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The
Subconscious Shot - Hit or Myth?
Surely the Holy
Grail for pistol shooters is to understand and be able
to produce the subconscious shot release. But does
anyone ever really get there? Do we ever get more than a
flash of insight, a hint of how our mind can control our
performance without prompting on an active level? Is it
something we should aspire to, or are we barking up the
wrong tree? I’m sure from a coaching perspective this
talk is akin to heresy. But we are not coaches, we are
shooters. We need a practical solution to the problem, a
paint-by-numbers plan to provide a quality shot process
every time. We don’t need to immerse ourselves in a
world of theoretical psychobabble that we really don’t
understand, and if we could, would be about as much
sense as a race car driver struggling to understand the
technical aspects of his turbocharger.
I could contend that the subconscious
shot, that wonderful, magical break as the sights sit
exactly in the center of the aiming area, the shot that
you just know has punched through the middle of the
x-ring without even looking, is just a fluke and is
bound to happen every once in a while just from the law
of averages. Why do we assume that for that shot we were
more responsible for the outcome than for the 7 that
preceded it? Why are we convinced that our subconscious
worked for that shot and was out to lunch for the
not-so-exciting shots?
I guess my main reason for cynicism
stems from a physics problem. In my experience the main
culprit for poor shot result is a trigger release that
alters the alignment of the gun, ever so slightly, but
of course this has a far more dramatic effect on the
path of the bullet by the time it reaches the target.
You jerk the trigger, you pull the shot away from the
center of the target. And by making a definite decision
to make the shot break, that minute physical movement
can wreck the smooth release of the shot. Is there any
earthly reason why we should assume that if that same
movement is initiated by the subconscious, that the
result will not also be affected? Okay, so the same
rules for reaction time don’t hold, the subconscious
works with a fraction of the lag time, but the physical
movement must still be made to make the shot break.
Unless you can tell me you can make the sear release by
mind control I find the concept fairly dubious.
Linking Physical Tasks
It is not my intent to fly in the face
of convention. I am not claiming that all the coaches
are wrong in contending that shooters can attain a
mental state that allows them to perform at a higher
level than normal. I seriously doubt, however, that a
little entity in the back of the brain is responsible
for "automagical" shot release. The "zone" as it’s so
often called is many different things to many different
shooters. My own experience I can only describe as being
the ability to link two separate physical tasks and
create a new one. Those tasks being to take up a gradual
but steady increase of trigger pressure that actually
steers the front sight and holds it exactly in its
position within the rear notch. Sight control and
trigger movement become one physical action in your
mind. If there is anything mentally difficult about this
it’s not allowing the target to become a distraction, or
anything else for that matter.
Our capacity for thought becomes one
of our greatest enemies. For this reason we need to
attain a different level of consciousness, not so much
to be more aware of what we are doing, but to be more
channeled toward two simple tasks that must be performed
as one. And not only is thought something to be avoided,
emotion can also destroy what we work so hard to
achieve.
Complacency can take the edge off
performance. As can anger, dwelling on a poor shot, or
allowing yourself to be distracted by a neighboring
shooter. Fear of failure. Any number of mishaps can
occur. This is normal human behavior. This is what makes
shooting so difficult, the de-humanising yourself for a
period of a couple of hours to create a thing, a work of
technical excellence in motion.
The Slippery Slope
I believe that by glorifying that
lucky shot, the one where the sight picture lines up
perfectly as the shot breaks, as the ideal (that MUST
have been caused by the subconscious), we reinforce the
need for perfection in every other shot. We hunt for it,
we do everything we possibly can to make every shot a
perfect ten. In doing so we overhold, we abort, we gnash
our teeth in frustration until we finally make a
conscious stab at the trigger. All for the sake of
making a better shot.
To play the game smarter we have to
accept our own limitations. We have a certain hold, and
the best we can hope for is to have our shots fall
within that area. If we can release our shots with
perfect trigger control, that is having a surprise shot
release every time, not only will all shots be within a
much smaller than normal area, a high percentage will
have broken while the pistol was crossing the target
center. As we become more skilled in our hold, the score
will increase accordingly.
Maybe the secret is to take away the
importance of the actual shot. Instead of considering
the release of the shot as the actual task, we lessen
the significance of the shot and make it an almost
incidental byproduct of a process. This process being
the combination of physical movements linked together
with mental adhesive that results in a trigger release
that also controls line of sight. The process continues
until such a time that heightened awareness has passed –
so that it may or may not have concluded in the firing
of a shot. An unconscious shot.
I don't profess to have all the
answers. Honestly I don't think there is one path to
enlightenment in this sport. If you've managed to get
this far through my flight of fancy I hope I've given
some food for thought about the way this game is played.
I've gone full circle over the past 27 years, from a
beginner learning the physical basics to an intermediate
searching for secrets to a high level performer
experiencing spiritual highs through single minded
focus. These days I think the whole process is too
complex, and we're our own worst enemies. If we can keep
the shot process simple, and find a way to turn off most
of the circuits in that supercomputer in our heads,
we'll all be thumping the center out of our bulls.
