back tension.....and the tension it causes.

what? what did i say? odd title.

it is a fact that a pure backtension shot it the best way to eliminate the you in your execution. by that i mean inconsistency in the commanded shot...or punched.No matter how slow the squeeze of a finger or thumb it is being punched.sometimes you float like a butterfly some times you sting like a bee.
   this is not to say someone cannot close to master a on command shot....these people are extraordinary and would be even better if they would take the loss in points until they built their shot....wont take long.
  I am feeling rambly all, sorry.

    here is the issue with shooting back tension, and it is an issue with punchers too. we as archers can get lazy....I said it .I am guilty of it. it can be insidious, sneakin into an arrow every few ends...next thing you know you are shooting terrible and dont really know why. get real close to a bale and go through all the steps of a classic shot sequence( or yours if you wish) set your feet, nock the arrow,set and hook,set up,draw/load....THATS IT!!!! this is really where the shot become poop.....I am finding that most of the time people start using the arm to help a bit ,maybe towards the end of a match, and over time the draw starts to happen with the arm more.
   this is not to say the back is not involved at all, but it is not being loaded.when this happens the shot is slightly helped by changing your hip rotation of some such nonsense that changes the angle of the hand to loop to make up for the loss of alignment.as a matter of unimportance, I would say that it is BECAUSE the back is still involved some they dont notice they are not using it totally.

    what? now alignment is an issue?....probably. i say probably because there are freaks that hold like a rock, and squeeze it off consistent enough to makeup for poor alignment.but yes as the failure to load the back in-turn causes alignment issues. the load of the back and the rotation of the drawside scapula has to happen to allow the bow shoulder in for good bone alignment and to turn your parallelogram into a wedge.

a hinge will not make you use back tension, a wrist caliper does not mean you cant use back tension.....but i will say you cant have back tension with out loading the drawside back.


so when you get inconsistent, blank bale and sound of the steps of your shot with your eyes closed.it should shed some light on whats what.