Thumbring technique

Jos?Dom · Post by **Jos?Dom** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 4:28 pm

I have two questions regarding the use of thumbring:

1) I used to hold/support my thumb with two fingers (index and middle) but then I changed to one finger (index). I found that now the release is cleaner and the tension reduced, therefore my accuracy increased to perfection. The only thing is that 2 supporting fingers are still necessary for the heavy weights (higher than 60-65pounds in my case).
Which way do you use, 1 or 2 supporting fingers? Arabic writings used to name these styles with numeric configurations which I don?t remember now.

2) When you use a short bow such as a Turkish bow you?re forced to draw close to your face, like in the corner of your mouth is drawing with 3 fingers. I found that if I try to hold that way with the thumbring, I hit my teeth/jawbone at release with the ring. So instead I anchor under my chin/jaw without problem. I guess the other solution would be to hold at the height of my mouth but far away from my face. What do you think it?s better?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:17 am

Jose,
To answer your two questions separately:

1. Though the use of two fingers on the thumb is mentioned in Arabic works it is not advised. The use of a single index finger on the thumb is the normal method. The pressure from the index finger should be very light. All the manuals stress this. It follows that the strength of the thumb lock does not come from the finger on the thumb. All the manuals assert that the strength of the lock comes from the pressure of the thumb against the middle finger. The three fingers, middle, ring and little, are clenched tightly and the thumb is firmly pressed against the middle section of the middle finger. My shoulders give out before my thumb pulls away from the middle finger (this happens about 90 pounds for me).

2. If you are hitting your face with the thumb ring, I think that there may be two problems. One is the angle that you are holding your head and the other is the way your release the ring. While I normally draw to the ear, I occasionally anchor at the corner of the mouth. If the back of the thumb ring is touching the corner of the mouth, when you release you twist the drawing hand about 90 degrees as you punch backwards with your elbow. If you turn you head too far to the left, you may be pulling your hand directly into you cheek.

I hope this helps. It is hard to make recommendations without seeing what you are doing.

mongolianarcher · Post by **mongolianarcher** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:26 am

Bede you are referring to the twist as noted in arab archery. It is my personal choice for my release because it is cleaner and smoother than the other 2 types referred in arab archery.

Jos?Dom · Post by **Jos?Dom** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:48 am

Bede, your explanation is very clear and useful. I'll try your advise.
Thank you.

Daniel T. · Post by **Daniel T.** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:44 am

Bede wrote:The use of a single index finger on the thumb is the normal method. The pressure from the index finger should be very light. All the manuals stress this. It follows that the strength of the thumb lock does not come from the finger on the thumb. All the manuals assert that the strength of the lock comes from the pressure of the thumb against the middle finger. The three fingers, middle, ring and little, are clenched tightly and the thumb is firmly pressed against the middle section of the middle finger.

Good to know! I am going to try the thumb technique for the first time this weekend. Looks like I would have done it quite wrong.

Cheers,
Daniel

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:05 pm

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.

Alan Flashing · Post by **Alan Flashing** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:28 pm

Thanx for the info Bede. Slowly but surely I am absorbing all this information
Alan

Daniel T. · Post by **Daniel T.** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:39 pm

So I tried it for a couple of shots today. Unfortunately the only string I had was made of 6 strands of FastFlight without serving. Despite taping my thumb it hurt a bit. I found it difficult to push the thumb against the middle finger and at the same time keep the arrow in place with the index finger. But I still remember how I struggled not to drop the arrow from the bow hand with the three finger draw when I was a beginner, so I guess it is ok.

I pushed the arrow sideways against the string with the proximal joint of the index finger, which was resting about one centimeter ahead of the nock base. Is this a good way to do it?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 11:59 pm

Daniel,
You should have the middle section of the index finger over the thumb nail. The nock of the arrow at the beginning of the draw should be touching the middle of the proximal section of the index finger. As the draw progresses, the string angle moves the nock to the position opposite the joint.

Be careful your drawing hand wrist does not turn up. You want your metacarpal bones to be in the same plane as your forearm.

Your really should use a thicker string with serving. When drawing hurts the thumb, you get into bad habits unconsciously so in the end you waste your practice.

Daniel T. · Post by **Daniel T.** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:04 am

Thank you for your advice, Bede! I put on a serving this morning and tried drawing a few times. I am not sure what you mean by the nock moving opposite to the joint, but I expected the nock to slide towards the thumb while drawing. It didn't, just stayed a few millimetres above. When I nock the arrow, the nock is below the knuckles. I don't see how I could place it at the middle of the proximal section of the index finger without turning up the wrist.

I just saw this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9kjKOn9n-o
and I noticed a was tucking in my fingers too much.

Of course you're right regarding the bad habits. It made me release as soon as I reached the desired draw length.

osmiu · Post by **osmiu** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 1:56 pm

Jos?Dom : do you have "blue fingernail syndrom" ?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:39 am

Daniel,
These are some bad photographs of what I meant. Unfortunately, since I was taking them by myself with a timer and from an odd angle, they do not show some things correctly. The hand is turned too far up and the turn from start to end of the draw is exaggerated.

Depending and how far away from the arrow you put the thumb, you have the ability to have the nock of the arrow in front of the thumb at full draw. This is done be some Mongolian archers who intend to remove the index finger's pressure from the nock of the arrow entirely.

Daniel T. · Post by **Daniel T.** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 6:10 am

Thanks for your pictures, Bede! I can't take a picture right now, but it seems that my metacarpophalangeal joint is farther on the right from this point of view, which makes the string line up with the knuckles. Or is the angle of the wrist just tricking the eye in these photos? I compared hands with a colleague, his metacarpophalangeal joint is a bit closer than mine but not by much. Maybe this just another variation among people. Some people have a longer index finger than ring finger, some don't. Or a second toe that is longer than the first toe which I always found funny for some reason

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:59 am

Daniel,
These are not very good pictures. I will get someone to help me out. Because of the angle, I think the relation on the parts of the hand might be distorted.

This picture was taken at the broadhead section of the flight shooting at Bonneville Flats last year. You might be able to see what I meant about the relationship of the bones in the wrist to the forearm. This is using a Korean bow with a long draw.

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:17 pm

This bow is horn bow or bamboo-fiberglass laminate bow ?

Thumbring technique

Thumbring technique

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