But I guess that would take the fun out of it...
BACK TO TOP
Dear diary...
Originally posted to Target Talk by Ken
Johnson
Your diary should have several
sections. The first section should be dedicated to
matches. The second section (for rifle shooters...pistol
shooters can amend) for prone, the third for standing,
the fourth for kneeling, the 5th for air rifle, the 6th
for equipment, the 7th for mental training, the 8th for
obscurity, the 9th for "How To".
Matches -
Whether for training matches or actual, write a goal ie-beat
the world record. Next, write what happened during the
match. What worked, what didn't. The what worked goes
into the "How To" section. Only write in the how to
section if you know...really know it'll work every time.
The stuff that needs improvement will become the focus
for the next sections.
Now, a brief segway. You should focus your training on
"The Weakest Link Principle" (not the TV show). Focus
your efforts first on whatever position or problem
within the position that will yield you the most
performance advantage (roughly translates to giving you
the highest score improvement). Work on that section
until you've REALLY figured it out. Then focus on the
other two positions briefly for re-acclimation. Once
done, shoot an evaluation match.
The goal of each page should be to
figuring out how to do it right.
Equipment
- This section is dedicated to the obvious. However, how
you go about tackling your equipment will make or break
you as a shooter. Recall in prior postings I've made
reference to the tinkerers among us. Beware! Have a time
dedicated to messing with your stuff. When it's time to
upgrade your equipment, have a plan. Don't go about it
haphazardly. This section is where you write the plan,
where you perform your evaluation, where you WRITE IT
DOWN, where you have a bail out plan if it doesn't work,
etc. This section is also where you write down your
equipment list for a competition (note- include your
bolt and sights in the list!!! (ha-ha)).
Mental Training
- Have a plan. Investigate. Talk to Lanny.
Obscurity
- Everyone needs a section for their secret stuff.
How To -
This section should be treated and guarded like the Holy
Grail. You MUST be truthful with yourself here. Write in
this section ONLY when you know something works, you can
depend on it ALWAYS. One page for each position. Put
each page in a document protector. Write position
settings that are not necessarily the latest, but the
ones that you know, before messing with the position,
worked. Write down how to get into the position. Write
down alignment to the target. Write down what you need
to think about in order to perform. Please realize that
everything in this section becomes a POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT.
How do you use this section??? Before the big match, as
you're on the line prepping, read it. It will reinforce
the things you know. It will calm your mind. It will
remind you of HOW TO DO IT RIGHT. Think only of these
things. Nothing else. Relax. Execute. Perform. Do.
Now you know.
Ken J
BACK TO TOP
Notes for Pistol Shooting Comps
Equipment:
Physiological
Preparation:
-
Please ensure
that you get at least 8 hours of sleep the night
before a match.
-
Do not do any
heavy lifting or gymnastics anytime close to a
match.
-
Have something
to eat before a match, but not too much.
Psychological
Preparation:
-
Concentrate on
the fundamentals - stance, grip, trigger squeeze,
breathing and follow-through.
-
REMEMBER to look
at the FORESIGHT!
-
Concentrate on
each and every shot - don't let past shots bother
you.
-
Do not aim for
more than 20 seconds; try to fire off after 10-15
seconds of aim
-
Call your shots.
-
Look at your OWN
target and avoid paying attention to how well others
are doing.
-
Take your time
and work out a rhythm; do not rush.
-
Take all sighter
shots seriously, but do not shoot too many sighter
shots, to conserve energy.
-
It is good to
have a target, but do not "force" yourself to shoot
a given score. Just concentrate on shooting every
shot right and the score will take care of itself.
-
Don't be afraid
to put the gun down and rest when you are tired. You
do not have to fire a shot everytime you lift the
gun.
-
Stop and think
SERIOUSLY every time you make a bad shot - in order
to avoid making the same error, but don't harp on
it.
-
Do not be in a
hurry to make a "redeeming shot" after a bad shot.
-
Visualize!
BACK TO TOP
S.M.A.R.T
S is for SPECIFIC
When you set a goal you
should be very clear in you mind of exactly what that
goal relates to.... Simply stating that improvement is
desired does not give a target of how much an
improvement is needed.
M
is for MEASUREMENT
Any goal set should
always be capable of being measured in some way. Use
objective measures to measure goals.
A
is for ADJUSTABLE
Goal setting is always
described as a dynamic process and as such you need to
be able to alter goals. If your progress is faster, or
slower, than your originally been hoped for you need to
be able to change your goals in order to set the most
appropriate target.
R
is for REALISTIC
Goals must be
realistic, a common error is to set a goal which cannot
be achieved. Goals must be challenging but they should
not be so challenging that you never manage to complete
a goal. If you never complete a goal, you lose
confidence in yourself or give up trying.
T
is for TIME-BASED
All goals should be
have a specific time-frame. That is to say that you
should always identify a point in time when the goal has
to be achieved. There is another way of viewing goals as
time based. In general, there are three time periods for
setting goals short term, medium term and long term. If
you view goal setting as a staircase, each individual
step is a short term goal. The bottom step can be seen
as today and the very top of the staircase can be some
specific point in time in the distant future. By
successfully climbing each step you will progress up the
staircase towards your final goal. Always write your
goals down and leave them in a visible place!!
