Q: I’m struggling to use a finger tab – every time I shoot with one my arrows go everywhere but the target. Any advice on what to use or what to do?
A: This question is a little complicated to answer – I’ll try to cover a number of topics that could be the problem.
1) Your tab could be pinching the arrow, and you require a finger spacer and some trimming of the leather to keep it from squeezing the arrow. Try an AAE KSL Gold Tab, which includes an instruction manual that shows you how to trim the tab face and comes with a great finger spacer.
2) Another option is that it isn’t the tab’s fault – you might not be hooking the string quite right. There’s a free version of Chapter Four ‘Hooking’, of Inside the Archer at www.astraarchery.com/Inside_the_Archer.
3) You could have dramatically incorrect finger pressure on the string. Again, look back at that chapter on hooking to see if you’re going wrong anywhere. Alternatively, you could have the string in the wrong place on your fingers entirely. See if you can get a coach to have a look at your placement.
4) Your tab could be too loose in your hand, thus flexing under the pressure of drawing, disturbing the arrow from the rest. Try tightening it up so it fits snugly in your hand.
Tyler Benner
Most top archers will customise their tabs to get the best fit for their own hand, so if your tab is causing problems don’t be afraid to look at experimenting with it