I've always shot a tab. In the early 70s when the first releases came out I tried a couple but I hated them. Those of use who competed in Freestlye"Limited" considered the release shooters blasphemers lazy archers who wouldn't learn how to do a proper fingers release- I still feel that way. I still shoot a compound in Freestyle"Limited" competition but I teach with & hunt with recurves.



I'll let a student start with a glove but I move them into a tab pretty quickly. As soon as they realize how much smoother & cleaner their release is with the tab, they never go back to the glove.



The biggest thing to remember with a fingers release is to never let you hand leave/pull away from your face. We call this "plucking" the string- no it isn't a guitar!!!



There are two ways to release- either a dead release where the string just slips off of your fingers, next to your face. Or the more exagerated release where you pull your release hand straight back- opening your fingers and you slide your hand back- Olympic/FITA style release (looks KEWL



These are two of my tabs. The one on the left is 5yrs+ old and has shot MANY!! thousands of arrows. My tabs are made by Earle Bateman (a very old friend) who owns E.W.Bateman &Co. Earle puts elastic on the tabs but I take the elastic off because it wears out. I replace it with & prefer a piece of nylon string.







E.W.Bateman &Co.

http://www.ewbateman.com/

" Or the more exagerated release where you pull your release hand straight back- opening your fingers and you slide your hand back- Olympic/FITA style release (looks KEWL "

That's me! Getting as much back tension as I can.

I have always found the Neet hair tab to be the best. Many guys use a glove, but they will develop grooves that make a good release hard to attain. When I used a glove, my fingers would freeze in cold weather and I never got good shots off. I knew one fellow that used one for target and as soon as it started giving him trouble, he pitched it and pulled a new one out of his back pocket. He went through at least five during a match. Using a glove will make your fingers more sore and callouses will form on your fingers. They are OK for light bows. I just don't like them. Shooting bare fingers with a light bow will give the best release and allow you to shoot all kinds of arrow sizes from the same bow perfectly straight. Not practicle with a heavy hunting bow. The Neet tab is as close to bare fingers as you can get without getting sore fingers. This tab will not shrivel up when wet and shoots the same wet or dry. The kant pinch will be ruined once wet. If I shoot my release over a chronograph and then shoot my fingers, I only gain 1 fps with the release. I can also shoot a lighter arrow with the Neet tab then I can with a release.