[Greysides]

We've had two clips demonstrating the release part of form posted recently. Joe Paranee and Steve Morley.

Joe P.

Steve M.

Looking at them I notice two different types of release.

JP, you seem to have a more rearward component to the direction of your elbow while Steve has more of a rotational component. The movement of the hand shows the difference better. In JP's case it comes back with the elbow and ends up on/near the shoulder; in Steve's case it goes behind the head/ear.

Both releases have the requisite rearward elbow direction of back tension.

I have noticed myself do both.......... and have noticed a difference in where the arrow ends up too, height-wise.

While consistency is the hallmark of a good archer and it's most likely either release done consistently is perfectly adequate, to nit-pick, is one better than the other?

My personal effort is expended at the more rotational version (a la Steve) as I notice it gives a better release. My explanation to myself would be that the rotational direction unwinds the fingers off the string better (the fingers are pulled back off in the direction they are curled onto the string).

What do others think?

 

[steve morley]

My personal effort is expended at the more rotational version (a la Steve) as I notice it gives a better release. My explanation to myself would be that the rotational direction unwinds the fingers off the string better (the fingers are pulled back off in the direction they are curled onto the string).

What do others think?

Once I hit anchor I just change direction trying to turn the draw elbow behind my head and don't stop till either the arrow hits the spot or I run out of rotation, It's a very simple singular thought process that my tiny brain can handle, I don't even have to think 'release'

It works well for me, both methods are very effective and it's just a matter of which is the most acceptable to you mentally.

I do see some people trying to copy this touch the shoulder pull through and it seems to me the Scapula isn't really being used just the shoulder joint being rotated, you have to watch you don't get caught in this trap as it might be hard to get out of that hole.

 

[longbowguy]

I think the key is what the scapula (right shoulder blade) does. I ask pupils to dress so I can see it directly, tight tee shirt or shirt off for the men, tight tee or tank top for the ladies. And I take pictures so they can see on the spot what they have just done.

In Joe's video you can see that at anchor his scapula sticks out a bit, like a chicken wing, which is what we want. During shot execution the chest expands and back contracts, rotating the shoulder. This is slight, hard to see at all in front, and nearly invisible in the back as the scapula moves forward and downward toward the spine. You can feel your own back squeeze as you increase tension until the shot goes off. At release the scapula should move visibly forward and down, as Joe's does.

This in turn moves the shoulder, in rotation; the elbow, around and down at about a 45% angle; and the hand, back along the cheek to somewhere behind the ear.

The hand may end up near the shoulder like Joe's, near the neck like Steve's, in air behind the ear like world record holder Park Sung Hyun or former world record holder David Barnes who ends up with his forearm vertical or beyond and a relaxed hand in the air far behind the shoulder. You can see videos of them and others on You Tube. I think the more relaxed the conclusion the better. - lbg

 

[JParanee]

I for one like Steves better

It is what I am working toward

Hell I'm just glad I stopped plucking and dropping my bow arm

Good thread thanks

 

[JParanee]

Steve

Are you focusing on squeezing your back or on rotating your elbow ?

 

[steve morley]

Steve

Are you focusing on squeezing your back or on rotating your elbow ?

A little of both, when I get to anchor as I change to a more rotational direction I feel some initial squeezing and if I let off I notice straight off and will restart the shot but I seem more comfortable visualizing the elbow reaching behind my head, if I focus on just the squeezing the Rhomboids it doesn't always continue after release and it's sometimes a short conclusion.

A few adjustments I made to help was when I gapped I stopped pulling and just felt that load and found I was peaking for the gap and then struggled to get expansion working, everything felt kinda forced, now I'm loading and just continue the rotation, it's been the hardest part to adjust and impossible to do with normal draw weight as I found I just tensed everything up. Bad news is it took me all winter with 36# limbs to get it working the way I wanted, I feel I'm still working with it but now with competition weight (you know we have LONG winters here )

 

[JParanee]

Thank you Steve

 

[kenn1320]

A little of both, when I get to anchor as I change to a more rotational direction I feel some initial squeezing and if I let off I notice straight off and will restart the shot but I seem more comfortable visualizing the elbow reaching behind my head, if I focus on just the squeezing the Rhomboids it doesn't always continue after release and it's sometimes a short conclusion.

A few adjustments I made to help was when I gapped I stopped pulling and just felt that load and found I was peaking for the gap and then struggled to get expansion working, everything felt kinda forced, now I'm loading and just continue the rotation, it's been the hardest part to adjust and impossible to do with normal draw weight as I found I just tensed everything up. Bad news is it took me all winter with 36# limbs to get it working the way I wanted, I feel I'm still working with it but now with competition weight (you know we have LONG winters here )

Steve this is what Im talking about in the post I started "Shot Exection". I get the same short conclusion when I only use the Rhomboid. Im curious why you added the rotational movement to your shot? Here is a video you can see coach Kim showing Christian how to teach release. He isnt talking about what muscles to use, but he is showing the release should be a short straight back movement, much like you and I get with just Rhomboid activation.

 

[everwood]

rhomboids are not scapular depressors in that they move your entire scaplua down towards your butt. if you put your shoulder blades as low as they can go they end up protracting also (moving out towards the side of your body). this is not the action you are after.
"down" in this context is referring to the inferior angle (point on bottom of scap)
"swinging/rotating" in towards spine.

dont forget about the trapezius and its actions. the trapezius is the big muscle that you can palpate and see and it lies over top the rhomboids. in heavilyl muscle people the trapezius is also very thick in depth. rhomboids are deep to the trapezius and do not possess much in thickness so they are both hard to palpate and see (you cant see them).

 

[everwood]

this is an excellent resource page:

 

[everwood]

like i was saying on another thread there is a real danger of cutting this down to its parts because the whole is greater than the sum but the above video references will at least help to define SCAPULAR actions, which are a good topic of conversation in this matter.

 

[everwood]

here is a link to the recent "shot execution" thread.
right now the threads are up next to each other but they will be burried in a month and since they are both related im putting the link here

http://tradtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46996

 

[kenn1320]

Thanks for the skeletal video, I was adducting(spelling) my scalpula based on what I was trying to do to execute the shot. Crazy that muscle attached higher like that can also rotate the scapula downward. Great link, thanks!

 

[everwood]

:cheers: You got it , Kenn.