Lock Time by Toby Ragsdale

In last month’s column Corby mentioned “Lock Time” which was the beginning of an in depth conversation between the two of us.  If you missed last month’s article, here is a brief recap of “lock time.”  Lock time is that split second between the time you release the string and the point that the arrow is completely clear of the bow.  Let’s see what we are dealing with. Using nice rounded figures, let’s say you are shooting a bow with a 6″ brace height and a true 29″ draw that shoots your arrows at an even 300 ft. /sec off of a drop away rest.  You have a 23″ power stroke (draw length – brace height) and your arrow is traveling at 3600 inches/sec while still on the string.  After some math it tells you that your lock time is 0.00638889 seconds. That doesn’t sound like much but it is an eternity when you are striving for accuracy!  Let’s examine two of the many things that can happen in that split second.

Hand Torque.  ANY side-to-side pressure is going to effect the shot. While the bow is at full draw you are holding very little weight which also means there is very little tension on the bow string, in fact, the string is almost like a wet noodle.  If you have right or left torque on the grip, the string immediately begins to move in the direction of the torque pressure when the string is released.  It’s a very small amount but now your bowstring has a right and left oscillation for that .0064 seconds and guess what is attached to that string.  Your arrow!  Straight ahead is ALWAYS better than flopping from side to side.  Work with your hand position to get a torque-free grip.  You can do it “wrong” and still be fairly accurate IF you are consistently wrong, but it’s much easier to be consistent when you do it right.

There are so many names for this next ailment I don’t even know what to call it! Punching your trigger. Snap shooting. Ripping the shot. Drive by shooting.  Whatever you call it, it’s bad!  You’ve probably heard it before if you are a “ripper” but I will try to explain it a little more in depth. A non-anticipated shot is vital for real accuracy, but many people don’t know what that is because they have been punching/ripping/snapping since day one.  A truly non-anticipated shot forces you to aim. Not just point at the target, but AIM at the target, center up and HOLD it there.  All this is accomplished simply because you don’t know exactly when the shot will break, so your only option is to hold it there until it does. What does this have to do with lock time?  I was hoping you would ask!  It’s actually very simple. If you don’t know exactly when the shot will break, you don’t have time to screw it up. You aren’t that quick!  When the trigger is jerked, the sudden movement of your trigger finger will also move the release aid, which is attached to the string and once again….your arrow is still attached to the string.  So no matter how well you have aimed, how torque-free your grip, or how beautiful your form, you have just flushed it all down the drain because the back end of your arrow moved when you hammered your release. If you are a trigger jammer work really hard to break the habit.  It won’t be easy but you can do it!  Keep working and see how your definition of accuracy will change.