How's my form?

[AngelDeVille]

We shot a video of me showing off my bow, and I'm not really concentrating on my form so much.

How do I look?

   

[Terry Green]

Looks pretty good over all....I see one thing at the moment....

You have tension in your string hand...notice when you release your fingers are curling back like they are still on the string....let them open and stay open...let it flow brother....  

[AngelDeVille]

Nice tip! I hadn't noticed that!

[Terry Green]

OK...I got to watch the last couple of arrows and see the arrows in the target....so....

What I'd like to see is you shoot from the same exact spot...with the target in the same exact spot....with your draw speed 50% slower...all the while concentrating on the spot you want to hit.  And, only shoot HALF the number off arrows.

Now, don't go practice this before you film it...I want you to do it and film it the 1st time....and show us the arrows again.

[AngelDeVille]

OK, my photographer won't be available tomorrow, so I'll see if I can get it myself!

[AngelDeVille]

OK here's the new video, I really concentrated on extending my fingers and my accuracy suffered, but I felt my release was much more consistant.

 

[zetabow]

Angel your fingers are fine to me it's a sign of relaxed fingers and good release, if your fingers are opened fully it suggests excess tension in fingers and foced release to me.

Here is a slow motion video of one of the most perfect (form wise) archers in the world, the release/follow through is the best I've ever seen.

[AngelDeVille]

I think I was forcing the release somewhat.

I'll just keep practicing!

[gringol]

I'm no expert here, but I think the follow through should come from the back, not the hand.  You'll notice after the shot that you elbow doesn't move, indicating that you aren't pulling through the shot.  When you pull through the string will tear itself out of you fingers, and your elbow will move back.  

Terry, Moe, and the rest of the experts, please correct me if I'm wrong here.

[Terry Green]

Exactly Angel...that's what it looked like...you were forcing the release...that's why you are curling your fingers back so fast it almost looks like you aren't opening them all the way and the string is actually having to go around the fingers instead of just sliding through them.

I have to totally disagree with zeta "if your fingers are opened fully it suggests excess tension in fingers and foced release to me.
"....I don't have a forced release nor excess tension in my string hand, and I remember when I made the switch back from a compound years ago I was doing the same thing...and a highly ranked shooter told me the same thing I'm telling you....Once I got rid of that, my groups tightened considerably, and the shot became much more smoother and confidence and accuracy continued to improve.

In my case and MANY others the opposite of that statement is true.  Like trying to re-grip a baseball after you let it go....reengaging the tension for no reason...the throw wont flow.

Going to watch your new video now....

[zetabow]

Originally posted by Terry Green:

You have tension in your string hand...notice when you release your fingers are curling back like they are still on the string....let them open and stay open...let it flow brother....          

If your fingers/release is relaxed the fingers should look fairly similar to when they were on the string afterwards, if the fingers are splayed open it was a forced release.

"The string must be released by totally relaxing the drawing fingers and allowing the string to go. The string must be allowed to push the fingers out of the way. When observing some of the elite archers, their fingers on release and during the follow-through are virtually in the same position as when they were on the string."

Quote from Kirsk Lee one of the best coach's in the world, you can disagree with me but I dont see how your going to with one of the worlds most successful coach's.

[gringol]

I think terry and zeta have both noticed the same thing in each video, even though they disagree about it: tension in the string hand after release.  Both videos look a little awkward in this sense to me.  To me your hand looks tight in both videos, one clutching at the string and the other opening the hand instead of relaxing it...just my observation, could be wrong....

[Terry Green]

After looking at your last video....you are 'over releasing'....you are still forcing your release as you are 'trying' to make them stiff.

What you need to do is not tell yourself to 'let go'.....just stop holding the string.

zeta, ....there's a natural release where the fingers release and 'rebound' to a relaxed position.  Not a stiff effort, or a 're-grab' effort like his 1st video.  After reading your last post, I see that we are saying the same thing...and we do agree....as a natural rebound has no tension.

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by gringol:
I think terry and zeta have both noticed the same thing in each video, even though they disagree about it: tension in the string hand after release.  Both videos look a little awkward in this sense to me.  To me your hand looks tight in both videos, one clutching at the string and the other opening the hand instead of relaxing it...just my observation, could be wrong....

Just read this....and yes....you got it.  Bot videos show a forced release/telling yourself to release instead of just letting go.

[zetabow]

Ok, terry thanks for the clarification

Angel you can practice a relaxed release, first thing is make sure you have the hook on or past first finger joint, i.e not on tips/pads and you need to start off with relaxed fingers or you have no chance of getting right, draw your bow 2"-3" and just stop holding string, just letting string push them out the way, when you get the right feeling try and repeat exact same feeling at full draw with arrow.

[Terry Green]

No worries Zeta.....  

[AngelDeVille]

Thanks guys! I'll keep working on it!

I ended up watching, a ton of archery release videos on youtube, and I was inspired to make this....

 

 

 

[skilonbw]

One way to practice cleaning up the release I read in one of G. Fred Asbell's book is to take a one gallon paint can with the thin metal handle. Hold the handle in the spot where string would be on your fingers. Th can is kept about 3-6" off the ground. GFA then said for you to release the handle the way you would on your bowstring, if done right the can would fall to the ground flat on its bottom.  I tried this several times and it helped to clean up my release where I took the tension out of the string hand.

[Terry Green]

BTW....I did also notice on your last video that you didn't slow down your draw like I wanted to see....you are drawing 'just to get to anchor' instead of making it part of the shot.

[AngelDeVille]

I'll keep working on slowing down!