Has anybody else experienced a learning curve when switching from glove to tab? I don't know if it fits poorly or if I just haven't quite gotten the hang of it but my consistency has gone down significantly, and I've gotten string rash the last two times I've shot. It's getting to the point where I just want to get back to shooting glove, but was hell bent on figuring this thing out.

Sometimes you'll run in to situations where a person will have a tendency to hit their lip, side of the face or something. Part of the reason is because with a tab the string is typically closer to your face to begin with.

If you post a picture of the tab on your hand you can get a FAIR opinion on the fit. That could certainly be it. But bottom line is, some folks just don't shoot as well with a tab. if you are one of those it's no bog thing.

Yes, I did.

I tried tabs on & off for several years, and never could get along with them.

I finally forced myself to stick with one for an extended period of time, regardless of how I was feeling about it.

At the end of that period, I was shooting better than ever before, and I wouldn't trade my tab for a train load of gloves, unless I had those gloves sold in advance.

Rick

What tab? String rash where? You're still thinking about it so it will be an adjustment but it sounds like either your technique is off (with the tab) or a bad fit

I shoot Rick's 3 under tab and get a cleaner release than I did with a glove shooting split. Fit matters and Rick makes top notch tabs. I did add some velco between the layers for my liking.

Same answer for every equipment change, 1000 arrows shot and then evaluate.

DDave

I use a tab with a hard rubber spacer on my recurves and 66 in longbow to prevent pinching the arrow nock. Use a glove with the 68 and up longbows. I don't seem to notice much difference.

I started with a glove.Every time I tried a tab I felt like I wasnt in control.Always releasing before I got to full draw.Then one day that just went away and I've been using a tab 98% of the time.I shoot with a glove now and then but I shoot better with the tab.

Same here shot with a tab till I couqer it now I shoot better than ever

I tried a tab for a while did not like it.like others have said,time using is required I feel.

Years ago when all I shot were wheel bows I used a glove. At the time I was not only hunting with my bow but I had the same bow in a target model a well and was shooting a lot of indoor tournaments and leagues shooting at blue face targets. One of the guys I used to shoot with used a tab and talked me into trying one. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to it but when I did, my release improved a bunch and my league average scores went up quite a bit,about 15 points. When I got back into traditional archery a few years ago I tried several different gloves from cheap ones and some that got a bit pricey and it felt like I couldn't get off the string. I've shot a tab now for over 35 years and wouldn't shoot anything else. I use the old Kant-pinch type with the calf hair. These usually come with a layer of rubber sandwiched in them, I take that out and throw it away.

Do you mean ripping your lip off, having a big notch in your nose? Yes, you will have that switching from a glove. People get used to your deformed face after awhile, and, what I found is you learn to shoot with it after awhile and it goes away. Had the same issue, like stated above, your moving the string toward your face slightly and you need to let yourself adjust. You will get a cleaner release with one for sure. I like the glove better, but the release is better with the tab.

Tab may be too stiff or too long. You hit your face, but you want to learn to use the tab, so you are aware it hurts so you don't get into your face far enough. Maybe you aren't getting a good hook on the string. Trim your tab so you just have enough to protect your fingers and hold comfortably on the string. Then, get into your anchor; if you don't, then the string will want to roll into your face rather than just pull away from it.

Really hard to ascertain what's going on through words alone. I can switch back and forth with no problems but I like my tabs.

I've never hit my face, or nose with a tab.

I've never trimmed one either. Not that I can remember anyway, but I have modified the lanyard, loop, or other style attachment to my finger to make the tab settle to my hand the way I wanted it to.

I've always just positioned them on my fingers at a point where they worked correctly for me, and after a few shots I could go right to that particular position without looking, or even thinking about it.

Had a sort stint of the string ripping my nose open a couple of years ago. That was due to me changing up some things in my shooting, but it went away as soon as I got the new style figured out.

My problem with the tab was just an overall feel of the hold & loose, which often caused me to drop the string unintentionally. Once I forced myself to get over that little hurdle there was no looking back.

Rick

Thanks guys. I'm going to play around with it and see what happens. I'll try to get a picture posted up this evening when I leave the office.

Yooper,

Take a look at the Rick Barbee "Death Adder" Tab. I have three. Favorite tab. I prefer the Signature model.

Hunting, I have a little lanyard on it around my wrist so I can take it off of my finger and not worry about dropping it. While hiking or climbing, I tuck it under my sleeve.

I need to switch....just having poor shooting for awhile is quite difficult to tolerate

Had definite, rather long learning curve to making the switch from glove to tab. I had fooled with it before, but then I committed to it.

I picked it up from Omnivore Quivers after seeing a couple tabs he put together for a memorial shoot in colorado coming up. “One size fit all” so maybe it is just a little big for me. I don’t have a whole lot of cash floating around with a little one due next month but I’ll look into Rick’s tabs when I have some extra dough.

Yooper...Rick Barbee makes an outstanding tab. If you want to get one made correctly, for you get with him.

If you want to try different styles first, pick up some leather scraps (you can buy bags of the stuff at Tandy Leather and several chain type craft stores) or go to a 2nd hand store and buy an old women's leather purse and make some. Won't be as good as Rick's but it will let you experiment.

Rick made several little design decisions that I really like.

I stopped having the lip and nose damage when I stopped thinking so much about the release and just let it happen. I found my accuracy improved a bunch when I started paying more attention to the bow arm and the follow through. After all , that is what you aim the bow with and all you do with the string hand is hang on to the dang arrow!

Yooper, if your still up here, PM me. I have a couple of different tabs including a death adder you can try.

I recently switched when I figured out my big shot glove wouldn’t fit in the trigger guard of my .44 and I am going to Alaska this fall. Sort of forced me to switch. I was thinking about it too much and it was messing with my mind. I finally just started focusing on bow arm and follow through rather than my release and things have improved. I think/hope I am over the hump.

I heard Horace hated electricity too :)

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