Sore fingertips after a session? An archery finger tab is a small leather or synthetic patch that shields your fingers from the string. A glove does the same job, so the choice comes down to how you shoot.
Finger protection is one piece of the wider topic of archery equipment, and it touches the string on every shot.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Simple tab position | Below the nocking point (“three finger under”) |
| Split tab finger layout | One finger above and two fingers below the nocking point |
| Split depth | About one third down the leading edge |
| Platform tab use | More common for recurve or Olympic-class target archery |
| Barebow tab marking | Unmarked finger tabs |
These figures come from Wikipedia’s finger tab entry and World Archery’s barebow equipment page. Equipment descriptions and rules can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
What an archery finger tab does
A finger tab is a small leather or synthetic patch that sits between the string and your fingers. According to Wikipedia’s finger tab entry, it is strapped or otherwise attached to your hand to protect your fingers from the bowstring.
You need that protection from your first session. Improve Your Archery says shooting without finger protection is painful, especially at a high draw weight, and it names the tab and glove as the most used options.
Most tabs have a retaining loop on the back that fits over your middle finger. It is simply there to keep the tab on your fingers when the string is loosed.
Competition archers meet the tab in the rules too. World Archery’s barebow page says barebow archers wear unmarked finger tabs to protect their fingers from the pressure of the string, alongside arm guards for the forearms and chest guards that keep clothing out of the string’s path.
Tab styles: simple, split and platform
Tabs come in various forms, and the differences are mostly about where your fingers sit on the string. Wikipedia describes three common types.
- Simple tab: a single patch placed below the nocking point between your fingers and the string, a style called “three finger under”. It is most often used in barebow styles of archery.
- Split tab: has a split about one third down the leading edge, so one finger sits above the nocking point of the arrow and two fingers sit below. This style is called split finger or Mediterranean draw.
- Platform tab: adds a platform to the back that forms a flat cover over the top, giving a hard reference point underneath your chin when the string is drawn back. Platform tabs are more common for recurve or Olympic-class target archery.
Barebow and longbow archers often keep the index, middle and ring fingers all below the arrow. Wikipedia’s bow draw entry calls this “three under” and says it brings the arrow closer to the eye and allows the string-walking aiming technique.
String-walking is where the tab becomes a measuring tool. World Archery says the closer the target, the lower your fingers go on the string, up to about 20 centimetres below the arrow, and that barebow archers must string-walk with nothing more than a simple scale on their tab.
The same bow draw entry says the modern thought is to keep effort in the hand to a minimum. The only work the hand has to do is the effort required to keep the bowstring on the fingers, which is what a well-fitted tab supports.
Using only two fingers is sometimes called the Flemish release. The same page warns that more pressure goes on those fingers, resulting in more strain, so protection matters even more there.
Should you pick a tab or a glove?
The most practical rule comes from Improve Your Archery. If you anchor below the chin and use a sight, a tab is recommended; if you anchor on your cheek and aim without a sight, a glove is recommended.
The reasoning is about reference points. The same page says a glove is more intuitive to use, but a tab gives you a solid reference for your anchor point.
Here is how the choice plays out, drawing on both sources:
- Tab for anchoring: a tab gives a solid reference for your anchor point when you anchor below the chin.
- Tab in warm weather: Wikipedia says tabs are far more comfortable than gloves in summertime and can more conveniently use thicker material.
- Glove for retrieving arrows: you do not have to remove it while pulling arrows, because your finger movement is not restricted.
- Glove for cheek anchoring: the metal and plastic parts of a tab feel uncomfortable on the cheek.
Cost is where the sources disagree. Wikipedia says tabs are less expensive and easier to fit, while Improve Your Archery says gloves tend to be cheaper. Judge the specific product rather than the category.
Can you use a glove on a recurve bow? Wikipedia calls the tab the normal finger protection with recurve bows, while Improve Your Archery says a glove works if you shoot with a sight, though it is very uncommon. Your bow and shooting style steer this choice, so the comparison of longbow vs recurve is worth reading before you buy.
Glove styles vary a little. Most finger gloves have 3 fingers, but a few are available with just 2.
Rules that touch your tab
Tabs are regulated equipment in competition. World Archery’s barebow page says the bow must be free of custom marks or devices that assist in aiming, and that barebow archers wear unmarked finger tabs.
A 16 August 2013 interpretation shows how closely tabs are read. The Italian Archery Federation asked whether a particular tab was allowed in the Barebow Division, and the Technical Committee found that a device attached to the tab appeared to be a type of draw check device.
The committee noted that the attached lever had a hinge mechanism and so had no purpose other than to aid the archer in holding and releasing the string. By majority decision it ruled the tab not legal for any World Archery competition where a draw check device is prohibited, as the World Archery interpretation records.
That ruling is dated 16 August 2013, and rules are revised over time. Check the current rulebook for your event before you buy a tab with any moving parts.
The responsibility sits with you. Archery Canada’s target archery rule book says it is the athlete’s responsibility to use equipment that complies with the rules, and that scores may be disqualified otherwise.
Fit, features and other finger protection
A modern tab has many features that let you fit it to your hand and shooting style, according to Improve Your Archery. It says decent tabs let you adjust the pinky hook, thumb shelf and finger spacer.
That site recommends a tab with all the important components. A budget tab will most likely lack some of them.
- Finger spacer
- Thumb rest
- Pinky hook
- Palm plate
Other draw styles use different gear, and Wikipedia lists the main alternatives.
- Thumb ring or thumb tab: protects the thumb for archers practising the Mongolian draw.
- Yugake: the Japanese yugake is a reinforced glove with a special ridge which holds the string.
- Mechanical release: usually attached to the wrist and usually used with compound bows.
Once your fingers are protected, the next skill is handling the string itself, and the guide on how to string a longbow covers that step.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need finger protection to start archery?
Show answer
Yes. Bare fingers on a heavy bow hurt, so pick a tab or a glove before your first session.
Can you use a glove with a recurve bow?
Show answer
You can if you shoot with a sight, according to Improve Your Archery, although it calls this very uncommon. Wikipedia describes the tab as the normal finger protection used with recurve bows.
What is a platform tab?
Show answer
It is a tab with a platform attached to the back that forms a flat cover over the top. Wikipedia says this gives a hard reference point underneath the chin when the string is drawn back, and that platform tabs are more common for recurve or Olympic-class target archery.
Is a glove cheaper than a tab?
Show answer
The sources disagree. Wikipedia says tabs are less expensive, while Improve Your Archery says gloves tend to be cheaper, so compare actual products.
