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Surprise?

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604 views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  Andy ©  
#1 ·
been reading a lot lately about shooting and i keep seing the term "surprise release". it's great to have a surprise release to avoid target panic. i hear some very prominent archers say "i have NO IDEA when my release is gonna go off", now i have been working on back tension for close to a year. i feel i am doing it pretty well. i guarantee i do not use my hand at all to cheat the release. my release fires from squeezing my rhomboids which rotates my elbow and POW(i use a hinge). the only thing i don't understand is the whole "surprise" term!!! how can an archer have "no idea" when his/her release is going to fire when you can feel the dynamic tension building especially in your back??? also if you are consistent, the release should fire in very close to the exact amount of time each shot. so how can it be a "surprise"? no it isn't a PUNCH but how is it a complete surprise. am i missing something or doing something wrong? i mean i can feel when my release is going to go off. how can that be avoided?

so what is the definition of a surpise release???
 
#2 ·
Well, I don't know when my release is going to blow. I do have a general time frame when I settle into my shot that it should go off. If it doesn't, I let down and start over. I just come to full draw and start moving tension out of my arms, shoulders and wrist, I feel it moving or building in my back. I do it in that order and bam. It just goes. My bow flies forward and my release hand flies backwards. = surprise release.
 
#5 ·
I try not to use my arms at all. I draw, relax my bow arm. Then I anchor and settle in on target, then I relax my right shoulder and wrist. I keep tension and let the release melt into my fingers. (hope that makes since) The shot usually fires either when I am relaxing my wrist or shortly after.
 
#7 ·
today

i worked on it more today and learned mot to have my back "so contracted" before i start squeezing. i get more of a 'surprise" that way because i don't feel my rhomboids as much. if i start with my shoulder blade too close to my spine i can "feel" my back muscles "shrinking". i can even feel the shink wrinkling up and i know when the shot is gonna go almost exactly.
 
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