KesselRunIn14
KesselRunIn14 t1_iy0wmu1 wrote
Reply to comment by TurChunkin in TIL that many pro archers use surprise release mechanisms to prevent themselves from anticipating and reacting to the impending impact. by broogernavn
I mean... You should never been surprised when your arrow is released... At best it's going to cause inconsistencies, at worst it's just flat out dangerous. If you've shot even a few hundred arrows you should still be able to anticipate when the arrow is going to release. If that is not the case, it is almost certainly down to form, which is 100% fixable.
> Maybe you could make the argument that is true for pros
This article is discussing pros... It should still stand for any experienced archer.
KesselRunIn14 t1_iy0gbt2 wrote
Reply to comment by Herpes-in-space in TIL that many pro archers use surprise release mechanisms to prevent themselves from anticipating and reacting to the impending impact. by broogernavn
Honestly the title of this post is terrible, as is the amount of misinformation in this thread.
The purpose of a back tension release is to ensure the the arrow leaves the bow from the same point every time. It's got nothing to do with it being a surprise. If a compound archer is surprised by the release they are 100% not a "pro archer". A professional competing archer will have shot thousands of arrows and will know exactly when the arrow is going to release.
They can be a useful aid for people suffering target panic but they are in no way a solution.
Edit: Myriad of typos...
KesselRunIn14 t1_iy2xtwn wrote
Reply to comment by TurChunkin in TIL that many pro archers use surprise release mechanisms to prevent themselves from anticipating and reacting to the impending impact. by broogernavn
So I 100% understand what you are saying, and I'm glad that a tension release helps you.
With that being said, you are using it wrong I'm afraid, or at least, not in the way that they are intended to be used. If it works for you, that's fine I guess, but if you want to improve as an archer you may want to consider coaching. It's not how the pros use them.
As you said, you are constantly drifting when sighting a target, if you want to consistently hit the x ring of a target, you don't want to be releasing when you are drifting away from it.
The release should be a conscious decision. You come up to full draw, and when you want to release you do a final squeeze of your back muscles which causes the arrow to release. It is very similar to the way a clicker is used in recurve.
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>mostly I just took issue with your claim that there's "no surprise" and especially that there is something dangerous about tension releases.
I can see how you might have read what I said. I 100% did not mean to suggest tension releases are dangerous. It is my release of choice and I always encourage my students to use a tension release if they feel comfortable with one.