National Carry AcademyTHE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DIAGNOSING SHOOTING PROBLEMS
May 12, 2017
If you ask any shooter if they have any shooting problems, more than likely they will tell you something like :
-I tend to hit high and to the left
-My shots hit near the 12 o’clock position on the target etc.
If you ask them what they think causes that, they’ll blame the gun, the ammo, the target, the wind….anything but something they may be doing like not maintaining a good grip, thumbing, pushing or not following through or something else that may be lacking in their technique.
Let’s face it, most people do not really want to be honest about their weaknesses because they want to be viewed as competent shooters. However, if you are not willing to do some self-inspection and recognize what is lacking in your technique, you will never become an expert shooter. You need to be wiling to look at what is going wrong in your shooting, correctly identify the problem and look at all the possibilities that might be causing what is happening…including something you may not be doing correctly.
Identify the Symptoms: Here are some of the most common shooting problem symptoms:
-Shooter’s rounds impact too high or low on the target
-Shooter’s rounds impact right or left of the target
-Shooter’s rounds are scattering
Define the Problem & Brainstorm the Causes: Look at every possibility, but start with what in your technique could possibly cause that problem before you go to gun, ammo, target etc. here are some of the more common Shooting Problems:
-Trigger Control=Too Little Trigger Finger or Too Much, Anticipating Recoil, Thumbing or Jerking or Slapping the Trigger
-Sight Alignment=Looking over the sights at the target, gun shifts as you shoot, shooting too quickly
Find the Solution: Where in the world do you look for the solution to your problem? Sometimes it may involve going back and mastering a basic skill. Other times it may require you to seek advice from an expert shooter, firearms instructor or even an “online expert” on the internet to find the solution. The Solution will always involve dry-fire practice.
Figure Out how to Implement the Solution: Improving your Shooting technique doesn’t happen without devoting time and effort to regular practice with a new technique to change a poor technique. Most people do not do well trying to implement the whole solution all at once. Break it down into bite size pieces that you can easily work on and master before moving to the next piece.
Track Your Progress: If you don’t know where you have been or where you are going and where you are, there is no way to know haw far you have come. Training involves measuring your progress. There are some fairly cool tools that can help you track your progress.
Having a Shooting Problem is something every shooter faces. No one is a born expert shooter. What divides the novice shooter from the expert shooter…..discipline to train and practice to master the right technique.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DIAGNOSING SHOOTING PROBLEMS
May 12, 2017
If you ask any shooter if they have any shooting problems, more than likely they will tell you something like :
-I tend to hit high and to the left
-My shots hit near the 12 o’clock position on the target etc.
If you ask them what they think causes that, they’ll blame the gun, the ammo, the target, the wind….anything but something they may be doing like not maintaining a good grip, thumbing, pushing or not following through or something else that may be lacking in their technique.
Let’s face it, most people do not really want to be honest about their weaknesses because they want to be viewed as competent shooters. However, if you are not willing to do some self-inspection and recognize what is lacking in your technique, you will never become an expert shooter. You need to be wiling to look at what is going wrong in your shooting, correctly identify the problem and look at all the possibilities that might be causing what is happening…including something you may not be doing correctly.
Identify the Symptoms: Here are some of the most common shooting problem symptoms:
-Shooter’s rounds impact too high or low on the target
-Shooter’s rounds impact right or left of the target
-Shooter’s rounds are scattering
Define the Problem & Brainstorm the Causes: Look at every possibility, but start with what in your technique could possibly cause that problem before you go to gun, ammo, target etc. here are some of the more common Shooting Problems:
-Trigger Control=Too Little Trigger Finger or Too Much, Anticipating Recoil, Thumbing or Jerking or Slapping the Trigger
-Sight Alignment=Looking over the sights at the target, gun shifts as you shoot, shooting too quickly
Find the Solution: Where in the world do you look for the solution to your problem? Sometimes it may involve going back and mastering a basic skill. Other times it may require you to seek advice from an expert shooter, firearms instructor or even an “online expert” on the internet to find the solution. The Solution will always involve dry-fire practice.
Figure Out how to Implement the Solution: Improving your Shooting technique doesn’t happen without devoting time and effort to regular practice with a new technique to change a poor technique. Most people do not do well trying to implement the whole solution all at once. Break it down into bite size pieces that you can easily work on and master before moving to the next piece.
Track Your Progress: If you don’t know where you have been or where you are going and where you are, there is no way to know haw far you have come. Training involves measuring your progress. There are some fairly cool tools that can help you track your progress.
Having a Shooting Problem is something every shooter faces. No one is a born expert shooter. What divides the novice shooter from the expert shooter…..discipline to train and practice to master the right technique.