Alright guys, I know that a lot of people like to lay the string in the groove of the joints closest to the tips of their fingers.I found that no matter how good my form was(no high or low elbow) it hurt my fingers to hold the string in the first joints of my fingers.
I went one step further a year ago and laid the string in the groove of the finger joints closest to my hand and the pain vanished. Is this a bad thing to do? I know that most of the good shooters on here recommend a deep hook. I am not able to shoot my bow at the moment but I would like to know if I need to change my form.

Trumpkin,  The deep hook is not how deep into the hand your string is but rather how curled around the string the fingers are.  If you are getting finger pain, I would suggest that you look to your release technique -- relax the fingers and let the string slip away.  Done correctly there will be NO finger pain.

MOebow, I understand that the deep hook is not about string position in the hand. My problem is that it hurt to draw the bow, not release it. This also contributed to target panic which has been much more manageable since switching. Should I be dealing with the pain rather than holding the string so far back in my hand?

Hold it where it works best!  Archery should not involve pain, that is a signal that something is wrong.  There are some nerves in the first joints of the fingers that are near the surface and more noticeable for some than others.  You might try setting the string just in front or just behind the joints rather than right in them.  Just a thought, but try not to "suck it up" and suffer with pain.

Thanks. That is what I needed to hear. My head likes to play games with me and I need confidence in what I am doing if I want to shoot well.

Maybe a more aggeessive glove or tab would help.