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|
By : Top World Class Shooter
Dry firing is the shooters
equivalent to health food. We know it's good for us but
the very thought of it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
Plus we're afraid our friends will consider us pussies,
in the same way nerds were despised in the school yard
for swatting for exams. Lose the baggage, guys, if you
spend a little time building your skills before your
next match, chances are your scores will improve. Extra
effort does pay off, and the best part is you need never
admit to your friends that you're a closet clicker.
The Basic Necessities
1. A quiet room.
Preferably with good lighting. Ideally with a wall at
least three metres away (ten feet).
2. 15-30 minutes when you know you won't be interrupted.
Best not immediately after you've woken up in the
morning, nor when you're over-tired.
3. A pistol. Many modern air pistols have dry fire
mechanisms built in, which are obviously the ideal. If
you are using a rimfire or centrefire be sure to use
some form of snap cap that protects the firing pin and
breech area.
4. An aiming mark. This is a contentious issue, as many
coaches recommend dry firing on a blank backdrop. We
will discuss the means of setting up aiming marks and
the reasons for doing so later.
What Do We Hope To Achieve?
Dry fire is an
excellent means of reinforcing the good technical
execution of a shot without fear of getting distracted.
By concentrating on all of the technical aspects we can
more fully appreciate subtle differences we would not
necessarily notice on the range. Above all else, we are
not distracted by bullet holes in scoring rings that
lead us to an unhealthy preoccupation with scores. When
dry firing is performed correctly it takes on an
extremely satisfying quality, almost spiritual. It can
feel like a solid achievement, which may sound very Zen,
Grasshopper, but you will be amazed at how much more you
will perceive after just a few sessions. When you do it
right, so right you just know that shot would have gone
dead centre through the x-ring, the timing was right,
the sight picture was crisp, the shot broke as if by
magic just after settling in the aiming area - I've been
tempted to go whooping about the house it felt that
good. This is the time to let the feeling of the
technique, the vibe of the whole performance sink in,
because this is what you want to reproduce time and time
again.
Think back to the last
time you asked somebody how they had just shot. What was
their response? I bet they shook their head and
mentioned a six or seven that murdered their score. Just
what exactly are they focused on? What are their
lingering thoughts going to be from a whole day's
shooting? Just a handful of bad shots. They'll berate
themselves, gnash their teeth, beat their breasts and
when the time comes to front the line again they'll make
the same mistakes because they've reinforced or relived
those bad shots so many times, you'd think they just
can't wait to do it again.
Dry fire is part of a
process where you mentally reinforce good technique. If
your technique sucks when you first start, work on it
until it improves. Focus on the positives. Cancel out
the bad shots, revel in the good shots. There is no
pressure to perform, no cruel bullet holes, just a clean
slate to chalk up pluses and erase the minuses. Whew.
And you thought it was just point and click!
Now For The Tricky Bit
Here is where you will
need the help of a friend to set your dry fire range so
that it will maximise the benefits. I must thank the
input from Herman Sailor for this section. Herman was a
top Rapid Fire shooter for Austria a few years ago, and
until recently ran the Military Shooting Academy at
Innsbruck. I'd give his son Rudi's training CD a plug
about now, only being in German it is of little use to
most of us, and unfortunately I doubt it will ever be
produced in English.
Your home dry fire
range must reproduce the layout of the live fire range
where you do most of your shooting. In fact, everything
must be the same. You must wear the same shoes, clothing
and glasses. I draw the line at ear muffs, mainly for
comfort's sake, but they may be a good idea if they help
you concentrate.
The floor where you
stand should be hard, like the range. Dry firing on
carpet, especially thick pile, will make it especially
difficult to attain the same balance. Mark a point where
you shoot from on the floor. Next, you must measure the
relative position of your aiming mark or marks, and here
you will need a friend to take the measurements.
First, have your friend
measure the distance from the floor to your arm when you
are aiming at a target on the range. When in your dry
fire room, set your arm at the same distance from the
floor, and then place your aiming mark at the relative
height on the wall. Obviously distance from the pistol
does not matter much.
The next step is to
make the aiming mark (black target center) a relative
size. To do this, take a piece of cardboard and cut the
lower part to fit snugly over your pistol roughly where
the front sight is situated. Then, holding the pistol in
the shooting position, get your friend to mark with a
pen both sides of the apparent size of the black. You
can then reproduce the corresponding size disc on your
wall with the help of the template.
Rapid Fire shooters
should note that this is how you reproduce exactly the
spacing for your five targets. A wider piece of card is
needed, and a little patience, but if you are going to
practise motor skills it is pointless doing so unless
you do it right.
The point of going to
all of this trouble? If you do a lot of dry fire, and it
can be addictive, you will build up motor memory in your
muscles. The difference is critical in speed matches
such as Rapid Fire, or even the Rapid section of Centre
Fire. Perhaps it is not so important in slow fire
matches, but just a few degrees difference can change
your whole body position to the stage where it will feel
unfamiliar. This would be a pity, when a few minutes'
work could have made it right.
