TargetTalk

I had hoped to do some free pistol practice this weekend, but I also needed to install some shelves in the basement. This required drilling 36 holes in concrete with a hammer drill. If you've never used one, the forces & vibrations involved basically turn your muscles to jelly pretty quickly. After the first several holes, it became pretty clear that trying to shoot afterward was pointless. Rather than prolong the process, I worked extra hard to finish everything this weekend to maximize my recovery time before Friday, which is my next chance to shoot. If/when my arm recovers, it should be in better condition than before, but right now it just aches all over.

Clearly, I should have gone shooting before I started. Other than that and trying to stay in better shape, does anyone have any useful strategies for dealing with house/yard chores that are detrimental to shooting? I certainly wouldn't tackle anything major the day (or two) before an important match. Trying to practice frequently (& effectively) in the face of a steady stream of physically demanding chores is tricky, and it gets a bit tougher every passing year.

You have asked a practical question that I didn't think would ever get an airing on this forum!

For shooters who want to compete, and also complete medium to heavy duty DIY(do it yourself) jobs, I think that good management is the key. I built a deck before Christmas in leisure time, and found that the extra physical work, spread over a 4 week timeframe, actually helped build strength in my stance and shooting arm, and my hold on a pistol seemed better.

Tips I found useful:

1. Never do heavy work just before a competition.
2. If you are going to strain an arm, make sure it's the non-shooting arm.
3. Spread out the workload.
4. Keep fit and stretch muscles.

For some reason I have noticed a seemingly high number of pistol shooters who are also into medium to heavy home DIY work such as fences, decks, concreting, roofing, etc.

Why is that I wonder? Does our sport attract people who are into practical DIY work?

Popeye

I shot my best ever Free pistol score immediately after smashing up some concrete with a sledge hammer.

I had no choice, they guy was doing a job on the range and we couldn't shoot untill he was out of the way, so I helped him finish up so we could get on with our shooting. I never tried it again as match preparation though!

Popeye wrote:. . . . . For some reason I have noticed a seemingly high number of pistol shooters who are also into medium to heavy home DIY work such as fences, decks, concreting, roofing, etc.

Why is that I wonder? Does our sport attract people who are into practical DIY work?

Popeye

It's because our wives won't let us shoot until the chores are done!

Freepistol wrote:It's because I wives won't let us shoot until the chores are done!

Bingo!

Whenever possible I try to get to our club very early in the morning, and have a focused practice session. Chose 1 or 2 fundamentals and practice for a couple hours. .... Usually nobody there before 8am and you can really concentrate on whatever particular areas of discipline you choose.

Arrive home mid-morning and the day is yours for whatever chores are waiting you.

I try to do the same if it's something I can shoot indoors, but free pistol indoors just isn't the same. Most clubs I'm aware of in Massachusetts have limits on how early you can shoot outside, even with .22's, due to noise complaints. I can't fire before 9:00 am outside, 10:00 am on Sundays.

Now that's a solution I like to your wife saying over chores before shooting - we say shooting before chores.

Now that sorts the taxing chores affecting shooting issue.

Popeye