I Need Advice on Improving Consistency in 10m Air Pistol Shooting

[Padrickk]

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.

[JamesH]

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.