Hold vs swing draw vs whatever

[strigif0rm3s]

How many of you hold at anchor and settle in a second OR MORE...and how many of you let go as soon as you hit anchor?
How do YOU shoot and what is your mental process? Thanks in advance.

[PrimitivePete]

I use a modified swing. Basically a 1/4 swing from a full swing upwards, just enough to limit movement and give me time to focus on the target. If I do my job right and I'm using my back and not my arms to draw the bow and I get into solid alignment, I can hold all day. If I miss a step and end up with bicep tension, I'm going to release quicker than I really want to and not be happy about the result. The big step for me is the brief moment I engage the back muscles before actually starting the draw. Also I prefer a rotational draw to roll the shoulder around and not pinch the shoulder at anchor. When I do hold and I'm on my alignment, the hold is not more than 2 seconds.

[Gordon Jabben]

I use the swing draw and hold two seconds or more.  Holding this long has cost me a lot of small game but I just can't get on target any faster.

[Bisch]

I swing, but I also hold at anchor till my little pea brain tells me everything is right and I can make the shot. I don’t have a set hold time, but if I don’t hold some and let that little pea brain catch up, things tend to go awry.

Bisch

[Wudstix]

Partial swing and draw.  If I'm doing it right, on game I don't even realize I'm at full draw/double anchor and the arrow is away.
 

[GCook]

Mostly a straight back draw.  Yes I can start the draw before the bow arm is all the way up but I still come straight back to anchor. 
Then I hold a bit.  Sometimes too long.  Might be 3 seconds, might be 8. 

[Gunleather]

I swing draw with the last 1/3 straight back to anchor. If I hold for more then a breath pause I shoot high right.

[McDave]

I use a rotational draw with approximately a 2 second hold. Granted, there may be shot opportunities I have to pass because of limiting myself to that method. However, my moral standard in hunting is to only take those shots where I have a high probability of making a clean kill.  If someone else can make shots with a high probability of making a clean kill using a different method, more power to him. Normally, there is nobody looking over our shoulders when we make the shot, and the highest morality for anyone, in hunting or in life, is to be true to oneself.

[1Arrow1Kill]

I'm definitely a strong 'controlled process' shooter.  Here's my process developed from ShotIQ by Joel Turner:

1.  Decide that I 'WILL' make this a 'Controlled' shot - no matter what.
2.  Engage Mentally by thinking 'HERE I GO' as I draw to anchor.
3.  Pick an 'Exact' target and point the arrow tip where needed according to distance.
4.  Focus intensely on the 'Exact' target (not arrow tip)while repeatedly thinking  'RIGHT THERE' ... 'RIGHT THERE'. 
5.  Decide to make a 'Controlled' shot by focusing on   s l o w l y   relaxing my grip on the string while tightening my back muscles and pulling through the shot at the 'Exact' target.

I should not be able to know that the arrow is high/low/left/right as my focus is on the 'Exact' target and on the 'Controlled' shot process.  I should be able to know if I in fact made a 'Controlled' shot or if my mind wandered.  This process, when done correctly, keeps my focus where needed and leaves no place for distraction or panic.

[Dave Lay]

Pretty much a straight back draw focusing on the spot to hit when I hit anchor it’s gone, with a one second hold being average I think, if I hold any longer my mind wanders since I’d already completed everything necessary for the shot . I want as little movement with the draw as possible.

[Sam McMichael]

Straight back draw and hold for a few seconds until I feel I am on point. I tried the swing draw, but it just doesn't feel good to me, as I seem to have great difficulty in lining up on target.

[Bowguy67]

Fellas, if I may, seems many like a swing draw. A consideration is that too often to pretty regular a swing draw or swing drawers don’t keep the shoulder in its socket. The arm/shoulder isn’t set. That might not be real conducive to consistency especially early on.
Myself I also don’t like snap shooting nor do I make anything a timing thing. If it’s sight picture-release. That can lead to anticipation to almost sight picture-release early. Now target panic. As stated you need control. The head needs to stay in control.
We should be able to get to full draw and be at ease. After all, in hunting for instance, all our effort paid off, this is a good time. Relax and enjoy it. Sometimes I’ll release relatively quickly, sometimes hold like a compound guy, sometimes in the middle but never snap shoot. That long hold is only allowed with extensive inconsistent brute force or simple bone on bone shooting, another plug for doing it bone on bone.

