# Finger callous question



## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

Bowgal, if you have that many callouses, you need more layers on your tab. Protect those fingers. They're the only ones you have! 

I used to get a wicked callous on my ring finger and would sand it and put lotion on it every few days to keep it from cracking. It cracked once and was incredibly painful. But eventually I wised up and added a third layer to my tab and the problem was solved. It was much more comfortable for me to shoot, and I found myself focusing on my shooting and not the feeling of the string in my fingers as much - which was a very good thing.

Don't be afraid to add layers to your tab to get the protection you need. All of us are different and need different levels of finger protection. But one thing is for sure - if you damage the nerves in your fingers, you will shortcut your archery career. 

Michele Frangilli has shot with as many as five layers of leather in his tabs. This was when he was winning world championships. So there is no reason not to protect your fingers as much as they need you to.

John


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## bowgal (Jun 12, 2003)

Here is a pic. The white lines show the callous on the top and bottom as I tried to describe. You can actually see the 'bumps" in the pic. 

Would anything else cause this besides not having enough layers on my tab? If I all layers what kind of material do I use?

Thanks!


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

Don't see a photo, but I just use thin layers of leather that I get from the crafts store (Michaels or Hobby Lobby) in scrap bags.

I can post a picture later.

John


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## bowgal (Jun 12, 2003)

It would help if I would remember to attach it ....


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

Hmm, interesting. Do you have a picture of your tab?


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## bowgal (Jun 12, 2003)

Yes, I can post it soon.


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## Boltsmyth (Nov 16, 2002)

You can also use a pumice stone. I found a tapered stick one and used that.

joe


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## julle (Mar 1, 2009)

i have some callous above that joint to, but not that much, most is on the side of my middle finger , I think that's from my ring finger slipping away.


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## Radman (Sep 19, 2003)

The callous on the top of your middle finger is from the nock and nock set. Try a slightly wider can't pinch on your tab. Or if your scores are still low, try leveling your string hand at anchor.


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## julle (Mar 1, 2009)

Limbwalker, what sort of stuff should I be looking at when adding an extra layer to my tab?. I just found a piece of thin suede which I think would work. I also have these latex sheets .030 thick which would be funny to try out, any experience with a rubber layer in between leather?


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

The Black Widow tabs have two layers of leather with a rubber layer between them. They come in a few variations.

Some info here. I use them for barebow but they can be got with a shelf for OR, and some have finger flaps to go above and below the nock- which you may or may not like.


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## bowgal (Jun 12, 2003)

Limbwalker,

Here is a pic of my tab.

Today I am going to add a third piece of deer hide(piece left over from making gloves) and add thick moleskin on the bottom of the spacer. In the pic you can see that the top of my finger is touching the nock.


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## Greg Bouras (Nov 17, 2006)

Protesting the working part of the fingers is is good advice but in this case not applicable. Examinatoin of the photos you have sent in indicate that the callouses you are developing are due to the the hard surface metal backing of the tab.

Examine the tab/backing interface line in your photos. 

I have similar situation and have resolved by reworking the right angle of the finger side of the tab metal tab backing to a smooth radius.
Adding backing material effectively inreases the curvature achieving similar results but addresse a a symptom rather than a cause countermeasure.

I develop similar callouses on the palm of each hand on the ringed, ring finger from weight training. Callouses only form at the locatons with a ring. Gloves help, removing rings sovles. I cannot imagine myself keeping up with "where are my gloves" and removing and reinstalling rings would be even a worse nightmare. Picking, filing, is my solution to the palm guys.


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## bowgal (Jun 12, 2003)

Greg,

My middle finger pad is not in contact with the metal backing at all. The string is in the space between my finger and metal backing....


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## titanium man (Mar 5, 2005)

I shoot the Cavalier Elite, original, no finger spacer, ledge only, and I use to get some really impressive callouses, (sometimes blisters), when I'd shoot. Especially when I wasn't practicing a lot. I was told Cavalier had, by special order, extra thick cordovan, which is usually bought out by all the foreign teams, and quite a few top shooters use only 2 extra thick cordovans on their tabs. So, I switched my tabs out to 2 layers of extra thick cordovan, and my callouses were greatly minimalized. I've stocked up, and I won't try anything else, because it doesn't protect like the cordovan. I quit using the finger spacer, because after shooting a lot, I'd get a lump on my middle finger, no matter what. Weird and painful. Call Cavalier direct and order just the extra thick cordovan pieces and try it. That's what I did, and it made my shooting much more comfortable, and it didn't take away from the "feel", or the release.


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## caspian (Jan 13, 2009)

I used to get numbness and/or tingling in my ring and middle fingers when I shot recurve for any period of time. no callusses, but I have quite soft skin (joys of working indoors all the time) so I tend not to develop them anyway.

the extra padding sounds like an excellent idea.


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## julle (Mar 1, 2009)

I just added a layer of suede , the tab face is now 4mm thick and it shoots much more relaxed  i'm liking this!


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## Vittorio (Jul 17, 2003)

Picture says:
1) Tab size has nothing to do with your hand. Get a larger size. Fingers are clearly on string instead of on tab. 
2) Spacer is bigger than standard one , get the original. This also accounts for fingers on string and callouses 
3) You are not using the tab as it was designed to be used; W&W and Soma tabs need to be used with metal plate as back as possible in the palm, not close to the string like Cavalier

Black Widow tab is a good solution, but be careful to get the right size for your hand


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