# Finding/Owning Your Back-Tension



## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

I'm interested in hearing from others here ... What is the most creative, brilliant, or craziest ways (mind game, physical training technique, etc) that you've tried (or taught) to get your back to be more the primary holder/activating expander (and less involvement from your shoulder and elbow/triceps and fingers) ?

What works the best? What didn't work?


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## Ross R (Mar 30, 2006)

For me - I ended up with Bernie's Can't Crank release. I was able to "work around" many of the standard back tension releases.
Can't crank is simply just that - you can't "work around" it.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

Ross R said:


> For me - I ended up with Bernie's Can't Crank release. I was able to "work around" many of the standard back tension releases.
> Can't crank is simply just that - you can't "work around" it.


Sorry - I was not completely clear in my post ... I'm more directing this thread toward Olympic Recurve using a clicker.


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## ForeverNewbie (Feb 21, 2018)

I would recommend reading the 3 part article, "In Korea," from Christ Shull. 
"Focusing on elbow" helped me a lot and I rarely lose my back tension as long as my focus last.


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## ryan b. (Sep 1, 2005)

Making sure all the steps that come before “secret tricks to back tension” are in place then proper tension just happens as a result of the alignment your body is in and in which direction you are expanding. 

So, no tricks per se but I do find that keeping the sight pin in the 8ish ring on setup/drawing then upon anchoring coming into the gold.. and now everything should be perfect if I did my job paying attention to all the steps that lead up to anchor and aiming, then my sight is floating and I’m expanding. Click. Follow through. 

If I screw up anything before aiming and expansion then I really try to let down; that way I’m not using badaid techniques to set my clicker off and “try”at back tension.


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## ryan b. (Sep 1, 2005)

Sometimes I get lost and find myself trying to set the clicker off (poor alignment, faulty positions that lead up to expansion, not being in correct position when expansion begins etc) and then it’s down the drain. I can pull it off (tricks to click) at 50m but that stuff doesn’t work for me at 70. When the shot feels like that (i.e. wrong, like I’m actively trying to move the arrow under the clicker instead of expanding and having my shot) I stop using my clicker for as many shots as it takes to feel smooth and not jerky jerky or losing tension at anchor and through expansion. Then I go back to the clicker and blank bale with expansionon my mind instead of trying to break the clicker. As soon as I have that feeling I use my clicker at blank bale and if it’s all good I resume shooting at distance. I can usually fix it in a couple of shots unless I was stubborn and shooting for score with poor form that although it sets off the clicker and groups my arrows; it’s not smooth or my good shot.


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## bahboric (Aug 22, 2013)

ForeverNewbie said:


> I would recommend reading the 3 part article, "In Korea," from Christ Shull.
> "Focusing on elbow" helped me a lot and I rarely lose my back tension as long as my focus last.


Link?


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## fader (May 17, 2010)

I hope this doesn't derail your thread because this trick barely relates to your question. But, I had a coach as a JOAD who would place the pointy end of one of my arrows next to my hand at full draw to 'encourage' me to follow through cleanly on my release. It worked. I don't think my hand ever hit the arrow. It's quite possible he didn't place the arrow as close to my hand as he led me to believe. But perception is reality and I was damn focused on a clean release.


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

bahboric said:


> Link?


pm me your email address. I have the PDFs saved on my computer. Its a three part series. Really good read. 


Chris


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## theminoritydude (Feb 11, 2013)

lksseven said:


> What is the most creative, brilliant, or craziest ways ....... (and less involvement from your shoulder and elbow/triceps and fingers) ?


That's like asking which method is best for extinguishing a fire without water, halon, or any type of fire extinguishing agent/device. Of course it's going to involve your elbow and fingers.

But not the triceps. Unless you're talking about the bow arm.


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

to all the ones who have pm'd me asking for the PDF.

I think you will find it interesting that he states very clearly what i have said many times on AT to much derision from the NTS scholars. 

