What do you do when you haven't yet learn't...

[Dev]

Okay this has been bothering me for a while. I have read over here again and again that the shooter who can squeeze the trigger as he is coming down on the target, without hesitating is on his way to glory.

The way that I shoot is take the first stage on the table and then bring the pistol onto the sub six hold from the top. When I am not tired then I manage to squeeze the trigger when I have the ideal sight picture. This whole effort is very conscious and a lot of times I end up staring at the sights without my trigger finger having begun its movement.

I end up laughing hysterically and then beginning all over again. I can however dry fire away to glory with a no mind type of state. Yesterday out of fifty dry fires only three or so were before the sub six zone. So in live firing I would probably hit a few 12 o'clock 7's or 8's.

If I have less than a month to the next tourney should I persist in trying to develop this technique or concentrate on my hold and other things?
Please enlighten me you gurus of the pistol.

Regards,

Dev

[Richard H]

There are two very distinct techniques the classical and dynamic. they are well explained on the Scatt website.

Here is a link to the artical Dynamic Aiming

[lastman]

Hi Dev,

In short you won't get to the point where you will reliably be able to press through the lowering phase within a month. I would suggest to leave things as is until after your competition. Focus on your sighting for the next few weeks until the competition.

There are a lot of Psychological aspects that need to change as this method develops, and they simply take a few months to change.

Whilst I'm not a big believer in dynamic aiming (it just doesn't work for me) there is a lot of value in pressing whilst lowering into your aiming area. It reduces the amount of time you are holding the pistol in the area to ensure a smooth break.

The only way to learn how to do it, is simply do it. You will put a heap of shots into the wall or top of the card. But after you have done it a lot of times you will settle into your aiming area, still pressing and as your hold steadies your shot will break.

At the end of the day it is all about having faith in your abilities and the confidence to just do it. Both of which can only come from good practice.

The problem that you will face is that you will want to control every aspect of the shot within your conscious mind, it is very difficult to let go of that. This is demonstrated by your current shot production method. You start aiming, then align the sights, then start pressing. You will probably find that your press isn't constant and that it stops and starts with the movement of your sights and pistol.

What you want is for your mind to accept that the sights are aligned and that you are holding well inside your aiming area. You also need to accept that your body is better at determining that than your conscious mind. Let your conscious mind essentially be the manager of the shot process and the individual parts of the body are the workers. Essentially your mind directs your focus. Your body does the intricate bits like maintain your area, stance, balance etc and press the trigger.

I know that's a weird analogy but what I gather you're trying to learn is an entirely different way of approaching the technique of precision shooting. While it's not difficult, it simply take a bit of time and effort to learn.

Your goal is to make the trigger release as sub-conscious as possible. Your attention should be on your aiming area and more importantly aligning the sights.

I know it's not a great description of how to do it, but I hope it helps somewhat.

Good luck.

[Dev]

Thanks Richard and Lastman.
A part of me sensed that I didn't really have the time to implement this change before the nationals. So i guess I will pay more attention to the ten step routine that you had sent me Lastman.
What I have found is that training everyday even for a short period really helped me to improve.
I am really grateful to both of you for taking the time to write such beautiful and helpful tips. I hope that I shall be able to meet up with you gents someday and express my gratitude in person.

Warm Regards,

Devjyoti

[RobStubbs]

Okay this has been bothering me for a while. I have read over here again and again that the shooter who can squeeze the trigger as he is coming down on the target, without hesitating is on his way to glory.
<snip>

Regards,

Dev

It's one method of shooting, but not one that many shooters adopt. I can't remember seeing any elite level shooters shooting that way but it can be very difficult to spot exactly what they are doing, even when standing behind them.

Rob.

[Spencer]

... I have read over here again and again that the shooter who can squeeze the trigger as he is coming down on the target, without hesitating is on his way to glory... Dev

Your hand/eye coordination will be far better in a dynamic mode than it is in a static mode.
Coupled with the concept of area aim the ‘two-breath’ method is a great way of demonstrating to, and reinforcing for, newer shooters that (for precision stages) area aim is good enough to get 9+-ring groups.
It certainly is a great way of demonstrating/reinforcing that a shooter does not need a precisely defined aiming point on the target, only a clearly defined front sight!
…I.e. on the WAY to glory…

The 'two breaths' method certainly has its place and in various modified forms is used by many shooters for precision stage shots.
It is interesting to watch the dry-fire technique of some shooters after firing a bad shot (a 9 or 8) in 10m Air Pistol competition. Quite a few can be seen to dry-fire using the two breath technique although this is not noticeable when they are firing competition shots – they have modified the procedure such that it is a way of getting to their steadying hold, rather than the process for a competition shot.

