Form question: Back muscles

[FrankM]

I see that you pull your back muscles together to "set" your form.

But when you begin to fire, do you pull your back muscles together more with the arm moving back? Or should your back muscles already be as together as they can go and you only move your arm back?

[Wapiti Bowman]

Frank,

Ideally, as you begin your draw, the trapezius/rhomboid muscle group in your back come into action and as you set your drawing hand anchor point on your face, your draw wt is being held with that back muscle group. At this point you'd like your drawing elbow to be just outside of the line running from the tip of your arrow through your shoulders and through your drawing arm. You might say that you've set two anchors: 1) your drawing hand at your facial anchor, and 2) your back muscle group. Now you continue your back tension, moving your shoulder blades towards your spine. This causes your drawing elbow to rotate towards your spine so that at release, Your drawing elbow,has rotated from outside the line, and into a straight line from the tip of your arrow, through your shoulders, and through your elbow. Since the only tension upon release is in the muscle group in your back, your drawing hand cannot do anything other than fly straight back towards your shoulder. Hope this helps a bit.  Have fun!

[LongStick64]

Be careful when moving the arm back you don't move out of alignment with your arrow. Once your anchor has set at two points all you should feel is yourself pulling (more like a squeeze) not moving if that makes sense, you really shouldn't move very much at all.

[FrankM]

I see. It's a subtle movement. I think I'm doing it right! Thanks guys.

[zetabow]

What LongStick is saying is it's a micro movement, an internal feeling of increasing back tension.

It's also important to maintain this feeling for 1-2 seconds after the release.

[FrankM]

Yes, yes, I AM doing it right! Awesomeness.

[Green]

Originally posted by Wapiti Bowman:
Frank,

Ideally, as you begin your draw, the trapezius/rhomboid muscle group in your back come into action and as you set your drawing hand anchor point on your face, your draw wt is being held with that back muscle group. At this point you'd like your drawing elbow to be just outside of the line running from the tip of your arrow through your shoulders and through your drawing arm. You might say that you've set two anchors: 1) your drawing hand at your facial anchor, and 2) your back muscle group. Now you continue your back tension, moving your shoulder blades towards your spine. This causes your drawing elbow to rotate towards your spine so that at release, Your drawing elbow,has rotated from outside the line, and into a straight line from the tip of your arrow, through your shoulders, and through your elbow. Since the only tension upon release is in the muscle group in your back, your drawing hand cannot do anything other than fly straight back towards your shoulder. Hope this helps a bit.  Have fun!

Best written explanation ever.  Read this while reviewing Terry's form clock and you've got it.

[johnis]

Very good explanation.Thanks for your help guys

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

Wapiti Bowman,

Great explanation, where do you usually hunt over, in Sequim?  I usually go out to gmu 648.

[PaddyMac]

Here is a weight training exercise -- the reverse fly -- I just started doing a few weeks ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnpEWnwUyw4

It is a killer. I use a bench (actually milk cartons three high) to save my back. It needs to be high enough that you can get your arms vertical below you.

It's best to go very light on the weights. You want perfect form, like in the video. I started at only 10 lbs and failed at 8 reps. Only a few weeks later I'm at 15 pounds and not failing at 14 reps. I do three sets every other day.

The morning after the first day you do this you'll know EXACTLY where the right muscles (trapezius) are to achieve back tension in your draw. They'll be the ones barking at you.

It isn't making my archery form perfect, but it is making it easier for me to make it better and more consistent, and it's doing so pretty rapidly, I think.

Just a thought.

[cjgregory]

I pull my arrow back and then I feel it lock as I squeeze my shoulder blades together.  It takes some work to actually get them to function.  Kinda like trying to get your ears to wiggle.  You have to train those muscles to do something they have never done before.

[FrankM]

Originally posted by cjgregory:
I pull my arrow back and then I feel it lock as I squeeze my shoulder blades together.  It takes some work to actually get them to function.  Kinda like trying to get your ears to wiggle.  You have to train those muscles to do something they have never done before.

That's my experience too. When I get to the last inch of pulling my shoulder blades together, it feels like it kinda locks my whole form into place.