Release aid

The first advantage of using a release aid is the drastic decrease in chance of dry firing a compound bow.

[1] If used with a wrist strap, the release allows one to pull the draw weight of the bow with the arm muscles instead of all the tension being put on the fingers.

An archer who does not have an extra release may end up shooting with his fingers, which changes draw length and accuracy.

A handled release uses one of two different styles of a mechanism either by using a back tension or a thumb switch.

The aid relies on the muscle tension through the forearms and back in order to release the latch at the end of the T-handle's leg.

It consists of a small-diameter piece of nylon cord tied to the string of the bow, using two reverse facing half hitch knots.

This style of attachment puts the most stress not only on the bow but also on the arrow itself on top on the release mechanism.

[1] In Arab archery as in Central Asia and the Middle East, thumb rings are used for string retention and release.

The arrow must be positioned on the other side of the bow (on the right hand side of the bow for a right-handed shooter) to properly use a thumb ring, to allow the arrow to flex properly, since the thumb opens in the opposite direction to the fingers.

[5] The choice of a mechanical release aid versus a finger tab must be accounted for in a compound bow's tuning and sighting, as finger-released arrows will group in a different spot when using a mechanical release aid versus a finger tab.

In contrast, for a release aid configuration, a full-containment arrow rest, with Whisker Biscuit the best-known brand of this type, is very commonly used with a compound bow.