Am I the only one who routinely shoots with a thumb ring?

[halfseminole]

I know it's a little different, but my hands were crushed in an accident (hit by car while bicycling, force tore the handlebars from my grip.  Twenty-six breaks in my right hand/wrist alone, and it's by far the worst one.)  I learned about it on reservation, though most there that used it didn't use a ring-they were using the same grip bare.  I can shoot it either way but if I use the ring I can do it all day and never feel like I fired a thing.  Three finger I can hit pretty well with, but every few shots it tears the skin from my fingers (even with a glove, thank the connective tissue disorder.)

I found it really improved my ease of draw and ability to hold at full draw.  Does anyone else shoot like this?

[reddogge]

Do you put the arrow on the right side of the bow like a left hander when using your thumbring? That's the way I thought you had to do it and the way the Koreans and other orientals do it.

[halfseminole]

http://www.primitiveways.com/archer%27s_thumb_ring.html

Used to, but this works to shoot with it normally (so other people can shoot your bow.)  Yes, most Oriental archery is done that way (because of string roll) but the loop prevents that, allowing you to release just fine with a regular bow.

[CLICKERMAN]

I have gone almost exclusively to thumb shooting.  I have screwed a piece of cordovan leather to a mechanix glove.  Very similar to the greetree thumb glove.  I shoot on the left side of the bow just like with my fingers but I grab the string with my thumb 1 inch below the nock.  That eliminates the fingers pushing the arrow off of the rest.  I experience perfect arrow flight and broadhead tuning.  I have harvested a buck and two turkeys shooting this way since last October.  It gives me two extra inches of draw length as well.  It took me awhile to really figure out the release but now I am as accurate with the thumb as I am with my fingers and have won several 3-d tournaments that way.  Thumbs up to you thumb shooter!!!

[njloco]

Clickerman, any chance you have a video of what your talking about  ? I think it would be cool to see and maybe someone else can really use the info.

halfseminole's pictures explain what he is doing.

[Bear Heart]

Yes picks please

[CLICKERMAN]

Fellas,

I am in Montana right now with no computer.  I am out here thumb shooting ground squirrels with my longbow!!!  I will post some pics when I get back next week.

[CLICKERMAN]

Fellas,

I just remembered that I posted some pics of my system early on in page 16 of the Target panic reality check thread.  This was an early version of my leather thumb ring.  Now I screw the leather directly to my glove.  I still use the same anchor as shown but now with a more relaxed and open hand.  The relaxed hand made a huge difference in the release.  I will get some vid and pics when I get back.

[Traxx]

reddogge,

Thats what i was led to believe as well,but after seeing this,i learned it is not always so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=H2NSjbK6SgQ#!

[Jhoneil1]

Yeah, among Asians, only Mongols shoot thumbrings that way. I mean I am not going to tell a Mongol that they are doing it wrong. I am glad that more and more Occidentals are shooting with a thumbring.

[njloco]

This is pretty impressive,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA0VRBt7Jnw&feature=fvwp

Enjoy.

[Lone Ranger]

WOW, BOTH of those videos are REALLY cool! thanks for sharing!!!

L.R.

(Man I love this site!)