Back tension release

[Buckmaster7600]

Figured I would ask the experts here for advice before I buy one.

I have been shooting my longbow almost exclusively since hunting season but my shoulder is starting to bother me again so I started shooting the compound because it doesn't bother the shoulder near as bad. I am shooting like total crap! I'm almost embarrassed to say it but I think shooting figures for so long now has given me target panic with the release and I'm shooting AWFUL!

I'm thinking of trying a back tension release to see if it will help me get back to where I was. Anyone have one? Anybody have any recommendations? Or better yet one that you aren't using that you're willing to sell?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

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[The_Real_TCIII]

For target I like to shoot a thumb trigger using back tension, Stan sx2. I hunt with it too but not back tension, I squeeze it. I need it to go off when I want it to go off in a hunting situation

[Buckmaster7600]

For target I like to shoot a thumb trigger using back tension, Stan sx2. I hunt with it too but not back tension, I squeeze it. I need it to go off when I want it to go off in a hunting situation

I don't plan on hunting with it. I just gotta figure out how to shoot again and am hoping a back tension will help.

The stans seem to be highly recommended.


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[The_Real_TCIII]

Stans are from NY too, which is cool. I messed around with a hinge a bit but just couldn't find the time to master it. I mAy try again some time

[Jeremy K]

I can give you the name and number of a good coach , he was just telling me yesterday that he can put people on the right track to beating target panic in one 20 minute session . I can't speak for the validity of his comment ,i've never struggled with it . He has never steered me wrong ,i have no reason to doubt his claim . Not sure of your location ,he's in Niagara county.

[moog5050]

Buckmaster - just a thought but whenever my shooting starts to go bad its usually because I am drive by shooting.  I will slow down, draw, aim and then hold at least a 3 count before releasing, then also hold a 3 count on target after I release.  I will also practice by drawing, aiming and holding for 10 seconds or so and letting down.  Next arrow I will actually release and then another hold and let down.  This usually gets me back on track quickly and the holds ensure that you have that total control, the opposite of TP.  Also, check out Joel Turner of Iron Mind archery.  He is supposed to be the guru of overcoming TP.  Good luck.  Sorry no help on the back tension release.

[Jeremy K]

Have you tried bringing the pin over the target from different directions ? I usually always start low and bring the pin up ,occasionally I'll start from either side or on top just to mix it up.

[grampy]

10 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

Buckmaster - just a thought but whenever my shooting starts to go bad its usually because I am drive by shooting.  I will slow down, draw, aim and then hold at least a 3 count before releasing, then also hold a 3 count on target after I release.  I will also practice by drawing, aiming and holding for 10 seconds or so and letting down.  Next arrow I will actually release and then another hold and let down.  This usually gets me back on track quickly and the holds ensure that you have that total control, the opposite of TP.  Also, check out Joel Turner of Iron Mind archery.  He is supposed to be the guru of overcoming TP.  Good luck.  Sorry no help on the back tension release.

Some darn good advice right there. Sometimes you just need to SLOW everything down. At some point, most every archer goes through a flaw of some kind, in the form department. Or the dreaded target panic, to some degree. If you have been shooting for awhile you usually KNOW what the correct form SHOULD be. So just slow everything down to the basics. Another way to help over come TP is to get point blank to your target and shoot with your eyes closed. Concentrating on a smooth trigger release. Do it over and over, until it's almost automatic. This advice was given to me years ago from a coach, after I started developing some bad habits that greatly effected my accuracy. The good thing is, you know you have a problem and are working to correct it! Also you have plenty of time before the start of the season to work it all out. And you will!!!  Just remember, slow and steady.

[Doewhacker]

I cant help with the release but I can come over and slap you in the back of the head every time you flinch. It might take your mind off of your hurting shoulder so you go back to the long bow.

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

1 hour ago, grampy said:

. Another way to help over come TP is to get point blank to your target and shoot with your eyes closed. Concentrating on a smooth trigger release. Do it over and over, until it's almost automatic. 

