Image 1: The hand I designed using Subdivisions with the help of the free hand tutorial here at SM. Thanks a lot for that tut Kevin!
Image 2: In green is the nurbs sphere I used for an influence object for the index finger.
Image 3: The index finger when it is bent. The influence object was parented to one of the joints. The unwanted deformation is still present.
Image 4: I tried adding two more influence spheres to the index finger thinking it would help.
Image 5: I still get the same results as in image 3 and as seen in image 5, the influence objects also have an effect on the middle finger. They are pulling it down slightly.

Question: What is a good set-up for influence objects in fingers and what should the drop-off and Nurbs sample values be? Do weights have anything to do with this problem? If so, what exactly do I need to do? Any tutorials or information would be greatly appreciated.