Thumbring technique

[Bede]

It appears to me in the first video that the middle and ring fingers are not closed tightly. This works with light bows but can be distracting with heavier ones. Turning the hand so the little finger is lower than the thumb is a good technique ultimately because it gives a faster smoother release. If you turn the hand too far you may have the index finger move in front of the string. This is corrected by releasing with a twist which leaves the little finger higher than the thumb.

The speed that the string moves means that it escapes the thumb almost as soon as the index finger starts to move away. The Turkish concentration in Kani on not throwing the drawing hand back on release shows that they were aware that most movement occurs after the release and is not really relevant to the shot. There are times when the rearward movement of the hand is necessary to correct other problems and it is prominent in Persian miniature paintings of battle and hunting.

[Daniel T.]

Thanks! Yes, true, I must have forgotten the pressure because I was focusing on the positions. It works with this bow because it draws only 50#. It is much different with a heavier one! I tried and I need to push hard against the middle finger as you explained before to keep the thumb stable.

[Justin Ma]

Turning the hand so the little finger is lower than the thumb is a good technique ultimately because it gives a faster smoother release.

Neat. I wasn't aware of this nuance. What's the reason for this? Is it because...

(a) If the wrist is not twisted, then the string remains in contact with the thumb for a longer time during the release. By contrast, if you use a twist then the period of contact is shorter since the thumb is at an angle.

(b) For a level wrist, the string might get trapped behind the thumb because it is closer to the thumb's distal joint (the tips of the index and thumb form an 'L' in front of the string). But for a twisted wrist, the string is sitting equidistant from the index distal joint and the thumb's distal joint (the tips of the index and thumb form a 'v' in front of the string). If you imagine the string as a vertical line splitting the 'v' or 'L' in half, then the string has an easier time escaping the 'v' than it does the 'L'.

[Bede]

With the little finger lower than the thumb and the bow held vertically, the string runs from the distal joint/crease of the thumb in the upper side diagonally to the other side of the thumb. It usually leaves the lip of the thumb ring partway to the tip.

When you perform the twist and release, the string moves to the halfway point on the thumb just before the release. This is an unstable position and the thumb flips open more quickly. At this time the index finger is no longer touching the nail of the thumb.

[Justin Ma]

When you perform the twist and release, the string moves to the halfway point on the thumb just before the release. This is an unstable position and the thumb flips open more quickly. At this time the index finger is no longer touching the nail of the thumb.

Cool. Just to clarify, "halfway point on the thumb" means the crease of the distal joint, or halfway along the thumb pad?

So we discussed the technique where the draw wrist is twisted so the little finger is lower than the thumb during the draw... What happens if the little finger is higher than the thumb during the draw instead (let the bow remain vertical)? Or equivalently, what happens if we let the draw wrist remain level but we tilt the bow to the right (for a right-handed draw)?

[daryush]

Hang on a sec ....

I used to shoot with my little finger lower than my index finger but my index fingertip kept getting hit by the string. Now I do the opposite - little finger slightly higher than index finger.

[Bede]

I should have been clearer, but these descriptions run into so many phrases per sentence that I wonder if anyone con follow them.

I meant that the string moves to the midpoint of the pad of the thumb or the midpoint of the lip of the ring.

The degree to which the index finger intersects the string is dependent on how much you curl the index finger around the thumb, how close to the knuckle of the thumb the index finger sits and what part of the index finger touches the thumb.

For instance, if you do not bend the distal joint of the index finger and place the middle segment on the thumbnail, you can keep the index finger out of the way of the string. What you also need to do is turn the hand out at the wrist so that metacarpal bone at the base of the thumb is parallel to the arrow. You do not want your hand to form a fist pointing at the target. Even if the hand is perfectly horizontal, this posture slows down the release because the thumb has to travel farther to escape from under the opening index finger.

To summarise, the hand is rotated at the wrist so that the little finger is down and is also turned out so that the fist is pointing to the right of the target. Additionally, by putting the index finger over the thumb nail, you can feel when you are using too much pressure from the index finger on the thumb.

[Daniel T.]

Hang on a sec ....

I used to shoot with my little finger lower than my index finger but my index fingertip kept getting hit by the string. Now I do the opposite - little finger slightly higher than index finger.

I now have a fitting thumb ring and I have practised with a 30# bow. I encountered this problem with index finger getting in the way of the string, too. I have curled the index finger a lot for the picture to show that it crosses the string.
This does not happen if I rotate the hand so that the palm is closer to a horizontal position. But when I do that, the string presses against the skin close to knuckle (red arrow in the lower picture) and this is very uncomfortable upon releasing because the string slaps the skin below the knuckle, which is standing out due to the pressure of the string.

