Alright, I have been shooting my 'curve for about two weeks now and I have the 10yds down pat. As I step back, my groups spread so I still can't hunt with it...yet! My question is will a few of you tell me your draw and release techniques? Currently mine is as follows. Point my bow at my target, pull the string back and anchor my middle finger to the corner of my mouth and relax my hand to let the string fly when I feel right. Sound descent?

Second delima, I am shooting with a split finger hold. In the last week, the side of my index finger that rests on the arrow has become painfully raw. I shoot with a glove and I have tried talc powder and cork inserts to lessen the abuse, but to no avail. What am I doing wrong? Should I switch gloves? I do not want to shoot a tab or three under as I have tried both and didn't care for either. I think I have more feel and control with a split/glove. And most of all, it is getting painfull to release so I have started to develop an equivalent to a gun shooter's "flinch". Definitely not good. I have quit shooting for a few days hoping that my finger will heal and maybe calous over.

I would like anyone's opinion or advice that can be offered. Thanks in advance.

"Clutz by Nature, Hospitalized by Fate..."

Pyral

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I am with Shrewshooter on this one,get a good deep hook on the sting and try applying more tension with your middle and ring fingers.This will even out the weight on all the fingers instead of just the index finger.Bill

Yeah, I agree with Mike and Bill.

As far as a release. How I do it is, I get the bow hand pointed in the direction of the target, raise the bow and draw to middle finger at corner of mouth and thumb hooked behind cheek bone. I continue pushing with my bow hand and as I relax my hand I draw through a bit. It's all one fluid motion and it happens so fast and without thought that I had to have my wife watch me and tell me what I was doing. Not that I'm doing it right, but it works for me.

Make em sharp and shoot em straight, or leave em home.

I know that most people think you need to do an English release with the string on the first joints, but some people do better with a deeper hook as mentioned by others here. The thing about raising the elbow too high is right on. That will definitely pinch the index finger against the arrow.

Try throwing your chest out more too to make the back muscles work better. Sometimes the high elbow results from trying to circle the elbow a little overhead and you don't quite get to full draw because maybe the bow's a little heavy and you're not using your back enough so the elbow stays a little high then and causes problems.