String Plucking

[Sam McMichael]

Sometimes I make a bad shot and realize that I plucked the string badly. Is this a possible indication of insufficient back tension?

[moebow]

Sam,  Could be several reasons, back tension or loss of it is one.  Another common one is to think " I gotta shoot now" and try to cause the release by opening your fingers or moving your hand.  You can't move fast enough to get out of the way of the string you just cause more trouble.  Try to think "relax my fingers until the string is gone."  Don't cause it to happen.

[Green]

I struggle with this as well.  Let me add to what Arne has said.  Yes, loss of back tension is the primary cause, but another is trying to raise your head up to see your arrow. When you lose back tension that transfers the tension back into your forearm which makes it hard to get your fingers off the string and thus, the dreaded pluck.  Keep your back tension together by telling yourself to Keep pulling, keep pulling.....

Other mental cues that work for me are, "swipe your string hand down your cheek" (which works well if you find that you're raising your head at release), and Javi's term of "just stop holding".  

There's a gremlin in my head that I'm trying to exorcise....that little guy that says "NOW".      

[Sam McMichael]

Yes, I do some times look up too soon, but I usually immediately realize what I have done. Perhaps it is the back tension issue on those situations where "it just happens" and I don't know why.

One thing I have been trying is to pull my hand back across my ear, maintaing contact. That seems to help, but I think I will try your suggestion of swiping the hand down the cheek.

By the way, moebow, I did locate a picture of that tent design we discussed on another thread.It was named the "Camper".

Thanks

[Pokerdaddy]

I had a plucking day today.  Frustrated me to no end.  Just getting back from a week-long vacation and trying to get back in a groove.  Everything seems out of whack, and I was thinking maybe loss of strength due to lack of exercise for a week.  So I proceeded to shoot way too many arrows from three bows, playing with brace heights, trying to regain my shot.

Sitting here now, reading this and other shooting threads, I think what left me the most was back tension and an unconscious release.  Back at it tomorrow...

[Sage Custom]

I had a string plucking problem for 45 years. Just fixed it a couple of months ago, permanently . I tried lessons, switching to a compound with a back tension release for a couple of years, then going to a FITA bow.
Started shooting left handed. Fixed it. I am right eye dominate.
A note of caution. If you're going to try it, get a qualified instructor to get you started on the right path. With me, my instructor said (about 15 minutes into the lesson), "There's nothing I can find for you to improve on. KiSik Lee couldn't improve your form."
Glenn St. Charles once told me he switched to left handed because of target panic. Fred Bear was right eye dominate but shot left handed due to the amputation of the tip of his right ring finger as a child.
Worth a try if you're desperate.

[TSP]

There are lots of 'remedies' for curing plucking (i.e. the inability to release the string smoothly), some so involved and complicated that you can easily make the problem worse before you make it better.  One simple truism for getting a clean release ('anti-plucking') is to never stop pushing with your bow hand.  If you push with the bow hand you will automatically pull with your draw hand.  That will keep your alignment on target and let the string pretty much release itself.  

Simple fixes are usually the best fixes.  Good luck.

[Ruff Hewn]

Okay, I'm going to add my two cents here. I've read all kinds of things about plucking, back tension, relaxing the fingers and on and on. I would say that plucking comes more from pulling your hand away from your anchor rather than straight back through your anchor. I honestly don't know how my fingers come off the string. I don't do the "relax the fingers" thing cause I find as I relax my fingers I lose back tension. I also don't push with my bow hand, when I do that I tend to brake off the left (right hand shooter). My bow arm is steady with my shoulder down, I draw by pulling my elbow back coming to anchor and never stop pulling. Once I come to aim I pull my fingers off the string straight back using my back. When ever I do get a pluck I realize that I did not pull straight back but rather out to the side. There's lots of videos on line about this. You just gotta find what works for you and stay with it.

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by Sam McMichael:
Sometimes I make a bad shot and realize that I plucked the string badly. Is this a possible indication of insufficient back tension?

Yes....and improper alignment....and also like mobow said...'telling yourself' to let go.

[Sam McMichael]

I have really been working on back tension recently, and it helps. Its funny how you practice till you think you are automatically doing something right every time, only to realize that you have deviated considerably from good form. (This applies to a lot of things besides archery.)

Terry, now that you mention it, I have noticed that alignment may be off, too. That one is a problem for me, because I often don't seem to notice it until somebody points it out to me, or I just get so sloppy it jumps out at me.

Looks like I need to have a few very serious forms sessions. Thanks for the advice from everybody.  TSP, I will try to conciously push with the bow hand as a means of maintaining the back tension. Thanks, guys.

[Firstlight]

A lot of good suggestions.  

I'm "relearning" / experimenting with different elements of my form.

When I'm practicing I am getting a BIG benefit from blind bale shooting.

Trying to get a sense of feel for good form, release, follow through, etc.

Today while at practice (blind bale) I plucked the first 2 releases; not after that.  I felt it right away.

After maybe 10-15 min of BB I worked on some other aspects of form at various yardage but occasionally released a few close up blind bale to keep my form in line.  

I have changed a lot of my form the past few weeks and I know it's not in my muscle memory, yet.  

So that's my 02 cents, consider some Blind Bale Shooting and I think you'll sense your problem and then shoot some good arrows with eyes closed, open, closed; a few rounds of each for the feel.