Using back pressure vs. pulling the trigger?
 

:bash:Anyone have some insight/tips on using back pressure (squeezing your shoulderblades back w/finger onthe trigger??) instead of just using your trigger finger? I've heard/read that it will help to reduce errant shots and increase your target focus. Is this a good form to adopt? Or is this just another thing to screw w/my mind while shooting?

In my opinion, its critical. Hard to master but once you have it down, it will help you so much. Biggest problem I see is a lot of people have way too high draw length. Its hard to get back tension or follow thru. Correct draw length will help you pull thru the shot. If you hand is still beside your face after the shot, you didn't use back tension.

And I wouldn't exactly say (squeezing your shoulderblades back), but more putting all the wieght of the bow on your back, and your trigger forearm is just like a cable, or just a dead claw with the trigger holding the bow parellel with the arrow, no flexing of the muscles at all in the forearm.

I mostly learned difference between squeezing your back to gether and actual back tension from traditional shooting with fingers. And moved it over to compounds. You don't want to exactly sqeeze your back muscles together.

An easy way to feel back tension is to take a traditional bow and draw it behind your back. Those are the muscles you want holding it.

I know I gripped my trigger for decades. Bad habits formed. And when I actually started using back tension, I can tell its working. My back was sore.

A good way to learn it is to use a back tension release. (not while hunting). It will show you how it feels.

I went from a trigger to a back tension, now I'm using a Genesis Mag X thumb release and I would never go back.. I'd shoot back tension before ever shooting trigger again.

The best way to learn it in my opinion is to first focus on pushing the bow away.

Push the bow out with the bow arm, and keep your finger stationary, with plenty of stiffness. That will help you understand the mechanics of what your release hand needs to do. Once you get that down, incorporate pulling into it. Watch your anchor though b/c if you are having to pull too much, you will bring your hand and wrist back, and get lots of right and left misses. The same will occur if your DL is too long as BC said.

THe biggest thing to learn how to properly execute a true bt shot imo is focusing on the spot you want to hit.

Try to use every bit of energy you can, and put it into staring down the spot on the target you want to hit. Dont worry about the pin too much b/c it will just cause target panic. Ive told people many times that ive even noticed that my pin wasnt on target, or in the x-ring and my shots will still go into the x b/c of the focus.

Once you learn how to focus, your follow thru will also become much better b/c you will not worry so much about where the arrow goes.

LOTS of time and practice, but its well worth it. I still am not as good as I wanna be with bt shooting b/c I will still punch it here and there even though im really trying not too. It takes a lot of discipline.

One of my goal's this season was to increase my effective range to 40 yds. and I knew that the key to attaining this goal was going to be my release. I started back in May and blind bale shot for nearly a month. IMHO I think that my blind bale sessions are responsible for me having a "decent" release now. With that being said I'm not so sure a "pure" back tension release is the best release for hunting. I'll probably catch hell for that statement. lol On "most" shots at animals the release itself is dictated by the situation and in most cases we won't wind up with a surprise release. IMHO a good hunting release is kind of a "hybrid" release that's a combination of back tension and trigger release. I know there are those out there that can shoot a pure back tension release in a hunting situation but they are at the top of the game. Most of us just aren't that good or experienced. Do I think back tension is worth learning- absolutely. You will become a better shot.

Well said. I've tried to describe to my shooting partners that it's almost as if I'm directing the arrows flight through mental telepathy.

Dan

I agree with all that you said.

Shooting BT in the woods can be done. I personally dont worry about it though b/c you never know when a deer is gonna take a step...

I like to think of it as a controlled punch in the deer stand. It works well according to the doe I shot at 49yds yesterday:s4:

Derek

I was thinking about something else when i was practicing this morning that really helped me and that was shortening my release so that my index finger hangs over the trigger and the contact point of the trigger is now my second knuckle which forces me to use it like a hook. When my release was longer the contact point was my first knuckle like you would use with a firearm. I think using your first knuckle and even worse the tip of your finger puts you in that mindset of "pull, slap or jerk" the trigger to release an arrow. Might work with a firearm but is not the place you want to be with a bow. I hope I explained this rt. lol

Dan

Thanks bigcountry, REV, drock and mfd. All of this info is helpful for me to visualize what I need to do. I think shortening the release as to use the 2nd knuckle will help to eliminate some trigger yank/slap as well. I do fine from 20. It was when I started shooting 30 -40 yds that the accuracy was failing and I am fairly sure it is me and not the equipment.

Back tension release is an outstanding tool for competition, but I wouldn't recomend this type for hunting.

I dont' see anyone recommending it for hunting, but for more a training tool.