Its not about back tension or using the muscles ( NTS method). Its about bone alignment and using the bones to leverage the poundage. its about keeping everything inline of the target during draw. its about the line from target through grip, through arrow, through draw arm and out the elbow and not drawing outside of that line. Keeping all tension and forces in that line. 

This info is from nearly 20 years ago and still is the basic principle for the Linear ( Korean) system. 

The PDF file is a great look at what the Korean's teach in their system which is so effective. 

Its also why Hyejin Chang who just won Rio Gold responded in an interview when asked about back tension " I dont use back tension". 

I also have a link to a video showing the Korean school archery system that was shot by the French National team. 


YMMV....

Chris


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

My answer is making sure my alignment is right. Then the leverage makes it easy to keep the tension (balance) thru the clicker and release. If i vary from that, then the balance is off and i end up pulling instead of letting the clicker happen.


Chris


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

chrstphr said:


> My answer is making sure my alignment is right. Then the leverage makes it easy to keep the tension (balance) thru the clicker and release. If i vary from that, then the balance is off and i end up pulling instead of letting the clicker happen.
> 
> 
> Chris


Schwarzenegger used to pick one of his standard exercises and for a workout only do that one movement for like 35 sets - just massive overloading of work - that would be his workout for the day. Then the next day he would be so sore he could hardly function, but the pain would tell him exactly what muscles were being worked and what section of those muscles were being worked the most. He said sometimes he would be surprised - that he wasn't so sore where he expected he would be, and would be sore where he didn't expect to be ...................................

Agree with Chris that alignment and force balance is (almost) everything. And if an archer is truly in-line and using his back to stabilize/expand, as opposed to his shoulders/elbow/neck, then an overloading workout shouldn't produce much soreness, and then mostly in his back that is supposedly doing all the work. 


I would also posit that most people have zero ability to use their back to expand/break the clicker because their brain has no trained nerve pathway to isolate and control the contraction of those back muscles - they are overbowed with a too-short draw length, their form at anchor a collection of angles which they are heroically trying to manage and control by using their shoulders and triceps and elbows and hands to control/hold/expand/break the clicker.

So, I would love to see this experiment widespread - recurve archers shooting quadruple volume (strict form) in a workout, and then see the next day where the soreness is .... I'll bet the vast lion's share of them will have tremendously complaining string side rear delts, stringside elbows, bow side trapezius .... and most of them not so much intense soreness in the back muscles that they think they're using to expand through the clicker.

And then I would ask those people who are not sore where they want to be sore - how will they train going forward in order to gain access and control to those muscles that they want to be the primary activators of the shot?


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## WDWILHELM (Jul 2, 2009)

I am glad this thread drifted into alignment. I don’t fully understand back tension, and for sure I don’t like the term. I like to focus on alignment. In the spirit of the original post, I have a training drill I use from time to time to work on alignment. This is a long post. I hope it is helpful.

I like to do static exercises with an Astra Shot Trainer. You could also use a Rigid Formaster, or similar device. I adjust the length of the Shot Trainer so that the string/loop connection is very close to where my fingers would hook onto the string, but just a bit short. I hook the string like a normal shot, but when I draw the bow, the Shot Trainer takes the load. My fingers stay in the hook position, but without contact to the string, and for sure no load. I try to follow as close as possible my normal shot sequence. I will draw the bow back with forearm and draw hand as relaxed as possible. They don’t need to do any work; the load is transferred to the upper arm by the Shot Trainer. When I reach the anchor position, I will hold for 15 seconds. I will let down, and then rest for 45 seconds. I will then rinse and repeat for a total of 30 reps. It takes time to build up strength and stamina to do this for 30 reps in 30 minutes. This first time I tried it, I could only do 5 without my form totally breaking down.
I started this exercise with the idea that it would help build/maintain strength when I could not shoot. 

What I found after a couple of weeks was rather eye opening. I discovered that my shoulders, both front and rear, gradually changed positions. I learned naturally how to get into better alignment. I found that my body naturally found better shoulder positions so that I didn’t have to use as much muscle, or work as hard to hold for the 15 seconds. I even noticed that my bow hand position and grip changed slightly. 

