Holding

[nhbuck1]

It seems I have as a hard time holding at full draw, its not the bow weight it just feelsnright when I hit my anchor and the arrow goes where I want most of the time, I want to hold my anchor though and I don't understand why I can't, I shoot instinctive

First indication of target panic.  May be time to get a light weight outfit and work on form.... and holding.

[McDave]

If you want to hold at full draw, the first thing to realize is that it's a skill that has to be learned, not something that is just going to happen without work on your part.  If you are used to realeasing as soon as you touch anchor, then you are going to have to overcome the urge to do that, by forcing yourself to hold.  At first, you may actually shoot worse, since you are focusing so much of your attention on holding.  Later, after you are used to holding, you may shoot better.  Or, you may not, and instead discover that you are one of the many people who are better off snap shooting.  But you'll never know until you put the effort in to make the change.

If you try really hard to hold, and still can't do it, then you may have target panic, as Jim suggests.

[nhbuck1]

If I do have the panic how can I overcome it?

[McDave]

Target panic is a fairly complicated subject. If you'll look further down this section, you'll see a post I started on target panic, and also one started by Joel Turner, Target Panic Reality Check, who is well known as an expert on this subject.

[BWallace10327]

Think about it hard enough and you'll get it.  Trying to hold and failing at that will create it.  My advice would be to never hold. Keep Pulling  

[nhbuck1]

So just snap shoot your saying?

[mgf]

I have to wonder if "hitting anchor" necessarily means that you're really at "full draw".

Leaving things like target panic or being "overbowed" aside for a moment, good alignment and back tension (I think they really go together) is what makes holding at anchor doable.

That's the first place I'd look. That's the first place that I do look when I feel like I'm rushing my shots. Heck, it's the first thing I look at regardless of what problem I'm having. IME, when alignment and back tension are good, everything else just falls in place.

By contrast, poor alignment/back tension leaves you naturally wanting to dump the string just as soon as possible.

I wonder id that isn't one possible cause of what some call "target panic".

[BWallace10327]

Originally posted by nhbuck1:
So just snap shoot your saying?

Only if you want too.  See Rod Jenkins shoot. He isn't holding, just continuing to expand until he releases (pinching shoulder blades together at full draw).  Joel Turner's instruction is much the same way, keep pulling through the shot.

[nhbuck1]

What's the best way or tips and videos to keep pulling while holding?

[BWallace10327]

Others certainly know more than I do, but when I shoot I come to anchor and pinch my shoulder blades together (or try).  This slows down the shot considerably, gives great back tension and good follow through.  This is coming from a proud snap shooter.

[McDave]

The big divide in traditional archery is between those who use a dead release, and those who use a dynamic release.  Those who use a dead release, as taught by Rick Welch, lock their back muscles off at full draw and truly do "hold" at full draw.  Those who use a dynamic release, as taught by Rod Jenkins, continue to increase back tension through release, meaning that movement never completely stops, so there is no true "hold."  One has to try both methods to see which works out best, which will vary from person to person.

Obviously, pulling continues through release under both methods, or the shot would collapse.  Pulling using the dead release is balanced, so the backwards force of the draw equals the frontwards force of the bow.  Pulling using the dynamic release is excessive (Rod Jenkins' term) meaning that there is a slight excess of backwards force over the frontwards force of the bow.

[nhbuck1]

Is there any exercises or training methods for the dynamic release? I like to pullnthrough my shot that's why I have a hard time holding because I loose my back tension when I do hold

[McDave]

The best exercise I know of for the dynamic release is a Formaster.  If you are interested in the dynamic release, you should get volume 3 of Masters of the Bare Bow, where Rod Jenkins teaches the dynamic release and good form in general.  He also demonstrates the Formaster, which I believe you can get at 3 Rivers, and probably other places.  Also go to one of Rod's classes if you can.

Arne Moe also uses the dynamic release in all of his videos, which are well worth watching on YouTube.

[nhbuck1]

Ok thanks guys, so just get the 3rd volume? I will prob end up getting them all, what's the difference between the three, Dave do you have any bids or a YouTube nchannel?

[Roy from Pa]

Try drawing the bow, anchor, aim, hold for 5 seconds, then let the bow back down with out releasing the arrow. Repeat several times a day for days, weeks, or as long as it takes.
Here is a great book to help with target panic.

 http://www.3riversarchery.com/instinctive-archery-insights-accelerated-learning-through-applied-psychology-revised-edition.html

[Sam McMichael]

If you are shooting well as a snap shooter (which is not target panic), why change? It seems that changing from something that is working is just introducing an unneeded complication.

[McDave]

I would get all 4 MBB disks if I were you.  You will see many different styles of shooting, and the presentation is very entertaining.  I've watched all 4 several times, and I probably will watch them all again someday.

I don't have anything on YouTube.  If you want to see how I would LIKE to shoot, search for Rick Welch.  He uses the dead release, as he taught me to do.  However, from what you have written, I think you'll do better with the dynamic release, so pay particular attention to Rod's and Arne's videos.

I also don't think you have target panic.  Target panic normally strikes more experienced shooters, and my perception is that you haven't been shooting that long, although I could be mistaken about that.  I think you just haven't trained yourself to hold yet.  Roy's suggestion above should help, if you decide you want to do that.  Otherwise, don't feel bad about continuing to snap shoot, as long as you are able to come to full draw every shot.  Snap shooting is a fine method used by many of the best shots throughout the history of traditional archery.

[nhbuck1]

ive been shooting trad a few years now but i have been shooting compounds since i was 3 along with an old longbow when i was a little kid, do you have any tips on the dead release dave? thanks alot

[McDave]

The best tip I can give you about the dead release is that it can't be mixed with the dynamic release.  If you try to mix the two, you will end up with something that doesn't work (DAMHIK).  The SECOND time I went back to Rick Welch's class, I decided to really listen to him and not try to overlay everything I thought I already knew about shooting the bow on top of what he was saying.

Everything about shooting with the dead release is exactly the same as the dynamic release until you come to full draw and anchor.  At that point, with the dead release, you lock off your back muscles.  This is the same as you would do if you locked off your back muscles at the top of a pull-up to take a rest.  Holding your weight at the top of a pull-up or at full draw with a bow is a lot harder if you just try to exert a counter force in the opposite direction than it is if you lock off your back muscles.  Obviously, having locked off your back muscles, you can't pull through the shot.  Instead, you hold the bow at full draw at a dead stop for as long as you wish, then you release the arrow.  Having locked off your back muscles, there is very little movement of the string hand on release.  Rick's hand flops because his hand muscles are totally relaxed; most peoples' hands either stay in place or move back slightly.  Followthrough is the same as with the dynamic release.

The greatest advantage of the dead release is that you are only doing one thing when you release the shot, which is release the shot.  With the dynamic release, you have to coordinate two things: excessive drawing and releasing the shot.  People who like the dead release think it is more like shooting a rifle, where you try to minimize all movement while squeezing off the shot.

The greatest challenge with the dead release is maintaining back tension at full draw without creeping.  This seems to be easier to do while steadily increasing back tension with the dynamic release than while trying to maintain back tension at a constant level with the dead release.  Since you expressed that this was your main difficulty with holding, you might be better off with the dynamic release.