Conclusion
Dry firing does not
have to be a chore. It doesn't have to go on for ages, a
successful session can be as short as 10 minutes. My
best sessions are short, I generally only stay longer
when I'm having difficulty getting it right. Try to have
a specific goal in mind when you start a session. If
your follow through is abysmal, try to concentrate on
that. And try to never finish on a negative. Remember,
we're trying to reinforce the positives, so stick with
it until something feels good, even on a bad day.
But most of all,
have fun! |
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TOP
TRIGGER CONTROL
Trigger control simply
means learning to squeeze or press the trigger without
disturbing the sight alignment. Proper trigger control requires
that the only change in hand pressure be the straight-back pull
of the trigger finger on the trigger. Adjusting the trigger
finger placement on the trigger can aid in achieving a
straight-back pressure.
Proper finger placement on the
trigger is important for proper trigger control. An exercise
that can help you find the proper placement of the finger on the
trigger is, to take a pencil and hold between the finger and
thumb of the hand not used to pull the trigger. Wrap the trigger
finger around the pencil like it was the trigger. Pull the
pencil like it was a trigger. Note the direction the pencil
travels. If you have too much finger on the trigger it causes
the rifle to pull to one side. If the finger is too close to the
fingertip, the rifle will push off to the other side. The proper
placement is about half way between the fingertip and the first
joint.
Once proper placement is
achieved you will have to learn to apply slow constant pressure
to the trigger so as not to move the rifle off the target. Do
not get in a habit of jerking the trigger.
You will also learn proper
breathing while having proper trigger control. When the sight
picture is correct you will take a deep breath, let out about
half and hold while you squeeze the trigger. Patience will have
to be learned to know when to wait n a shot and try again later.
Top Eleven Bad Habits of Shooters
The following chart indicates various errors
frequently done by shooters and the general direction the shot
goes when the error occurs. This is chart is for
right-handed shooters, left-handed shooters merely have to
mirror the chart horizontally.
| 1.Not Looking at the Sights.
This quite frequently is listed as "looking at the
target." A shooter may be focusing his eye on neither
the sights nor the target, but since he does not see the
target in clear focus he assumes he is looking at the
sights. You must concentrate on sight alignment.
2.Holding Too Long. Any
adverse conditions that interrupt a shooter's ability to
"hold" will cause him to delay his squeeze, waiting for
conditions to better. The disturbing factor about this
is that you will do it unconsciously; therefore,
you must continuously ask yourself, am I being too
particular?
3.Improper Grip or Position.
Suffice to say that you cannot fire a decent score with
any gun at any range if you continually change your grip
or position.
4.Jerk or Heel. The
application of pressure either with the trigger finger
alone or in case of the heel, pushing with the
heel of the hand at the same time. Apply pressure to the
trigger straight to the rear and wait for the shot to
break.
5.Anticipation.
Anticipation can cause muscular reflexes of an instant
nature that so closely coincide with recoil that extreme
difficulty is experienced in making an accurate call.
Anticipation is also the sire to flinching.
6.Loss of Concentration.
If the shooter fails in his determination to apply
positive pressure on the trigger while concentrating on
the front sight his prior determination needs renewal
and he should rest and start over.
7.Anxiety. You work and
work on a shot, meanwhile building up in your mind doubt
about the shot being good. Finally you shoot just to get
rid of that particular round so you may work on the
others.
8.Vacillation (Plain
Laziness). This is a mental fault more than a
physical one, which results in your accepting minor
imperfections in your performance which you could
correct if you worked a little harder. The end result
being you hope you get a good shot. Just like you hope
you will get a gratis tax refund, and you
will get one just about as frequently as you get the
other.
9.Lack of Follow Through.
Follow through is the subconscious attempt to keep
everything just as it was at the time the shot broke. In
other words you are continuing to fire the shot even
after it is gone. Follow through is not to be confused
with recovery. Merely recovering and holding on the
target after the shot is no indication that you are
following through.
10.Lack of Rhythm. Hesitancy
on the first shot or any subsequent shot in timed or
rapid fire. Develop a good rhythm and then have the
fortitude to employ it every case. Frequently many
shooters will have fine rhythm until the last shot of a
string and then hesitate, doctoring up that last shot.
11.Match Pressure. If there
are 200 competitors in a match, rest assured that there
are 200 shooters suffering from match pressure. So what
makes you think you are so different? If you are
exerting all your mental energy toward executing the
correct fundamentals rather than the arithmetic
valuation, your shooting match pressure will be what you
feel when people
congratulate you on a fine performance.
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BACK TO
TOP
Training Plans
How do you set up a training plan? What is training,
anyway?
Training is a learning process both for your mind and your
body (anyone out there think you can seperate them?). Learning
theory is pretty well established and basically says that short
sessions and lots of them is the most efficient way to learn
anything. The U.S. Shooting Team shotgun coach, Lloyd Woodhouse,
has the most rational plans that I have heard. He defines
"training" as that time spent perfecting each element of the
technique (sometimes called "the fundementals"), this should
consume about 80% of your learning time. "Practice" should take
about 15% of your learning time and is defined as simulating
match conditions as closely as possible, but being able to stop
in the middle of or at the end of a series of shots, making an
adjustment to come closer to the perfect technique, and then
repeating the series or continuing as needed. You'll notice that
there is 5% left - and that is the time spent at actual matches.
