First groups are always best

[jer]

I have problem in shooting. When I start shooting normal 20 sighters+60 shots, sighters I shoot 9,4 average. First 10 comptetion shots I shoot 9.2 and after that 8.9 or 9.0. I have tried different pausing to recover hand but havent solved the problem. Any ideas, more aerobic training, lifting weights, problems with eye or something else?

[pohaus]

From what you write, some sort of fatigue could be the cause for lower 10-shot string scores during the progression of a match.

1. Is your AP an heavy one? Balancing weights added? Have you tried a lighter gun? Any fatigue noticable to your arm or shoulder?

2. If your eyes are getting strained during a match, you would notice this yourself, I think. Are your sights getting (increasingly) blurred during the progression of a match? Then correcting lenses may help.

I have sort of the inverse problem: low scores for the first strings, then improving a little during the match. Relatively high "competitional nerve tension" is my problem, I think.
But, as I calculate, from my less than perfect first strings, that I am not going to win that match (either), I relax and achieve better scores. :-)

[Houngan]

Time yourself, too. You might be feeling rushed during the match, but relaxed during the sighters. I had the opposite problem, I was rushing on the sighters, and it would take me 20+ to calm down. Now I sit for a few minutes and rehearse my shot process before lifting the gun, and I'm on track from the start.

H.

[Fred Mannis]

Could be a mental, rather than a physical, issue.
As someone else noted on TT recently, one can move, without realizing it, from a sharply focused, accept your hold shot process to trying to 'tune' the aim point and looking at both sight and target. Especially if one is enamoured of a great sighter target. Has happened to me many times!
Some things I have tried - don't score the sighter targets; mentally 'restart' the match; maintain confidence in your shot process; maintain intensity.

[Richard H]

Does your group open up or move? That can tell you a little about what is going on as well.

[Steve Swartz]

Jer:

There is a well-recognized phenomenon involving the trade-off between "Intensity" and "Fatigue" in human performance over time.

When you start shooting your Intensity is High, and decreases over time. Your Fatigue is low, and increases over time.

When Intensity is "too high" you will experience match nerves, jitters, etc. When Fatigue is "too high" you will be inattentive and unable to execute shots properly.

So the discipline called "Match Management" involves the process of planning your shot strings so that you will be shooting every shot in your "sweet spot" of best intensity & fatigue.

At the beginning of any string (including your first string of sighters), you will need to be thoroughly "warmed up" but at a high intensity. Toward the end of your string, you need to monitor intensity and fatigue so that you will know when to take a break to recharge.

I'm assuming you know all of that already- I was just including it as a reminder to "set teh stage" so to speak.

A while back I started training so that I would do just that. I found that early on, my "optimal strings" (when every shot fired was a "loved and wanted shot") were only about 7-9 shots long.

Ouch.

Well, I worked on maintaining proper intensity (and delaying fatigue) in my training, and found that in a typical match my strings (including sighters) ended up around 35-25-15 or thereabouts.

I say you were on to something with your "pausing to recover" idea. What criteria do you use to identify that it's break time? What technique are you using to make sure you get "warmed up" quickly? How do you know when you are "warmed up?"

Steve Swartz

[CROB]

I assume (like the other people that responded) your are talking about air pistol.
If this is .22 or bigger, perhaps you are responding the recoil - anticipating or perhaps even flinching?

Are you sure you aren't watching the target? With fresh eyes and fresh
enthusiasm, you may be starting watching the sights, but as you get into
the match (and you become more focused on results) you might be
looking at the target. If you have the classic "donut" group
(ie shots sprayed in all directions) this is possibly your problem.

Try dry firing against a blank background (or put out a target backward)
and get your focus back on the sights, then resume.

[jer]

Thanks to all for answers. I found that most of "bad" shots happends when my eye is not focused to front sight. At first it is easy keep eye focused to front sight but when eye gets tired - it is much more difficult. Maybe I have to check if my shootinglasses are too old and lens should be updated (eyeglass -1.50 and shooting glass -1.25).

[Steve Swartz]

Yes, get good glasses. That will help.

But might I suggest that in any case being aware of the quality of your front sight focus (and mental focus on the sight alignment)- and then not shooting when the quality is poor*- will solve the problem.

Steve Swartz

*And, in terms of match management, knowing that you must take a break whenever you can't easily "reset" after being unable to re-establish focus(es)

[2650 Plus]

I would recommend that you study the rythem you are in when you fire your best shots. Could you be getting more careful as you progress through the course of fire? This can move you out of your best sequence and cause a slowing down in the shot delivery. This will put more pressure on the eyes and mental ability to maintain focus on sight allignment until after the shot breaks. I am proud of the responses in the forum as all seem to be on point and well thought out. I would bet that you find a solution somewhere in the above posts. Good Shooting Bill Horton