Should You Switch-Up Your Release?

Will a release switch-up cure what ails you?

All of us, and I will repeat, all of us, will, at some point in our shooting career, have the dreaded target panic. Some people will say they’ve never had it, but anyone who knows anything about shooting knows this isn’t true. Target panic will eventually rear its ugly head, which comes in different forms for different people. For some, it’s punching the trigger; for others, it might be the pin locking off target or a wide variety of other issues.

Fixing these issues can be simple if caught and corrected early when the problem first arises. For many, though, it slowly creeps in over time, and by the time a shooter realizes it, they have full-blown target panic. One of the most common and effective methods to help is to switch the style of release one is shooting. Plenty of different types of releases on the market are great for different shooting styles that can help with target panic or are simply great products.

Thumb Buttons

For years, caliper-style releases have been the leading release type archers by and large choose. They are easy to operate, stay attached to the wrist, and were a much better method to release arrows than when we used only to use our fingers to pull and release our bowstring. The standard caliper still is and will always be an excellent option for shooting. However, many shooters develop bad cases of target panic using caliper releases.

If you find yourself punching the trigger of your caliper periodically, you might consider trying a thumb button release like the Synapse Thumb Release. Switching away from a caliper, even for a short time, can help cure target panic by tricking the mind, taking the tendency to “punch” the trigger on the release, and using the thumb to execute shots. Shooters must still be aware of squeezing the trigger on the thumb release and not just transferring the punching habit to their new release. Many have found, though, that by switching from caliper to thumb releases, they can get into a new, better habit of properly releasing arrows.

Hinges

If target panic has gotten out of hand or a shooter just wants to take their overall shooting to the next level, one of the best options is a hinge style, back tension release. It is tough to punch this release style; if you do punch them, the results are usually very poor. A shooter locks on the target with a hinge and pulls hard through the back wall until the release fires. This release style doesn’t have a trigger and takes the connection between the brain and the urge to punch a trigger out of the equation while the sight is on target. All a shooter can do is keep pulling and rotating the release. This can be very difficult initially, and shooters feel like the bow will never fire.

This process can be very trying and takes patience, but once mastered, a shooter is well on their way to the best accuracy of their life. Many great options exist today, including the TRUFIRE Sear Back Tension. These types of releases generally aren’t cheap but well-built and are the key to supreme accuracy.

Specialized Calipers

There is hope if you are hesitant to use anything besides a caliper release but still want to work on your accuracy or have target panic issues. There are caliper-style releases on the market to help. There are true back tension style releases that you set to pull through, just like a hand-held back tension release. This type of release fires when they reach a certain weight threshold. Another option is one like the ThruFire caliper release. This release has a hidden trigger that only becomes exposed when the shooter pulls hard at full draw. The shooter has to keep pulling, and the trigger becomes exposed, and then the pressure naturally fires the shot as the shooter aims and pulls through the shot.

Make the Switch

Should you make the switch to a different style of release? And if so, what route do you go? Only you can make that decision, and it needs to be based on the honest evaluation of your shooting and how much time you want to dedicate to fixing any issues you have. A release switch-up can be both valuable and fun and can give you a rejuvenated energy to get out and shoot your bow, and that’s always a good thing. Correcting your issues once and for all can make a lifetime of shooting much more enjoyable. Once you have mastered one release style, you can often go back to your caliper for hunting applications. If you feel a bit of target panic creeping back in, you can grab your thumb button or hinge for a spell to do some maintenance on your shooting and then go back to your caliper and shoot very well with it. Once you have reached this point where you can seamlessly go back and forth between release styles and shoot them correctly and accurately, you are well on your way to the pinnacle of your shooting career.