The Secret to shooting is out!

Introduction

There is often discussion amongst shooters that there is a “secret” in shooting good scores and that top shooters keep this vital information to themselves. Having had the opportunity in meeting a variety of elite shooters over the past twenty-five years I have been fortunate to be given an “insiders look” into their secrets. I have decided that it is time to spill the beans as I feel that every shooter deserves the opportunity to excel! I have decided that from this vital information will not remain solely within the domain of the elite shooters.

The “Secret” is finally revealed!

Yes, there is a “secret” to shooting high scores. Don’t tell anyone but this information is strictly between you and me! The “secret” to high scores comes down to a combination of persistence, hard work, sacrifice, and tenacity that you the shooter develops over time. I know what you are thinking right now! Your thinking bummer – I thought he was going to give us an easy way! Sorry about that folks. You see achieving high scores requires a set of attitudes. These can be sometimes elusive as often they appear and disappear in direct relation to the volume and intensity of the effort shown.

The fact of the matter is that the more time and effort the shooter devotes to the goal, the more the “secret” is revealed. This requires sacrifice! For example, you may have to put aside valuable time that usually would be reserved for things such as other hobbies and leisure activities. It includes allocating some of your hard on money on things such as equipment and competition costs. It may include the cost of not only money but far more importantly that of time. We are all getting busier in our lives and it seems that the demand of work and family is ever increasing. To get the “secret” we need to develop better time management skills so that we can develop a healthy balance between work, family and sport commitments. To achieve the “secret” you must have a balance between all three areas of life. This is important, as an imbalance in one of these areas will adversely affect the other two and ultimately it will affect ones scores.

But wait there is more!

So what else is there in achieving the “secret”? Consider comfort. Have you ever thought about going to the range but due to poor weather you were able to find better things to do at home with your valuable time? Perhaps the competition is on a range which is not too your liking? Well to reach the “secret” you may have to sacrifice some of your comfort through shooting (both match and practice), in poor weather and or on ranges that are not to our liking. Sometimes to reach the “secret” you must have to train and compete on days when you just don’t feel like shooting. This sacrifice implies hard work, with the accompanying persistence and tenacity to carry it out. To unlock the “secret” you must think about your sport almost all of the time. This does not only include the act of shooting but should also consider all the peripherals involved, such as equipment care, ammo supply, travel equipment, and travel planning, etc. In addition, you should be thirsty about gaining more knowledge about your sport. At the very least this should cover the latest techniques, training methods, and equipment. Ultimately the “secret” to shooting high pistol scores is self-rewarding. It is part of the competitive spirit that drives the shooter, permeates the balance of his life, and offers him success in his other pursuits. Once you attain it you will always remember it, but it takes constant vigilance to keep it. Ultimately the secret to shooting high pistol scores is real and attainable, but also sometimes intangible, and not always readily explainable. But as sure as there is devotion, persistence, hard work, sacrifice, and tenacity, so there is a “secret” to shooting high pistol scores! You see the quest to reach the “secret” is unrelenting however, to achieve the “secret” in shooting requires plain old hard work.

But seriously folks…….

Here are five steps to help you in finding the “secret”

Step 1 Grip and or Position: Suffice to say that you cannot obtain a decent score with any pistol at any range if you continually change your grip or position. Consistency is the key to success.

Step 2 Looking at your sights: This is often confused by the uninitiated as looking at the target! Often shooters focus their shooting eye into no-mansland (neither the sights nor the target), but since the target cannot be seen in clear focus many shooters assume that they are looking at their sights. Concentrate on correct sight alignment!

Step 3 Holding: Any adverse conditions that interrupt your ability to “hold” will cause you to delay your squeeze, as you are waiting for conditions to get better. This will often occur unconsciously; therefore, always ask yourself, am I being too particular?

Step 4 Trigger Pressure: 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 may cause you to ‘jerk’ or ‘heel’ the release. Always apply trigger pressure straight to the rear and wait for the shot to break.

Step 5 Follow Through: Follow through is the subconscious attempt to keep everything just as it was at the time the shot broke. It is as you are continuing to fire the shot even after it is gone. Follow through should not be confused with recovery. Merely recovering and holding on the target after the shot is no indication that you are following through! A good follow through will assist in the elimination of anticipation (muscular reflexes which closely coincide with the recoil). Anticipation is often the precursor to flinching.

Conclusion

There are many additional factors that make up the “secret” to shooting. Some of these include the ability to maintain concentration, controlling anxiety, lack of rhythm and match pressure. Let know one tell you that there is a ‘secret’ to shooting good scores. Good scores come from applying sound shooting principles, dedication to the sport, sacrificing oneself to the pursuit of ones goals and persistence in the face of setbacks. Otherwise as I would say “pigs may fly”!

I wish you well and good shooting

Dieter Wilhelmi