Finger Spacers

tel

Active member
Fonz Awardee
This is not strictly a Recurve problem, but I imagine it wont affect many compounders. I am about to replace the finger spacer on my tab because it has split allowing me to close it together and pinch the arrow (I have great difficulty in not doing this, having hands that behave as though they were in boxing gloves!). I'm guessing that a short way down the road It'll happen again, so the question is does anyone know of a tab with an adjustable width spacer that won't require me to spread it beyond its limit? Or, I guess a better option, any tips on preventing my fingers from closing on the arrow?

Cheers

Tel
 

Thunk

Well-known member
Ironman
Don't really understand this; on any tab I've used the finger spacer is solid plastic, perforsated only by the screws that attach it to the tab (A & F, etc). I don't know of any with an adjustable width spacer, but you could always use some epoxy or fibreglass cloth to bulk it out if you require it to be wider. I have also seen something called 'grip putty' or something like that, which is meant to be used to customise your grip to the contours of your hand; some of that might also do the job.
 

Tom

On another 'comeback'
Supporter
Ironman
American Shoot
AIUK Saviour
When I've had problems pinching arrows I've wrapped the finger spacer in zinc oxide tape to bulk it out a bit. It's a bit of a pain to remove if you don't like it (leaves sticky stuff on the spacer) but feels comfortable between the fingers.
 
T

TimCroot

Guest
I agree with the padding it out with tape, maybe try a large elastic band to get some idea of thickness before glueing any bits up? :smiley:
 

tel

Active member
Fonz Awardee
Thanks all!
The bit I'm closing up is a 'u' section. Now the new one has arrived it is plastic instead of metal and solid as described by thunk - maybe I'm not the only one to have had a problem with it?
As for padding out, still necessary I think - previously had success with self-adhesive foam pads trimmed to the spacer.
 

jerryRTD

Well-known member
You are right about the 'not many compounder's but it is nice to be included with fellow fingershooters. Yes I have come across finger spacer problems I solved mine by making my own solid spacer out of white soft plastic and mounting it by the screws that came with the tab. It is long enough to almost touch the string and very effective.
 

LineCutter

Active member
Pinching nocks

To take a different tack: if you're pinching the arrow you might have a problem with
a) deformed hands, with fingers that all end up overlapping the centre of your palm when you make a fist
b) a habitually poor finger position before you draw
c) a bow too short for your draw, so that the string pushes your fingers together
d) a poor elbow position, so that your fingers aren't in line with the forearm & the direction of pull from your finger flexor tendons moves the fingers sideways onto the nock
e) something else that someone will point out that I forgot :)

Time to yell "coach!", or video yourself shooting.
 

Wrexham Exile

New member
Ironman
i think i know the answers to all this!

are you shooting a cavalier elite tab with the old U style spacer? (the one that would dig into ur fingers!!!). yes this could be prised apart to give a larger spacing e.g. from top view :
l_l to \_/

cavalier now use the solid more comfortable, conventional, but less adjustabe spacer.

as for how to make a bigger spacing - go for what was mentioned before, buidl them up using tape or similar. can get a realy custom feel then.

enjoy AL
 

tel

Active member
Fonz Awardee
LineCutter said:
To take a different tack: if you're pinching the arrow you might have a problem with
a) deformed hands, with fingers that all end up overlapping the centre of your palm when you make a fist
b) a habitually poor finger position before you draw
c) a bow too short for your draw, so that the string pushes your fingers together
d) a poor elbow position, so that your fingers aren't in line with the forearm & the direction of pull from your finger flexor tendons moves the fingers sideways onto the nock
....or any combination of the above! (c) is interesting - I'll look into that, always nicer to blame the eqipment! Seriously, as for the rest of your suggestions you may well be right, but in the last year I have discovered that there are certain things I just cannot do with my hands or elbows - they have been used to doing things a certain way for too long and starting archery in my 45th year means that some of the finer elements of form just aren't going to happen.

:icon_sad:
 

tel

Active member
Fonz Awardee
DMU_AC said:
i think i know the answers to all this!

are you shooting a cavalier elite tab with the old U style spacer? (the one that would dig into ur fingers!!!). yes this could be prised apart to give a larger spacing e.g. from top view :
l_l to \_/

cavalier now use the solid more comfortable, conventional, but less adjustabe spacer.
You've got it - not a cavalier, but same principle. Not only prised apart but built-up too. It was the prising apart that must have caused the final failure.
This one has also gone over to the other style of spacer - I struggled with it last night, but as Linecutter suggested I may have to look elsewhere for an answer...a compromise between the design of the tab and the design of the archer!
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
tel said:
You've got it - not a cavalier, but same principle. Not only prised apart but built-up too. It was the prising apart that must have caused the final failure.
This one has also gone over to the other style of spacer - I struggled with it last night, but as Linecutter suggested I may have to look elsewhere for an answer...a compromise between the design of the tab and the design of the archer!
I've never thought that finger spacers are there to keep your fingers apart. I don't think they would work for that. Your finger joints are flexible enough that the tips can touch, even when there's quite a large gap at the middle joints. Try this: with your fingers bent and the tips touching, spread the middle joints as far apart as they can go. Even without forcing it, I can get a good inch of separation. I've never seen a spacer that big, and I suspect it wouldn't be good to use one that size.
So I've long suspected that spacers;
are something to hold the tab with
are there to *remind* you not to pinch
help get a consistent tab position

You don't need a spacer, to not pinch, just training and practice. Just remember that it takes time to get used to changing a part of your setup. The usual rule of thumb I apply, is to allow 3 months (of normal shooting) for changing something like this.
 

tel

Active member
Fonz Awardee
Rik said:
The usual rule of thumb I apply, is to allow 3 months (of normal shooting) for changing something like this.
I don't know how long you've been shooting Rik, but I've got a lot of catching up to do - if I allow three months for every small change I'll be retired before I've begun! ;)
 

silver streak

New member
tabs and s;acers

the pinching is more likely to be caused by fingers being too stiff ( tensed up ) Have you tried taking more string in your fingers and then because of this your fingers should relax a bit more so that you get rid of the pinching problem. I built up my spacer once a long time ago, and found that it made things even worse!!:christmas
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
tel said:
I don't know how long you've been shooting Rik, but I've got a lot of catching up to do - if I allow three months for every small change I'll be retired before I've begun! ;)
Eeek! I just figured out, this is my 20th indoor season...
 

jerryRTD

Well-known member
There two types of spacers, the first a relatively thin one,and it purpose is to remind you to space your fingers at the start of the draw and to provide a solid distance between the top of the middel finger and the platform on the tab. The type of spacer that is ment to keep you fingers apart extend out to the last finger joint. With this type of spacer it is very difficult to get finger pinching. As aws asid earlier in the thread it is possible to get the tips to touch around the spacer but to counter this with a long spacer you need to push the fingers together slightly on to the spacer, this will hold the tips apart. Trust me on this one I shoot a bow with a 44" string lenght.
 
T

TimCroot

Guest
I found that with a new A&F tab i had to cut/file away a fair bit of the bottom lip on the shelf to fit my finger comfortably. I was ending up with a very red patch on the top of my index finger. Things felt 100% better after this. What about the length of facing in contact with the string? is this critical as well?
 
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