Expansion and release a little confused

[ChiefStingingArrow]

I was watching Masters of the Barebow and they were saying that you do not release but rather that your release should be a surprise. They explained that you should expand thru the back to cause the release.

My question is this...How can you expand thru the shot without relaxing your back hand. Are they saying not to relax the back hand and just kind of keep pulling back until you pull the string out of your hand?

And if you are suppose to relax the back of the hand then the release will not be a surprise...The moment you relax your hand the string is going to go....anyway I am a little confused as what is the right way to approach the release/expansion.

Thanks again guys for your help.

[McDave]

The fingers are relaxed to release the string.  The question is, what triggers the relaxation of the fingers?  Is the string released the moment you "decide" to relax your hand, or does it happen as a surprise?  When you squeeze the trigger of a rifle, the exact moment of the shot is a surprise.  This is important when you're shooting a rifle, because your body will react if it anticipates the shot.  There is no bang and heavy recoil when we shoot the bow, but our body will still react to the shot, and it's better if this reaction happens after the arrow has left the bow.  Triggering the release of the arrow by increasing back tension is similar to squeezing the trigger of a rifle, in that the fingers will relax, but you won't know exactly when that is going to happen.

[ChuckC]

I believe the idea is to relax,  not release.  If you "let go" you know when it is happening, if you "relax" eventually (very soon, but you don't control exactly when) the string pressure overcomes your finger grip and rips the string out.  All the while you are expanding (or positively holding) your draw and aiming.  

ChuckC

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

You need a trigger point to do this. The idea is that some predetermined trigger (in my case a broadhead touches my knuckle) will occur at some point as you ramp up back tension. I think a lot of people get confused by the idea of a "surprise release" because it isn't explained as well as it could be.

To my understanding, the hand will relax/release when a certain action occurs (here comes the key part) as a   byproduct   of ever increasing back tension while the bow is fully drawn. So the trigger that causes your hand to release is an identifiable part of the shot, but it should come as a "surprise", because the focus of the shot is on increasing back tension. That said, I dislike the word surprise when discussing this topic. I do not want a rifle to "surprise me when it goes off. I know how much pressure is attained to break the trigger, the key is to apply a smooth, sustained increase in that pressure until the shot goes off.

Last point. The triggering mechanism needs to be attainable every time. Some guys use a clicker, some use what is called a sear tab, and others use a variety of physical triggers. All the good ones are repeatable, and set up by that good habit known as back tension. It is just like squeezing a rifle trigger when you squeeze your shoulder blades together, but the question to answer is what is the break/release point of that trigger?

Hope this helps.

[McDave]

I think Malachi's point is well taken, and I use a specific trigger point myself, most of the time.  However, the original poster referenced Masters of the Bare Bow.  I don't know if he was specifically referencing Rod Jenkins's section, but Rod does not use a specific trigger point.  Instead, the release suggested by Rod is to initiate the expansion phase and then increase back tension until the shot goes off.  The last cognitive thought of the shooter is to initiate the expansion phase of the shot, and then his job is simply to increase back tension until the shot goes off at some point during that cycle.  Since the shooter is not cognitively triggering the shot, it is a surprise release.  Because there is no specific triggering event, when this method is taught it is common to omit the "release" from the steps that need to be taken to shoot a shot.  In Rod's method, for example, he lists balanced holding, expansion, and conclusion as being the three final steps of the shot process, without including release as a separate step.

There are really two potential problems with releasing the arrow without a specific triggering event:

1.  Some people will expand until they get blue in the face without the shot "just going off."

2.  Some people who are initially able to achieve a surprise release without any specific triggering event will develop target panic and eventually will feel compelled to release the arrow prior to entering the expansion phase of the shot.

Other people, including some of the top shooters such as Rod Jenkins and Rick Welch, are able to successfully have a surprise release without using a specific triggering event.  Rod's release occurs at an undefined point during the expansion phase, while Rick's occurs at an undefined point while he is holding at full draw.  So you have several different options to choose from, depending on what works best for you.

[ChiefStingingArrow]

I would have to go back and look at the video but one guy on MB said that most professional teachers do not teach an archer to release but rather to just expand through the back until there is an surprise release.

I think I am getting what you guys are saying...I am going to have to add this to my shot process.

Thanks for your input.