triggering with elbow

[cgarrett55]

I read an article the other day and it said to trigger your caliper release with your elbow instead of pulling the trigger. I tried it and it seeks to work. Is this the way you should trigger a wrist caliper release?

[bigbulls]

Maybe I' m out of the loop on this one, but how do you trigger a release with your elbow? Please explain this method.

Thanks.

[Big Country]

I imagine you are talking about using backtension to release your shot. Technically, you should be setting the release off by steadily sqeezing your shoulderblades together, not by pulling straight back at the elbow.

Can it be done this way? Yes, but with any release that has a trigger, whether it be a wrist strap(index finger) or a hand held(thumb release) you have to sooner or later exert some pressure on the trigger mechanism. It can be done subconsiously by using backtension.

With any release, you will shoot better when you are consistantly surprised by the release.

Poking at the trigger just won`t yield tight groups unless you are one lucky guy.

[PABowhntr]

Ditto on what BC stated...and I think I read the same article. It instructed you to visualize that you had a fish hook attached to your elbow at full draw. That type of description helps some archers who are visual learners....I tried it shortly after reading the article and it seemed to work well enough.

[CG]

Actually the Koreans (probably the best Olympic archers in the world) teach to move just the release elbow, not squeezing the shoulder blades together. This keeps the bow arm steady and uninfluenced by the shot sequence. Just thought that was an interesting peice of trivia but either way back tension is the only way to truly shoot consistently.

[bigbulls]

OK, what article is this in? I' ve got to read this piece.

[Straightarrow]

You may want to seach the archives for threads about " back tension" . There will be a lot of info about focusing on the elbow to trigger the release. The key is to develop a way to use the back muscles to trigger the release. The trigger finger should be placed over the trigger and then kept in that position without moving the finger from that point on. To move the elbow you will have to use the back muscles. When done properly, the release goes off unexpectedly. It will surprise you. If it doesn' t, then you consciously squeezed your finger somewhere during the shot. The surprise release is noted for giving the most accuracy and for preventing target panic.

[cgarrett55]

The article was in Bowhunt America. I have tried this and I am shooting much better. The only problem I have had is if the trigger finger is not in a fish hook on the trigger, it will get very ugly. It does take practice and I do recomend staying close to a target until it becomes natural.