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Karate Drills, Back Tension and Blank Bales

By Michael Corrigan

Remember The Karate Kid, the hit movie from the 1980s? Who could forget Mr. Miyagi, the unassuming elderly man from Okinawa? He taught karate skills to a teenager named Daniel, and in the process, he also taught the young man values and discipline.

Daniel desperately wanted to learn karate in order to defend himself against the neighborhood bullies, and he agreed to do whatever Miyagi asked of him. For several days Miyagi made Daniel do what seemed like simple chores around the house. Daniel was expecting punches and kicks, but instead Mr. Miyagi showed him the precise way he wanted the chores done. Daniel was instructed to do things like paint the house and the fence, sand the deck and then there was the famous wax-on, wax-off scene with Miyagi’s cars. Miyagi owned a collection of old, restored automobiles, and he told Daniel to wax all of them. Daniel was instructed to apply wax in a specific circular motion with one hand and then buff the wax in a specific circular motion with the other hand. The hidden intent was to teach a defensive karate technique through grueling repetition that would build both muscle strength and subconscious memory. Not only did Miyagi want Daniel to learn each technique, he wanted the techniques to be performed as though they were second nature.

Daniel eventually reached a point of exhaustion, and he was convinced the chores were a complete waste of time. Miyagi then stepped in and demonstrated that the chores were designed to teach defensive blocking actions. Daniel quickly applied what he learned in order to block Miyagi’s punches and kicks. The young man’s skepticism instantly vanished and he gained complete faith in his teacher. After that, Miyagi trained Daniel in the art of punching and kicking, and then combined everything learned into a single elegant form of fighting.

Mr. Miyagi would have made an excellent archery coach. He understood the importance of drills. Like karate, the art of archery can be broken down into several form elements. Working on individual shooting elements through drills will make you a better shot. Drills allow you to focus on specific muscles and subconscious memory. Drills also place emphasis on good shooting habits and deter the development of bad form.

To reach your full shooting potential, you must be able to separate the conscious act of aiming from the subconscious act of triggering the release. The best way to achieve a subconscious release is through a technique known as back tension. The back-tension technique requires the use of the large back muscles and is best executed with a release designed specifically for the back-tension technique. Most such releases are of the T-handle style. However, index-finger trigger releases equipped with a wrist strap can also be used. For best results, the trigger must offer minimal trigger travel and possess trigger-pressure adjustment capability. Adjust the release for a medium to high-pressure setting combined with a minimized trigger-travel setting.

With this setup you can put some finger pressure on the trigger without fear that the release will fire. You can also build pressure on the trigger without it moving rearward much at all. Carter Enterprises makes several index-finger trigger releases that fit that bill. The Carter Rx1 and Rx2 models are designed specifically for bowhunters who wish to shoot with the back-tension technique. To execute a back-tension release, the release length should be adjusted so that you can wrap your index finger deep around the trigger, like a hook. In doing so, you will pre-load the trigger with finger pressure. Shot execution is initiated by contracting your draw-side rhomboids and levator scapulae (back) muscles. This causes your shoulder blade to rotate toward the spine. This movement also causes your draw-arm elbow to move horizontally and slightly rearward. You are essentially trying to over-draw the bow. Visualize pulling your hand through the wrist strap. As you do, pressure builds on the release trigger. You are not physically squeezing the trigger with the index finger but instead are building pressure on it as your hand moves slightly rearward. Eventually the trigger will fire, and when it does, it will be an absolute surprise.

If you’re still kicking yourself because you missed a big buck last year when you punched the trigger of your release, then learning the back-tension technique will serve you well. Developing back-tension skill takes time and dedication. Top archery coaches often use a series of repetitious drills called blank-bale shooting to teach the technique.

In one drill the shooter is blindfolded and allowed to shoot at a large target situated less than 5 feet away. The student is verbally instructed to simply visualize his or her shooting form and consciously focus on squeezing the large back muscles in order to build pressure on the release trigger. By removing all mental aspects associated with the act of aiming, all conscious effort can be focused on the back-tension technique.

Once the student can properly trigger the shot in the neighborhood of three to five seconds, the blindfold is removed. True blank-bale shooting is then introduced. The shooter is permitted to shoot at a blank target face at close range with both eyes open. The bow’s sight is removed, and the student is instructed to simply stare at the blank target face and execute a back-tension release. The drills slowly shift conscious effort from triggering the release back to coarse aiming. After a while, the sight is reattached to the bow and fine aiming is incorporated. Triggering the release is now accomplished subconsciously with index-finger movement kept to a bare minimum.

Give blank-bale drills a try. Just a few minutes a day may be all that’s required. How long will it take to develop punch-proof shooting skill? Some psychologists suggest that it takes approximately 21 days to form a new habit, so a couple of weeks should do it. In the end you will achieve accuracy like you never thought possible.

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