Coaching Problem - Form Issue ?

[Marcus26]

Muscles don't expand, only contract. They can relax which then can induce expansion through the opposite muscles contracting or being pulled against.

[steve58]

Originally Posted by Marcus26

No that is incorrect. If you look at high speed video then you see the string curve out from the fingers and away from the hand well before the fingers actually open.
If you watch a REALLY good finger release the fingers don't actually open.

Check out Park Sung Hyun as the world's best example.
YouTube - Park Sung Hyun

Wow, it's like the string goes right through her fingers!

And thanks for the earlier post in reply to my question, that makes sense. Will have to think how it relates to longbow, as we don't use finger slings and that's quite a crucial difference.

[grimsby archer]

Originally Posted by steve58

Will have to think how it relates to longbow, as we don't use finger slings and that's quite a crucial difference.

It doesnt have to be that way.

One of my club members Harold (yes that is his name and no this isnt a historical joke) shoots longbow pretty well. He shoots with an open bow hand. The leather grip on his bow is laced together with a leather thong, the loose ends of which he loops round his thumb and first finger. This allows him the open hand whilst retaining the bow.

[steve58]

Only time I have ever seen a LB archer use a sling was a chap who had a hand injury and it was the only way he could hang onto the bow. Record status rose award York, so he cleared it with the judge. Can't remember that the rules have anything to say on this?

[pHz]

EDIT - ignore me as usual - i replied before spotting there was a page 2 !!!

i think apart from the ellison picture all those photos are too late in the release to be of any use

if you look at the ultra slomo films of jay barrs (specially the first head-on one) on the beiter site you will definitely see his hand just 'relax' out of the way of the string and THEN after the hand has closed again and the arrow is long gone there is a more definite opening of the hand as the follow through begins to happen

whether that initial 'relax' is exactly that or just a very fast conscious release i have no idea

slainte : rob

[hooktonboy]

Originally Posted by pHz

whether that initial 'relax' is exactly that or just a very fast conscious release i have no idea

slainte : rob

I'm sure Rick McKinney has written about the EMG(?) tests he took part in with regard to the release. If I read it right, one of the things they found is that the "relax signal" to the fingers (if that's what its called) happened measurably faster in top archers, and so did the muscle response to it. Presumably resulting in a faster, cleaner release with less drag???? And presumably as a result of practice....?

There was no suggestion of this being a deliberate "open the fingers" action

You will no doubt have realised that whilst I have read this, I can't pretend to understand the biology/anatomy

EDIT: Since posting I read the article again. The EMG sensors were placed into various muscle groups. At the "click" of the clicker, electrical activity in the muscle group stopped. I guess this means a "relax" then?

[not dead yet]

i shoot longbow ,not very often but i hold the bow the same as the recurve and compound. finger sling hand at 45 degrees index finger loosly around back of bow. bow doesn't jump about

[steve58]

Originally Posted by not dead yet

i shoot longbow ,not very often but i hold the bow the same as the recurve and compound. finger sling hand at 45 degrees index finger loosly around back of bow. bow doesn't jump about

And I bet you get less problems with keeping the arrow on the bow hand, epecially in a cross wind