).

I've been changing too many things recently so I want to settle down with basics (i.e. hook).

lmao@runner. You cannot relax your forearm and fingers if the string is on your fingertips. Its impossible. The joint give a place for the string to sit in so it takes much less In order to get a good crisp release in which the string doesn't have to go a half mile around your fingers to get going the forearm and fingers need to be relaxed. If you relax the arm and fingers the back is doing most of the work and its much much easier to get a good release. I've seen guys tense their fingers so much they twist the string so much the arrow falls off the rest. Go find a good local Olympic style archer and have him show you. I'm not good at explaining this stuff in type even tho I taught it for years.

Ty B B. I just noticed you were saying the same thing,lol.

Joints, creases, deep hook, that's what works for me.

I started in archery shooting off my fingertips and got callouses and numb fingertips. It wasn't something I wanted to build on. I quickly switched to a deep hook and I noticed an immediate improvement with my fingers and I had a better release as well.

GLF... Convincing.

lol

Yes you need some forearm muscle power but putting the string further from the joint, on the pads, increases the lever arm so need MORE muscle power to hold finger flexed.

Someone asked about posting picture of bow hand,lets see if i got this right.

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