Three sessions a week for about 3-4 hours per session is a
pretty heavy learning load, but it is about what is required on
the range for those seeking to become elite shooters. Alternate
days should be spent in physical or mental "training" to
maintain good physical condition or increase strength, and/or to
work on visualization techniques.
One important aspect not commonly recognized is to schedule
uninterupted time and concentrate on a single
element. New studies show that if you try to learn more than
one thing in a day, your learning efficiency goes down! It
seems that it takes the mind/body combo some significant time to
integrate what it is trying to learn. So, when you "train", pick
one element of the technique, focus on it, work to perform it
perfectly and don't try to do anything else in that session.
Then take a break, for heaven's sake!
R/F Training Plan
Air/Free Training Plan
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TOP
VISUALIZATION
The last couple of "tips" by Dr. Mike Keyes
dealt with stress and relaxation as a tool to overcome stress.
Now that we are relaxed, lets look at some powerful mental
techniques to improve our performance. I refer to these as
"Strategic Visualization" and "Tactical Visualization". These
techniques work on the principles that the subconscious mind
controls such activities as shooting (or should and would if you
let it!) and that our neural pathways can be "primed" to
transmit preferred messages to the body. Also, it is known that
the subconscious mind holds our "self-image" and cannot tell a
vividly imagined event from a real one (!) With these
ideas firmly in place, we can devise a strategy to improve our
self image. And, once we have a new self image, we are compelled
to adhere to it! Building a new self-image is done with:
Strategic visualization.
The technique is so easy many can’t believe there isn’t more to
it. What you do, is make up an "affirmation" card: a 3X5 card
with a positive, present tense, first person statement on it.
(Don’t skip over this part - all of the last sentence is
critical to success.) An example would be: "I am a 570 air
pistol shooter". (Of course, this should be a challenging but
not ridiculous statement and one that represents a significant
improvement.) Now, using the relaxation techniques we have
learned, we get comfortable and relaxed, take out your card(s)
and then read this statement to ourselves - once out loud and
once silently. Then, we close our eyes and visualize - IN AS
MUCH DETAIL (color, sound, smells, etc.) as we can - being a 570
shooter. See the scoreboard in your mind with your name and
score. Visualize shooting the match with 95 average strings.
Feel your friends pat your back, etc. Do this several times a
day. Thats it. And, believe it or not, in a far shorter time
than you might think possible, you will find yourself doing the
things necessary to be a 570 shooter and then the day will come
that the 570 score is achieved and you’ll hardly even be
surprised - after all that is YOU, so whats the big deal? You
will find that instead of turning on the TV, you think you’ll
practice a while, because that is what 570 shooters DO. You’ll
be sure your equipment is suitable for a 570 shooter. All this
will happen without conscious effort, just because you WANT to!
You can make up several of these statements and even
subordinate statements. For example, with the "I am a
570 shooter" statement, you might feel that you just can’t find
enough training time to make this happen, so you make a card
that says, "I find it easy to schedule training time" and put in
behind the "570" statement and use it the same way. Very soon
you will be finding reasons to GO practice rather than reasons
NOT to go. The subconscious mind has received all those vivid
pictures of the "new you", believes they are actual experiences
and is making sure you conform to this new, improved self image.
The more frequently you visualize, the quicker the change
occurs.
Tactical visualization is
a bit different. In Tip #7 we talked about creating a perfect
model of the action you wish to take - in this case, a perfectly
executed shot. You must have this in order to practice your
skill either mentally or physically. Researchers have shown that
if an athlete, a down-hill skier in one example, visualizes
making a slalom run while hooked up to a mylograph, minute
electrical fields are measured that indicate the exact same
muscles are being activated that would be used to actually ski
the slope. We believe that these neural "paths" can be
programmed with the visualization of your perfect "model" just
as with actual action. Visualization is probably better because
the act can be done perfectly EVERY time! So, this is a
way of training mentally anywhere, anytime. One excellent
use of tactical imaging is to visualize a perfect shot on the
range just before you actually perform the shot. Then, letting
your mind hold that image, you raise the gun and execute what
you have just visualized. The results of this technique are very
gratifying!
And, notice that if you are working hard at
visualizing perfect executions, you are not worrying about
negative things and are going to be free of the stress-causing
concerns that plagued you before!
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TOP
|
GOALS SETTING
FUNDAMENTALS
-
Be honest with
yourself-assessments.
-
Use the approach or
approaches which most appeal to you.
-
Appraise your goals
regularly - ideally, every 6 - 8 weeks.
-
Set
S.M.A.R.T goals to maximise motivation,
commitment and quality.
-
Design long,
intermediate and short term goal setting schedules.
-
Assess your goals
each week.
