Need help with my release !!!!

[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

[buzz lite beer]

If you aren't already using one try a deep hook (just a little behind the 1st joint) your finger tips don't make contact with the string. most plucking is usually hesitation related too, so commit to that shot.

[wheeljem]

Hi Lou,

As a felow plucker of strings I'm afraid that the only solution is practise. I've been concentrating on resolving it for about 4 months and am slowly beginning to make progress. I have been shooting blind (ie with my eyes closed) for at least 2 15minute sessions per week concentrating on nothing but the relaxing my fingers and allowing the string to pull past them rather than physically releasing (and consequently plucking) the string. I also try to allow my back muscles to pull my hand away on the relaxation of the fingers. It was noticably easier when I moved my pull weight up to 40lbs rather than 32lbs that I started the year with.

[geoffretired]

One reason why archers' releases go wrong is they think about releasing the string. Once you start to think about letting go, you do it deliberately and that is just too slow. The string catches the fingers and they get sore. If the release happens, as if on its own, the fingers just relax, the string pushes past the soft fingers and little damage is done.
To keep your thoughts away from the fingers requires a little practice at thinking about something else.
Thinking about the drawing elbow can help. As you reach full draw, the elbow movement slows down almost to a stop. While still pulling the elbow round into line, imagine it setting off quickly.(because the string has broken, perhaps; or it was slippery and you couldn't hold it properly)
Once you start getting the elbow to move suddenly, using an idea like the ones I mentioned, you will find the release seems to be working on its own.

[pHz]

as said practise practise practise

the most helpful advice given to me on this was -

use a deeper hook as mentioned above (about 1/2 way between 1st and 2nd joints of the 3 fingers)

visualise the hand as a 'hook' rather than something gripping the string

draw to your normal anchor / reference position without tensing your hand or forearm

hopefully if youve been taught well you should by this point have some of the weight on your back - without moving your hand on your face carry on pulling your elbow round using your back muscles - if your hand is relaxed at some point it will let go of the string naturally - once you learn the feeling of this its a case of practising solidly until its a solid part of your routine

(bear in mind im no coach - this is just what worked for me)

slainte rob

[John (OSF)]

Do you know anyone with a formaster ?

Formaster Images

[Loulou SAC]

Hi

Yeah I shoot with a clicker and something that has been said to me is that I wait for the clicker and am trying to second guess it. Does this make sense??

Maybe I am thinking about the release and letting go and need stop thinking about it, but how do you forget to let go of the string?

John (OSF) no don't know anyone with a formaster

so here's my confusion when you get to your nose where should the string go afterwards??

Lou

[William P]

Hi Lou,

My coach said I plucked and I didn't realize it until he put his hand next to my draw hand just before I released. My hand flew out and hit his quite hard just about every time. I cured it with the Formaster, learning proper back tension. I use it in the house all winter when it's too cold to shoot outside.

Will

[TWIW]

Originally Posted by Loulou SAC

Hi

Yeah I shoot with a clicker and something that has been said to me is that I wait for the clicker and am trying to second guess it. Does this make sense??

Maybe I am thinking about the release and letting go and need stop thinking about it, but how do you forget to let go of the string?

John (OSF) no don't know anyone with a formaster

so here's my confusion when you get to your nose where should the string go afterwards??

Lou

How long have you been shooting? why are you using a clicker?

Lets look at what's happening.

Your hand moves away from your face when you release the string and the inside of the top finger gets sore right?

The first thing to look at is the use of the clicker. Has it been set up for you by someone who knows what they are doing? Or did you do it yourself? If the former then we have to assume it's in the right place. If the latter then i doubt if it is. I would agree with Yorker at this point - if you have a problem with the loose stop using the clicker and see what happens. If you haven't got a clicker to think about IMHO the shoot will become more natural. However, if you have been using it for a while you'll need to re-educate yourself not to want to use it and rely on your own self to decide when to loose the arrow (I know, I have been, and, to some extent, am still there)

Next I agree with phz, Yorker et al in that you should look at where you are holding the string. If it is on the finger tips this will introduce lots of tension in the back of the hand and as a consequence in the arm. This is because there is insufficient strength in the finger tip alone to hold on to the string. A 'deeper' hook, with the string well into the 1st joint (back from the tips of your fingers) will allow your fingers to curl naturally round the string. It takes very little effort to hold the string at this point of the hand, therefore it is possible to relax the whole of the back of the hand and,, by extension, the arm. You should stive for a flat back of the hand from behind the joint holding the string, through the wrist to the elbow. Also, when you pull slightly on the string the relaxation should be that you can feel the fingers and bones in the hand (and the wrist sometimes) being pulled apart by the weight of the bow.

Next, the draw. If, when you draw the bow you feel the muscles in the upper arm getting rigid then you are almost certainly not transferring the weight of the bow to round though your shoulders. I have found that many of my archers can achieve this by forgetting about the back, baack-tension, shoulder-blades etc. Instead I explain that the bow should be drawn by simply rotating the drawing shoulder joint to move the drawing elbow backwards and behind them. This, coupled with that nice loose, relaxed arm will automatically transfer the bow weight off your arms. To complete the draw and get your hand to your anchor simply allow your elbow joint to collapse: the rotation of the shoulder brings the elbow behind you and the hand is brought naturally to the face. At this point you should be able to squeeeze your shoulder blades, rotate your elbow further round behind your shoulder line (both without moving the string from the reference points on your face.

Finally the loose. If I gave you a pencil to hold out at arms length then told you to drop it, you would be able to do that instinctively, because your sub-conscious mind knows how to do that. It does it by ceasing to hold the pencil any more. The same applies to the string. When you are at full draw and have aimed and you have this nice relaxed bow arm and hand which is nice enad flat. Just stop holding (or drop) the string. Nothing else. Don't tink about it don't flick your fingers away from the string let the bow do the work of pushing your hand out of the way. To all intents & purposes to loose the bow just relax everything (including your bow hand) and trust the bow to putthe arrow where you aimed it.

As for your sore finger: Soreness on the underside of the top finger means you are pushing down onto the arrow as you either draw it or are at full draw. There are two main causes for this: A high drawing elbow or a twist in the hand on the string. Depending upon how hgard you are pushing down means that it can often be seen by an observer who will see the arrow bend downwards between the arrow rest and the string when at full draw. To fix it? keep the hand flat and relaxed as above and get someone to check and, if necessary, to help you identify a lower line for your drawing elbow. The former you can fix yourself, the latter will need someone to help you.

Have fun.

PM me if you need more help

Colin

[Alexam]

Originally Posted by John (OSF)

Do you know anyone with a formaster ?

Formaster Images

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