On Learning to Shoot, Part 4
During a group ski lesson many years ago, I had successfully conquered the intermediate slope, thoroughly enjoying myself, implementing newfound skills quite well, thank you very much. At the bottom I took a break from patting myself on the back to notice my surroundings. Barreling straight for me was another student. Unbelievably she crouches down low. My efforts to get out of the way failed as did my suggestion that she not turn herself into a bowling ball. Upon impact, I flew out of my skies into the air. She came up crying and I came up laughing. She at her embarrassment, me at my premature gloating. Welcome to learning. Two steps forward, one step back.
And so it is with precision pistol. On my first string at 50 yards, I got two on and that was someone else’s target. The other day, at 50 yards, all ten rounds found the target, 9 of them in the scoring rings. Hot damn! The cat’s meow! We are rolling now! I then proceed to fall apart at 25 yards for the rest of the day and realized my preening was once again premature. Two steps forward, one step back. Power through. No discouragement allowed.
As we jerk our way up the hill of learning, new shooters should also be aware that learning can be a progression of phases. The early phases are like some sort of bizarre hazing ritual we must endure. In the latter part of June, I joined the Thursday league for the first time and faced the impossibly distant 50 yard target for the second time. The fluster factor was HIGH and the number of bullets that made it to the target LOW. Even more horrifying, first grade math eluded me as I turned Mike’s score sheet into a Rorschach test. As I stared at that mess, I realized I was smack dab in the middle of the spaz attack phase. The only thing to do is refocus and power through.
That day Eddie showed me how to pull the trigger. The following Tuesday, I started to consciously put together the basics my new friends and mentors had taught and low and behold, I started the slow climb out of the spaz attack phase to the second phase – the first incline.
As any new shooter has discovered, there is an endless list of dos and don’ts. I like to prioritize learning and focus on a limited number of key fundamentals first. Below are a few that have helped tremendously. Detailed explanations of these concepts can be found in the excellent “The New Pistol Shooters Treasury”.
See the Sights Early on, Mike said my shot pattern suggested I wasn’t seeing the sights clearly. Correct, they were a bit blurry. This is of utmost importance because one does not focus on the target but on the sights. They must be perfectly aligned during the arc of movement and trigger pull to achieve success. So it stands to reason, they must be crystal clear to have any chance of learning this harder than it sounds task. Luckily I had an eye appointment in a couple days and walked in with my gun figuring it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Let’s just say I am glad that appointment was in Florida where such things happen. With the proper stance, I held the gun in firing position, and we determined the prescription necessary to see the sights clearly. That afternoon, I had new glasses. It was transformative. It’s up to me now to truly manage the sights not passively observe them.
The Natural Point of Aim Mike put it best: “the natural point of aim is the place you are most stable, comfortable and strong. The duty of holding the gun is shared by the back, chest and shoulders. The head is aligned with the body so that the eye is aligned with the sight and the neck is not twisted so much as to reduce circulation through the neck. And, very importantly, it is the place where the gun will be steadiest and will naturally return after recoil.” To determine the correct foot position, close your eyes and bring the gun into firing position. Adjust the feet until your gun rises automatically to the proper position during repeated attempts.
The elbow is important. When raising the arm, it should be strong, flat and locked. Mike suggested visualizing the arm as a cannon. Perfect. Also while walking to the car after the terrible shooting day mentioned above, I ran a mental video of my mechanics and realized something very important. My elbow was breaking plane after each shot. This causes all sorts of unnecessary movement that could result in difficulty regaining the sight picture, a rushed shot and jerking the trigger. Think cannon, not spaghetti.
Pulling the Trigger No doubt reams have been written on this subject. From The New Pistol Shooters Treasury: “Get the proper grip on your pistol and keep the pressure constant, align the sights on the target properly, then with the trigger finger only, exert a steady, constantly increasing pressure, straight to the rear, until the hammer falls.” Better yet, get someone to actually pull the trigger with you. Skip the death grip on the pistol and practice moving the trigger finger without moving the rest. If this sounds easy, let me assure you it is not and requires much practice.
On one occasion Paul watched me during timed fire and noted that I lifted my finger off the trigger between shots. I was completely unaware of this bad habit. Keeping proper pressure on the trigger at all times reduces movement and sight alignment can be regained more readily.
There are many opinions on exactly where the trigger should make contact with the finger. Some folks place the crease on the trigger, others the pad, others in between. For now, I am doing what feels natural and will make an adjustment as necessary.
Dry Firing Dry firing is the secret sauce. On my second day, Paul asked, did you practice dry firing? I looked at him as if he had three heads. Then he proceeded to show me a snap cap. A snap cap is used in the pistol to dry fire and provides the opportunity to practice grip, stance, raising the gun to firing position, sight picture and, most important, trigger pull. The first time I tried it, I was amazed at the information I gained. All kinds of bad things were happening. The more practice, the more likely it is good things will happen instead.
While I continue to improve with two steps forward and one step back, I know there is another phase coming. Like the spaz attack phase it will be important to avoid discouragement and power through. It is the dreaded plateau. With any luck it will be a long time before I get there and when it comes, may it be short lived.