Releasing a shot in the reverse direction (i.e. coming up) can have the same properties for ‘duelling’ shots: the outcome with a 100mm 10-ring can be very successful.
Not all shooters change the sight elevation back down between stages – instead letting the shot off as the sights pass (somewhere around) the lower edge of the target can work very well.

[Dev]

Hi Rob and Spencer,

You have both opened up a world of learning. While watching ISSF films of air pistol and center fire pistol one can't make out what technique the elite shooters use. It is not clear whether they are coming down and pressing the trigger at the same time or coming down pausing and then working the trigger.

I have found that when I am rushed for time or shooting fast then i am following the dynamic technique without realising it. This has also put a few holes in the place above the trap when the squeeze surprised me :-).

Now I know that my fear of firing at the wrong spot, stops me from trying the dynamic method, but I find it is less taxing on the system when it is done sub consciously.

Thank you for all your replies.

Warm regards,

Dev

[zuckerman]

howdy, "two breath method?" Can you please describe this? thanks.

[JamesH]

This whole effort is very conscious and a lot of times I end up staring at the sights without my trigger finger having begun its movement.

OK, this is the problem. If you take up pressure too early (eg on the bench) and try to hold it then the actual pressure falls off. I feels like you're holding it but you're not.

Perception of pressure is very poor - and highly influenced by stress level, whereas perception of motion is better and less affected in match conditions.

This is why the people who practice dryfiring 501g endlessly take about 5 attempts on each shot when they get to a match.

Its important to increase trigger pressure smoothly and steadily, not in jerks.

An exercise, aim at the target, close your eyes as you squeeze the trigger. Your eyes should be shut before the shot goes off.
Concentrate on steadily increasing the trigger pressure at a constant rate, no pauses to 'correct' the sights.

[Seamaster]

Dev, use Dynamic aiming for quickest improvement before your next national trial. It works extremely well for 10m AP. When target is not far at all, trigger is much more important than perfect alignment.

For free pistol, it is the reverse. Perfect alignment would be much more important than trigger because the target is so much further.

But for 10m AP, key is the trigger pull. Dynamic trigger pull/aiming. You will shoot tons of 9s. If you concentrate on perfect alignment for 10m AP, you will shoot some 10's, but also a good share of 8's.

Use dynamic aiming, at your level, you will shoot tons of 9's, which is much more satisfying than 10's/ 8's.

[Dev]

Hi Seamaster,

I think I did this at my trial as I had a strangely high number of 9's. I chose to celebrate every 9 and shoot more 9's instead of mourning it as a potential ten. Agreed right now the 9's are pretty gratifying and should serve me well to make it to the next competition.

Warm Regards,

Dev

[lastman]

howdy, "two breath method?" Can you please describe this? thanks.

Two breath method is where you take two breaths prior to arrival into the aiming area.

So for example.

You raise the pistol above the card and breathe in. As you lower you commence breathing out.

Pause at an area just above the card and take a top up breath in.

Lower to the aiming area while slowly breathing out. At that point there will be a natural respiratory pause (where you don't need to breath) which will last for about the amount of time it take to produce your shot.

Using the two breath method allows you to start your shot process a bit earlier and without using up resources such as air and focus.

Good luck

[2650 Plus]

I start the finger moving first, then settle into the aiming area. once there my total effort is centered on perfecting sight allignment until after the shot fires. The way you can tell if you are truly commited to this technique is when you fire a round over the target.The high shot will probably happen only a couple of times when you first commit to this method of shot sequence and will not continue once you begin to master the technique. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[miacdc]

Dev, what is the minimum score for joining India National Team?

[Dev]

Dev, what is the minimum score for joining India National Team?

Ahhh it is a heartbreaking 575/600 plus the ability to politic. The former is from the NRAI page and the latter is hearsay from a shooter. Right now I am only trying to concentrate on qualifying for the nationals. As Mel Gibson said in 'The Patriot',"Aim small, miss small."