Habits of Highly Effective Pistol Shooters, Part 2
By: Gregg Bisson
Habits of Highly Effective Pistol Shooters, Part 1 here
[Posted by Hustvedt]
This compilation of pistol-shooting advice concludes with several additional good habits and pointers.
6. Avoid the “Jerk and Heel”
Applying pressure with either the heel of your hand or your trigger finger can cause the gun to jerk in your grip after firing, which might result in you dropping the weapon and it inadvertently firing again. Instead, apply pressure to your trigger straight on from front to back for a safer, more effective shot.
7. Put Aside Anxiety
Is your shot lined up properly? What if you are off-center and do not garner enough points? Will you get that big promotion at work? These and all other concerns must be temporarily forgotten whenever you step up to a target and prepare to fire.
8. Apply Follow-through
When a golfer swings, he or she does not relax immediately after striking the ball. The golfer must follow through with the shot, maintaining form, posture, and strength. The same rule applies to firing: after breaking (firing) your shot, maintain your grip and stance, then eye your target. How did you do? If you did well, work on applying the same follow-through to subsequent shots.
9. Find and Maintain Rhythm
As it applies to pistol shooting, rhythm is the smooth process of eyeing your target, taking aim, finding your focus, lining up the shot, firing a round, and following through. Once you have found your rhythm, try your best to apply it to every shot.
10. Practice
Like any other sport, profession, or hobby, you need to set aside time to practice pistol shooting if you want to get better. Arrange practice sessions at your local shooting range, and stick to them; short of emergencies, nothing should distract from your practices. If you need motivation, form a pistol-shooting group or club, and work with your peers to coordinate times when you can all practice together.
