Does a glove/tab make a diff in arrow flight?
01-22-2007, 04:47 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eureka, MO
Posts: 3,703
Does a glove/tab make a diff in arrow flight?
When I shoot my recurve my arrows seem to fishtail in the air. My setup is a Bear Kodiak 45#. Shooting 30" 2016's with 125 gr. pt. Shooting off a bear hair rest. Is there a problem in my setup or just the fact that I don't use a release aid? I'm planning on buying one anyway as it hurts my fingers after some shots.
01-22-2007, 06:32 PM
#2
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Eureka, MO
Posts: 1,519
RE: Does a glove/tab make a diff in arrow flight?
As you know I dont shoot a recurve, but I just read an article by Chuck Adams and he said that he uses strictly a tab to shoot because even with a glove the string can get caught in the creases of your finger causing the arrow to fly innaccurately. He said a tab will help preventing this from happening. Take this as you will since i dont shoot traditional,but im sure some of them on here can help you more than that.
01-22-2007, 06:32 PM
#3
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 156
RE: Does a glove/tab make a diff in arrow flight?
It may be a few different things, MO.
It may be your string nock, your brace height or your release. The first thing is paper tuning the arrow. See what the arrow is doing. If your nock is set in the wrong position, it will cause the arrow to kick up and down. If your brace height is too low or high, it will cause the arrow to kick left/right. If it is a combination of the two, the arrow corkscrews. Also, check to see if you arrow nocks are too tight on the string. They shouldn't be too hard to nock off if you tap the string.
The last thing to work on is your release. A glove or tab is only there to protect your fingers. If you have a proper release it should make no difference in arrow flight. I alway's rub in a leather conditioner into my gloves. It keeps them flexible.
It may be your string nock, your brace height or your release. The first thing is paper tuning the arrow. See what the arrow is doing. If your nock is set in the wrong position, it will cause the arrow to kick up and down. If your brace height is too low or high, it will cause the arrow to kick left/right. If it is a combination of the two, the arrow corkscrews. Also, check to see if you arrow nocks are too tight on the string. They shouldn't be too hard to nock off if you tap the string.
The last thing to work on is your release. A glove or tab is only there to protect your fingers. If you have a proper release it should make no difference in arrow flight. I alway's rub in a leather conditioner into my gloves. It keeps them flexible.
01-22-2007, 07:01 PM
#5
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 156
RE: Does a glove/tab make a diff in arrow flight?
It will vary. Start at 7 3/4. If the arrows are kicking right, increase it 1/4". If kicking left, decrease by 1/8". If they are kicking up then lower your nock 1/8". If it gets worse, then raise it by 1/8" until you get a good arrow flight. If you are shooting split fingers, the nock should be close to 3/8" to 1/2" above the shelf.
Best of luck.
Best of luck.
01-23-2007, 07:06 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7,571
RE: Does a glove/tab make a diff in arrow flight?
The correct brace height is found by starting at the minimum recommendation, shooting a bunch or arrowsand increasing the the number of twists in the string by usually 3 or 4 twists and shooting again(no silencers). Do thisall the way to the max brace height setting. What you are looking for is thesetting which is the quietest and has the least vibration (hand shock). There will be a "sweet" spot. Ihave found that it is usually near the upper brace height limit.
To correct the arrow flight, I highly recommend bare shaft testing. Usually aluminum are sensitive to the correct spine to your bow so there will be some testingand adjusting needed. I'd suggest you use the following link as a guide.
http://www.bowmaker.net/index2.htm
Also on the tab/glove: I also have sensitive fingers, but use a cordovan glove with nylon inserts. I have a hard time anchoringwith a tab. I also pluck more with a tab.
To correct the arrow flight, I highly recommend bare shaft testing. Usually aluminum are sensitive to the correct spine to your bow so there will be some testingand adjusting needed. I'd suggest you use the following link as a guide.
http://www.bowmaker.net/index2.htm
Also on the tab/glove: I also have sensitive fingers, but use a cordovan glove with nylon inserts. I have a hard time anchoringwith a tab. I also pluck more with a tab.
01-23-2007, 07:21 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location:
Posts: 279
RE: Does a glove/tab make a diff in arrow flight?
