Release tips

[fmscan]

Moebow,
Things were better today. I think the exercise of short draw and release is very good. In the past I always made progress if I closed my eyes and did not shoot at a target. I also watch your earlier film about form and LOVED the part about Form vs Equipment.
BIG thank you for your help and suggestions, I will be working on it and feel that I have a game plan now... but wish I lived in Minnesota cuz I would be one of your students. However glad I have this forum and a resource like you.

[McDave]

ttt

[Green]

Thanks McDave for throwing this back up.  Over the past few week's Arne has completely rebuilt my shooting form and with great results, but like so many of us I struggle with the release.  Even with a poor release my shooting has improved tremendously.  I've worked for a couple of weeks with the "relax the hand" thought and it has worked well....to a degree.  His advice above on practicing with a 1-2" draw just might be the ticket.  Thanks to both of you.

[snakebit40]

Thank you moebow!
Last night I was shooting and my ring finger started to hurt real bad (string hand) and I was shooting about 6 inches left of my target at 20 yards. After awhile my finger went numb but I still was shooting left. So then I went back to 40 yards and was about 2 foot left.

Then I thought of this thread. Went back up to 20 yards and relaxed my string hand. I six out of six shots were touching feathers! Its amazing what you can learn on this site! Thanks again!

[moebow]

I'm so glad that some of you are finding value in these videos!  Thank you for the kind comments.

snake, I often tell my students that "letting the bow line things up rather than us trying to 'put' something in place with muscle makes for a smoother and more effective shot."  The weight of the bow string will help your fingers reach proper alignment and give the proper finger pressure distribution IF the hand and wrist are as relaxed as possible.  Many times, a sore finger or two is caused by us wanting to put something where we think we need it rather than letting the bow put it there.

[Green]

"letting the bow line things up rather than us trying to 'put' something in place with muscle makes for a smoother and more effective shot."

For me this has been one of the results of the rotational draw....everything is relaxed from the start, and ends up in the right alignment at full draw....the only tension is in my back.  Add to this that Arne's practicing a relaxed release with a 1-2" draw has taught me how to stop thinking about the release as I continue to pull...just think where you want your string hand to end up after the shot and the release becomes a "non-event".  Now the whole shot from draw though anchor to final position feels relaxed and my accuracy is what it should be.

[Larry m]

Thank You Mr. Moe
Would like to know your thoughts on a breathing sequence while drawing, anchoring and release. I have been told this is very important. I have also been told that during expansion (back tension) that elevation of the drawing elbow helps initiate release. Any thoughts and hope you did not cover this earlier.
Appreciate It!!!!!

[moebow]

Good question Larry.  First the breathing.
There are many ways to incorporate breathing and some can get a little too complicated for me.  What works well for me and most of my students is this.

When you are ready to draw (bow in a low position)relax (there's that word again) your chest and shoulders down and at the same time let your air out.  Do not forcibly exhale, just let your air out to a comfortable level.  Now, as you raise the bow to drawing position, your chest will raise and lift as your arms come up, let the air come back in.  Again, you are not sucking in air to full lungs just letting it in.  Finally as you draw, let the air about 1/2 out reaching that state at anchor.  Now physiologically, you should have the shot off in less than 7 seconds.  After 7 seconds, the oxygen levels in your brain will start to decrease and we should start over.  This timing usually is not a problem for trad shooters but can be for compound shooters.

Now to the elbow.  It should not be elevation of the elbow that affects release.  Elbow elevation is a function of a correct rotational drawing technique.  If you have that, think about the SLIGHT downward angle that the elbow travels form the start of draw to anchor.  Think of that motion as a imaginary plane around your spine.  At the release, the elbow should continue to move on that same plane and around towards your back.  That is the long way of saying that it is not "elevation" but "rotation" towards your back that initiates release.

Hope this helps, if not ask again.

[Larry m]

Helps a Lot Mr Moe. Thanks!! Good Thread by the way......

[Dan Adair]

Crap, a high elbow is one of my problems too  :(   For me, everything feels like its in a perfect line East and West that way.  If I try and get the elbow down, to where its in line north and South, then I'm a ways from coming around on the elbow it seems...

Thoughts Moebow??

[moebow]

Dan,  Elbow should be in line as you say from east to west.  Elbow above the arrow, north to south, is OK if it isn't too high.  If you can take a picture  at full draw, take the picture and draw a line from the center of pressure on your bow hand straight to the arrow nock.  Extend that line back to the elbow and that line would be the ideal position of the elbow. This is called the Force Draw line (not to be confused with a bow's force draw curve) and elbow position on, slightly above or slightly below the line will be OK.  No need to try to get it in line vertically with the arrow -- it should be slightly high just not extremely high.

[Dan Adair]

Thats kind of what I thought...  It hasn't kept me from being a 3rd to 5th place ringer in local 3D shoots.

Interesting your observation on starting at the pressure point of the bow hand when you draw a line.  If thats the case, I'm just a touch high.

my big problem right now is 60# limbs are a burden for 150 arrow weekends.  I can't wait to get my 52 pounders.  I get 2 dozen BEAUTIFUL arrows off my heavy limbs, then halfway through the back 20 targets I get 5's and WTFs about every other arrow.  My scorecard tells me all I need to know.

[ncsaknech1ydh]

Thanks a bunch moebow, lucky for me, I read years ago that relaxing my string hand would pull the arrow to the bow, so that I have always done, but I have been shooting with an open fingered and stiff bow hand for years, and all I had to do was to hold my bow forarm with free hand after reading this thread and could feel the tension till I lightly closed my bowhand around my bow grip, I am sold, I shot my bow today and saw instant results, it is rare that one can make an improvement in shooting form that is so simple to understand once explained!

[two4hooking]

Moebow,

I just wanted to say thanks for posting those videos.  I watched them a few times, and then used my homemade formaster and a light went on!  Watching your explainations and then using this device really helped...and my bad habints were decades in the making.  I could never get consistent alignment and struggled with a consitent anchor.  

Now I am on the right track and things have been coming together quickly.

thanks again,

Greg

[stujay]

I too liked and found the video helpful

[fmscan]

Moebow(Arne), When I die and go to the happy hunting gound, if we have need of an archery instructor, I will put a good word in with St. Peter for you. Shooting my bow is so much fun now and not an exercise in frustration. I can shoot so much better than I ever imagined. Arne/Formaster did it for me. Deer tremble when they hear my name....

[moebow]

Frank,  Thank you, I'll take all the help with St Peter I can get!  I suspect though that I would be a poor second to all the great talent that has "gone before."

[hookster]

Thanks Moebow,

Over the last two years i've learned alot from this site, most recently i've been reviewing your videos and taking them to heart. It's two years since my last post and i think it's about time i become more active here.

hookster