All goals should meet
the 'SMARTER" criteria, but there are three main types
of goals that can be set:
1. Outcome goals -
focus on outcomes of particular events and usually
involve a comparison of some kind with other people
(e.g. winning a competition).
2. Performance goals - specify an end product (usually
relatively independently of other divers) and encourage
your athletes to perform to their potential e.g.
achieving a personal best score.
3. Process goals - specify the actual behaviours that
individuals have to perform in order to compete well.
There is one more very important type
of goal that does not fit the rules of other goals. It
is the DREAM GOAL!
A dream goal is the
vision which motivates performers e.g. learning to dive,
winning the Nationals, getting a gold medal at the
Olympic Games. It may well be out of their control, and
doesn't fit the SMARTER principles, but it will define
their ambition and the kind of performer they want to
be. For that reason dream goals are special, all other
goals are a way of reaching that dream.
Dream goals inspire, they create energy - it's like when
you stretch an elastic band!!! |
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BACK TO TOP
My 12 Rules of Shooting
-
Remember every
shot is a match shot (that includes when
training).
-
When the conscious
mind has a positive thought, it cannot, at
the same time think a negative thought.
-
What you picture is
critical. Positive pictures, positive result.
-
The more you talk
about, think about or write about something. We
improve the probability of that happening.
-
Let the scorer do
the score and you do the shot. If you are focusing
on the score, you are not focusing on the shot.
-
A positive mind
will give you a positive shoot, Only
winner think of winning.
-
Stay with your plan
until it is finished.
-
Dont remember the
bad shots, only reinforce the good shots.
Remember how they felt when you shot them and do it
every time.
-
If only....if
only...Nothing is going to change until you change
it yourself. AND REMEMBER YOU CAN NOT CHANGE HOW
OTHERS SHOOT.
-
Stop worrying about
the small stuff, "Remember it is all Small Stuff".
-
If you dont believe
in your own abilities, nobody will. Positivity will
allow you to reach your goals and targets. Belief
and confidence help you reach your capabilities and
by using these to the full, You can do whatever
you put your mind to.
-
FOCUS ON THE
PROCESS....
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It is certain that soon after the first of the
Diana, FWB and Walther pistols hit the market, a formal type of
competition was developed to take advantage of their incredible
accuracy and precision. Although initially contests were fired
at a variety of distances, soon the 10 meter standard we all use
today was confirmed. The targets developed as well, and with
each new edition the scoring rings became smaller. What we have
today is a target such as this:
The outside scoring ring has a diameter of
16.5 centimeters ( 6 1/8" ). The 10 ring has a diameter of just
1.15 centimeters
( 7/16" ). That doesn't leave much room for error now does it!
Inside of the 10 ring is a still smaller X ring with a mere 5.2
mm diameter. It is possible to shoot a pellet so perfectly on
center, that you punch out this ring and leave the white visible
around the hole. I know because I have done it, but only twice
in five years!
Some major changes have taken place in just
the last two decades. In 1980, the UIT changed the men's
competition from a 40 to a 60 shot format. Women's competition
stayed at 40 shots and has remained there since. Also in 1980
the firing of sighter shots was changed, allowing unlimited
shots - but all had to be taken before the first shot for
record. Before this change a maximum of 15 sighters could be
fired, but they could be taken before or after any ten shot
string during the match. These were accounted for on the two
sighting targets each competitor was given. Now, according to
UIT rules, a ten minute preparation period takes place before
the match starts, and this prep period is broken into two parts
- three minutes of general equipment preparation where you may
not handle the gun, followed by seven minutes during which you
may dry fire, etc. The length of time a competitor has during a
match has been shortened from two hours, to just one hour and
forty-five minutes including sighter shots. The X count is no
longer used as a major scoring component. I believe that it is
used as the third tie breaker, behind number of tens, and the
last ten shot string's score.
One of the best developments in 10 meter
competition came in 1986 with the advent of "finals". This is
currently used in all major matches worldwide. The method is
this: After the 60 shot match is complete, the top 8 competitors
are placed in the order they finished the 60 shot match on the
line - first place on position #1, second on #2, etc. They then
begin a 10 shot final shoot-off. In this finals, the competitors
have a 75 second time limit to fire each shot. After the last
competitor has fired shot number 1, the targets are scored, and
the score is given. The competitors then shoot shot number 2,
after which the scoring is again done, and so on through all 10
shots. The scoring of each shot is given a numerical value to
the tenth of a point. The lowest possible shot for score would
be a 1.0 with the pellet just touching the outside of the lowest
value scoring ring. The highest value shot would be a 10.9, or a
perfect center shot. This 10.9 maximum value rule has been in
place since 1989 when the 11.0 value was dropped by .1 of a
point. The maximum score now possible is 709.0 with the 10 shot
finals included. That would be sixty consecutive tens, followed
by ten consecutive 10.9 shots. I can honestly say that I feel
this will
never happen. If it does, well ... we can make the
target smaller still I guess?! To further illustrate this
scoring method, here are a few samples of shots and how they
would be scored.
BACK TO
TOP
The most most common question we are asked is,
"Which is the best pellet for my gun?" This of course a
difficult question to answer, but before we get too involved,
let's put it into perspective.
