Maybe Tony or Arne will chime in hear. I know I have to watch my 3U ring finger, there's been lots of posts about this, I'm not here to rehash them. I just built a warf that I really like and the ring finger thing has "reared it's ugly head" again. You'll just have to trust me here this isn't a tuning issue...I beat that to death looking for a simpler solution. My question is simply this. If you have a ring finger that is carry to much weight relative to the index and middle, how is that affecting the release any differently than a stringwalker dropping down and inch below the nock? To me, they're both mistiming the limbs slightly by moving the string draw "fulcrum" "off-center" and loading the lower limb more relative to the upper? And oddly, my issues aren't up and down. When my ring finger get too "involved" I'll start seeing flyers 3-4" left at 25 yds.(I'm RH). It doesn't help that I have odd fingers, the ring is almost as long as the middle and the index is way shorter than both. The only way I've found to "unload" the ring finger is addressing the string normally with the tab and then "backing off" the ring finger to its pad. It felt a bit awkward at first, but I'm hoping when I get the index and middle trained for more load bearing that I can return the ring finger to it's usual position and it'll just subconsciously bear less weight, lol.

In the NTS that I teach, the ring finger does carry the string on the pad of the finger. But, it is only "riding along", 10% or so of the overall weight of the string on the fingers. I believe you are right about needing to "retrain" your fingers for good weight distribution.

And yes, IF the ring finger is carrying too much of the load, that will be like string walking in the "detune" of the bow. Also, if the ring finger is carrying too much of the load, you MAY be inadvertently twisting the string a little that MAY be the cause for left/right arrows. Try relaxing your bow hand more to see IF the bow wants to turn like a propeller to test this thought out.

Speculative suggestions with out seeing what's going on.

Arne

old -

You're right, the ring finger thing comes up a lot, but it's only a problem if it causes a problem.

Using a heavy ring finger will "usually" lower the point of impact compared to having the index finger in priority, and that's not in itself a bad thing. The bad thing is when the "heavy" ring finger hangs up on the string and retards the release. That could explain the fliers you're getting.

There have been a number of fixes, and there usually isn't a one size fits all solution.

Yes, just putting the index finger in priority (making it do more of the work) is the easiest solution. You can go as far as just having the ring finger lightly touch the string and go along for the ride. That will feel VERY weird at first, so it will need a fair time commitment to see if it helps. If you don't like that, you could also learn to initiate the release with the ring finger. That ensures it would be hanging up.

Either of these fixes will have to go into your shot sequence and become second nature, or when you "need" to do it, you'll forget.

Viper out.

Okay I can't speak to the technical issues from the previous post's. I only use two fingers, a woodworking accident back in 1980 cut nerves in my ring finger. I've tried numerous times to use it to no avail. All my bows are set for split, and my nock point is a little higher than the norm and it's worked for years. I have trouble shooting shorter bows and all of what I shoot are 60" and over due to the string angle and finger pinch. Shoot what feels right and enjoy your time shooting.

If your already backing off on your ring finger pressure now to help aleave the issue maybe a heavyer,or thicker tab Maybe making or your own tab might help

I had pressure effecting my shooting because of my ring finger, I jus got divorced and ended that.

Whoa, that can get way costlier than finding a bow that doesn't mind your heavy ring finger.

I don't know if this is a proper fix or not. I hope Arne & Viper come back. I back my ring finger off to the pad per mArnie's instruction. I made a tab with the leather shoulder on the angle I was holding the string. Now I can still put the string right up against the shoulder to maintain the same alignment shot to shot. I believe the left fliers are caused by something like a pluck with the third finger. In my case the finger is very stiff from arthritis and was just slow getting off the string---so I use it less. Opinions please.>>>>-----> ken

Rbcrow.....good one lol!

Ken, As age, arthritis, injury overtake us, we do what we have to do!!Most of the time we can only advice based on "normal" physical capabilities unless we know about problems. One of my pet peeves, question asked and answered but then poster comes up with physical impairments. Oh well that's how it goes.

I shoot a Cavalier Elite tab with the metal plate on it. BUT!!! I am NOT a fan of placing the string up against the edge of the plate. I know many do that but I think it impairs the release; I also know how many will disagree with that. If your tab works for you that is what you should do. If that leather shoulder works that's just great!!

Arne

Thanks Arnie. So maybe it would be better to use the shoulder to align but stay just off of it. It might make my tab a bit short but I can always make more. >>>----> Ken

I had the same experience and switched from a tab to a glove. My callus on my ring finger is now gone. I was shooting a big shot, and am now shooting the 3rivers duraglove. my shooting also improved.

I guy I know cured his ring finger problem. He left his ring and finger on his tree stand plat form when a branch broke as he was climbing down the tree. Crap that had to hurt.

Jon, this is one of the many reason I now wear a rubber ring. It is 100 times more comfortable and much safer. To get back on track though my ring finger has been killing me whenever I shoot recently. I need to get it figured out soon..

Advice already given should alleviate the problem. Is your WARF bow perhaps shorter than you're used to shooting? Might you for some reason be shooting it with a higher drawing arm elbow than in the past? Either of those will put additional pressure on the ring finger.