I am not sure what to do about it. I have done a few shots that felt great though. There was no contact with the string and the finger did not get in the way. The release was very smooth and the flight was straight, but I can't tell what I did differently.. I appreciate any advice!

Daniel

[Justin Ma]

I encountered this problem with index finger getting in the way of the string, too. I have curled the index finger a lot for the picture to show that it crosses the string.

Granted I don't hold my hand at that much of an angle, but I can suggest two things to try:

(1) The Turkish twisting technique that Bede described (also demonstrated in one of Yokhua's videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZGG-b6dUdk ).

(2) Straightening the index finger a bit more to reduce the pressure it applies to your thumb. Stephen's videos describe it as pointing down at a 45 degree angle.

[Bede]

I can see two things in the photographs that might contribute to the problem. The first is basic: the three fingers that should be clenched tightly are partly open. This puts the thumb in an unsupported situation. This works with light bows but can be a problem with stronger ones. The second is more subtle: the hand, when seen from above is slightly twisted to the left. This puts the index finger in the way of the string.

If one turns the hand to the right (seen from above) until the thumb is exactly perpendicular to the path of the arrow, the index finger is moved entirely out of the path of the string.

Curling the index finger is a natural action caused by feeling the thumb is unsupported and needs reinforcement. With a stronger clench, it is easier to relax the index finger. By having the index finger not tight, your release is improved and you avoid certain injuries when you use heavier bows.

[Daniel T.]

Justin, I have tried that twist, but I think that when I do that I loose control over the applied pressure on the arrow.

Bede, I did not think of that option of getting the finger out of the way. I really could have figured that one out! I was so focused on not bending the wrist to keep it in level with the forearm as you advised previously that I missed that option.
Regarding the clenching, I did not draw for the picture, maybe that is why I was sloppy. There are many things to concentrate on, such as not dropping the arrow. Keeping the fingers tight is important, no doubt. 30# are ok with the thumb alone, but I tried drawing my heavier bows too, and there it becomes important. Currently I don't manage more than 50# without help of the index finger, but I hope this will improve soon.

Thanks!

Daniel

[MupKo]

There are lots of different thumb ring techniques. I have described the one that was popular for military and sporting use in the Middle East. A lot depends on your intentions: what type of bow, how heavy and also what shape your thumb is. Even in the Middle Eastern techniques there were dozens of variations based on finger length and palm size.

What technique is recomended for beginer with short fingers? I tried thumb draw a little bit. Regulary, i use 3 under to the mouth cormer with my 45# hunting recurve. Drawing it to with thumb was very hard for me. With improvized 28# bow it was nice and fine! When I lock thumb with midle finger instead first finger I got more space and it was more comfortable. Could that kind of draw be good?

[Bede]

Unless your fingers are dramatically short, resorting to locking with the middle finger is not good technique. It was known to the Chinese and the Yana Indian Ishi used it, but once you move onto stronger bows it causes dragging and poor release.

Generally speaking, the lack of space your refer to is caused by closing the thumb towards the base of the index finger; this is specifically warned against in the old books. Another way to do this is to move the index finger too close to the distal knuckle of the thumb. This latter behaviour results in a very slow release. Kani recommends that the base of the thumb nail should be visible, but I find my thumb nail length is less than the width of my index finger at its middle segment. My compromise is to move the index finger as close to the tip of the thumb while still pressing the thumb hard against the middle finger.

Not everyone can bend their thumbs to the same degree. The great flexure recommended by Taybugha and other authors requires practice and is more suitable to bare thumbs, leather thumb guards and the thin short metal rings. If you have a larger thumb ring, it is sometimes better to put the tip of the thumb ring on the middle segment of the middle finger close to the middle knuckle. The essential thing is not to use the index finger to hold the thumb in place with the index finger. It should rest there lightly. Otherwise your shooting becomes unpredictable and eventually you end up with injuries to the thumb nail with heavier bows.

The use of the middle finger on the thumb presupposes that the thumb is unsupported because it is farther for the thumb to bend to touch the ring finger firmly. Another similar draw is the assisted draw mentioned in Arab Archery which is superficially like a Japanese grip, but Japanese archers will recognise that the grip is different. This draw with two fingers over the thumb is relatively ineffective. You can draw a strong bow with it, but the release is sloppy and the strength of the bow does not compensate for it.

[MupKo]

Well, not dramatically short. Thanks. I'll have better questions when I get proper equipment and start intensive practice. Just one more question for now... thumb angle on string? You wrote about lowering little finger compared to index finger. Should thumb also follow hand rotation and change angle on string?

[Bede]

I have been observing the wear patterns on one of my rings and I think that the thumb works better when it is at an angle to the string. This is a personal preference and I have not tested on bows above 90 lbs.