Static vs Dynamic release?

[Matabele]

Hi all,

Just wondering what thoughts are out there regarding these two basic types of release?

By dynamic release I mean where the draw, anchor and release is done in one smooth motion, with no discernable pause between anchor and release. Terry Green for example shoots like this I think. A static release is one where the shot can be divided into two parts. The first part is draw to anchor, after which there is a definite pause followed by the release. Olympic shooters release like this, although I personally dont anchor for nearly as long.

I use a static release and reckon I'm a lot more accurate with it that with a dynamic release, but Im wondering if there is merit in trying to perfect a dynamic release?

Ive also heard a static release can rob about 10fps of arrow speed due to string stretch while at anchor. Has anybody chrono'd different releases to see if this is true?

[Drummer@Home]

Speed is nothing with out accuracy    

I need a second or two to develop back tension. Good back tension equates good accuracy for me. If I try to shoot fast with out that pause, misstakes happen.

[strcpy]

You will simply have to choose for yourself.

Personally I can not see how that fluid type of release can maintain top notch target accuracy. For shooting moving targets then, yes, I understand why and even do it myself.

However for spots or 3-D I think that if people put the same amount of work into shooting with a solid anchor with a "pause" then they would shoot better scores. I fully understand that some will shoot (to use your terms) the dynamic release better, but I believe that is more a condition of confidence and practice than it being truly better.

I note that the person that is pretty much always quoted (Howard Hill) paused and held at anchor when shooting field. Most videos are either exhibitions or moving targets (where I agree that the fluid type of release he uses is superior), when hitting the spot every single time *really* counted he did the same thing top end target archers have done for hundreds (if not thousands) of years - anchor, aim, release, and follow through as individual steps that are each focused on in their entirety. There is reason why 99+% of the top shooters do that.

But, in the end, shoot whatever floats your boat. If you truly feel that the dynamic release you speak of is how one must shoot - have at it. You can rationalize *any* style of shooting you want. Chances are you can find some top end shooter that does anything you want to do also - but then there is a reason why people can point to that one guy that does something strange and still shoots at that level.

As for loosing 10fps due to "string stretch" - no, I suggest anyone telling you that is pretty much ignored from now on out. Even B-50 doesn't stretch over that amount of time, let alone modern fibers (they do not even stretch that much when the bow comes back to brace when loosing an arrow). Now, some of the "dynamic release" people do not really hit the anchor they think they do and may very well loose 10fps over that. Many also loose back tension when shooting with a "static" anchor and that can also easily lose 10fps. That is, there are all sorts of form issues that can cause it but even with a self bow and natural fibers that isn't an issue.

[O.L. Adcock]

"The first part is draw to anchor, after which there is a definite pause followed by the release. Olympic shooters release like this, although I personally dont anchor for nearly as long."

Not exactly, they may pause but they are pulling through a clicker. As long as you never quit pulling, it's dynamic.

"Ive also heard a static release can rob about 10fps of arrow speed due to string stretch while at anchor. Has anybody chrono'd different releases to see if this is true?"

Maximum string tension is at brace height, not full draw. String stretch isn't a factor. Yes, different releases will give different readings but it's all tied into draw length. Dragging your fingers for 1/2" as opposed to a crisp mechanical release will be slower but it's all relative if you are trying to compare bows. If your release style robs 3fps, it'll do so with all bows....O.L.

[McDave]

Brian and OL,

My problem with holding at full draw is maintaining back tension while holding.  I feel like I'm either gaining or losing ground, so while I slow my draw way down at full draw, I never stop drawing, so I have always used a dynamic release.

OL, you said: "Not exactly, they may pause but they are pulling through a clicker. As long as you never quit pulling, it's dynamic."  So are you saying that there is no such thing as a static release, at least in good archery?

I'm always looking for ways to improve my archery, so if I knew how to maintain good back tension while using a static release, I'd probably try it.

[longbowguy]

Well, I have a different take. Surprise, surprise! You can be slow, or slowish and still be dynamic. For hunting style shooting, especially movers and flyers, I shoot in a continuous or nearly continuous motion. Like when I hunted pheasant yesterday. No kills, but a couple of good shots.

Second, there is no holding. To maintain full draw length you must increase the pull a bit, to overcome short term muscle fatigue. Fail to increase and you begin to collapse.

I measure a dynamic release by the follow-through. If your elbow moves back several inches, or more, that is a dynamic release, no matter how long it takes.

For target shooting, which is what I mainly do, and I have a lot victories, I allow the aim to settle for a second or two, then pull through to a dynamic release. If it takes three seconds or more seconds to settle I hope to be able to let down. If not, I am likely to overdraw and shoot high.

So, shooting quickly or more deliberately I try to always be dynamic. - lbg

[strcpy]

Not exactly, they may pause but they are pulling through a clicker. As long as you never quit pulling, it's dynamic.

I know how to shoot a clicker - there are many ways to describe it.

If one is shooting BEST then you do not continue to pull, you transfer the load from your arm to the lower back and move unwanted tension to that area until the clicker goes off. That is VERY different from what you describe (the older T method). They actual consider it to be a real pause by any definition. At this point I'll not tell Lee he is doing it wrong either.

