Archery Basics

Release
The release is the release aid for compound archery. Due to the high draw weight and the acute string angle, it is almost impossible to shoot a compound bow with your fingers. The release aids are available in different versions. Among other things as a wrist release. A loop is placed around the wrist. The release mechanism is attached to this loop. The advantage of this is as follows. The entire draw weight of the bow rests on the wrist and not on the fingers. Thus, the hand can be relaxed when shooting. There are also so-called hand-held releases. These are usually made entirely of metal and are only held by the fingers. These are much more common in competitive use. The advantage of the handheld release is that you can put it away after the yoke. Especially in hot temperatures, this is much more comfortable than having a fabric strap tied around your wrist during the entire competition.

The release is also differentiated according to different triggering mechanisms. There are essentially 3 different types.
1. Trigger Release (Release at the push of a button.)
2. Hinge Release (Release on change of angle.)
3. Resistance activated release (triggers when the draw weight is increased)

Regarding 1. Trigger Release
Trigger release are very well known. You preload the mechanism with a knob. Then the release is hung in the loop on the bow. On some releases, pretensioning and looping happen in the same step. This is the case, for example, with the T.R.U. Ball Blade Pro is the case. After the release has been hooked in, the bow can be pulled out. The trigger must not be actuated in this case. Otherwise the shot can be released prematurely and you can injure yourself. In addition, the arrow flies uncontrollably through the air. When the drawing hand is placed on the face and the anchor position is taken, one should move the visor towards the target. Now you can put your finger on the trigger. From now on, the actual targeting process begins. Here you try to aim for the center of the target, at the same time the pressure on the trigger is increased. In the best case and with a little practice, the shot will be fired when the sight is in the middle of the target. Continuously increasing the trigger pressure can be accomplished in a number of ways. The best known is to consciously increase the force on the finger. In addition, you can use the back tension to increase the pull in the hand and thus encourages the fingers to steadily increase their strength. This results in a very quiet "unconscious" triggering process. However, other methods, such as stretching the bow arm while aiming, also work. Which process works best for the shooter cannot be generalized, but must be tested.

To 2nd hinge release
A hinge release usually involves simpler technology. A crescent is usually used, the hook runs on this. As soon as the hook reaches the point on the crescent moon, which contains a recess, the shot is released. There are different versions of the crescent. For example, with a click just before the shot comes. The length of the path from the click to the shot can vary depending on the manufacturer and the crescent moon used. T.R.U. Ball offers three clicks of different lengths for some Hinge Releases. However, there are also crescents that do not have a click. The disengagement process of a hinge release works as follows. The hook is positioned on the crescent so that it does not open. The release is then hung in the loop and the bow is drawn out. When taking it off, make sure that there is more pressure on the thumb and forefinger than on the other fingers. This ensures that triggering during the extraction process is prevented. The anchor position is then assumed and the aiming process is initiated. When the sight is on the target, the thumb can be removed from the safety and the shot can be initiated. The triggering process can be done in a number of ways. The most common method is a continuous increase in back tension. This changes the angle of the shoulder blade and elbow. Thus the release also rotates and it reaches the firing position. The shot is fired "unconsciously" Other methods are, for example, consciously tightening the ring or little finger. It is also possible to curl up the little finger. This rotates the release in the hand and also fires. Correct setting of the release is decisive for all methods. This must be tried. In the best case, only a small "path" of the crescent moon is to be covered from the anchor position until the shot is reliably released.

To 3. Resistance activated Release
With resistance activated release, triggering is achieved by simply increasing the draw weight. These releases have a trigger weight that can be adjusted. This should be slightly higher than the holding weight of the valley on the compound bow. In addition, there is a safety device that must be actuated while the bow is being drawn so that the release does not trigger prematurely. A release process looks like this. The release is hooked into the loop and pretensioned. When pulling out, the safety device must be actuated. After reaching the anchor position, the sight can be aligned on the target. Then the safety is released and the launch can be initiated. This is achieved by increasing back tension. Here you slowly pull the release against the wall of the bow. There the tractive force increases and the release triggers the launch.