I know of a guy that overcame TP just this way with a coach. The eyes close  was done and it was taken one step further to monitor the back pressure by shootign eyes closed, point blank, through a chronograph. It was amazing after a couple weeks how the FPS were so very close to one another from shot to shot and that equaled some great accuracy and long range accuracy in his shooting. 

[dbHunterNY]

"back tension release" can mean different things.  you have a hinge style with no trigger, a thumb trigger hand held, and pure back tension that goes by pull weight to make it fire.  any one of those you can "punch" just like an index finger trigger release.  I shoot competition with thumb trigger release but still use an index trigger/wrist strap release for hunting.  hinges are best left to indoors. don't have control to back off making it fire if say there's a gust of wind, deer changes position, or something else happens.  problem with "target panic" and index triggers are they aren't a nice trigger.  you can feel creep movement, grit, and you're expected to "punch it" to an extent in a sense that you have to stay committed and ride it out.  thumb triggers like my Stanislawski and similar brand releases have triggers comparable to the sweetest rifle trigger you've felt.  if you drop them on a hard surface like ledge or a rock they can and often break from hardened polished sear damage.  they're cold to hold on to.  with gloves you don't have as secure a hold like with a wrist strap locked to your hand.  also they're $200+ new.  just some things to consider before making the jump to a hand held.  

you've been a good shot.  you're just rusty. no need to label it.  your fine.  i don't have experience with it (new) but TruFire has the panic-X release out now.  might want to give it a look/try.  otherwise you just have to get back in the saddle.  start with a big target/aiming spot and not much distance.  closer and close your eyes if need be.  otherwise, pull arrows if you find yourself aiming at them.  unless your way off the deep end on the first arrow, shoot until you honestly know your punching it.  stop and walk away. do this until you can shoot a bunch of arrows and spend time practicing.  then work into driving tacks and stretching out distance.  don't try to ride through the bad shooting or let your bow down to try seconds later.  it's not your muscles it's your mind that needs the rest and reset.  target panic is only your head thinking too much.  close enough is good enough.  vitals are much bigger around than the end of the arrow.  sky won't fall if the arrow isn't perfect.  another thing that can work is do something like shoot while your counting or listening to music you know the lyrics to.  anything to distract your noggen so it thinking is not getting in the way.  muscle memory should still be there.  nothing should be a prioritized in your head other than aiming.  even if you've got to sit there at full draw until your fatigued to let down because you never released an arrow.

[dbHunterNY]

2 hours ago, Doewhacker said:

I cant help with the release but I can come over and slap you in the back of the head every time you flinch. It might take your mind off of your hurting shoulder so you go back to the long bow.

 

haha... that'd probably work.  whatever to distract him from anything but aiming might be a good thing.  your mind can only so many things at once.

[monahmat]

I shoot a Cart 1st Choice.  It's a thumb trigger but I fire it using back tension like TC said.  If you are investing in a thumb or hinge release I'd check the archery talk forums.  You can usually find them lightly used for 40%-60% off the retail price.  One word of caution, going to back tension has a learning curve.  When I made the switch from wrist to thumb trigger I got worse before I got better.

Similar to what dbHunter said I'd start doing blind bail drills.  Get close to the target, ~5 feet.  Don't have a mark on the target, this isn't an aiming routine.  Just focus on shot execution by firing into a blank target face.  Each practice session just focus on one aspect of the shot - grip, release, hold after the shot, sight picture, etc.  This will help you to get your routine set and burn in good habits.  

[The_Real_TCIII]

I'm checking out of this thread, I won't even read about target panic! I've been lucky enough to not experience it


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[philoshop]

I'll give a third vote to Grampy's "blind shooting" exercises. They used to work wonders for me and didn't require me to transition from one release to another.  Make sure you have a big enough backstop though. ;-] Establish the the anchor point, establish the sight picture and aim point, then close your eyes and focus on the release and follow-through.

It's like almost anything else that is basically purely physical, the brain tends to get in the way when you let it. The brain doesn't want to be left out of activities that your body knows how to do. The brain has to tell you if the situation is good for a shot, but the shot itself is almost purely physical.

