Need help with my release !!!!

[Jerry Tee]

Originally Posted by Loulou SAC

but how do you forget to let go of the string?

You are looking for that small window of stability that comes a little bit before you start to shake 'cos you have held full draw for too long. I focus on the target and when I reach that point some thing in brain says go.
If you want to know what a good follow through feels like then put the bow down, put your hand at the point that you anchor at, Extend your index finger and hold it with the thumb and first finger of your other hand. Apply some back tension against the grip you have on the finger with your other finger and thumb. Then just let go of the index finger while keeping the back tension on. Your anchor hand should just smoothly move back along the path of the back tension.

[Greg Bouras]

Originally Posted by Loulou SAC

Hi

I was wondering if anyone could give me some help.

I'm having problems with my release, I seem to be plucking the string out to the side and i'm waving at the crowd.

I have tried everything from drawing a line around to my ear. It seems to me that what ever I try I just forget or switch off.

Also the inside of my fore finger gets sore is this related?

Help I'm lost and at my wits end

Lou

Everyone who is serious about their finger release archery has worked at one time or another on the release.

Lay your forearm on a table palm up with fingers relaxed.
Now curl your fingers toward you and watch your forearm.
There are no muscles in the fingers that control finger motion.
Tendons do that.

Take a minute to go to Wikipedia.com and look at the human anatomy of how things are connected and how the fingers work. Knowing how it works is the first step in controlling.

Now for the archery part. Standing a few feet from a bale without the sight, take a deep hook, Not Fingertips! Back of the drawing hand relaxed and in line with the forearm. Draw and anchor as usual. Now that you know how it works put your conscious thought to the tendon location on your forearm and tell yourself to relax it.
Keep your little finger out of the picture. You won’t be able to relax the draw fingers if the little finger is not already relaxed.

Once you get the feeling of the string pushing your fingers out of the way, you will be there.

How much time? A week of the stuff above to get there, and 500-1000 arrows to train your subconscious to take over.

Does not hurt to revisit once in a while as a training focus area.

[Loulou SAC]

Thanks everyone

Am going for a practice session tomorrow and have a few ideas to start working with, will let you know what happens.

Your all really great

Lou

[John (OSF)]

Originally Posted by Alexam

Hi John,

I believe I saw one of thes in the Merlin Shop in Leicester when I popped in on the 17th.

Give them a call 01509 233555.

Good Luck

Malcolm

Thanks for that helpful response Alexam , but I was meaning that one might help Lou in this case.

[TrevorK]

Originally Posted by sp220

I dont want to just sound like im throwing something else for you to think about on top of what everyone else has said here, but here is an experience I had with shooting with a clicker and "plucking" the string with a poor release:

My coach found it was my "timing" that was off.

I was stopping at anchor, rather than continuing and pulling through in one fluid motion.

Instead of coming up to anchor and releasing very quickly with only a couple of seconds, I would hold for a while and end up with a poor release.

So just think about if this sounds like what you may be doing - timing may be a factor and the build up in tension may cause the release to become dead.

I found that my release until I used the above method, the only difference is that I plant the sight ring on gold and keep pulling though the clicker and kind of goes. Scores improved, but only after 4 weeks of practice and I'm still practising this, but I can also shoot 3# more as there is no holding

[King Custard]

Twice now (and I'm no coach) I've helped people to get a better release by standing directly behind them at full draw and saying:

" Right I am Your 'most annoying Person in the world'- i'm your horrible little brother- i'm your ex- i'm a traffic warden - i'm that snotty kid in the dinner line behind you that keeps kicking your ankle......

Now...........when you hear your clicker...Poke me in the eye with your elbow.
Just elbow me right in the eye, like its an accident, like you couldn't help it. Forget the arrow for a moment- when you hear a click...just let your fingers slip...and dig me right in the eye for being so annoying! "

I know that this is not essentially the correct way to teach the release- but different people respond to different things.

Maybe you have someone you'd like to dig in the eye with the point of your elbow?

[Chris B]

It seems to me that you probably wont solve this problem by actually trying to do something when you release. You will not be able to make this activity consistent. People forget this kind of thing very easily. Passiveness is alot easier to remember, and to make consistent.

It takes along time but there's only one way to approach this problem and its getting structure and alignment, and then an unerring patience for the clicker!

When you draw the bow to the reference point, you set up structures and forces that already define a good release, it just needs to be let happen. Then, you need to pull, in that particular way that you will learn to do (horses for courses here). To make your clicker work properly, you need to expect to pull forever. Infinite patience! (during which, your release will come to you as a nice surprise. This is the 'subconscious' part; the release should be an ingrained reflex)

[Get-out:Of course, in practice you will only pull for a very few seconds, but the mindset of patience is quite important.]

That's my experience, anyway..