A few years back, I started experiencing some pretty bad bouts of target panic in my archery game. It was so bad that I’d flinch and completely miss my target. The dents on my brick wall in the backyard are proof. Target panic has a few different forms, but for me it chaotically rested in my anticipation of the shot. I’d anticipate when the shot was going to go off and react to that before it would actually go off. A very similar situation to when one is behind a rifle and either forgets to take the safety off or forgets to rack another round in the chamber and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens with the gun, but the shooter, in many cases, tends to flinch in anticipation of the explosion that didn’t actually happen. After coaching and countless hours behind the bow, the only solution I could come up with was to change the process entirely. This is what lead me to bowhunting with a thumb button release aid in the first place.
Since that battle with target panic I’ve used a thumb button successfully now for years. I’ve yet to have anymore issues with that nasty flinch. From my core, I believe this is true because how I was taught to use these thumb releases. Still to this day, I have never intentionally pressed the button to fire the shot, and I never intend to. It all happens by surprise, as it should. So, I’m going to walk you through 2 proven methods of properly executing a shot with a thumb button release aid that have worked for me.
Before we get into this, I want to point something out that will aid on all fronts. Consistency is absolutely accuracy. Shooting a bow accurately and consistently is all about doing the same thing over and over again. This is why we have things like anchor points and peep sights. It gives us the ability to know that we are in the same position every single time.
How you’re holding your release aid is another thing that needs to be consistent. For me, it resting the release between the first and second crease of my pointer, middle, and ring finger. It sits there every time. As for the button, we need to put our thumbs in the same place there every time too. I don’t really care where you want to put it, but I like the button to sit between the middle of the first section of my thumb and the first crease of my thumb. Right there works for me. It might be different for you. Bottom line is to do it the same way every time.
The first way that I ever learned how to use a thumb button was by relaxing. Hear me out. When at full draw, after anchoring in, place a bit of pressure on that thumb button, but don’t fire it. From there, simply start to relax your pointer finger. A good way to think about this is to try and point at the target with that finger. By doing this, the release is actually slightly rotating, which puts more pressure on your thumb, which inevitably will make the release fire. All of this happens by surprise. While going through this relaxation behind the string, never ever stop aiming. Just focus on aiming and don’t lose focus of that. This is hard to master at first, but with dedication, you’ll be relaxing those arrows right into the X.
The next method, and my personal favorite, is by pulling. When at full draw, after anchoring in, place a bit of pressure on that thumb button, but don’t fire it. So far, everything is the same as the above method. Here’s where it switched up though. Instead of relaxing your pointer finger, start slowly trying to bring your string elbow behind you. A great way to think about this, that John Dudley suggests, is to act like there is an imaginary wall behind you. Try to touch that wall with that elbow. By doing this, you’ll be putting pressure on that button and it will inevitably fire. Just like with relaxing, never stop aiming. That right there was the biggest thing for me to get over. It was a trust issue. In the beginning, I didn’t trust that the release was going to go off. Once that sat well with me, and my focus was on aiming and pulling, things started lookin up.
When one starts out in bowhunting and is looking for their first archery release aid, it usually looks something like this: You find an index style release aid in your price range, snatch it off the shelf, and are off to the races. It’s similar to a gun with the trigger, so once at full draw, BAM! You’re shooting arrows. This is all good and gravy, but believe it or not, this is often what sets us up for failure. There is indeed a proper way to use a wrist strap release, but almost nobody learns that from the get go. The result is the formation of bad habits that are much harder to break than they are to make. So, let’s try and set ourselves up for success right off the bat. Whatever release aid is in your sights (index, thumb button, hinge etc.), truly learn how to properly use it to help avoid these bad habits down the road. My Dad has always said, “if you teach someone to do something the right way the first time, they don’t know any other way.” By taking these above methods to heart and putting them into action, you’ll set yourself up for success on your thumb button journey.
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