As long as we're talking good quality match pellets (such as
H&N, RWS, Vogel, etc) even the worst grouping pellet will
still easily hold the x-ring on a pistol target. This means that
even a high level competitor is not likely to ever benefit much
from batch testing to find the ultimate grouping pellet in his
pistol. Having said that however, it's a nice feeling to know
that your gun/pellet combination shoots a tight one-hole group,
and the effort of testing for peace of mind could be considered
time well spent, if only from a self-confidence point of view.
But you should never have the illusion that it will make a
noticeable difference to your scores.
Air Rifle is a little different, since a ten
ring of .5mm makes the best possible accuracy far more
important. Anything less than a tight slightly oval hole would
mean perfect scores are not possible.
Just to further cloud the issue, simply
knowing the diameter of the pellet used in the factory to shoot
the best group does not mean your gun will always shoot the best
group with that diameter. We see just as much variation between
pellets of different batches, even if they are sized exactly the
same. So you may well have one testing session when a 4.49mm .53
gram pellet may shoot the best. Twelve months later, with
different batches, the winner could easily be a 4.50mm in .50
gram. There is no way of knowing in advance.
Our advice? By all means if you can test your
gun easily, do so. If you shoot a pistol and have no way of
testing it, stick to the factory test diameter and be happy. If
you shoot something like an IZH, which comes with no test
target, try standard sized good quality pellets and you will
have great accuracy. Testing single stroke pneumatics and spring
powered guns is very difficult anyway. But try to keep the whole
concept in perspective, it's not worth losing any sleep over.
Time, Ammunition and Oxidation
There was some traffic on various bulletin boards around the
'net a bit ago that indicated some misconceptions about
ammunition, airgun pellets, and age—specifically deterioration
due to oxidation of the lead.
All metals oxidize. Some metals do this very slowly and others
rather quickly, but just as animals age, so do metals. Lead is a
very interesting metal in that it not only oxidizes, but it
changes its morphology as well with time. Reloaders,
particularly those who cast their own bullets, have been aware
of this fact for many years: Bullets made on Friday are
noticeably softer than they will be on the following Friday!
Pellet makers discovered that this tendency of cast lead to vary
in hardness and ductility over time as internal crystalline
changes took place meant variations in the quality of the
pellets they produced. One maker in particular has taken this
into account very successfully and now produces pellets of
incredible uniformity (compared to 10-15 years ago). The process
starts with an alloy formula that resists oxidation to a great
degree. Then ingots are poured from this molten mixture. These
ingots are then "aged" – they sit on a shelf in a controlled
environment for several weeks. After this stage, the ingots are
put into a machine and drawn into coils of wire. As this
mechanical "working" again causes the molecular structure of the
lead to start changing, another "aging" period is prescribed and
the coils sit on the shelf for more weeks. Finally, the wire is
fed into the pellet forming machines and the actual pellet is
created. As the mechanical change from wire to pellet is much
less extreme than that from ingot to wire, the internal
structure of the pellet undergoes far less change and thus
remains more stable. The production of each machine is kept
separate and about 25,000 to 35,000 pellets are numbered as a
single lot. These lots are in turn tested, packed and shipped.
The best of these lots (10 shot groups from which must fit
inside a 6mm circle) become "World Champion" pellets.
While in the past, a shooter had to be concerned that if he or
she bought more than 5,000 pellets (one carton), they might not
get used up before they "expired" (became oxidized). This has
not been a concern for many years. We have pellets in our
archives of control samples that are 8 years old and have the
same surface appearence as freshly opened tins of pellets – a
slightly dull silver finish. In the bad old days before the
anti-oxidizing alloys, the pellets would first turn a very dark
gray-black and then would become covered with a white powder.
Lead has several oxidation states, but these are probably all
you will see in ammunition and pellets. The dark color is
usually of no concern (look at your eley "tenex" or any other
.22 bullets – they will often be a dark gray). However, the
white powder can possibly harm the bore and so ammunition or
pellets at this stage of oxidation should be disposed of
properly.
Fortunately, science and technology have triumphed again to the
benefit of the shooter and this is not a worry with modern
factory ammunition and pellets. The reloader, however, might
still want to keep a close eye on his efforts!
BACK TO
TOP
improving
Your Technique
Not that we discourage the attitude that "If I had a
better gun, I'd shoot better" (after all we ARE in the
business!), but the truth is that hard work on a sound
technique is the real way to boost your performance. The
problem is the "hard work" part - nobody enjoys that
nearly as much as seeing holes appear in paper 10
minutes after you arrive at the range. Still, once you
decide that you are serious you will not mind the effort
as the results begin to appear. In building your
technique, you might as well start at the ground and
work up. I like to use the analogy of building a house:
You need a good, strong, well designed foundation to
support the rest of the structure.
