I'm trying to hone my technique and I think my trigger hand technique is poor. It is my understanding that the trigger finger does not squeeze like a gun, but pulls like a hook pulled by the back muscles. Is that correct? Up until this point I have always squeezed slowly with my finger but the more I read I find that that isn't proper form. I've been trying shooting a trigger release with back tension and it seems incredibly difficult and even more difficult to shoot good groups.
I personally think that it will not work because it's connected to your wrist. So you have to squeeze the trigger while pulling through with your back muscles. Combine the two techniques. Thats why a lot of shooters switch to a thumb release, because it actually allows you to shoot like a back tension with the safety of a triggered release. I currently am shooting a Scott little bitty goose. I have on the trigger the spring, I nestle that in the middle of the first and second joint of my index to help achieve a more surprised release. Less sensitivity and motion to help prevent punching the trigger. Hope that helps.
Basically what Jeepwillys said. I've shot guns my whole life and it's a bit of a struggle to learn this technique, especially with a wrist / finger release. I'm getting the hang of it though. It just takes a lot of practice.
I think I'd like to try a thumb release. I've also been looking into back tension releases. Is there an advantage to one over the other?
You can shoot both back tension n button the same. Watch George Ryal's you tube video on it. It is dif n works. Both releases should be shot back tension but for hunting the button is prob better. Index finger releases can also be shot back tension by setting up n pulling through a shot instead of squeezing a trigger
John Dudley has a video on youtube about this as well. Says to setup your strap so you can hook your finger over the trigger, and then slowly pull for back tension. Do not move your finger. Certainly stuff to practice and get better at. I like doing a lot of blind bale shooting for practicing those types of things.
I shot trad gear for over 30 years and never released an arrow with anything but my fingers until 2010. When I switched to a compound and release, the whole process of drawing with my wrist and triggering with a horizontal trigger was as foreign as it gets. After a few years of wrestling, I began to research hand held releases and bought both a used hinge and thumb trigger model from AT. From the very first shot with the thumb trigger release, the who shot process felt much more natural and easier on my worn draw shoulder. There are several ways to execute the thumb trigger, with NONE of them involving squeezing with your thumb the way most wrist release shooters horse the trigger. I have a 3 finger model and begin to rotate the release in my hand with ring finger pressure and pulling with my back muscles. It is definitely a learning curve and probably too late in the year to being if you plan on hunting with it this fall. I started in May and invested that entire summer to a LOT of blank bale work to engrain the new anchor and release "firing engine".......but it was well worth the effort.
My buddy brought over his thumb release yesterday and it seemed to help a lot in just the 30 min that I shot with it. However, by the end I was already trying to cheat the release so I'm going to look for a pull-through so that I learn not to cheat it. I plan on hunting with my wrist release still this year, but I'm finding (Scott Silverhorn) that its waayyy too light to shoot properly which I think has contributed to my punching the trigger habit.
Get a Like Mike and adjust it where you can wrap your finger around it with out fear of it going off and just pull through the shot. I have found most index finger releases are way to light to work well with bt that alone adds to your tp!! Get a good one like the Carters where you can adjust travel and holding weight and it will help immensely, a lot of cheaper releases say you can adjust them but I have found that is not the case.
I don't get the "surprise release" thing that everyone talks about. I want to switch to a thumb release not for the surprise part but for the consistency of the anchor point. When I shoot a rifle I want the trigger to break at exactly the same pressure every time I want to know how much that pressure is and get familiar with it so I'm focused and ready. The trigger pull (well squeeze) for my rifle is a conscious act. My aiming principles between bow and rifle are the same. Shot routine for both 1) Set up the same way - Where possible as much as possible, Gun or bow stance, grip everything the same obviously not always possible but keep it as consistent as possible. 2) Aim small miss small - Pick the smallest spot you can focus on the target as your point of aim and get your cross hairs or pin to float on that point. 3) Breath and Squeeze - Don't hold your breath but use it to control the rhythm of your body movement, don't snatch or punch the trigger. 4) Follow through - Keep pretending your shooting after the shot has gone off so you don't jerk the gun/bow out of the way to see the effect of the shot. Why do I want to not anticipate the shot with a bow but I do with a gun? Clem
Actually when you hit anchor, the release is hooked to the string but your hand/wrist are not. As you pull through the shot your hand/wrist will move back a little in your wrist strap while the release is locked to the string and your bow is locked at full draw. The only way that doesn't happen is if you have the release so tight it is cutting off the blood to your hand and then it might all move together lol. I don't shoot that way but have tried it. If I ever developed target panic I would switch to a surprise release, but otherwise I want to know exactly when I am sending my arrow at the deer.
?When you draw the release is pulled into your hand so all that movement/slack is taken up. I guess there could be more movement if you pulled harder but I can't see it. I'll have to give it a try.
For a while I had the same mentality, and I'm not saying it is wrong. I'm simply exploring alternative mindsets of shooting. However, I think the difference between a gun and a bow in regard to the trigger is a bow's accuracy is very dependent upon your bow hand. If you know exactly when the trigger will break then you tend to flinch in anticipation. For me this is very apparent, especially if I am off in my anticipation and I catch myself flinching when I expect the bow to go off. The surprise release helps eliminate that flinch and anticipation. I have been employing the techniques you guys have all shared with me the past few days. I'm finally getting it down on a wrist release and I bought a used Carter Attraction pull-through/thumb release just to see if it helps change my shooting at all. It should be here next week. I'm excited to see the results. I'm planning on hunting with the wrist release this year unless for some reason the BT is exceptionally natural for me, which considering my bad habits I'm not expecting at all.
I have always been taught with a gun that the shot should be a surprise, and I do the same with bow. The push pull of the bow creates stability but it is a squeeze of the trigger that releases and just like the rifle it is a surprise when it happens. Never done backpreasure.
Well I purchased a Carter Attraction pull-through release. The results are absolutely incredible. Yesterday I spent an hour or so adjusting the tension and blank baling but by the end my shooting was noticible better. This morning I went out and did some longer yardage shooting and my groups were incredible; about 2" at 60 yards. I now fully understand the surprise release and using back tension and I would strongly recommend a pull-through style to anyone trying to learn.
