Ricky Welch Graduates---Release Question

[Steve O]

In watching the videos, when he lets go of the string, his string hand just flops down.  Is there any explanation on how THAT works?

[NJWoodsman]

This is a good question, and I've wondered about that myself. It seems inconsistent but it works for him. The explanation I've heard is it has to be a subconscious release with proper back tension. To me, even with that, without a shot conclusion, I'd be risking a creep or collapse.

[waiting4fall]

This is what I call a "RICKISM". It's just something he does naturally. Just like if you'll notice @ full draw he has a bit of a bow "waggle", tipping the top limb slightly side to side 2-3 times, before the release. Theses are just mechanical idiosyncracies, specific to him. If you'll watch other folks close enough, you'll see we all have "isms". That my take on it, fwiw.

[reddogge]

I guess it doesn't matter as long as he does the exact thing every time and doesn't creep.  The arrow doesn't care what kind of release it gets put on it as long as it's aimed at the target, given the same pounds of pull and released cleanly every time.

[Terry Green]

Well....since you asked....and this is not a slam on Rick at all....he's proven himself no doubt.

I watched a clip of him the other day someone sent me, and he DOES creep forward on a lot of his shots, you can plainly see it in slow motion....and THAT is causing the hand to fly out.

I have to dissagree with reddodge on 'the arrow doesn't care what kind or release it gets as long as its aimed at the target'.  I totaly dissagree with that.  The cleaner the release the more stable the arrow in flight, and more penetraition at impact.

Steve...I'll email ya the link to the clip so you can see it yourself.

[McDave]

I think the reason it appears that Rick creeps forward on some of his shots is the same reason I was doing it after attending his class: because of his nose anchor, the draw becomes a two-step process.  You draw the bow, then you rotate your head and place your nose behind the cock feather.  If you drew the arrow a little too far back to do that, you have to let the arrow forward a bit so your nose will fit.  Then, during the two second pause that Rick emphasizes is of critical importance to his method, you regain the back tension that you lost when you positioned your nose.  The method clearly works, and the best example of that is Rick himself.

However, a valid question is whether there is a better way of doing it.  When I attended Rod Jenkins's class, after attending Rick's class, Rod noticed me doing the same thing Terry noticed in his post above.  He had me change Rick's method slightly, so that I tilt my head as I draw the bow, and draw back directly to my nose, rather than drawing back and then positioning my nose.  The result was that my arrow didn't creep forward, and I never lost back tension.  I think I'm shooting better for making the slight change, but that's just me, and I'm not in the same class as Rick or Rod is.

I've always thought the reason Rick's hand flops is because he keeps it very relaxed during his draw.  That and the fact that it happens more often when he is shooting heavier poundage bows.  I've seen other people shoot who were trained by Rick, including some who two-step the draw, as I describe above, and I haven't seen other people's hands flop like that.

[Terry Green]

Yeah Dave....when you creep forward, you reaward energy gets diverted to the side and not directly away from the target...and the hand follows the direction of the energy.  If your energy is going straight back from the target, that is where your release is going to go...back and not out.

[The Night Stalker]

Dave, that is a good point. I always thought pulling through the release with back tension was a better method for me. I find myself creeping at times. The tilting of the head as you draw statement has enlighted me. I am going to try it. Many times I will squeeze my fingers back and forth bouceing the feather off of my nose so I do not get a premature release and I make sure the arrow is in the right place. My nose is at the tip of the feather because of my glasses inhibits my vision..

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

Terry you seem to always tilt your head and much of the time your whole body tilts.  Where did you learn that style?

[zetabow]

Without asking Ricky I cant be sure but looks a bit like I used to shoot by drawing to anchor and just maintain a balanced 50/50 push/pull and once zoned in on the kill just relax fingers and not worry about what the stringhand does, it worked pretty well but I had consistency problems with long range Field shots past 60y (arrows would eat dirt a little to often) so I developed a more dynamic release, took a while to make the change but now my short range accuracy is about the same but on long range shots I much more consistent and my arrows rarely see dirt nowadays.      

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IFAA World & European Field champ, Fita 3D World Champ

[Steve O]

Zetabow--how did you go about making the change to a more dynamic release?

How did you wok on "relaxing" your fingers?  

Right now I am trying to let go of the string and that is not right...I've got too much tension in the hand/fingers.

[zetabow]

Well I had help from a top Korean Coach but it was still difficult and took around 3 months to get right, think I had the same problems you're experiencing.

The fingers are just a hook to hold the string I learned the expansion and followthrough using one of the exercise stretch bands, eveyday I would practice 50 to 100 times till it go ingrained into my head and muscle memory. I dont think "Release" I think my touch point on my neck muscle while expanding through the shot, the release just happens as a result of expanding through the shot.

Seems like your trying to pull through the shot and it's causing fingers to tense up, using the exersice band will take away the aiming proces till you've learned the dynamic release with relaxed fingers

good luck    

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IFAA World & European Field champ, Fita 3D World Champ

[reddogge]

Yes, I kind of contradicted myself in that post and you are absolutely correct.

[Diamond Paul]

Wow, I just watched the video of Rick shooting, and Terry is absolutely right: he creeps, and a good bit, too.  I wonder if the "hold, hold, hold," thing is responsible for that (watching other vids, you can hear him saying that to students, and their hands do almost the same thing).  Seems like when I try to hold anchor, instead of pull, I pluck.  I wonder how he shoots so well doing that?

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by Diamond Paul:
 he creeps, and a good bit, too.  I wonder how he shoots so well doing that?

I think its mostly because he it properly aligned and totally immersed in aiming.  Being properly aligned is a very forgiving position.

[MAGICMAN]

Its like dave said its a Rickism,but while shooting with rick i noticed he wasnt releasing like he did in the videos so i asked him why it was different. His response was that it depended on the poundage of his bow. The heavier the bow the faster & more you notice the "flop" of his hand. I think its just his way of a subcontious, relaxed release.He was shooting a heavier bow in the videos if i remember correctly. I have been through his school, do everything the way he says & I dont have his same release but Man does it work for him. By the way his school is well worth the price of admission. Best thing ive done for my shooting.

[Bruce Martin]

I really don't think he creeps at all. He draws out from his face, anchors his thumb knuckle on his earlobe, then tilts his head to touch the feather with his nose. As he's touching the feather, he is locking into his anchor which may appear like a creep forward. But, if he does creep, its the same creep everytime cause he mostly nails the target. His release is very relaxed but he is rock steady until the arrow hits the target so his follow through is right on apparently.

[bowbenderman]

The next 3D you shoot, just watch the people in your group.  Watch the tip of their arrow while they are aiming.  I dont believe many of us maintain that pull on all of our shots.  I have thought I was pulling the bow apart but actually while my partner was watching me, I was creeping.  Full back tension is hard to do, only wish I could completely do it on every shot.