About 15 years ago I decided to take up golf. So I went to several golf courses with friends and found that I was not talented in this sport. My friends tried to support me saying, “you just need to practice more.” I took their suggestion and began going to the driving range a couple times a week. Weeks later I found that my game had not improved even with regular practice.
Does Practice Make Perfect
If you practice a skill but do not understand the fundamentals, you get better at being bad. The same is true for shooting skills. You must understand the basic concepts before you can perfect your skill level.
In a recent CCW class a student informed me that he visits the shooting range each week to practice. However his skill level did not improve. He consistently shot to the lower left on the target, at about the 7 o’clock position. As I was observing him during the shooting portion of class, I noticed he was slapping or jerking the trigger. This made his shot go down and to the left. After coaching him for several shots he was able to bring his shot up and be more on target.
Suggestions For Correcting Your Shot Problem:
Shooting high or above target = The wrist is breaking upward.
Shooting low or below the target = The wrist is breaking downward. This is usually caused by anticipation of recoil.
Shooting to the right of target = Too much finger on trigger. This can cause the gun to be pulled to the right.
Shooting to the left of target = Too little finger on the trigger. This will sometimes cause the gun to be pushed to the left.
Ark of Movement
Ark of Movement is the unavoidable movement that occurs when the arms are in the shooting position. At a distance of ten feet if the gun muzzle moves a half inch the bullet will be off target center by eight inches. This is why controlling muzzle movement is so important. Practice can eliminate or at least reduce the Ark of Movement.
Practice at the range is important for improving your shooting skills. But practice alone can be a problem if the fundamentals are not taken into consideration. Video taping your hands and gun while shooting will allow you to assure the fundamentals are being perfected.
It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already become perfect. But I keep pursuing it.
Philippians 3:12
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