I also designed a few variants:
Anchor and hold for 12 seconds, then expand for three seconds.
Draw as close as possible to edge of clicker without having the clicker click, then hold, and then expand all while looking at the arrow under the clicker.
Draw well past anchor and click; prove to myself that I can easily make the clicker click.
The possible variants are many. 

Added advantage is that I can slip away and do a set while the wife watches TV. I’m not even missed and this doesn’t count as having gone shooting.:wink:

Wyndell


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## ThomVis (Feb 21, 2012)

Formaster or compound wrist release.
Taught beginners class last Monday (3rd lesson) and put a wrist release on them, let them draw without using fingers. When they were aimed at the target I hit the trigger and they got a surprise release. This way they feel what drawing on your back and follow through feels like. And it's fun to see the surprise on their faces :evil:.


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## julle (Mar 1, 2009)

lksseven said:


> So, I would love to see this experiment widespread - recurve archers shooting quadruple volume (strict form) in a workout, and then see the next day where the soreness is .... I'll bet the vast lion's share of them will have tremendously complaining string side rear delts, stringside elbows, bow side trapezius .... and most of them not so much intense soreness in the back muscles that they think they're using to expand through the clicker.
> 
> And then I would ask those people who are not sore where they want to be sore - how will they train going forward in order to gain access and control to those muscles that they want to be the primary activators of the shot?


If i shoot 4-600 arrows in a day, finishing off with some spt's, which is very rare, the only thing that is sore is my drawing shoulder, specifically the joint and maybe some rotary cuff muscles, the shoulder starts "clicking" as well when i move it :') none of the big muscles you mention..

I would also like to mention my thought on aliment, and that is that sometimes alignment is overthought. I've seen many archers that focus to much on getting everything aligned and perfect, and lose focus of the main goal and that is to push the bow arm in the right direction and pull your release hand back following the same path as your elbow rotates. These archery can generally shoot ok under training conditions, but any kind of stress and they have no room to expand trough the clicker, let alone release. Eventually leading to target panic, and sometimes even quitting. I know of several cases where archers were really on the right track score wise, and then coaches thought them to align, where after years of struggling they left the sport.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

WDWILHELM said:


> I am glad this thread drifted into alignment. I don’t fully understand back tension, and for sure I don’t like the term. I like to focus on alignment. In the spirit of the original post, I have a training drill I use from time to time to work on alignment. This is a long post. I hope it is helpful.
> 
> I like to do static exercises with an Astra Shot Trainer. You could also use a Rigid Formaster, or similar device. I adjust the length of the Shot Trainer so that the string/loop connection is very close to where my fingers would hook onto the string, but just a bit short. I hook the string like a normal shot, but when I draw the bow, the Shot Trainer takes the load. My fingers stay in the hook position, but without contact to the string, and for sure no load. I try to follow as close as possible my normal shot sequence. I will draw the bow back with forearm and draw hand as relaxed as possible. They don’t need to do any work; the load is transferred to the upper arm by the Shot Trainer. When I reach the anchor position, I will hold for 15 seconds. I will let down, and then rest for 45 seconds. I will then rinse and repeat for a total of 30 reps. It takes time to build up strength and stamina to do this for 30 reps in 30 minutes. This first time I tried it, I could only do 5 without my form totally breaking down.
> I started this exercise with the idea that it would help build/maintain strength when I could not shoot.
> ...


W, I like your thinking here.


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## spruis (Jan 15, 2015)

Okay, to make this as simple as possible, in order for an Olympic Recurve archer to be successful, they must be pulling straight back from their bow (at full draw, during the draw is not needed). To accomplish this, the rear shoulder must be swung around toward the back, ending up on a line with the front shoulder that leads to the bow. The muscles that move the shoulder joint are in the upper mid back. These muscles must tense to get the shoulder back around (it is their job alone), so shooting without "back (muscle) tension" is nonsense. Since the final position (at release) is very close to the end of the range of motion for this action, the tension in the muscles is quite high and can be felt easily. We use this rather uncomfortable tension in the back muscles as one of the signs that we are in our appropriate full draw position.