Look at Brady. He has the string on the pad of the ring. KSL has pressure at 40-50-10.

https://youtu.be/YXiYSmPZKbY

I lot of that is relevant to the way we shoot, even though he's shooting different equipment.

Bowmania

I should have posted a follow-up. The ring finger was one of the usual suspects because it's been a repeat offender, but it wasn't all or in this case even most of the problem. I'm not sure how much the old Bear Black bear risers were cut past center, but I thought it odd that even thought my bare shafts tuned easily I had to back my plunger out to where I'd guess only approx. 3/16" was protruding to get on the spot. After a little form experimentation I discovered this rig didn't like the normal 1 o'clock cant (I'm RH) I've pretty much always shot. When I held vertical groups moved about 2" right @25 yds. and flyers disappeared. I thought I still had my eye aligned over the shaft canting, but I think it was a bit outside in my periphery and I was "triangulating". With the bow vertical I actually know what people mean by "string blur" for the first time. With my cant the string may as well have been in another zip code, lol!

By the way Bowmania, great video. I made the comment many years ago in a post that I believed at the times of my life that I shot my very best that you could be so completely immersed in the shot sequence that you could have an imperfect release or a good release slightly off-spot and adjust with unconscious, subtle pressure of the bow hand and still find the spot....and folks said I was full of it. Of course they still say that....so it's nice to hear it from Brady! I could never convince the "jury of public opinion" by using my scores as evidence, lol.

ODDR, I believe you're correct about the cant. I've found that the cant takes a little off my draw length over time. Took me time to figure out why my shots drifted left. (my longbow has a 2 inch window, so I have to cant on shorter shots) Even though I locked my shoulder down in the 'set' position it tilted in during the draw shortening my draw length, making the arrow stiffer and impacting left. Concentrating on the keeping the shoulder in place moved the impact right.

I think that the sequence keeps your subconscious busy. You mention "imperfect release or a good release slightly off-spot and adjust with unconscious." Sometimes you release when you're off target and you know it so you move your bow hand and hit or miss in the direction you were moving. That's baaaaaad. Do that 50, 100 or 200 times without a sequence to keep your subconscious busy and guess what you have. I don't even like suggesting the term.

The more I study sequences, the more I think they have a two part function. Probably the main thing is doing the same thing every shot, but also to keep that subconscious busy. It can be your friend and bring you back to on target (subconsciously), but let it wonder and it can stab you in the back.

I believe that 'burn a hole' is crap. THe longer you aim the more chance you have to get, ok I'll say it, TP. I can only focus on the exact center of something for about a second. Then my peripheral vision (subconscious) starts to bring other things into my vision.

Bowmania

I had problems with my ring finger also, or more accurately, all my fingers. They just don't line up on the string. My solution was just to not use the ring finger at all. I tuck it against the palm along with the 5th little finger. I've been shooting better ever since I did that.

The ring finger and finger alignment issue became really apparent to me when I was shooting a 25# bow after abdominal surgery, during recovery. I could see the string wrapping around the finger and getting all bent out of shape. Arrows were going left, or right, depending on the release and how I tried to compensate.

I had heard that many tournament shooters put up to 90% of the pressure on the middle finger, 8-9% on the index finger and 1- 2% on the ring finger. The idea being, as you and others refer to, that the smaller the fulcrum and the closer it is to the arrow nock, the more accurate shooting can be. Or at least, the more consistent. I tried that but it hurt my middle finger too much. So I use about 40% on the index finger and 60% on the middle finger. I trained myself to feel the percents by pulling on a bow scale, one finger at a time. 60% of 50#s, e.g., is 30# so pull 30# w/the middle finger, then 20# with the index finger. It doesn't take long.

The clincher for me to go to 2 fingers was, one day I was looking at the photo of Glenn St. Charles with a fully drawn bow, on the back cover of his book, Billets to Bows. As I looked I noticed that his ring finger was barely touching the string, if it was touching it at all. So, he may have said he uses a 3 split finger draw but in reality he was only using 2 fingers. After that, I thought, "Why even bother with the ring finger!"

I still have to put the string at an angle across the lower part of the pad of my index finger, for the string to be straight. The only finger it is in the "deep hook" of the joint crease is the middle finger. Shandor

I like 2U and would shoot that way all the time, but at my #50 it will eventually start giving me some joint pain. If and when I drop 10# I'd definitely go back to it.

Olddog,

Don't sweat it. I ring-fingered my way to the Olympics. That's what bare shaft tuning is for. Tune your bow to the way YOU shoot and the heck with what anyone else does (or says).

I tried and tried to get more weight on my index and middle fingers, and all it did was screw me up. So I carry a lot of weight on my ring finger and you know what? I still shoot pretty darn good.

IF you get nerve pain, use COBAN or another wrap of that type. If you have joint pain, then try icing it or laying off shooting for a while (or Ibuprofen).

Those are my suggestions.

The trouble with "looking at Brady" is you aren't Brady. You (and I ) haven't spent the past 10 years of your life training full time under the guidance of a professional coach.

Do what works for you and tune your bow to THAT shot.

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