The first idea to dispel is that of finding your
"natural stance". While your physical makeup will have
to be factored in (I had one student who had engaged in
"Kendo" for years - he was so muscle-bound he could NOT
hold his arms out straight!) your stance should be based
on basic principles and then MADE "natural" by
repetition. Almost all elements of a good shooting
technique are compromises and we see that in choosing a
good body position: The placement of the feet is a
compromise between stress on the ankles and legs and the
desire to have the widest possible platform for
stability. The commonly stated rule of thumb that the
feet should be about as far apart as the shoulder width
is a good starting point. Next, we must choose how to
orient our feet. Again, the oft heard "45 degrees to the
firing line" is a reasonable starting place. The feet
are set as if along the sides of a triangle - toes out,
heels in with the firing line being the base of the
triangle and a line through the feet converging behind
the shooter as the apex. We choose something near this
angle as the best compromise in reducing strain on the
body as we divide the 90 degrees to be subtended between
the mechanically inefficient 'facing the target directly
on' and the quite efficient 'feet parallel to the firing
line' positions. If we were to stand with the feet
parallel to the firing line (and some early shooters
did!) we put enormous strain on the neck trying to twist
the head around enough to sight down the barrel line and
we also constrict the carotid artery which is supplying
oxygen to the eyes and brain. This is not a good, so we
start with the feet as above and subtend the remaining
45 degrees or so by twisting at the hips and ankles
about 20-25 degrees and by turning the head for the
remainder of the way. Now we have stabilized the back
and have distributed the strain throughout the body
leaving the neck arteries free and the neck muscles only
mildly extended. The head is erect, of course, and so
the balancing organs feel correctly oriented.
I recommend you choose a place at home to do your dry
firing where you can place and leave tape markers on the
floor in the above relationship to the aiming mark on
the wall. This way you can step into place exactly the
same way each time you begin your dry training. Very
quickly your body will "learn" this position/stance and
it will become "natural". Don't be afraid to mark your
foot position with chalk or tape at the range and even
during the match, either! In a long match, it is
recommended you take breaks (or, you may have no choice
during scoring breaks.) It is very nice to be able to
just step back into the exact place and thus eliminate
another possible variable. I have seen shooters at world
level matches do this, so ignore any odd looks and be
confident you are in "your" stance.
By now, your position should be pretty
well established, so as promised, we will take the next
step in building our technique and discuss breathing.
Hey, what's to discuss? Everybody knows how to breathe,
right? as usual, however, there are good ways and better
ways—particularly if you are shooting.
The first things to understand are your physiological
needs and how the body treats breathing (it has its own
agenda going here and shooting wasn't hardwired in to be
part of it!). The brain and the eyes are two of the
biggest users of oxygen and darned if those aren't two
of the most important organs used in shooting. So, we
have to be sure they are getting lots of it. Another
thing to consider is that the "out-of-breath, gotta
breathe" feeling is NOT due to lack of oxygen, but due
to the body detecting an excess of CO2. When we take
these facts into account and add them to the need to not
be moving while we deliver a shot, the framework of our
breathing technique emerges. Other things to consider
are the fact that really full lungs tend to compress the
heart and change its beating rate and yet an expanded
chest can help support the gun.
The first step in breathing for shot delivery is to
PURGE the lungs of CO2. Most of us only use about 1/2
the lung's capacity while breathing "at rest." CO2 is
heavier than air and sinks to the bottom of the lungs.
To purge it, we need to make a deep exhale and
push all of the CO2 out. The second step is to take a
deep inhale—fill the lungs all the way up. As we
do this, we lift the gun—letting the expanded chest
help. The third step is to make a "normal exhale".
This will take the pressure off the heart and as we do
so, we lower the gun into the aiming area. Then, I like
to "top off the tank" by taking a normal inhale.
Now we are "full" of fresh oxygenated air, empty of CO2
(which promptly starts building up again) and in the
aiming area ready to deliver the shot. Here we can fine
tune by making a controlled small exhale to let
the gun settle into the exact area we have chosen as our
aiming area. The chest actually is helping support the
gun. You must experiment to find the point that is just
right for you. Now we become still, "holding" our
breathe while the shot is delivered. Finally, we make a
normal exhale and lower the gun to the bench and
begin "normal" at-rest breathing while we relax our
eyes, body, and mind during the "rest" phase of the shot
cycle.
Once more:
Step 1: Deep exhale
Step 2: Deep inhale, lift gun as we do so
Step 3: Normal exhale to relieve pressure on heart
Step 4: Normal inhale to "top off" (maybe even a bit
MORE than "normal")
Step 5: Tiny, controlled exhale to fine tune "support"
position for the gun in aiming area
Step 6: Still (hold breath) while shot is delivered (and
until after bullet hits target—"follow through")
Step 7: Exhale normally while lowering gun to bench
Step 8: Normal respiration while resting between shots.
Who would have thought "breathing" requires all those
steps? this routine now must be folded into your
technique by slow, careful, exact repetition until it
too becomes "natural". As with everything else,
consistency is your goal.
BACK TO TOP [WebMaster's Note:
Many of these articles have been taken
from various sources from the Internet. They have
been put here for your convenience. Good Reading.
Pardon the lack of rifle articles. This is not
discrimination, as some would put it.
DSL ISP Service
|
chris-gb-shooting.co.uk
