I am currently waiting on several thumb rings that I ordered from China. I bought a horse bow and will be shooting it from the opposite side of the riser off my thumb of my grip hand. I have tried shooting a old all fiberglass low poundage bow with my bare thumb and it was painful. I am looking forward to the challenge of developing a good form and release using the thumb draw. Thanks for the great video it is the first time I have heard of shooting off of your index finger, I may try that on some of my low poundage bows.
I started shooting thumb ring about 6 years ago.. interest and videos out there was kind of weak...nobody like you anyway.... spot on with 5 things, awesome video.. i noticed fit and size was crucial to my shooting. So I made my first ring it was out of oak and huge. But the fit was tight and the release was faster than 3 finger, my thumb ring completly hides my thumb. Love shooting with it. .. if anybody decides to make one ? 3 things have to work in order for you to shoot accurate. 1. groove or shelf or touching the inside of the thumb at the edge of the ring..the transition has to be smooth . 2. the slope of the ring or the slide area of the string. this angle is crucial if you want to increase your arrow speed. 3. The material you use to make a ring ? HARD.. forget the glove and leather patch even though they work they cause pain and are slow. Stone or a Hard wood polished work the best. Work on making it as slick as possible. Look at ancient designs the best were made of gem stones and polished like glass. You will gain 10-15 fps easily over 3 finger especially on heavy poundage bows
Modern Mongolian target shooters thumb draw right hand with arrow on left side too. You can also finger draw right hand with arrow on right side (Slavic draw). Draw with 2 fingers, index finger against arrow holding it against bow (handy on a horse).
Focus on holding string with your thumb only because most of the time, you will lock and hold your thumb with string on it entirely with your index finger which will cause problems, so instead focus on holding string with your thumb as much as you can and use index finger just as ''support''.
I tried thumb ring starting a few weeks ago... noticed pain in my index finger. I'm thinking you're right about wrapping the forefinger over the thumb!
I ordered a thumb ring in the wee hours this morning. I hope I'm getting the right size. I don't like pain. I'm glad that I'm free to shoot off the index finger. I'm shooting a primitive bow and there is no shelf. I'm brand new to the sport, so I think I have many opportunities to learn and engrain all the bad habits of thumb draw and mediterranean draw into one incoherent shooting style.
I like your channel .. its full of facts i shoot with my hand reversed palm out which gives the same paradox effect as thumb release , whould be interesting if u could do a video about that .
I think you might have a misunderstanding of Paradox. The flexing of the arrow is not Paradox, it is a result of it. Archers paradox only occurs in bow not cut to or past center. On these bows, the arrow is not pointing at the target but off at a slight angle. That fact that the arrow is not pointing at the target, that is the Archers Paradox. As for the grip I seen that one girl shoot pretty fat with it and I seen another shoot really accurately with it. I tried it for fun and had to aim several feet off to the side. Blew my mind, not what I was use to.
Been trying to master the Korean Hwarang and it is hard! Tried several thumbrings unsuccessfully, but I never had access to great instructions like these. I'll give it another go soon. Thanks!
Hwarang? It means "Flowering Manhood" in Korean. It is was also a youth education program for the elite. Some relate it to the Samurai. I do know a few people who train in Hwarang-Do. Lived in Korea for a year, have a degree in TaeKwondo. Not sure what you mean by "Korean Hwarang".
Archery 101 I've been told that Korean archers shoot 150 yards with the hwarang bow, which weighs barely a pound (so it seems). Of all the traditional bows on Earth, in my opinion it's the most impressive, but the proper form involves drawing the shoulder blades together at full draw and rotating the bow wrist outward upon release. I can't believe you're not familiar with these. The practice is called guangdong, or something like that. Mine is 45 lbs and it's a beast - chronographed over 250 fps.with a Mediterranean (3 finger) release. I've made a few thumbrings, in the past, tried a few from 3Rivers, too but none of them seem to fit. Any thoughts on finding the right one?
Hey Greg, so it seems like they used the word Hwarang like a brand name of sorts for the bow I bought. I guess the joke's on me... As far as I can tell, the Koreans generally call their trad bow a gakgung, or gukgung. Trad Korean Archery is called Gung-do, I think. Can you confirm this for me? I like to think I know what I'm talking about:) Also - I just got my Vermil thumbring and the fit is perfect! I can't believe how well it distributes the force of the string. No pain! You the man Greg!
I'd like to see you shoot it .I'm shooting well on the right hand shelf even though I'm right handed.Are you shooting on the left hand shelf ? Confusing.Im a right hand shooter needing a right handed grip on a left hand bow. I've got it down using an ambitious PSE bow .
I do not believe in eye dominance in being a big factor. There are studies that show that the dominate eye can and does switch depending on the angle you are looking, and which eye is closer to the target. I shoot both left and right handed, with no problems.
