From “Selling Back Tension Release Aids,” by Larry Wise, ArrowTrade Magazine, March 2004

Begin learning the release with a training aid, not a bow.Set the release timing to heavy so your shooter has to work hard to activate the release.Use a rope loop with them to be sure they have back tension that launches the loop several feet out

of their hand.Check for wrist or finger movement, there should be none with back tension. The rhomboid

muscles in your back are the workers in this exercise.All fingers should be held with equal tightness on the release and not relaxed.Their wrist should be relaxed and straight.Two weeks on the training aid is not too long.Switch to the bow but do not use a sight or a target face. Stand close to the target butt.Shoot 15 to 20 shots each session. Two weeks is not too long to do this either.Begin every practice with 15 - 20 blank bale shots before shooting any score on a target face.End every practice with 8 - 10 blank bale shots. Never aim during the blank bale shooting, think

about how it feels only.Six months is not too long to follow this routine.

I called Jim Bath of Kansas to get his thoughts on release shooting. He feels this way, “Too manyshooters using the back tension release are twisting their wrist or their fingers to set it off and they’re notgetting the results they want because of that.” I agree, that’s why it’s important to get started properly.

I also liked what Jim had to say about switching to the back tension style, “You don’t ‘try’ a backtension release to see if you like it, you commit to it for the long term. “ In other words, you can’t get thistechnique at the McDonald’s drive-thru window. You really have to work at it.

Learning to Shoot a Back Tension Release AidUsing a six foot piece of

1/8 th inch nylon rope, tie thetwo ends together to form a loopequal in length to your bow’sdraw length. Place one end ofthe loop around your bow handas shown while hooking yourback tension release to the otherend as you would hook it to yourbowstring. Now the loop acts asyour bow and you can reproduceyour full draw body positionwithout drawing the bow and anythreat of bodily harm.

Adjust the length of therope to match your bow’s drawlength so that your feel comfort-able. In other words, adjust it tomatch your full draw body

position. That means your shoulders must be level, your dominant-side scapula in position to begin backtension, drawing elbow slightly raised above level and your bow arm extended to allow the force of yourtension to be carried by bone structure. Body position is all-important to form, so even with this rope,practice it right.

Once you’re in proper position you need to relax your drawing-side arm muscles. Remember thatthis is easiest when your draw-wrist is kept straight and forearm muscles are relaxed. Also, consistentarchery form minimizes muscle and maximizes skeleton.

Now is the time to start tightening your draw-side rhomboids. As they tighten, you will feel yourarm, elbow, release hand and back tension release move, too. Eventually, the back tension release willrelease the rope loop and the bowstring.

Figure 1: Use the rope loop to simulate your bow. Adjust it to the right drawlength, set the release-timing medium to heavy and practice back tension.

BE PATIENT: DO NOT RUSH THIS PROCESS!If your back tension release goes off too quickly set it heavier. Learn to use it set heavy so you

have to expend lots of energy and time to get it to go off. Working hard at this stage will get you accus-tomed to waiting for the release to do its magic. Even if your personality is such that you can’t standwaiting, train yourself to wait. Waiting is a habit you can learn.

When you are executing with back tension properly the rope loop will launch four or five feetoutward. If, when released, it just hangs around your bow hand then you’re not using any tension andsimply turning the release handle with your wrist or fingers. When you get it right, the cord will launchoutward several yards. Learn how it’s done and how it feels in your back. Keep doing it until it is trans-ferred to your subconscious.

This rope and the back tension release can be used anywhere, anytime. Practice with it in youroffice, living room, and basement, on business trips or anywhere you are. Use it for maybe 20 shots at atime. More shots are not necessary but more practice sessions are. Practice four or five times a daybecause frequent review promotes long-term retention of the skill being practiced. These frequent sessionswill also help with muscle conditioning and mental control. Be sure to review body position with eachpractice session.

Selecting a ReleaseThe back tension release has been around since the early 1970’s when Mel Stanislawski invented

it. I started using one in 1977 and haven’t been able to put it down since. On the urging of a friend I bor-rowed his “Stan” for a test run; he never got it back.