"fishtailing" is left-to-right, and is an indication of either a poor release, or incorrect spine... cheapest thing to do would be to buy a cheap tab and see if it changes at all, better or worse.
if no change, then spine is the culprit.
"porpoising" is up and down, and is an indication of poor bow tune, incorrect tiller, nockset out of place, etc...
tell us what way the arrow kicks when it leaves the bow, and we'll be more help specifically.
if no change, then spine is the culprit.
"porpoising" is up and down, and is an indication of poor bow tune, incorrect tiller, nockset out of place, etc...
tell us what way the arrow kicks when it leaves the bow, and we'll be more help specifically.
01-23-2007, 08:33 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: May 2006
Location:
Posts: 459
RE: Does a glove/tab make a diff in arrow flight?
Even different tabs will produce different results. I used to shoot with a Black Widow tab which has three layers of material and couldn't paper tunemy bowproperly. I then tried a tab made by Dan Quillian; it is made of one layer of leather.My arrows shotmuch better.
I like paper tuning over bare shaft tuning - I bent too many aluminum arrows while bare shaft tuning.
I like paper tuning over bare shaft tuning - I bent too many aluminum arrows while bare shaft tuning.
01-24-2007, 07:06 AM
#10
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,175
RE: Does a glove/tab make a diff in arrow flight?
To get back to what Bobco said, brace height can be as much a culprit in fishtailing as bad releases and arrow spine. If you're sure you've got the right arrow, then fiddle with that brace height. The way you describe your arrow flight, I'd twist up that string to raise the brace a full 1/2" immediately and go from there.
I disagree with Adams about his comment on gloves. Poor quality gloves, and tabs too for that matter, can take a crease and cause the string to hang up. Good leather will not crease. I've become partial to what they call 'super leather' on Neet and Black Widow tabs. Cordovan leather tabs are also great. Damascus gloves and the SuperGlove from Alaska Bowhunting Supply are the best gloves out there, IMO.
The real advantage of a tab over a glove, at least when considering nothing but shooting, is that a glove lets all your fingers act independently. so a finger or two might drag on the string as you release. A tab pretty much forces your fingers to act as one unit. When one finger releases, they all release.
An old timer's tip: get yourself one of those little travel size bottles of baby powder to carry with you when you shoot. Powder your glove or tab once in awhile to slick it up. Target shooters used to have little leather powder pouches to hang on their belts with a hole cut out in the front, covered by cloth. When you wanted to powder up, you just patted the cloth. You might still be able to find them, but I haven't checked around.
And don't weenie out and get a release.[8D] Give your fingers some time to toughen up and they'll quit hurting. I'd advise getting a thick tab until your fingers get in shape, like the Neet PFT - the one with the felt finger spacer and superleather face. My all time favorite tab.
I don't recommend tabs with calf hair faces. They're great at first, but when the hair starts wearing off they get inconsistent.
I disagree with Adams about his comment on gloves. Poor quality gloves, and tabs too for that matter, can take a crease and cause the string to hang up. Good leather will not crease. I've become partial to what they call 'super leather' on Neet and Black Widow tabs. Cordovan leather tabs are also great. Damascus gloves and the SuperGlove from Alaska Bowhunting Supply are the best gloves out there, IMO.
The real advantage of a tab over a glove, at least when considering nothing but shooting, is that a glove lets all your fingers act independently. so a finger or two might drag on the string as you release. A tab pretty much forces your fingers to act as one unit. When one finger releases, they all release.
An old timer's tip: get yourself one of those little travel size bottles of baby powder to carry with you when you shoot. Powder your glove or tab once in awhile to slick it up. Target shooters used to have little leather powder pouches to hang on their belts with a hole cut out in the front, covered by cloth. When you wanted to powder up, you just patted the cloth. You might still be able to find them, but I haven't checked around.
And don't weenie out and get a release.[8D] Give your fingers some time to toughen up and they'll quit hurting. I'd advise getting a thick tab until your fingers get in shape, like the Neet PFT - the one with the felt finger spacer and superleather face. My all time favorite tab.
I don't recommend tabs with calf hair faces. They're great at first, but when the hair starts wearing off they get inconsistent.