Even with the T form it depends on who you talk too. I've known a number of level IV coaches that describe it as a pause while you maintaining back tension. I'm fairly certain people who have coached actual medalist know something about using a clicker too.

It is very true that one should never quit pulling - however that is a very different process than the fluid release being discussed when there is little to no discernible difference in speed as the string hand is moving back.

Originally posted by McDave:So are you saying that there is no such thing as a static release, at least in good archery?

You really need to define what you mean here - you were consistent up until a point but are now not so much. The normal language is that a dynamic release is one in which upon the loose your string hand flies back and touches either your shoulder or behind your ear. A static release is one where you release hand never leaves it's anchor point upon the loose. In this sense there are almost no good shooters that use a static release.

In both cases you have an "anchor", or a pause where your reach a reference point. In the dynamic release you never cease to pull or even fully quit moving (even the BEST archers do not truly stop, though the way they achieve that is different), in a static release you totally quit pulling and settle.

The way you asked the question is do you have that pause (static) or do you shoot like Howard Hill in exhibitions where your hand never slows down through the whole process and the string is loosed as soon as you touch your reference point (dynamic). I've always called it "fluid" vs "pause", I know of no standard terms for this.

Those are two different questions. When discussing the standard definitions of "static" vs "dynamic" releases then there is only one way to go - maintain backtension. If you are talking the latter then there is considerable argument in the traditional world, however outside of that then the pause is the only way to go.

I'm always looking for ways to improve my archery, so if I knew how to maintain good back tension while using a static release, I'd probably try it. [/QB]

If you mean static then you can not - by definition you drop backtension, if you mean pause then it just take correct practice - I would suggest working with a clicker at no more than 30lbs draw weight (trust me, properly shooting 40lbs through a clicker takes strength, dedication, and already close to the correct mental process to shoot). I also suggest looking at Olympic Archery references on how to do so.

[jhansen]

To go back to your original comparison, someone like Terry who never hesitates but draws, anchors, and releases in one continous motion vs someone who holds at anchor before releasing...   There are certain things that must happen in exactly the same manner for each and every shot if accuracy is to be the result.  We all must grip the bow in a consistent manner.  We place our fingers on the string the same way each time, etc.  All the mechanics of the shot simply must happen the same way each time if we want to hit what we shoot at.  A novice should be encouraged to take things one step at a time and be sure each element of the shot is completed correctly.  That's why we recommend blind bale shooting.  Trying to get the shot off as fast as possible is guaranteed to cause scattered arrows and frustration for a beginner.  Speed comes with practice.  Terry does everything in steps, too.  It's just that his form is so developed that it is now subconscious instead of being something he has to think about.  Anyone can get there if they practice enough and well enough.

John

[Terry Green]

You gotta decide what works best for you...there is no one way that's best for everyone, but there is a best way for you.  And, what's best for you now may evolve into something else down the road as your shooting grooves in.

Howard Hill had a dynamic release.

[Matabele]

Lots of great advice, thanks for the input guys! Got a couple things to try now.

[Terry Green]

Make sure you read SHOOT8S posts on page two.

 Click Here  

Here's more info....

 Click Here 2  

Here's another....

 HH\\'s Dynamic Release

[Matabele]

Awesome thanks Terry! I'll check those out now.

[Scott J. Williams]

I don't think O.L. was saying that there is no such thing as a "Dynamic" release(O.L. correct me if I am wrong), but I think he was saying that most archers are still applying back tension through the anchor even after the release.

What you are refering to is a "Dead Release" where this is little, or no pull through. It is something that a lot of "Compound Shooters" do, because they are hold so little weight at full draw.

While it can be done with a stickbow, low weight such as target weight 35lbs, to get any acccuracy it is not likely that shooting a hunting weight bow you would be able to obtain any consistancy without back tension, let alone hold.  

Someone stated earlier in this thread that they come to full draw, and then anchor while they continue with the back tension until such a time it is right, then they release.  That is pretty much the same way I have evolved.  

Don't fall for the lie that everyone who is not letting go the second they hit anchor are not shooting instinctively.  

When shooting moving targets, and moving game there is little holding time on my shot.  We, as hunters are best served by being flexible.  As a recovering target archer I can tell you that the opposite is true when playing archery games. In target archery, most targets don't move.

[trashwood]

I don't think there is such a thing as a static release.  I think there is a dynamic release and a static creep.

rusty

[Fritz]

I gotta agree with Trashwood.  For years I tried to use a static release and was never really consistent.  Over the past year I have gone to a dynamic release and my accuracy and consistency have really improved.  I still hold at full draw for several seconds,  but I never stop pulling and pushing (i.e. back tension).  If I ever do lose back tension it causes collapse and my shooting goes to pot.

[JoeM]

Terry Thanks for those links!!  Joe

[Terry Green]

No worries Joe.

[larry]

I shoot both ways and both work for me, at shorter distances, say five yards to 17-18 yards I almost always use a dynamic release. anything beyond 25 yards is always more of a static/dead release. like Terry said, you need to find what works for you, and that's what works best for me.