From the first shot I knew I was a better archer. With my Stanislawski the arrow groups were goodand got better and better until I was shooting well from all distances. My first indoor scores that winterwere over 590 on the 40cm FITA target and I was impressed with how this release aid had changed me.

I’ve used other releases but I keep going back to the back tension release. With it I can maintain myform. Without it I quickly fall into a lazy mode with my back tension and the groups in the target get bigger.

Many back tension releases are available from several manufacturers. Models for two, three, andfour fingers are shown. I know all the manufacturers personally and have tried all of these products andurge you to try them in an effort to find the one that best fits your hand and improves your consistency.Over the years I’ve had the most success with a two-finger model but a three or four finger model maybetter serve you.

Safe DrawIf you’re concerned about your release going off on the draw stroke then try a release with a safety

of some kind. The safety prevents the release from discharging during the draw stroke. At full draw youcan press a button to disconnect the safety and from that point on you can use your back tension to activatethe release. These releases really take the worry out of drawing a back tension release.

No matter what model you choose keep hand position in mind. You must be able to hold the releasewhile keeping your large knuckles and wrist straight. This is the best way to ensure that your forearmmuscles are relaxed during the shot.

Using the Back Tension Release with a BowWhen you’re ready to use your back tension release with your bow, begin at close range, say 5

yards, no target and no sight. Your goal is to get the bow to full draw position, then aim and reproduce theshot form that you’ve been practicing with the rope loop. Don’t set the release light, heavy is better fortraining. You know when you’re cheating so don’t. Only perfect practice makes perfect.

Frequent short practice sessions each day are, again, the best way to train. Do this for 20 days; ittakes 20 days to build a habit. The goal of each session is to shoot ten to fifteen shots with perfect formand execution.

In time, maybe two weeks, you’ll be ready for a sight and a target. Don’t rush to get to them,remain patient and focus on the feel of your body as it sets off the release. Add the sight and a target andshoot at close range. Practice often during the day and only for 10 to 15 shots.

Once again your goal with this practice is to get to full draw position in order to begin aiming andtightening your rhomboid muscles. Following that you must remain immersed in aiming while your subcon-

scious controls the rhomboid tightening. No other thought is necessary since the release will eventually gooff. Your task, and it’s a big one, is to just let it work.

Further PracticeOnce you’ve begun shooting at targets you must continue practice with the rope loop and with your sight-less bow and no target. Use the loop anytime you can for a few shots. Warm up with it re shooting. Useblank-bale practice re and after each target practice session. Eight or ten shots at the start of practice andeight or ten at the end reinforces body position, body feel and, most all, the mental focus and control thatneed to shoot properly with back tension.

I know the rope loop works, as do other training aids. As we speak I know an airline pilot flyingall over Europe for fifteen days at a time. He takes release and rope with him so he can practice in hishotel room (I’m sure he doesn’t practice on the plane but it could done.) He’s already beaten his panicproblem and by fall he’ll be hunting and enjoying it for the first time in years; he won’t have to worry ifhe’ll be able to take the shot when he gets one.

ConclusionI like what I’m hearing about the tension style releases. I’ve always believed at shooting with one

was the right way to learn. For me, it’s the right way to shoot I the time. For others, learning to shoot withback tension gets them set up to shoot other release styles and with them they can win or hunt successfully.

I also like hearing that tension release sales are up. The word is getting out that to shoot well for along period of me you must use your back muscles. If ore people are using them then more people areshooting properly and that makes it more fun. People keep doing fun things and that’s good for archery.

Editor’s Note. Books are available from Larry Wise Archery, RR#3, Box 678, Mifflintown, PA17059 for $11.95 plus 1.50 S&H. Titles include Tuning Your Compound Bow, Tuning and Silencing YourBowhunting System, Tuning and Shooting Your 3-D Bow, and Bow and Arrow. A Complete Guide. Plusthe new Core Archery book is available this March, and it contains a complete guide to shooting with backtension. Larry Wise is also available to conduct one- and two-day CoreArchery Academies on shootingform. And he’s a distributor of Phantom carbon arrow shafts, including the high-precision Phantom Pro.Contact him via email at larrywise@acsworld.net, or call (877) 464-9997 for ordering information.