# Recurve: Not Pinching the String



## TwilightSea (Apr 16, 2012)

Have you tried the Venom Finger Tab yet? It has a nice finger spacer that helps prevent pinching. http://www.lancasterarchery.com/black-mamba-finger-tab.html


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## icehaven (Nov 30, 2010)

TwilightSea said:


> Have you tried the Venom Finger Tab yet? It has a nice finger spacer that helps prevent pinching. http://www.lancasterarchery.com/black-mamba-finger-tab.html


how so?


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

I guess you mean "pinch the arrow?" Because I can't see how you'd pinch the string.

Knock off all that bondo from your finger spacer, and try hooking your index finger more, in a horizontal position. That should help.

Above all else though, relax the back of your hand. Most folks pinch the arrow because they have not properly transferred the tension from their hand to their back...

John


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## TwilightSea (Apr 16, 2012)

The finger spacer is curved which helps prevent pinching. I have one and I'll see if I can take a photo of using mine later.


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## icehaven (Nov 30, 2010)

limbwalker said:


> I guess you mean "pinch the arrow?" Because I can't see how you'd pinch the string.
> 
> Knock off all that bondo from your finger spacer, and try hooking your index finger more, in a horizontal position. That should help.
> 
> ...


i recently switched the position of my thumb and pinky so that they touch, where as before i had a fivics saker1 and i used the pinky knob and the thumb shelf. i've been told that touching my thumb and pinky would help keep the middle fingers consistent.

all that bondo is to provide leverage for the muscles, which so far hasn't been too effective....


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Alan -

I stopped pinching the arrow when I stopped using finger spacers. After snapping two in half, I sorta had a wake-up call. 

Start the draw with a deep hook, the fingers perpendicular to the string AND THE INDEX FINGER ABOUT 1/4" AWAY FROM THE ARROW NOCK. If you feel any pressure on the inside of your index finger al all, stop, you're pinching the arrow and possibly torquing the string by letting your fingers twist from perpendicular.

Sorry, the idea of forcibly squeezing your fingers together as a matter or procedure just doesn't make any sense to me. Easy to set the fingers up correctly in the first place and then don't "DO" anything!

Viper1 out.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

> all that bondo is to provide leverage for the muscles, which so far hasn't been too effective....


Leverage for the muscles? 

As Larry the cable guy would say... "well, THERE'S your problem...!"


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

Viper1 said:


> Alan -
> 
> I stopped pinching the arrow when I stopped using finger spacers. *After snapping two in half*, I sorta had a wake-up call.
> 
> ...


Are you sure you have an opposing thumb? 

j/k of course, but man you must have knockwurst for fingers!


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## KenYeoh (Feb 21, 2010)

I just built up the spacer until my fingers were parallel to each other when squeezing at the phalanges.
When I shoot, I don't squeeze, but the spacer keeps the fingers far enough apart from each other to keep them from pinching the nock


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## gairsz (Mar 6, 2008)

Might help.


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## OCBrent (Sep 27, 2007)

Hello,

I have the same issue as yours, but I think it's related to my main anchor point being my index finger under my chin. Top of last phalange of index finger is main contact point for my Anchor under the chin. This is probably pushing my index finger onto the top of the nock (I have a nock finger separator, but I'm not using a shelf on my tab). Are you doing something similar with your Anchor point by chance? 

Ideally, your Anchor point is the rest of your hand with bone to bone contact under your jaw, and your finger tips are free to release, but that just doesn't work out with my Anglo jaw line.

I don't have an answer for you yet, I'm still trying to work it out, but thought I might pass along maybe something else that might be more of the cause.

Brent


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## hooktonboy (Nov 21, 2007)

icehaven said:


> i've been told that touching my thumb and pinky would help keep the middle fingers consistent.


I wouldn't be surprised if that's contributing to the problem rather than helping... to get them to touch, you must be putting more tension/twist into your wrist/back of hand? I know I couldn't do it that way, probably end up with cramp 



icehaven said:


> all that bondo is to provide leverage for the muscles, which so far hasn't been too effective....


I think I'd have to ditch it too. Tbh it looks really uncomfortable and putting you really out of shape. I'd take it all off and go stand in front of a blank bale for a couple of hundred arrows, work on a consistent, relaxed hand position that uses as little wrist/forearm muscle as you can. You'll get it.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

Again. look at the hook of the index finger on the photos Gary posted above. This solves the problem.

John


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