Form Problem/Question

[BigAl]

In a different thread, McDave made this comment: "I was told by Fred Asbell in a traditional shooting clinic to use my elbow as an indication of back tension, not by how high or low it was but by how far back it was. If my elbow was still kind of sticking out to the side, then I didn't have good back tension, whereas if my elbow was pulled back such that my forearm was in line with the arrow, then I had good back tension."

Well, when I follow the above and have my forearm and shoulders lined up with the arrow and my head facing the target enough such that my eye is over the arrow I find my anchor point is back under my ear. Perhaps my only option is to have an operation on my right forearm to lengthen it about three inches or so! Since this may be a bit extreme, is there any other solution?

[McDave]

By coincidence, Fred Asbell has an article on back tension in the latest (Apr-May 2007) issue of Traditional Bowhunter magazine.  I came away from the article feeling that it was not at all obvious to most of us when we have good back tension and when we don't.  I have a similar feeling about pushing with the bow arm (I must be pushing with my bow arm or the dang thing would fly back and break my nose, wouldn't it?).

We can shoot arrows without ever knowing that there is such a thing as back tension or pushing with the bow arm; we just never get very good at it.  I think an awareness that they are important is in itself a good first step.