I am by no means an expert Archer,
but if there's anything that I've got experience in, it's buying stuff for archery.
Over the past year or so I've accumulated a lot of equipment.
Some useful, some not so much.
For the sake of those who are thinking of taking up archery
and are looking into buying the relevant equipment,
I've made this video to look at a cross section of items across the price range.
It can be quite daunting to open up an archery page and look at all the options.
So hopefully this video will give you insight into what your money is going towards.
In this case I'll be focusing on finger tabs.
Firstly a note on finger tabs.
You need one!
It's not a costly investment, but your fingers are important.
Shooting without a finger tab, apart from ruining your release, can result in
significant pain after prolonged shooting.
I've seen beginners swear that they shoot better with their bare fingers,
but it's a naive show of bravado on low poundage bows.
For your safety, get a tab, even if it's a cheap one.
Unfortunately most camps and schools that provide archery as an activity
overlook this small but vital bit of equipment, along with arm guards.
Often what happens is they'll buy a lot of bows and arrows in bulk,
they'll give them to the kids, and they'll point them at a target 30 meters away
and hopefully shoot in the general direction.
What can be a bit of fun at camp can result in a very negative impression of
the sport due to things like finger pain, string slaps, and, of course, a lack of proper instruction.
Almost everyone that I have spoken to that has tried archery at a camp
has complained about these things. So, you need finger protection.
Whether it's a cheap bit of leather or plastic cover over the string.
Trying out archery without a tab is like trying out boxing without
having gloves.
I've acquired four different tabs. I'll go through the features of each one.
This isn't meant to advocate which one is the best one.
There's no real way to measure that unless they can decide amongst themselves.
[Mortal Kombat sound effects]
Choose your destiny
Flawless victory!
Buying equipment is, a lot of the time, personal preference.
The first tab is a Fivics Soma.
This is typical of the lower end,
costing around 15 Australian dollars.
This one came with my first bow package. I had no choice in type or size, and you
should be wary of package deals that don't specify what you're getting.
The tab features a soft leather face, multiple layers for added protection, and
a flap on the back that is meant to protect your fingers from arrow pinch.
The low quality of the tab is evident. The flaps get in the way more often than not,
and the leather split within weeks. The strap is also hard to adjust, and the
plastic bucket broke rendering it unusable.
I should note that size does matter.
This is a large tab, and my hands suit a medium tab.
It was very clumsy to hook my fingers around the string, and it flew off many
times on release.
Size issues aside, I found myself switching this one for a generic leather
tab until I bought a different one.
Next we have the AAE Cavalier.
This is probably my favorite tab. It is widely popular and comes in several versions.
This one is the Ultra-Lite, being obviously lighter and missing the finger spacer
and ledge that comes as standard on most tabs. The Elite version of the
Cavalier comes with both. The tab comes in different materials.
This one is Super Leather, and it's impressively thick though stiff.
This tab is designed for a deep hook with the string lined against the plate.
The tab is fastened using a cord.
I no longer use this tab on the range, but for holding exercises I prefer the
thickness of the leather.
It feels like it'll last forever, and it's possible to order replacement backings.
Depending on which face you get, a Cavalier Elite can cost you around $30-$50.
Slightly upscale, the "Win&Win 360" is around $50.
As with most tabs, it comes with a ledge and spacer,
though I removed the ledge as a personal preference.
The leather is thin but very smooth, and the tab feels very light.
The spacer is curved on the inside allowing for more clearance of the knock. The fastener is
interesting, too, being easily adjustable and quite solid,
however, I've had problems with this in the field. Constant usage will loosen the
nuts and have come off more than once,
making a fastener useless until you replace the nut.
It's a pretty good tab all around.
On the top end of the spectrum, we have the AAE KSL Gold Tab. This beast will set you back nearly $70.
It is designed by Kisik Lee, a renowned coach. He formerly coached the Korean and
Australian national teams and is currently the United States national coach.
He has published books on shooting methods, and the KSL tab is designed with this in mind.
There are two versions: aluminium and brass.
The biggest difference is the weight. Compared to the other tabs,
this one is a brick, designed to keep the hand stable. The plate is adjustable to
fit your palm.
The elastic strap goes around the fingers nicely, and the spacer feels solid.
Overall this tab is very firm, but the weight and shape can be unfamiliar to
some archers.
Like I said, it's really hard to say which one is better. There are far
more tabs on the market.
I can only review what I have. So I've tried a few, and they all do the same thing.
I've spoken to archers who swear by one tab and completely
despise another one, but it all comes down to what feels better for you.
The cheap generic ones that come with packages usually aren't that great.
They're poorly shaped and don't last very long
and more often than not I see
beginner arches replace the tab first, so it's worth investing in a decent tab
that will last you
hopefully for your entire archery career. But the poor ones, the cheap ones
usually have bad shape and bad anchoring, whereas the better ones are made from
sturdier materials, fit better, and are more adjustable.
That said, it is complete personal preference.
A decent tab will be around the $40 - $60 price range, and
it's most important that you get one that you are happy with.
Anyway, I hope this short video was informative and helpful.
If you liked it make sure you like the bottom and subscribe
somewhere over here. I'll be doing a few more videos on different archery products
like risers and arrows and quivers, just to compare what low end or low cost
products are like compared to higher end products.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and I'll see you next time.