# Back Tension



## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Back tension is difficult to learn by yourself. I know this first hand. 

I see you are in Missouri. Check with Mike Farmer. He is Mike 66 here on archery talk. He lives in Missouri and is an excellent coach.

One bit of advice I can give you that may save you some pain, is to learn to draw to a spot about an inch from your face, then, without moving your head, bring your hand in to anchor. You will have a miss-fire or two while learning and this will keep you from punching yourself. 

A second piece of advice that will help you with accuracy is to hold the release in your hand exactly the same every time. Holding it just a tiny bit different will give you a different point of impact. Work on this from the first time you pick up your release. That way it will become an ingrained habit. Work with your coach to figure out how you want to hold it. 

Good luck,
Allen


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## Ray Ray (Aug 1, 2005)

If you are going to try to learn BT without a coach, I would recommend you get a copy of Larry Wise's Core Archery. He goes over every thing you need. to know.


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## JF from VA (Dec 5, 2002)

I will second Ray Ray's suggestion, but recommend Larry Wise's Core Archer DVD. Also, a couple of training aids that you might want to consider are a loop of cord and/or a Saunders Firing Line trainer to substitute for a bow. When learning to use a hinge release, it is much easier to use one of these than starting out with a bow.

You are making a good choice with the Sweet Spot. I prefer a three-finger model because I think it engages your back better. However, it will come down to personal preference.


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## neffets40 (Apr 16, 2007)

I learned on the TruBall Sweet Spot II Ultra 3. You will find that there are times when the release just won't go off. This is no fault of the release, just that you're doing something that won't allow it to. For me, it is one of two things. Don't DEATH GRIP the thing. A looser grip is better. I taped mine up with some self adhering sports tape because it is soft and pliable and really pads your fingers so you don't get blisters and it doesn't slip around when your hands get sweaty. The other thing that I have learned that will lessen target panic and help your shot sequence stay consistent is by not placing your thumb on the peg and only pull through with your fingers. Sometimes your thumb on the peg can prevent the hinge from rotating enough to fire. Play with the travel and sensitivity adjustments as well. TruBall makes the best stuff.


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## AJ the TP Guru (Jul 29, 2011)

Good luck. You've definitely got some good practitioners of the art here to advise you.

Meanwhile, the number of BT users who are still TP afflicted continues to rise.


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## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

thanks for the kind words ALLEN , he called me last week.:yo:


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

mike 66 said:


> thanks for the kind words ALLEN , he called me last week.:yo:


That's great! I hope it works out for both of you!


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## XForce Girl (Feb 14, 2008)

One of the best ways I have found to cure TP is to have specific steps to shooting and occupy your mind with these steps as you set up and perform each shot sequence.

Target Panic happens when the mind begins to wander from the task at hand and jumps ahead to thinking about the "X" or "10"


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## mike 66 (Jan 21, 2010)

XForce Girl said:


> One of the best ways I have found to cure TP is to have specific steps to shooting and occupy your mind with these steps as you set up and perform each shot sequence.
> 
> Target Panic happens when the mind begins to wander from the task at hand and jumps ahead to thinking about the "X" or "10"


EXCELLENT POST X FORCE GIRL:cheer2::cheer2:


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## kstolleis (Mar 16, 2014)

So I started with the TruBall SweetSpot and its the right way to go, at least to start. Big thing I see with most people who want to switch is they try it for two weeks and decide they "dont like it" or "its not what I was hoping for." You were right when you said its time consuming. I switched and spend 6+ months at the range 2+ days a week before it started to gel.

Something else I learned once I switched to a more traditional tension release is that you should try with and without a click. The click caused me to flinch and was not good. No click is awesome but not for everyone.

And although Larry Wise does have a good section on it there are still lots of things you can learn on your own. I like watching videos of good shooters and using that for a mental image pre-shot. For back tension there are none better than any of the Olympic recurve shooters. Watch their release hand and bow arm in the 1-2 seconds post release. This will let you see how proper application of back tension will cause you to react.


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