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Back Tension
Well, here we go again . . . don’t you just love a little controversy?
21 April, 2005
by Charles Land |
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You set your foot position, nock your arrow, hook up and set your bow hand. Now close your eyes and run your positive mental imagery program. While gently shifting your weight, you raise your bow arm slowly and draw to anchor. At this point, if you have committed to the shot, this is where you engage your back tension . . . STOP.
Have you never questioned why we refer to certain releases as back tension releases, or why we refer to a step in your shot making process as while maintaining back tension, you pull through the shot.
We have all been trained to implement and maintain back tension through to the conclusion of our shot making process. I don’t have a problem with the process, just the word tension.
Tension (n.): rigidity, tightness, stiffness, tautness. These are all words that should not form a part of your shot making process.
There are several words that cause archers a great deal of difficulty. Among others, one word is adrenaline, another is tension.
I vigorously train all of my athletes to, during their respective set up and position attainment processes, fi nd a repeatable position to where there is a maximum absence of all conflict between bone-on-bone alignments and undo stress which is
caused by the unnecessary inclusion of muscle. If the word tension is so hazardous to an archer’s positive level of performance, then why are we always using it? All we are doing is reinforcing the positive mental imprinting of a terminology that is an invalid mental imprint. As far as I am concerned, archers with tension at full draw are either triggering their release or waving to the crowd as they loose the string with their fingers.
If I might be so bold as to suggest an alternative terminology, I might propose the use of the terms Scapular Motion or that of Scapular Retraction. I choose to use this terminology because it better describes the actual motion or process that takes place while pulling through the shot. It is the motion or movement of the scapula that correctly controls when the release will loose.
It is at the time that you have come to anchor and committed to the shot that you engage your scapular motion. For a righthanded shooter, the left scapula will remain motionless and the right scapula will be retracted toward the left one. Do not squeeze your back muscles together. This action will only result in you improperly elevating your left shoulder, bringing your right (release) elbow out of proper alignment, closing up your body position, and thus creating a greater potential for shooting a left arrow. If done correctly, you won’t feel any tension at all . . . just a smooth, subconscious, transitional movement to the point of loose.
I know that it is only semantics, and that the word tension is just a descriptor, but in analyzing the process, it is important to understand and to be able to relate to others, the correct terminology for the motions or processes that are taking place.
Have fun in this New Year . . . introduce a friend to archery.
Charles Land
Master Coach |
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