Back tension--both sides?

[MonRiver]

Hello all,

My shooting has greatly improved since I founf this forum.  Terry's video of his double anchor combined with the concept of making a "J" with my draw elbow has increased my draw length by a little over an inch.

I'm pulling with my back (rhomboid) now to get my elbow back and in line with the arrow.  But I feel like I'm really pulling with the right side of my back (I'm a right handed shooter) WAY more than my left.  In fact, I'm not sure I'm engaging the left rhomboid much at all.  

When I try to "push/pull" and use both rhomboids (left and right,) I'm pulling my bow arm to the left--causing a shot to the left.  I think this is from my back pulling my arms/shoulders towards the rear as I open my chest up and pull my shoulder blades together.

When I fell the pull in my draw side rhomboid, my accuracy greatly improves.  

Should I be working on putting my shoulder blades together?  If so, how do I keep from pulling my bow arm to the left?

[moebow]

You are doing it correctly it sounds like.  The pressure should be on your string side and not on the bow side.  OLD, OLD thoughts were to try to squeeze the shoulder blades together but as you are finding when trying that, it creates an imbalance that doesn't work very well.

Arne

[MonRiver]

Thanks Moebow.

[Terry Green]

Yeah...what Mo said....the bow arm is just a platform...now some folks might leave a little bend in the elbow and 'expand' at the shot...but if you are trying to thing of pushing BOTH shoulder blades together that's not going to work that well.  All the drawing work is really all done on the drawing side.

[BobCo 1965]

I do engage the bow side back muscles (there is also some tricept activated) in order to keep the bow shoulder down. But the shoulder blade is not pulled toward and around the spine as the as draw side is.