To become acquainted to this feeling, lie on your back on a smooth surface. Take a rubber tube or stretch band and mimic drawing a bow while you are in this position. The floor will give you tactile feedback as your rear scapula slides in toward your spine. Focus on how tense the muscles are mid-back. Then you want to shoot some blind bale while feeling this sensation, focus on it (hard). Then when you get to shooting targets, be sure that you break off any shot in which you do not feel the correct amount of back tension. If you shoot anyway, your subconscious mind will get the impression that it isn't all that important. You are instructing your subconscious mind that this is an important part of your shot (you are basically telling it to not shoot targets without it). 

All of this folderol is needed because we can't watch our bodies as when we shoot arrows, our eyes are otherwise occupied. At full draw is the only time our attention is split. It is split between aiming and on completing the shot. The two most common foci for the "completing the shot" aspect are the draw elbow continuing to move around toward the back or the increased muscle tension in the upper mid-back. (These two things are linked, the bunching muscles are what is causing the elbow to move, so use the one that works for you.)

Cheers!


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

spruis said:


> The two most common foci for the "completing the shot" aspect are the draw elbow continuing to move around toward the back or the increased muscle tension in the upper mid-back. (These two things are linked, the bunching muscles are what is causing the elbow to move, so use the one that works for you.)
> 
> Cheers!


This is NTS only. In the linear system, the elbow goes straight back, it does not continue around the back. For NTS, its very much about back tension and muscles. For linear, its not.

I teach my kids to imagine their elbow is touching an elevator button when they are at full draw. They need to press the botton with their elbow to call the elevator. This visualization works. 

Chris


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

I understand the elevator button to promote a movement, but it would seem that if the motion was straight back, the elbow would drop straight down and not around toward the back evident here:


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

that is after the clicker and follow thru, not coming thru the clicker. 

NTS is bringing the elbow around to come THROUGH THE CLICKER. 
Linear is moving the draw elbow straight back THROUGH THE CLICKER. 

Chris


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## DarkLightStar (Apr 7, 2016)

Quite a few years ago Alistair Whittingham made a few videos entitled "Performance Archery" and he said that getting through the clicker was a matter of trust. There is no conscious thought about getting through it. It's all about form. It's all about trust.

I didn't believe this for many years.

Now I do.

He said that coaches have to say something...but if you consciously try to get through the clicker you activate antagonistic muscles that just make it even harder to get through.

It's about trust.

It's about form.

That's what Brady means by "blood pressure" and Alistair by "trust." You set up the shot and it just happens.


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

my post in a previous thread about how archers come through a clicker




chrstphr said:


> Its not really pushing and pulling. That implies a movement forward and backward. Either of those as a conscious movement is too much and will give inconsistent shots.
> 
> When i first read the poll, i refrained from voting because i felt i did none of the choices.
> 
> ...



Chris


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## DarkLightStar (Apr 7, 2016)

Yes, Chris, you've been very clear about it and I believe the way you've described it is the way most elite archers do it.

It's a lot like driving a car. You don't keep telling your ankle to depress the accelerator. Your subconscious handles that after you've practiced driving a few times.

Archery is much the same.


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## WDWILHELM (Jul 2, 2009)

lksseven said:


> W, I like your thinking here.


Sorry, I missed the most important step of the entire routine. Complete the training session with a Cheddar Bay Biscuit.:wink:

Wyndell


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

chrstphr said:


> that is after the clicker and follow thru, not coming thru the clicker.
> 
> NTS is bringing the elbow around to come THROUGH THE CLICKER.
> Linear is moving the draw elbow straight back THROUGH THE CLICKER.
> ...


Difficult concept for me to grasp, but I will work on it. It would seem that this means two sets of muscles are used in sequence, meaning that the "after the clicker" muscles are not under tension and then "click/bang", they suddenly fire pulling the arm/elbow back. 

