Pull and Finish (School of Nock | Week 7)

We’ve finally reached the last conscious thought in our complete shot process.

After laying the foundation with our stance, establishing a torque-free grip, positioning our shoulders down and forward, anchoring consistently, and aligning through our peep, we arrive at the step that transforms good shots into great ones: the pull and finish.

This final step is the dynamic force that drives your arrow to the target precisely and consistently. When the pressure’s on and that trophy buck steps into range, the pull and finish separates filled tags from missed opportunities.

Understanding the “Pull”

Once your pin settles on target and you look through your peep, it’s time to execute the most critical part of your shot: the pull.

While many archers make the mistake of holding static at full draw — waiting for the perfect moment to trigger their release — accuracy comes from continuous, deliberate movement.

The pull is exactly what it sounds like: a continuous application of back tension after you’ve reached full draw. To achieve this continual build on wall pressure, I think about the tip of my elbow traveling from 11 o’clock to pulling straight back toward something behind me — like I’m trying to elbow the back wall.

This dynamic movement keeps your shot active rather than static.

When using my Silverback tension release, I’m 100% focused on this pulling process once my thumb comes off the safety. With a tension-activated release, you literally can’t execute the shot without that continuous pull, which is why I start each new season with one. It forces this final proper technique in a shot sequence that makes all my other releases perform better.

That constant pull teaches your body to remain dynamic through the shot. If you just sit static at full draw waiting for the perfect moment to punch the trigger, your accuracy becomes a roll of the dice. The magic happens in that smooth, continuous pulling motion — your release might go off at any moment within that process, but your form remains perfect throughout.

Mastering the “Finish”

The second half of this crucial step occurs at the moment your shot breaks (releases the string), and it’s just as important as the pulling process that precedes it.

When your release fires and the string launches forward, your release hand should continue its rearward travel, coming back over your shoulder with authority.

Your goal is not to look like the pros in slow-motion footage. It’s to ensure your string tracks perfectly toward the target during those critical milliseconds when the arrow is still accelerating and on the string. The reason this is so critical is because when your hand doesn’t follow through properly, the string path can deviate slightly before the arrow fully clears the bow, costing you accuracy downrange. That’s why we call it the “finish.”

Dutch archer Fred van Zutphen taught me the importance of this finishing technique while I was in the Netherlands competing for Team USA.

During a tournament where I’d just switched to a more aggressive cam system, Fred noticed I wasn’t completing my shot. Even though I was getting the surprise break I wanted, I remained too static afterward. I was aiming and waiting. When the release went off I would still be poised in a static position. Fred taught me to slightly flex my bicep as the shot breaks, helping my release hand come back and over the top of my rear shoulder, not down and away.

This follow-through technique is particularly important when shooting bows with shorter valleys or higher holding weights. In those scenarios, a proper finish makes the difference between hitting your target and missing it completely. It’s a term we would call “creeping on the cam”.

Think of the finish as insurance that your arrow continues tracking true after the release breaks. Without it, you’re gambling on whether your arrow will hit its mark, regardless of how perfect your setup and execution were.

Mental Approach During Execution

The pull and finish technique isn’t just physical. A critical mental component drives consistent accuracy.

When I’m at full draw, pin on target, and starting that final pull, I often mentally recite a mantra. On the indoor range, it might be, “I shoot X’s because they make me feel good.” In hunting situations, it’s often just “Checkmate” as I visualize completing the hunt successfully.

This mental recital helps with two things. First, it helps timing and cadence to make your shots follow similar timing. Much like counting while breathing. Second, it occupies time and that helps occupy your mind while your pin floats.

This mental technique distracts you from obsessing over the pin’s position, which can cause target panic. It also drowns out that little voice in your head saying, “Hit it now. It’s perfect!” By focusing on your mantra, you allow your subconscious to handle the aiming while you execute the technique.

Your shot’s timing is also crucial.

As an added practice technique to help solidify rhythm and cadence, I’ll do a count through during my shot. When I let off my safety and start the pull, I mentally count “one thousand, two thousand, three thousand,…” all while continuing to slowly build pressure. I hope for the release to break somewhere between two and a half and five seconds. This timing consistency builds shot-to-shot reliability, which translates to tighter groups.

Counting somehow synchronizes your mind with the shot. In physics, a classic example of synchronization is when multiple pendulums hanging on a common support eventually swing in unison, even if they were started at different times. For me, if I’m mentally counting during the pull the body starts to adjust its tempo so that your timing gets naturally consistent without “commanding” the shot to happen.

In high-pressure situations — whether it’s a tournament with money on the line or a trophy buck in my shooting lane — I actually remind myself before the shot begins, “Pull through and finish, Dudley. Pull through and finish.” Prioritizing this under pressure ensures you don’t short-circuit the most important part of your shot sequence when it matters most.

Bringing It All Together

The beauty of this six-step shot process is its simplicity. As you progress through stance, grip, shoulders, anchor, peep, and finally pull and finish, you build a sequence that eliminates variables and maximizes consistency.

But the magic only happens when you complete every step every time.

That final pull and finish is the culmination of everything we’ve built throughout this series. Like the last domino in a perfect sequence, it only works when you properly align all the previous steps. When you execute that continuous pull and decisive finish, all your previous work delivers the accuracy you’ve trained for.

You won’t master this complete shot process overnight. It takes deliberate practice and conscious attention to each step. Even after months of repetition, I still take the cognitive effort to focus on each element with every arrow I shoot. This dedication builds perfect technique and delivers consistent accuracy downrange.

Whether you’re preparing for a high-pressure tournament or an upcoming hunting season, make this pull and finish technique second nature.