TargetTalk

Yes, it seems we share many ideas.
I guess my own progress consists of what happens to the good and the bad shots. Getting rid of the bad ones is definetely important if you want to increase your score. In the beginning this was a matter of making sure you got into the black zone before getting anywhere near the trigger's second-stage........
As you say: after a while eight becomes a marginal score. All "good" shots should be at least a nine. Then an increasing number of them become tens, and you feel that a shot should be a ten if you feel you did everything right. Then it's a matter of repeating this, every time you shoot. Psychology becomes important......

But in the background ther's still technique: some methods make a more secure or accurate platform to support your shooting actions. And like you say, it maybe that stance C has the best potential, but requires strength and stamina. Some may find that this is a problem. Guess I'm lucky to have the needed strength due to a lifetime of regular use of the needed muscles in many different activities.
After my useless competition effort last week, I did some excercise shooting, first about half a dozen shots that were just fine, and then I filled a target with 20 shots that would probably have been a new personal best if it had been in competition. I stopped from lack of time, not because I was tired. Just shows that if I had been shooting a full length 60 shot match, the second half would have been better than the first. I've experienced this before: I get punished for lacking the patience to warm up properly before a competiotion: for me "warm up" means shooting about 30 shots to get into "the zone". For others, I know that's enough to make them feel exhausted......

And it's not just nerves: a week earlier I shot a new personal best in a formal match against another club. Maybe I just took it more seriously?

correct me if im worng but as far as i know to shoot within the rules you cant have a back support if you shoot sitting down. If you could have a back support You could limit body movement but without it it should be better standing

Hi Muffo,

It is a bit more complicated than that. First Disabled shooters are classed as SH1 or SH2. SH2 means there is some lack of arm and finger functions and these people shoot only rifle, so we don't have to discuss that. SH1 means that the shooter has a good shooting arm and hand.

These pistol shooters are then divided into SH1A, SH1B, and SH1C.
SH1A means that the shooter has the ability stand. He or she is allowed to shoot standing, or to shoot from a chair with no back. This is the situation you describe.

SH1B means that the shooter cannot stand, but he has good trunk functions, lower back muscles etc. These people are allowed a chair back that is very low. Measuring from the chair seat up along the back to vertebra C7 (the nape of the neck), 60% of the athelete`s back must be above the backrest.

Finally, SH1C means that the athlete cannot stand and he has no trunk functions. This is my case. Such shooters are allowed a chair back that must stop four inches below the armpit. Without a chair back this high, not only would I not be able to shoot, but I would just fall out of the chair onto the floor.

Honestly, I don't know what advantage would be had by an able-bodied shooter in a chair with a high back. Remember, the shooting arm itself is not braced on anything. It is absolutely illegal to touch the chair with any part of the shooting arm, or with the non-shooting arm for that matter. Beyond that, there would be some sort of trade-off between the steadiness of the chair, and your ability to control your position. You would still have to develope an all body posture. So would that posture be better sitting or standing? What about if you are in top shape?

All I know is that without a backrest, standing seems to be preferred. So taking the strain off the legs is not seen as an advantage to posture. I suspect the same would be true of the back muscles, but I don't know.

Best regards,

Gordon

luftskytter wrote:I get punished for lacking the patience to warm up properly before a competiotion: for me "warm up" means shooting about 30 shots to get into "the zone".

I know exactly what you mean. After about 30-40 shots, I can feel myself coming into 'the zone" where my focus is naturally on the front sights and target be damned. I'll then shoot a string of several tens, or at least a very tight group of nines. The difficulty becomes getting that warm-up time before shooting for record.

Just to stay on track, I'm somewhere between a B and C. It all depends on how my NPA aligns and my comfort level.

Ok that makes perfect sense. Where i see the advantage with the high back chair for an able bodied athlete is it should reduce the body sway to slmost nothing some times when dry firing i sit in a chair so my hold area reduces so i can see more of the affect my trigger has on the sights

Muffo,

That sounds like a great way to free your mind from a lot of stuff and really concentrate on the details of your trigger. I should be doing something similar. I haven't tried supporting my wrist. I think I will.

One thing occurs to me conerning NPA. Sitting instead of standing, or supported wrist versus free arm, the mechanics are all different and the NPA will surely want to change. So I think I should fight to maintain the usual angle, so that the trigger and sight work will be of most benefit when the normal position is taken up agian.

Best Regards,

Gordon