TargetTalk

Hello fellow shooters

I am a fairly tall shooter, so for the biggest part of my shooting I had the standard shoulder distance between my feet and my weight was distributed evenly over both feet.

I wanted to put more weight on my left foot (I am right) and I also wanted to widen my stance a little bit. Since I started to do that, I was a lot more stable, but here is the problem.

Because 60% to 65% of my weight is on my left knee and because it is locked into position, I can feel after about 45 min that my knee is starting to hurt in the inside. I am a shooter that tries to stand as still as possible, so ideally I’d like to finish my sixty shots without breaking my position.

I saw that a lot of international shooters shoot that way, so do they have knee problems too, or is it just me? Or will the pain go away after a couple of months? I don’t want to have knee problems in a couple of year’s time.

It would have helped if we were allowed wear a knee guard, but that would be against the rules.

Can anyone give me some advice, I still want to put more weight on my left foot by pushing my hips towards the target. I have tried increasing the distance between my feet which seem to put a little more weight on my back foot, but I haven’t shoot with my feet so wide apart yet.

Thank you

John

Your weight distribution per leg seems OK, but i don't recommend locking 'out' your left knee. This will cause pain. Your left leg needs to be straight but locking the knee out takes it too far the other way.

Read 'Ways Of The Rifle' and you will see some really good advice on stance and leg positions.

If you are quite tall your centre of gravity will be that much further from the ground and if you have your feet too far apart a front to back sway may start and pain in the upper legs/hips.
Feet too close together can cause sway, left to right.

Coaches used to say that your legs should be straight but relaxed.
A locked out knee is not relaxed.

Peeps

Thanks for the advice

I just came back from practice, I tried the wide stance and my hold is good, but after 45 min, my knee started hurting again, so that doesn’t really help.

Not locking the knee is going to help, but I think it is going to take a lot of practice to relax the knee in the middle of locking it and using the upper leg muscles to stay standing.

Thanks again

Johan

You definately do not want to lock the knees.
you are tensing your muscles in your legs way too much.
all you need is enough tension to keep you standing. (very little)
Start from your feet and relax all the way up to your shoulders.
It is much easier for me to say than it is to do but believe me it works.

Johan,
Having coached several tall shooters, found out one issue is too much tension in your back. This comes from the effort to keep your leg straight. Try relaxing your back, down into your pelvic area. This will roll your hips a little bit forward (putting your center of gravity a little bit forward) and this change keeps your knee in place without muscle tension in the knee.

I know this sounds a little "off the wall", but it really helps with knee pressure, and gets more of your body under the rifle, helps the knee, and steadiness of hold. There is an issue of changing your center of balance that you will have to work out with foot placement.

Joe

Thank you all for the help

I did what you said and it really helped, after shooting one and a half hours, my knee didn’t hurt at all! I just hope it stays that way.

Not locking the knee felt a little weird in the beginning, but I got use to it, I just have to work harder on my inner position.

Thanks a lot again!