TargetTalk

Hello there,

I am new to the forum and would greatly appreciate some guidance from seasoned shooters here. I have been practicing 10m air pistol shooting for a few months now; but I am struggling with maintaining consistency in my scores. I usually shoot around the 540-550 range in competitions; but I have had a hard time breaking into the 570s consistently.

I have been focusing on my technique and have made some adjustments to my grip and stance; but I still find that my shots are sometimes off target; and my groupings are inconsistent.

How do you manage your breathing to minimize movement and maintain stability throughout the shot?

I often get distracted or feel nervous during competitions. What mental strategies do you use to stay focused and calm under pressure?

Do you have any recommendations for adjustments or checks I should perform on my equipment to ensure it is optimized for my performance?

Also, I have gone through this post; https://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php?tableau=64279 which definitely helped me out a lot.

I am also open to any general tips or exercises that have helped you improve your consistency.

Thanks in advance for your help and assistance.

After learning the basic skills, which you have apparently done, mostly it comes down to relaxation, philosophy, understanding your own mental processes and how they affect your subconscious.

Its work to get yourself into the optimum mental and physical state to perform well.
You have to work out where those optimums are for yourself - this isn't trivial.
Then towards match day you work to get yourself as close to optimum as you reasonably can.
This is the real work solid competitors do. Hours at the range are mostly maintenance.

Extreme gym workouts, a bad drive, worrying about work and ten cups of coffee probably won't do it, nor will a week on the couch.
The trick is to find what works for you, and bear in mind it won't always be perfect, there will always be disruptions to your careful plan you will have to negotiate without being affected.

Examine your shot process, one step at a time. Are you doing anything unnecessary that is introducing variability?

I see lots of shooters who will re-grip the pistol after every shot, or get out of position frequently, and then have to get their position back (give the take....).

Do you have your thumb or finger tips on the side of the grip? If so, why? You do not need those to securely hold an air pistol. Any variation in the pressure on the SIDES of the pistol will move it around. If your grip is 100% the same shot to shot it isn't an issue, but the most consistent pressure you can apply where it is not needed is ZERO.

If you have access to an electronic trainer, use it to examine how quickly (and consistently) you get your shots off. Are there shots where you are holding too long and should cancel them, or cancel them sooner?

Can you call your shots accurately? If not, you aren't focusing on your sights. Are the bad shots all going in the same direction? That suggests a technique issue that can be identified and corrected.

Gwhite wrote: ↑Sun Sep 22, 2024 12:44 pm
I see lots of shooters who will re-grip the pistol after every shot, or get out of position frequently, and then have to get their position back (give the take....).

For those that do get out of position often/change grip, is there a way to get a consistent position/grip each time?

Rule # 1 is don't change anything unless you HAVE to. There is no reason to release your grip between shots unless you have to take a break or leave the firing line. Make sure your pellets are organized & in easy reach. If you use a spotting scope, make sure you can lean over to use it without moving your feet. My first coach used to say "this isn't a dancing class."

Rule #2 is that if you HAVE to change something, practice re-establishing a consistent grip & position until it is automatic & repeatable.

A grip that fits really well will help you with consistency. ALWAYS use your non-shooting hand to deliberately seat the pistol into your shooting hand. Just grabbing it off the bench doesn't work very well.

Gwhite wrote: ↑Sat Mar 01, 2025 11:25 am practice re-establishing a consistent grip & position until it is automatic & repeatable.

We do that with air, rimfire and centerfire pistols. 5 shots maintaining the grip, then 5 shots with "release the grip after every shot and carefully grab again" routine, without taking a look at the hits during every 5 shot series. Then we check if the second five is acceptably (comparably with the first five) grouped.