[Buggs]

Swinger here

Style will determine the longevity of your injury free archery career. Any static weight bearing efforts, will increase the chance of injury over the same efforts done with dynamic movement.

[Bowguy67]

Swinger here

Style will determine the longevity of your injury free archery career. Any static weight bearing efforts, will increase the chance of injury over the same efforts done with dynamic movement.

Biggs that makes no sense. I’m not sure if you
miswrote  or believe that. Using muscle, (dynamic movement) actually raises your chances of injury as opposed to using bone structure.

[Buggs]

It's Buggs.

Don't know that I have ever been wrong before, but there is a first time for everything

Before I accept that fate, you are going to have to explain how you are manipulating your bone structure without using your muscles?

[Rollie]

I Swing draw and the arrow seems to be on the way whenever i reach the corner of my mouth with my tab.

[Kirkll]

My draw doesn’t start until I’m on target. Then it’s one smooth fluid motion that I do not consciously even think about. If the target is moving, then a swing draw may be incorporated into the equation.

How long I hold at full draw is regulated by animal. If something changes during the draw obscuring my target, or the animal moves. I’ll either hold or let down. But again… it’s nothing I really think about.

Practice until it becomes instinctive, and trust your instincts when hunting. Second guessing something at the last moment and hesitation rarely comes out well.   Kirk

[Terry Green]

I totally butchared that post yesterday.... maybe this will be better 

Hold and swing draw are not in the same category. You can swing draw and still hold if that's your thing. Swing draw is just a 'way' to get to anchor, not a release style.

Here's my answer.  Some people 'hold' for real, and some never stop pulling even if it LOOKS like they are.  If you do actually totally stop, you will start shaking, maybe minutely, maybe a lot. If you continue reward fast or slow as molasses in winter you will not shake.

I'm on target when I reach anchor and release, whether pre-point or swing draw.  Rod Jenkins said years ago that he and I shot the same, only that I do it faster.

[Bowguy67]

It's Buggs.

Don't know that I have ever been wrong before, but there is a first time for everything

Before I accept that fate, you are going to have to explain how you are manipulating your bone structure without using your muscles?

Buggs, excuse me brother. Guess my phone changed the spelling.
Now I’m not sure what you’re not understanding but this is actually pretty basic. If you set your shoulder, as get It in the socket, you PUSH your elbow draw elbow back until you get the bone on bone. Your bow will seem to let off. Clay Hayes actually has a decent video showing that with tongue depressors
I can perhaps explain  this by just having you lean on a tree, if your ball is in socket you’ll just lean there really easy. No muscles really involved. Bone on bone.  Now push the tree with your shoulder, if the shoulder comes up and out of socket (lack of bone on bone) , hold that a bit, see if you don’t get tired and would obviously be more prone to muscular injury. Imagine moving that as in swing draw.  Hopefully you understand that.
Guys I’m gonna say something might not make sense but if I remember right Terry a bit back ago touched on correct bone on bone making heavy bows not seem so heavy. Heavy bows can actually help if used right. If I’m misremembering excuse me Terry.
Heavy bows if drawn incorrectly, cause lots of shoulder strain. Drawn/held properly it’ll feel like a different bow and be much easier and safer to shoot than a lighter one used with muscle shooting.
You still need a dynamic release imo so you still have back tension that causes you’re draw hand to move. That’s muscle doing that but sorta effortlessly as the bone is holding the weight. Hope that made sense.
So much easier to show/explain in person. That’s why instructors are so crucial. Most guys don’t learn from one

[Terry Green]

It's Buggs.

Don't know that I have ever been wrong before, but there is a first time for everything

Before I accept that fate, you are going to have to explain how you are manipulating your bone structure without using your muscles?

Buggs, no worries....

He's talking about what I call 'muscling the bow'.  Which means you are shooting without proper alignment which consists of bone on bone.  Yes, it takes muscles to get there.