Serious question: what muscles are actually being used then, to come through the clicker if not the whole shoulder unit moving around and back? I do hold to a few NTS principles simply because they work for me, but I am, in fact, moving toward a more "linear" form a la Coach Kim and these discussions are helpful.


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

I dont know what muscle controls the expansion, maybe trapezius. 

I hold as close to the knife edge of the clicker as i can while aiming, and keeping the tensions balanced with bow arm and draw arm. I wait for it and balancing on that edge is impossible to stay and it clicks.

Then the recoil sends my draw arm back and around and my hand goes behind my head. Once the clicker is off and i have released, all tension is gone from my body. My back isnt engaged except to keep me standing up straight. My arms go away from each other. 

If i shoot 600 arrows or so, the next day my lower back is sore from keeping my core solid. 

My scapula and rear shoulder is in line when i start my draw. Any transfer happens when i am 2-3 inches from my face and getting ready to anchor. This is the linear system. 
Yes i use back muscles and calf muscles and forearm muscles to draw. I use probably every muscle if you include the ones that keep me standing under load. 

The linear shot is not close to the NTS shot. The Kisik Lee shot sequence is correctly laid out for NTS. Draw, anchor, transfer, hold, aim release, etc etc. 
The linear draw sequence is completely different and in a different order. You setup, draw, transfer as your drawing, you draw to the alignment, hold, then anchor, aim and release. By the time you get to anchor with linear, you are already aligned and transfers, and holding had already happened. Anchor is last before aim and shoot. 

Once before someone posted that basically you want to draw until you are in alignment and then stick you head on your hand. That is pretty accurate. 

NTS is so virtually hard to do, because you are at full draw, under full load, and then expected to anchor and while pivoting on your anchor, get inline, then transfer and then hold ( all of this at full poundage), and then continue the circle behind. This stresses the muscles and it super difficult to do. Almost no one can do it, and for sure most cant do it consistently. 

You draw to alignment and since you are already inline with the bones, you have the leverage to hold so you can anchor. 

90 percent of archers who cant get inline, cant because they are bound up by anchoring too soon and then pivoting from the anchor and trying to muscle into the line.

You draw to the alignment first, the first part of that is get both shoulders and scapula in line at the beginning. Thats why you see a high front arm and draw arm bicep near their ear from the Korean shooters. You have to do that. Same with any Rick McKinney photo in his book " The Art of Winning". His draw photo sequence is text book linear. His arm positions are the same for this. Thats why his head looks further back. His head is on his hand where the alignment is. Thats why i dont use back tension, and why Hyejin Chang said she doesnt use back tension. When you start the draw, your draw arm bicep should be at your ear. Thats how high you have to get it to get the shoulders in line art the start of the draw. Otherwise, your rear shoulder is out and not in line. 

I was asked to do a video on the shot sequence. I havent yet. This is the first time i have publically made this info available. Mostly due to the NTS experts who cant watch a Park Sung Hyun video and figure out she doesnt coil. I decided after the coiling thread that i was banging my head into a wall. 

I save this info for my students who compete. I am sure many will bash this as well. 

But honestly, the linear shot is the most relaxed shot. It feels like no effort. NTS is a stressful shot due to its nature to transfer hold and align late in the sequence. 

I dont want to derail this thread any further, but most have trouble with what i say about the Korean or Linear form because you are only looking at it from an NTS view. You cant use the Kisik Lee shot sequence with the Linear system. You have to do one or the other. Brady is the only successful archer i have seen to combine them both. He is NTS until anchor, then he switches to a linear movement through the clicker. 

Linear is not anything like NTS. And i have posted many links to videos of Dasomi Jung and others who show this method perfectly. 

Chris


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

chrstphr said:


> I dont know what muscle controls the expansion, maybe trapezius.
> 
> I hold as close to the knife edge of the clicker as i can while aiming, and keeping the tensions balanced with bow arm and draw arm. I wait for it and balancing on that edge is impossible to stay and it clicks.
> 
> ...


