The effect of tab change

Jan Poslusny

New member
For some reasons (pain on my index finger joint) I switched from A&F Standard tab to Soma Joomong tab. And I gradually recognized that I am loosing style - my arrows grew subjectively (+2cm), I could not release without tension in string hand, I could not draw having string arm just hanged on, I had to use biceps. And I was not able to do it better, being tired after 60 shoots...

It seems that all that issues was caused by too soft tab face, burdening my fingers too much. When I mounted tougher cordovan face on (spare face for Saker 1), everything turned back - no problems with draw length, my string hand becomes relaxed again when releasing, I am not forced to use biceps to click, just back muscles. And I am not tired too much after 120 shoots.

Which is your experience, is it objective, or I just found one of placebo effect?
 

darthTer

Active member
Supporter
Ironman
American Shoot
I would tend to agree with your observations....

If the tab face material is too thin, you are going to feel it more on your fingers - especially with higher poundages. This in turn will cause you to grip more, as the soreness increases, and therefore induce more tension in your hand.

On the other hand, too thick a facing will result in no feeling at all adn the risk of the string slipping off the fingers.

Personally, I hated the original face from the Joomong tab - too thin. I am now using purple oberon as the front face, with black oberon as the backing. This feels VERY comfy to me!!!
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I'd agree too. There is more to a tab than the comfort it provides.
I think an important ingredient for any tab face is to allow the archer to hold the string at full draw with a minimum of effort. By that, I don't mean effort at the back muscles, but effort at the fingers. In a way it is somewhere between; so thin that the string still seems to burn the fingers, and so thick that the string is forced too far from the end joint, towards the finger tips.
 

LesT

New member
I would tend to agree with your observations....

Personally, I hated the original face from the Joomong tab - too thin. I am now using purple oberon as the front face, with black oberon as the backing. This feels VERY comfy to me!!!

I too have a Soma Joomong tab and I quickly replaced the original face with some black Oberon. Based on the fact that I now seem to have developed a "habit" of plucking the string for maybe 1 or 2 arrows every round, I reckon it's time to follow darthTer and invest in some purple Oberon.
 

Dougal

Member
I found that with Oberon fitted to my Joomong tab, I couldn't feel the string at all.Now I admit that my draw hand is not to be copied as I tend to have the string on the pads of my fingers, so I have to be able to feel the string and know when I'm going to release, which in actual fact is more to do with not being able to hold the string and it slipping off my fingers.

I noticed recently that the original Joomong face is starting to wear, and I've tried to buy replacement tabs and faces, but they seem to have disappeared form the market.I've bought a Neonine tab, but was disappointed to find that the tab is riveted together, making it impossible to replace/add more faces.
 

greygoose

New member
Hi All,
I have just reverted to Oberon backing with Vulcolan face. It feels so different to one, or two, layers of Oberon and will require a little retuning again.
I think that there is more change to the feel of differing combinations of tab materials than there is to the scoring potential. Some combinations have felt more "wooly", and have induced finger tension, which is bad for scoring however
Greygoose
 

greygoose

New member
Hi All,
Further to my previous post stating that I have returned to Oberon as backing with a Vulcolan face I thought that you may find it interesting to note that at 25yds the arrows are grouping 10" higher and 3" left compared to when using 2 layers of Oberon. Group size remains the same
Your comments on interpreting these shifts are invited.
Greygoose
 

straat

Member
I found the Joomong tab face to ber too thin as well, very uncomfortable. I'm using oberon for now which is comfy but slows down the arrows as greygoose also mentions.
 

darthTer

Active member
Supporter
Ironman
American Shoot
I found the Joomong tab face to ber too thin as well, very uncomfortable. I'm using oberon for now which is comfy but slows down the arrows as greygoose also mentions.
I personally found the opposite to be true....when I switched to Oberon, my sight marks went up.....but thats for a different thread!!!
 
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