# Origin of BACK TENSION?



## EPLC (May 21, 2002)

This topic has been kicked around for some time without any real source data to back up the opinions. What say you?


----------



## kballer1 (Aug 31, 2010)

I believe the origin of back tension was the Plastic ledge, then the Rope Spike, Stanislowski Hinge & Barner Hinge.


----------



## rn3 (Jan 4, 2008)

kballer1 said:


> I believe the origin of back tension was the Plastic ledge, then the Rope Spike, Stanislowski Hinge & Barner Hinge.


Nope, back tension was around long before any of those.


----------



## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

back tension, in process, has it's origins in the use of bows dating back to long bows. exactly when, there is no recorded history, that I am aware of, beyond that.
just because a particular type of release exists that was shot with back tension, doesn't date the process...that's like saying, fingers didn't exist before back tension was discovered ( it is a major factor in shooting any bow with your fingers). factually and chronologically, the release was invented as complimentary accessory to the fact that the process of back tension already existed, so the existence of back tension, spurned the invention of the "release" in general, not the other way around.


----------



## zenarch (Aug 3, 2002)

EPLC said:


> This topic has been kicked around for some time without any real source data to back up the opinions. What say you?


Paul,
For me the concept of back tension started to be stressed when Dave Keagy published "Power Archery" back in the 60's. It has been around forever but I think Power Archery brought this style of shot to the forefront.
Joe B.


----------



## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

interesting piece of information !.....
there's so little actually written about back tension, that it's easy to claim, "there really is no such thing", yet every person that shoots a bow, uses it, to some degree. the most ambiguous issue, is that as a process, the name is just a name given to describe a muscular activity, simply because the activity has to be called "something". the problem arises, when we try to assign values, or levels of use, such as "pure back tension" vs. something of more, or, lesser involvement, in the shot process. despite the amount of involvement, back tension by it's definition, is the same thing, whether used to activate a release or just draw a bow.....the very definition of it's muscular activity, is universally applied every time we shoot a bow and that cannot be denied.
I haven't read the book, or even ever seen it, but I can assume the "power" aspect in the tittle, relates to the fact that the rhomboids are large ,powerful, skeletal muscles, that produce the most efficient way to draw and hold a bow at full draw.
this process, has undeniably been around in various degrees, as long as bows themselves, have been around. it is only that until relatively speaking, "recent times" (in a chronological sense), that it has deliberately been given a "name" that fits the muscular activity. 
ironic that the process (this "muscular activity"), is given foremost attention, at about the same time, that releases of various designs, were being thought about, considered and started showing up, maybe experimentally.....but never the less, "appearing".....It motivates me to think, "there must some associated parallel, there".


----------