Chris, take the thread wherever you like. I wanted this thread to promote a discussion of how to get archers to stop trying to muscle their way through a collection of angles that they think equals alignment. You're helping that revelation immensely


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## Stephen Morley (Aug 11, 2016)

Chris great description, I'm Barebow so not using a clicker, spent a week with Coach Kim and his method is so relaxed and simple it made shooting easy.

I'm simply thinking in terms of obtaining good alignment, if I'm not creeping/collapsing and feel a good 50/50 balance I trust I have alignment correct, I can just focus on being happy with the aim float.

I do anything else (push/pull, expansion etc) I just get locked up and aiming becomes so difficult (specially under pressure situation)


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

Stephen Morley said:


> Chris great description, I'm Barebow so not using a clicker, spent a week with Coach Kim and his method is so relaxed and simple it made shooting easy.


true anecdote,

I have kid in my JOAD shoots NTS for a couple years. She shot it before she moved to my town. In my JOAD, kids shoot the form they want, as long as it keeps them shooting. I work with that. I made no effort to change the form of said kid. They have/ had very high level NTS coach. I work on whatever he said to work on with said kid. I dont change form until kids say i am not meeting my goals etc. 

Said kid scores poorly at USATs usually at the bottom of rankings and had told me in past, never won a heads up match. Alway out in the first round. 

Said kid couple months ago, goes to South Korea and works with coach there. THAT coach changed the NTS open stance to a more square stance and changed the kid to linear form. Said kid comes to practice shooting a weird hybrid trying to draw angular with the linear form. So i step in and correct the draw, you either shoot NTS or linear, not both. I explain the sequence and work with her drawing for two days shooting 70 meters. Video of said kid is shown to Korean coach who says form looks much improved. Mom of said kid now views my coaching much more highly since Korean coach gave approval. Go figure. 

Said kid goes to USAT and shoots linear form with change only two months along. Said kid ranks 3rd in quals. Makes it to quarterfinals in heads up before losing to another of my JOAD kids shooting linear. Easy form, and easy to control. Amazing the results you can get when you make the form easy to do and manageable. 


not an NTS dis. Its a hard form vs easy form. And a hard to get into alignment form vs easier to get into alignment form. A difficult to control form vs an easy to control form. and 99% of the time, its the form standing on the podium. 

simple math really.

Chris


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## Maggiemaebe (Jan 10, 2017)

The kiss rule exists for a very good reason ...the sooner some of us realize that there are elements of truth in it the better off we'll be.

Make it easy to pick up and stay in the sport by making it as simple as possible to learn and excel...wow, suddenly we have increased participation and reduced drop out rates...seems a little too obvious to me but maybe I'm just being cynical this morning ...sorry, I admit that I am on my first cup of coffee!

This may cause some to react negatively as it will render them redundant (unless they can change and adapt) but if it improves the overall goal of increasing competency and competitiveness in the sport in a country, I say it is a positive outcome for the sport!


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

here are two photo montage examples of getting the shoulders inline at the start of the draw so that transfer can happen during the draw. Then you have the alignment done by the time you get to holding so you can anchor, aim and release. Some do it in a more exaggerated way, some are not as big in the setup. But all start with the bicep near the ear to draw and the front arm is up to accommodate the shoulders being inline at the start. 

The expansion through the clicker is much easier because of the leverage used and you are not doing anything but letting it happen and keeping the balance of bow and string. 


















Hyejin Chang, Park SungHyun, Ku Bonchan and KiBobae are a few in the photos. 


Chris


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## DarkLightStar (Apr 7, 2016)

Those photos are really helpful. 

Since the Koreans are doing so very well in this sport and have so much money and talent invested in it, you think there's a lesson to be learned here?

I shot at 70 meters today and didn't think once about anything other than a good setup and balance and the clicker just went off every time. In the wind. 