Add in the things said by the other known archery youtuber - the thumb gets thicker in the summer, thinner in winter - and it seems to me, the proper size is a fathom. There has to be some kind of workaround as if it's a feature.
Jareth Glove or ring? The glove is tough. You really have to have the string on a certain part of the thumb so as to not cause pain. Same for the ring, but that location varies by the design of it
Oh my gosh! You just answered my "Why am I shooting to the left so much?" question. I talk with Joel quite a bit and have copied his thumb tab release glove. I really like it, but I was having a hard time controlling the shot. I would make some really good shots that felt really smooth, then would get that flyer to the left. Thanks, good stuff! My Facebook has the glove pattern if your interested.
Just get a Fu Hao shalklow hook, you don't need to wrap your finger over your thumb at all. they are comfortable, or a Korean sugakji its ever more interesting, has a small "lever" that stick out that you hold. these are all historical thumb rings for any traditional snobs.
I learned that my thumb must bigger than Chinese ones, so, until I can find a shop that sells lots of different ones, will just need to keep the caloused thumb
Thanks for this. I have a tendon problem in my right hand that makes split finger or three under painful. I wanted to try the thumb ring but had been told I'd have to get all new bows! Any advice on where to go for tumb ring instruction and even on getting the "perfect" size?
If you use a thumb ring you should shoot off the thumb if your are right handed. It eliminates archers paradox and the arrow doesn't flex, makes for a straighter shot and more accurate. If your ring is correct and your string is in the right position, the arrow will not fall off the bow, you can shoot upside down !!!!
Sorry, but you cannot eliminate the flexing of the arrow. Simple physics. Inertia. When force is applied to the back of the arrow, the front, which is heavier, will resist, causing the shaft to bend. It must and does happen, to what degree, that is different, but it does flex. Please watch Joel Turners video where he shoots off the left and right side. I also have several picture of Mongol's shooting off the finger side. There is no law that says you must shoot off the thumb side.
@Toxophilus indomitus There is a huge difference. You naturally open up on the shot. This means that the arrow on the thumb side of the bow doesn't scrape against the bow. Shooting on the other side makes your bow interfere with arrow upon expansion. Stiff arrows don't flex as much, making a cleaner release with the thumb. This guy claims khatra is bullshit, which is why I wouldn't recommend him for thumb release advice.
@Toxophilus indomitus Yes, Mongolians shoot from the index side today, but with a thumb draw. Which was not the case historically. But tell me please, what style do you shoot? What kind of bow?
The thumb release and index finger pressure upon the knock really isn't ideal for shooting on the bow hand index finger side shooting. It's literally designed to keep the arrow from falling away from the side of the belly of the bow, so the arrow is placed on the underside when knocking. A thumb technique will push the arrow away from the bow even when it is on the upper side. I'm not sure gravity can overcome that force unless you use a very light draw weight or super heavy arrows... You'll have to use your bow hand index finger to hold the arrow steady at the front. I really don't recommend your style to anyone. No hate though. If you can do it, well done but it just seems like too much hassle. Saying that I only use Asiatic bows (horse bows) and am completely unfamiliar with how arrow shelves perform. If they hold the shaft in place at the shelf, then cool. Discount everything I've said. Hope this makes sense. Trying to hold a conversation with the v family and comment on here is tough.
Check out Joel turner who shoots that way. One of the best shots out there. Like anything else, you have to know your equipment. Also, check out the Mongolian festival in which they all shoot off the "wrong" side. Not only can it be done, it can be done accurately and easily. Seems to me that too many are too closed minded when it come to how thing can be done.
@@TradArchery101 Yeah, The Mongolians shoot like that now, but I was examining them the other month and it still just seemed like a hassle to do it that way. Had they been on horseback I think it would be very difficult. One of them even said it is not the way of our ancestors. Which makes me wonder what changed and when? I'm not saying it doesn't work. I've seen people not draw the bow and just push the bow hand outwards and still make a 40m target. It's just verrrry peculiar to me.
@@Dream_Weapon The Europeans (the English used longbows) had horse archers and they shot spilt finger and off the right side with no problem. Being an owner of a horse, I find it easy to shoot multiple ways. Check out Joel Turner, the best thumb ring shooter out there, by a wide margin.
@@TradArchery101 I mean. If you're talking about the Victorian hobby style long bow hobbyists then yes, but as an Englishman having watched people shoot 100lb up to I think it was 170-180lb draw warbows, the men ofolde would have had to have been absolute machines to draw one of those with a two finger draw. I will check out this guy Joel, thanks for the recomendation.
@@Dream_Weapon Check out Mike Loades, who shows how they did it. There is an English knight who was a famous horse archer, buried in a church. The name escapes me. They shot spilt finger off the horse, not two fingered. Life, history is much richer and varied than what we believe. People have been doing things differently since the dawn of time.
