Do you turn loose of the string or do you just stop holding it. ?

[Green]

I can relate to a whole lot of this Jimmy.  I grew up a bird hunter, later a pro bird dog trainer so shotgunning was a way of life for me for 30+ years.  Dbishop above is a nationally ranked sporting clays shooter....one of the best.  So both of us can relate to the story you tell here.

I can also relate to the Type A personality....Javi will probably chime in with his .02 on this one..lol.  Anyway, something of a flinch, combined with having to "control the shot" has been a big thing for me to overcome in my bow shooting.  For 40 years I'd just aim as I was drawing, and release as soon as I hit a corner of the mouth anchor.....that little type A voice in my head that tells you NOW!  

This caused the flinging of the hand...or jerking of the trigger with a scattergun.  Anyway, the only way I've been able to overcome this has been with Javi and Arne's help since picking my bows back up in Nov. 2010.  I found this site shortly after and have been on a quest to shoot better and more competitively since.  

A few weeks back Javi broke through in his fight to cure me of these issues by having me draw deep into my back anchor first....then bringing my string hand into my face.  Doing it in this manner aligned me perfectly, and as I keep back tension up while aiming the release is no longer a conscious, almost violent action on my part....it's more a product of the form as I allow the shot to happen.  He's constantly beating me over the head to shoot "relaxed"...and dang'd if he's not winning over the little guy in my head.

About the time I was working through all of this I ran across your videos.  It is tremendously helpful to watch someone whose form is top notch, and consistent from shot to shot whether it's a target or self bow.  I've come away from all of them with something that I can incorporate into my own shot sequence and mental process.  Thanks!

[Ranger B]

You bet.  That is what these videos and forums are designed to do - help each other.  I do a lot of work on the mental game as well.

Rod Jenkins and I are good friends.  Rod is the biggest factor in helping me get to this point - and will be the biggest factor in getting me to the next ;-)  He continues to try and help me get to the point where no one shot is more important than another.  The only arrow that matters is the one on the string right now.  When you tell yourself that this arrow has to be a 5 you've already beat yourself.  He tells me, "Just do your job."  If we worry about the form and execute the shot like we know how to do the points will take care of themselves.  That arrow will get there for you but you have to do your job back here.  That is incredibly difficult for my personality type.  If I need a 5 then I ten do start thinking about holding even longer to make sure it goes to the X and trying super hard to get everything just right so I've already put more importance on that specific arrow.

Lanny Basham's book "With winning in mind" is a great little book on the mental game.  If you haven't read it I suggest you do.

[Terry Green]

Yeah Jimmy....that's what I've said for years...'the most important arrow you will ever shoot is..... The NEXT ONE!'

[dbishop]

Ranger B,

Thanks for the reply. You may be very well right in that using back tension creates a smoother release.  I just personally have not been able to feel when it's right and when it's not.  What I have found is that being I have not had any luck with the consistant back tension, I anchor my thumb to the bony "bump" behind my ear.  I make sure that it never leaves my head on release.  I have found that it keeps me from plucking and gives me a consistant, repeatable anchor.  Sure, I have to think about it because from time to time, I will let my thumb come off of my head if I forget to go through my preshot routine.  This very well could be a problem eliminated by mastering the back tension but I just don't know right now.  So far, this works the best over everything else I have tried.

I guess I'm kind of the mindset that there is always more than one way to do something "right" and that each individual needs to find "their" way.  I am open to suggestions though and maybe all I need is someone to work with me and "show" me how to master the back tension.  

Can you achieve back tension without going through the extra "expansion" before release?  I guess what I'm asking is "can you achieve back tension and still release from a solid anchor?"

About Lanny Basham, I have been wanting to take his class on mental management.  I have several friends who have taken it and although VERY expensive, they really felt like it helped their mental game(sporting clays).

take care
Dave

[Ranger B]

Dave,
    Now that I know what it feels like yes, I pick it up anytime I draw a bow.  As I mention in the form video, if you have back tension and it's truly pulling the bow then when you let go or relax or whatever you do, there is only one place for your string arm elbow to go and that is down and back at a 45 degree angle.  It's the natural reaction to the rotational pull of the rhomboid when the resistance is removed.  So the short answer is yes but if your hand stays put then you were pulling with your arm.  Back tension is hard to explain and figure out without help.  Come to TN and I'll help you out :-)

Yes, yes, yes to Lanny's class.  It helps in life much less shooting sports.  For those who like to compete it is incredibly helpful.

[wtpops]

I was told a long time ago by an old timer that you dont let go of the string, you let the string go.

[Friend]

I don't know. My focus is on bow arm stability, maintaining back tension and she just goes when the stars are aligned.

[troutguy]

im a new tradganger and have been shooting a recurve at least 3 days a week for a year. although im not new to bowhunting. if im wrong please help me . but i look directly at a spot that  i want to hit before i draw my bow,while drawing im still concentrated on my mark, i anchor consistent, and release. each step dosent have a thought process , the whole process has become an automatic instinctive action, wich my body has learned to do.i know exactly when something in that process has failed, and ive learned to recognize it.one evening while shooting fairly well it started to get dark. amazingly my groups got tighter at 25 yards after a while it was very dark and my groups only got better. i dont understand why ,was i concentrating more because of the darkness, or did my insticts completely takeover. has this ever happened to anyone else. i shoot better in the dark lol any insight would be helpful.....