What Is An Archery Finger Tab?

An archery finger tab, also known as an archer tab, is a piece of material that helps protect an archer's draw finger on release of the bowstring.

Majority of the time this is made out of a small piece of leather or synthetic material.

​This type of archer tab is popular with recurve bows but can also work with traditional bows and longbows

Due to the design of the bows you will have to draw the bow with your fingers and upon release of the bowstring it can cause damage from friction on your finger tips.

​This archery finger tab is a great way to protect your fingers as well as create a smoother release from your hand and take less energy away from the bow.

Why Do You Need a Finger Tab?

​A finger tab is useful for many purposes. But the best reasons are; protects your fingers, reduces friction, and provides a consistent anchor point.

First it protects your fingers. This is important for many reasons. The first obviously being it does not hurt to shoot your bow and you can therefore shoot for a longer period of time.

When a bow is drawn the bowstring is rough and when wrapped around your finger can cause pinching, bruising, and skin irritation.

The use of a finger tab can help your fingers from all this pain and suffering to allow for longer and more frequent shooting of your bow.

Second, a finger tab reduces friction. The finger tab will have a smoother surface than your skin so upon release of the bowstring it should slide off the finger tab more easily.

Due to the smoother surface this can help you maintain a better and more consistent grip on the bowstring.

This consistency will help decrease inconsistencies on draw as well as evenly distribute the weight of the bowstring tension across the finger tab.

So when you release the bowstring it should provide a cleaner release that keeps the bow more balanced and therefore more accurate.

Finger tabs will help you create a faster and more accurate shot with your bow and overall increase your archery skills.

Finally finger tabs help provide a consistent anchor point. When using a finger tab it will begin to break into your hand and therefore the bowstring will consistently lay in the same spot of your fingers.

When the bow is drawn your anchor point placement as well as where the bowstring lies will maintain consistency and overall accuracy of your shooting ability.

​Overall the finger tab will help you create consistency on where the bow string is lying in your fingers and therefore consistency with your draw and anchor point.

In conclusion, finger tabs are extremely useful in helping you become the best archery shooter you can be. Both with less pain and more accuracy you will be that much closer to being the best shooter you can be and impressing yourself and others with your skill.

Is a Finger Tab Necessary?

Other options exist to help create these positive impacts on your archery skills, however they are not as effective as using the finger tab.

Not only does a finger tab help provide all of the benefits listed above but it is also small and easy for storage.

Most importantly, the use of a finger tab doesn't just protect you and help you shoot more accurately.

The finger tab will also help protect your equipment. Like stated above, the use of a finger tab decreases the amount of friction on the bowstring which not only allows for smoother release, more accuracy and speed, but also will help protect your bowstring from wear and tear.

Bowstrings still have to be replaced because they will get worn and fray, but the use of a finger tab will increase the lifespan of your string as well as your bow by keeping consistent tension on the bow's arms.

​Overall the use of a finger tab seems invaluable towards you, your bow, and your skills.

Finger Tab vs Archery Gloves

So you are debating between a finger tab and a glove.

Let’s get into the similarities, differences, and which one seems best for your archery style. So let's start with comparing the size of these two options.

Obviously a finger tab is going to be smaller than a glove. However both have positives with their size.

A finger tab is going to be smaller but therefore if you have super wide fingers it may not work for you.

The archery glove is larger but it does allow you to have full coverage around each of your fingers to keep them protected.

Another thing to discuss in this comparison is the amount of protection provided. Finger tabs tend to be thicker and offer better protection to where you will not feel the release of the bowstring at all on your fingers.

Whereas the gloves have a thinner material and you may be able to feel some of the friction on your fingers.

This difference in material also affects the ease of release. The material on the finger tab will offer less friction and will therefore create a smoother release. However the gloves will have more friction and therefore a stickier release but they do give you the ability to move your fingers while using them.

The finger tabs completely restrict your movement so your fingers are stuck at the spread the tab is built for and there is no changing that.

Finally we will discuss the ease of use. The finger tabs are easy to slip on and off and are great for archers using targets or wanting to give their fingers a break between shots.

However the glove is more of a process to get on and off and reportedly has been lost less times between shots.

​Overall the finger tabs and gloves are both great options to up your archery skills. You just need to find the one that matches your style and gives you the best shot possible.