From a person who has shot, thinking about their back muscles and all the other things associated with the BEST and NTS system, it is a joy to just let that worry go and just shoot. Ten years of worrying about clicker issues just continues to vanish.

Yep. I'm sold on "trust."

Thank you.


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## luckman88 (Nov 11, 2017)

Good posts, Chris. Fascinating to see the significant differences in form between elite archers. It's almost a relief to recognize these differences exist and that there's 'more than one way to skin a cat' because nothing sucks the enjoyment out of shooting on a line when you can feel the gaze of unspoken criticism from other archers / coaches at the range. Been there more times than I care to mention as one of the only barebow guys at the local range.


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

one more photo. At Antalya World Cup. I dont know the archer, but you can clearly see he shoots linear. 










Chris


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## lcaillo (Jan 5, 2014)

Wyndell has hit on the key. Not taking any of it too seriously.

I have heard every possible explanation of how to perfect the shot over the last 40+ years, and every system and perspective has some useful truth. And no system works for everyone. Great coaches translate what the archer needs to do into terms they can apply and it takes different forms for different archers and contexts.

There is a bottom line, and Chris gets it, as does Wyndell, and many others. Leveraging the mechanics of the body system requires getting in line to be efficient. Combining line and motion consistently results in better performance. How that motion is completed can vary a lot. Why does back tension matter? Well the reason is pretty simple. One can finish the shot by pulling with the muscles in the arm or with the muscles in the back. The latter clearly leads to more efficient release motion. The articulations of the scapulae are complex, however, and we can debate where to have tension when endlessly, which we do. More important is to execute motion along the line of the shot efficiently. If one thinks in those terms, and applies the fundamental goal of applied biomechanics, finding what you can get for free from the system, the problem becomes much simpler. 

At full draw, just before the release, there is a balance of tension, then there is a little more to find somewhere. As long as it happens with the least effort and within the constraints of the system that keep that tension along the line to the target, the magic can happen. Find the dance that gets you there, and have a biscuit.


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## Cephas (Sep 7, 2010)

Reminder, there are no style points in archery. Good stuff Chris.


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## LVVW (Feb 21, 2017)

That PDF was very helpful Coach Chris! Thanks for that. Looking forward to the virtual this weekend and seeing what kind of numbers I can hit after practicing this info! In practice at 18m yesterday I shot a PB 270! Focusing on alignment and trusting my shot sequence I think was key!


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

LVVW said:


> That PDF was very helpful Coach Chris! Thanks for that. Looking forward to the virtual this weekend and seeing what kind of numbers I can hit after practicing this info! In practice at 18m yesterday I shot a PB 270! Focusing on alignment and trusting my shot sequence I think was key!


you are welcome. Thats awesome you shot a pb. 270 is difficult enough, but doing it barebow is incredible. Thats a 9 average.


Chris


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## LVVW (Feb 21, 2017)

No doubt about the difficulty. But I do owe a lot to you sir on that. Hearing you talk about form and alignment and a whole host of other little gems when you are coaching the kids I have gain knowledge very quickly! These forums have been a gold mine of info too. It's hard believe how much I have achieved since September.
Thanks again! Marcus


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## Gregjlongbow (Jun 15, 2016)

I just try to keep a mental image of the point of my arrow constantly moving backward trough the clicker, and never advancing forward. Usually I can have this running in the back of my mind while my focus is on my breath and aiming, and I get through the clicker smoothly. I was taught NTS, but my form probably doesn’t resemble what I was taught anymore. It’s still angular, but really only at the torso. When I pull through I feel like I’m breaking a stick or something over my chest with my bow arm and my draw elbow both moving slightly outward to my back, and expanding. I when my draw hand gets to about my ear the motion stops. If any other reaction happens (bow arm reacting to the right, collapse at the clicker break, twisting or rotating at the shot) then I know I lost my back tension. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ceratops (May 17, 2017)

Very interesting thread. As someone coming at this without years of experience, Chris's description of the linear approach just makes sense to me from both an aesthetic and logical point of view. It seems that the bow and arrow and the forces applied by the archer should all (ideally) be in a plane, so thinking linear makes a lot of sense. Getting rotational movements to properly interact with what is going on in that plane just sounds much more difficult (not impossible, but difficult).

