Back tension and expansion.

[McDave]

Originally posted by Draven:
Dave I see stop as something different than fluid here - is hard to explain, my bad. I can say for me that at anchor the 5 -10% that were in triceps (90% in back muscles) transfer to the back and this transfer can be done smooth or with hick-ups before release. I might say that those 2 seconds Welch preaches are in relation with this transfer but it might be just a stupidity.

You may be right about that. Rick says the purpose is to stabilize your body prior to the shot.  I do know from personal experience that the 2 second hold makes a huge difference in my accuracy.  Rick does not do anything, like consciously aim, or think about anything having to do with the shot sequence during the hold.  It was very difficult for me at first to stand there for 2 seconds doing nothing, and hasn't gotten much easier with the years.  I have finally arrived at a method that works without driving me crazy, but it might be cheating, I don't know.  Rick's breathing method is to breathe in as he draws the bow, and hold his breath until after he releases the shot.  My new method is to exhale as I draw the bow, and take in a breath after I come to full draw, then hold it until after I release the shot.  The breath that I take in and hold equates to about the 2 second hold, and focusing on my breathing as I draw and hold gives my mind something to do other than go crazy.

[Draven]

I am with you/him on that. If I think to something at all I shoot like ... That's why what Turner preaches is all wrong FOR ME.  I am more accustomed to "No mind" concept and whatever was to be done it was done before the bow was up. But is not the only way - is the hard way.
PS Regarding breathing you don't cheat. You find your way based on what you are taught.

[SAMMO]

The piston top dead center is the best I have heard for pushing Bow to target aside from balanced pulling. I have my hand against my face at anchor and pull with my back and push with my Bow arm and stretch out without slouching over.

[fnshtr]

Tom Clum Sr. of RMS Gear put on a seminar at ETAR this year covering the biomechanics of shooting while Joel Turner addressed the mental aspects. The one illustration he gave not only stuck with me, but has really helped my form (especially expansion to shot) was to imagine a ball on my string arm shoulder. Once at anchor and on target and maintaining alignment, grab for the imaginary ball (rather than thinking of releasing) with your string hand.

This really helped me.

[longbow fanatic 1]

I haven't read the previous answers, but I'm sure you have received solid responses. To your question of moving you shoulder back and down, so long had the pull is done with your rhomboid muscle and not your shoulder muscles that's perfect.

Originally posted by fnshtr:
Tom Clum Sr. of RMS Gear put on a seminar at ETAR this year covering the biomechanics of shooting... The one illustration he gave... was to imagine a ball on my string arm shoulder. Once at anchor and on target and maintaining alignment, grab for the imaginary ball (rather than thinking of releasing) with your string hand...

Interesting and timely.  I've really been struggling this summer with maintaining back tension. I'm throwing a lot of arrows to the left (LH shooter).  It's one of those things where you know what's happening, but you just can't TAKE control of it.

I just went out the garage and tried imagining that ball.  It seemed to help--a lot.  Eager to give it a whirl tomorrow.

[fnshtr]

Jim: Really hope that helps. My problem has always been losing back tension just prior to release. I've gone back and forth between a static (dead) release and a dynamic release attempting to correct my problem. Using a dynamic release I would "pluck" and when I used a static release I would creep/collapse.

Video, especially slo-mo, showed a very slight forward movement of my string hand at release. That is when I realized my problem was maintaining back tension through my release.

Tom Clum said that if we consciously think "relax the fingers" we cannot relax them fast enough to effect a clean release, and we lose back tension. By substituting "grab the ball" for "relax the fingers", the relaxing will be faster, and back tension maintained.

Seems to be helping me!