Gao Ying's archery has drawn renewed attention over the past several years, due in large part to the thorough translation and analysis by Jie Tian and Justin Ma in The Way of Archery. Their work paired Gao Ying's original writing with clear explanations and demonstrations, and it gave practitioners a real entry point into a tradition that had mostly existed in fragments before.

When we first developed this ring, good Gao Ying style rings simply weren't available. Most rings on the market followed Korean conventions instead, which sit and release quite differently and load the thumb in their own particular way. We went back to the illustrations and descriptions in the book and built our interpretation to match Gao's "Four Victory Ring" as closely as we could. We were the first to bring this unique style to market, and we're glad to see it's since become a more common option. We still think ours is worth a close look.

This style of ring suits what's often called the shallow-hook technique, where the thumb stays minimally curled through the draw. The release angle on this design is more aggressive than most, which gives it a notably crisp let-off, but the two-pronged guard does a good job of shielding the string contact, which means it also masks some of the feedback you'd otherwise feel. Archers newer to ring shooting should be careful not to over-curl the thumb as a result. This is a ring that rewards a light touch, so we'd point newer shooters toward a more forgiving design first.

This rev. 2.0 version further improves the fit and feel. The original had a smooth internal taper that, under load, tended to squeeze the knuckle more than we liked. Since the shallow-hook draw puts a larger share of the load on the knuckle rather than the thumb pad, that pressure mattered more here than it would on other styles. The new internal shape is contoured to cradle the sides of the knuckle directly, which spreads the load more evenly and makes a real difference in comfort over a full session.

We custom-size every ring on a continuous spectrum for your perfect fit—no more settling for generic sizes. For the most accurate measurement, we strongly recommend using our Ring Sizer and ordering a set of three closely sized rings. For complete sizing guidance, see our Sizing Information.

Want to add visual flair? Check out our Ring Decoration service for metallic coatings and carved patterns.