My struggle with BACK TENSION!

I don't know where some people get the notions they have.  If you don't use back tension (the rhomboid muscles) you can't draw a bow to start with.  Using the rhomboids correctly will only add consistency.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Originally posted by Jim Casto Jr:
I don't know where some people get the notions they have.  If you don't use back tension (the rhomboid muscles) you can't draw a bow to start with.  Using the rhomboids correctly will only add consistency.

Precisely. Archery is no different than any other physical sport. It requires the use of certain muscles some more than others to achieve correct form regardless of style or aiming technique. Take for instance the pitcher in baseball. Sure there are about 100 different throwing styles and arm slots but the one constant that all major league pitchers share is the use of great hip action to generate a whipping action out of the arm.  
 Dweller, you are correct when you say that weight lifting requires the use of multiple muscles however most lifts are intended to target one particular muscle or area of the body. For example the bench press is targeting the pec or chest muscle even tho the arms shoulders and triceps are engaged. The smaller muscles are simply not engaged as much as the targeted muscle.
 Saying that back tension in the sport of archery is a myth is entirely false.

[Ben Maher]

Thanks !
Glad we cleared that up otherwise these things end up a whole bunch of Lovestoshoot88 and Stringstack !

[longbow fanatic 1]

I "snap shoot" or fluid shoot, in which I keep pulling through release and through the anchor with no pausing.

I know for a fact that I can feel my shoulder blades and lats pull tight throughout the draw especially as I'm reaching anchor but is that back tension? Don't know don't care. All that I care about is hitting the spot.

I promise you that if I started to worry about many of the concepts associated with archery that my shooting would go down hill.

I definitely think that form is important though and that blank bale shooting is invaluable but I think in the case of archery, for many (me included), ignorance is best when it comes to these concepts and maybe some people would benefit from learning to "feel" how good their shot is when blank bailing and let the target be their coach.
[/QB]

Forest, based on what you're describing, you're using back tension. Whether you know it or not, I think you're employing what we are talking about.

[DanielB89]

FWIW, I shoot a decent amount of competitions throughout the south and have seen some VERY good shooters.  

I have seen a lot more good shooters who use a static release than ones who use back tension.

Static Release shooters I know who are GOOD:
Rusty Horne
Corey Bailey
Dewayne Martin
Jim Powell

Back Tension:
Jimmy Blackmon
John Demmer


I do believe that both of them exist, but I also believe there is some overlap.  I don't think you can hold your bow back without using your back tension to an extent.

[McDave]

While all the elements of good form can get complicated, let's not lose track of the fact that if all forces are straight forward and straight back, the arrow will always go in the direction of the forces. If you line up your eye with the forces, the arrow will go where you're looking.  Push directly toward the target, pull directly away from the target, put your eye over the arrow, eliminate forces in any other direction, and you will always be on line with the target.  When you miss, what kind of force did you introduce that was out of line with the target? Did you move your eye away from over the arrow?  Did you give a slight off-line jerk as you released the arrow? Did you torque the string or the bow? Learn to be aware of these forces and you won't have to read anything I or anyone else has to say on back tension or anything else.

I think we sometimes use an intellectual understanding of something as a substitute for the real thing, and I am as guilty of this as anyone else.  I enjoy using my mind, but I will have to admit that I would probably be a better shot if I thought about things less and learned to be more aware of what my body is trying to tell me on a physical level.

[Terry Green]

There are opinions and then there are facts....

You cannot draw a bow without back tension. Fact

There is proper back tension and improper back tension. Fact


Stance has nothing to do with back tension...form is from the waist up.  Fact.

[Terry Green]

Don't blame lack of back tension on bad form....

Static release has nothing to do with back tension either.... where does all this stuff come from?

[Terry Green]