[Buckmaster7600]

I will keep working on the bale drills.

I shoot a spott Hogg wippersnapper thumb release now and have for a long time so I'm used to thumb releases.


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[Savagehunter]

just beat mine after 3 years.i would highly recommend a stan more x hinge to practice and learn true back tension for hunting you can go to a shootoff or sx3 .get the same size release and finger # for both.I shoot a black jack and a shootoff trio medium.

[mattypotpie8S]

Blind bale drills murder targets but are very helpful. Another close to the target drill if you ever go back to a wrist release : pick your spot on the target, keep aiming eyes open and have a buddy squeeeeze the trigger for you.. It should surprise you like shooting every time should

[NFA-ADK]

VIP  First priority is making sure your body is in check.  Going from a traditional to a compound when you are having issues with your shoulder is not a good choice.  That alone along with recent traditional type shooting is another bad mix IMO.  First thing is to take a brake for as long as possible even if it's only a few days.  Get a massage or hot tub soak or both and take something like Advil to help the muscle heal, ice is usually first 24 hours then usually heat nothing wrong with starting off with ice.  Heal up first!!!  To many end up injuring something like a shoulder from not listening to your body, if it says ouch that means STOP!

Target panic issue.  The blank bail shooting is a good thing.  Switching how you aim onto the target is another.  I always started like the pros and wanted to start my shot aim above my target and come down into it.  I use to often come in from the left after I leveled off.  This was where I started my issues and would get stuck just before getting onto the target and be locked.  Some invisible barrier I could not cross and ended up punching the trigger sometimes with a jerking motion towards the target.  

Switching to a back tension release and following a step by step shot sequence helped occupy my brain resulting in much better form and consistency.  The tension release biggest effect was showing me how important back tension was and that was put into my shot sequence.  A few friends at Suffolk archers have switched to back tension and have multiple releases they use, yes some still have target panic as they never really corrected the issue they just switched releases.  They all love it.  Part of shooting a tension release is not knowing when it will release to a degree.  Your pin floats over the target as you apply tension to release it.  This floating of the pins is basically what we should do with a trigger release but most of us don't shoot like that.  Switching to this release and aiming in this fashion has all my friends swearing how it's the only way to shoot.

For me I had to stop shooting for a long time, sometimes months.  When I worked out and strengthened my back, arms and shoulders it changed how I was able to shoot.  It also helped me have better form and follow through.  

1)  I used the back tension release to help change my shot release and teach proper form, I shot at 10 yards blank bail drawing directly on target.  After using the release for a few days I went back to a standard trigger.  Now I float my pins knowing it will never be "perfect" and also try to use back tension to pull the trigger, for me it works.

2)   By drawing directly on target I found my arm dropping and started a new shot sequence starting below the target vs above.  I liked this as my pin never really covered my target and allowed full view.  Starting below the target allows a slow easy target acquisition.  This caused me to raise my sight removing the 25 yard pin and making it a 32 yard pin as my first pin of 5. 

3)  Practice aiming:  Tie a string to your bow that is the same draw length and use it to test your aim.  This will allow you to aim and float your pins with no presser on your shoulders.  This simple aiming and seeing the pin on the target will get you use to floating the pins without punching the trigger.  

4)  For me the most important thing is keeping back tension, follow through and a shot sequence. 

    1:  Check stance, nock arrow pull up rest

    2:  Draw and align peep

    3:   Acquire target

    4:  Float pin

    5:  Back tension to release trigger

    6:  Hold after shot

Recap:  Taking a brake is a big help, changing how you acquire the target (Left to right or up to down) helped.  Using a back tension release taught me to use proper form and back tension.  Using a 32 yard pin helped as practice was 30 yards and less causing all shots to have the pin low on target.  Trying to do this when you have shoulder issues is not a good thing if you can heal the shoulder better.  Shooting in pain will not result in good form. 

Good luck, hope some of this helps.  If you really need a release I still have mine, it has a slight click before it releases, some don't like that.  (Safety click to let you know it's about to release.)  They are expensive, mine was 180$  Expensive thing to have sitting in my bow case.