Stickbow Target Archery Forums

Try a new glove. Again. Dummy. For anybody else who may read this, I have found that when my shooting mysteriously goes to hell, the FIRST thing I need to do is look at my glove. It's looking like no matter how expensive or sooper dooper kind of glove I get, it is only going to give me the performance that I demand for about one year. So, I need to try a new glove, confirm that that is what is really going on, then work on making cheap tabs work for me.

Or, you could buy a good tab, learn to use it and shoot it for year after year. I'm on my second year shooting the same Cavalier Elite Cordovan. It just keeps on working and gets more comfortable as I go.

Dave

Dave, naturally I have heard about the Cavalier. I have also heard good things about the Black Widow tab. Unfortunately I never much liked tabs. I didn't like having a loose floppy thing hanging on my hand after the shot. It was simply a matter of personal preference. This glove thing is getting ridiculous though. Blew $70 on my last glove and here it is a year later with a huge groove in it. (Product was naturally advertised as never wearing out and will never develope a groove.) I don't have a "release" just a massive pluck with no follow through just so I can get my fingers off the string. My shooting "guru" has assured me all along that a tab usually does give a better release. I just would hate to start down the same path with high dollar tabs. If you're able to get some longevity out of your Cavalier though it may be worth trying out
Please tell me though, do you use your Cavalier shooting split finger or 3 under? Are you using the shelf that comes with it and anchoring what I have heard called "FITA style, i.e. under the chin? Or a you anchoring on your face somewhere? From what I understand the Cavalier can be set up a few different ways. I would definitely prefer to stay with my 3 under anchor at the corner of the mouth. Again just personal preference. I have tried split finger and my big fat fingers just tend to seriously mess with the nock end of the arrow. Tabs with finger seperators didn't seem to help my attempts at split finger very much.

First, forget the shelf. It is intended for under the chin anchor for sight shooters. I am a face walker and have 4 different anchors and the highest is shot 3-under. Because I also shoot split finger I use the finger spacer (no-pinch) for field shooting. I also shoot 3-under for all indoor stuff and have a separate Elite with no finger spacer for indoor shooting.

I'm retired and shoot archery like other geezers do golf, i.e. almost every day. I have thousands of shots through both Elite tabs but the one I use for field is the oldest. It's on it's second year, about half the anodizing is worn off the aluminum plate but it is still gong strong.

I started with a glove and it grooved within a short time, as you described. I tried three other gloves but never found one as comfortable as the first that wouldn't hold up. There's a reason most of the top shooters in the country use tabs. Yea, you can find exceptions...but then they tend to be "exceptional" people. Me, I'm just a regular guy and shoot better with a tab.

Dave

Thank you very much Dave. I'm not retired, yet. I just happen to be on here today because its a "snow day" for me and I couldn't get to work this morning.
This probably sounds bad, but Im glad to hear that you too had the same problem with gloves. It's not just me!
I may have prefered the feel of a glove but I firmly believe in "do what works" and I will just have to get over my aversion to tabs.
Besides shooting 3 under, I too "face walk" to a degree but I have found only 2 different anchors that I can get good results from.

Bender, I've been having good results with an Angel cordovan tab. It's a little less than the Cavalier, but since the cordovan leather gets better as you shoot it, a few extra $ might be worth it
I got the angel when someone who didn't like it put it up for $10. There are some inexpensive cordovan tabs out there (I think the Widow is about $14) so you might want to try one of those
Either way, a Cavilier Elite for $30 is way cheaper than a $70 glove!

One other point to consider about the Cav Elite, it can be re-built by purchasing (for considerably less) replacement parts to screw onto the aluminum plate.

And, in the interest of complete disclosure there are some people who just don't like the Cavalier Elite. That's why there are so many other makes and models out there.

Dave

Bender:
I have tried several multipart tabs and have also had good results with the Cavalier. But lately I have settled on a very simple cordovan leather tab you might wish to try. It's called the Super Tab and is available from Alaskan Bowhunting Supply and the Trad Talk Store for $10. I'd buy two as I have ended up with two of them sewn together. Or you can try mine at Spenceville. Cheers, Steve

Sure the Cavalier may not be for me. I'll take the chance. It seems to be popular with the Barebow class that string walks. They must rely on some degree of precision when positioning their string hand. If I don't like it I'll try taht Super Tab you mention lbg. There's also the Black Widow Cordovan. And if I don't like those I'll just buy a big ol' sack full of those cheap 5 dollar calf hair tabs.
Working through this should carry me through the next year or so before I either find some thing that works or I lose my mind again.