The talk (and pictures) of forearm up and bicep near the ear also caught my attention, as I have just recently switched to drawing like this (on recommendation from a coach). I feel like several mental steps have suddenly been removed from my shot sequence (not quite sure how I ended up in the pattern I had before, but this feels much simpler and more straightforward).

I will continue to follow this thread with interest... although I don't have enough experience to contribute very much to it.


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

great video finally of a world cup archer shooting how i describe the linear shot. 
start at 1:26. You get an over head view. He starts the draw with his bicep at his ear and has aligned his rear shoulder inline with the front shoulder and arm. He draws straight back and transfers while drawing. Once he anchors, all he is does is wait for the click keeping tension balanced. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtV-eNg6PtI

Kim Woojin shoots the same way, his draw back swings swings out slightly because he doesnt get his bicep at his ear earlier. 

Also a great overhead video at 16:13 of Hyejin showing the same shot sequence. 


Chris


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## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

one last post about the linear, 

here is a great video of an instructor at the World Archery center. He was a Korean National archer.

He shows that at setup the bone alignment is done. He shows the draw with that alignment and shot. You can see how he has everything aligned during the setup. He talks about the balance, the tension etc. 

https://www.facebook.com/Jeongks/videos/10156216138771091/?fref=ufi&rc=p

He shot the Vegas shoot this year and i got to meet him. 

Chris


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## Cuthbert (Nov 28, 2005)

The thing that tripped me up for the longest time was the concept of turning your elbow out to focus your back muscles. I was able rotate my radius and ulna to do it, but it build pressure in the front of my shoulder and I would get really sore in my shoulder socket and had a very hard time maintaining any kind of consistent hold/stability. I would also experience a lot of muscle fatigue. By squaring my stance and letting my shoulder roll a bit clockwise, I felt the alignment just click into place (not literally "click"). I draw into an aligned set and the clicker activation is a fraction of movement away. I find that I can either rotate or "push the elevator button" quite easily when shooting from an aligned set position. I have discovered that my grip hand moved much deeper (to the right since I'm a RH shooter) with this routine. I guess the piece of information that made this easiest was to align my shoulders to the target, hook and draw to where I feel my shoulder blades press together and let it bare all the weight of the draw while positioning the string to my nose. With the tension held in the center of the back, the sight loop just stays where you want. Follow through has my bow falling forward and to the left and the string hand resting at the crux of my neck and shoulder. I'm not saying this is THE way to do it, but I have had shoulder issues since I was a teenager, and since I started doing this, I can shoot all day with only some residual soreness between the shoulder blades. Note: Arrows impact exactly where I aim every time  Now only if I could put together a good mental game and had a competitive nature


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## lcaillo (Jan 5, 2014)

I think it is hard to generalize how one should position the bow arm and shoulder for maximum stability and consistency. There are significant differences in how the shoulder is structured, particularly at the acromio-clavicular (AC) joint. The scapula, which receives the force from the humerus to support the draw though the glenohumeral joint, slides across the ribs and is supported by muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The degree to which the AC joint is aligned to transfer some of this force to the sternum varies in individuals and in some is dependent more on ligament support than others. 

The bottom line is that each individual needs to find the sweet spot where there is a balance between the various supporting muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bone-bone articulations that provides the most stability with the least strain. Personally, tweaking the shoulder position to use the clavicle most efficiently, rotating the shoulder forward until just before it starts to rise, is the key. Also, rotating the shoulder forward as much as possible leverages the muscles in the front, such as the pectoralis minor and serratus anterior. To get to that best position, I have to keep the ulna and radius in vertical alignment at the elbow. I can hyper-extend, but it is not as stable at the shoulder for me, and I strain the ligaments at the AC joint rather than using it for support.


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