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Target

Shooting
Canada

Technical Pistol Guide


Indice
The Basics ................................................................................................................. 3

Technical Exercises ................................................................................................... 3

Developing a Pistol Stance ........................................................................................ 5

Adopting a Natural Pistol Position .............................................................................. 5

Gripping the Pistol...................................................................................................... 6

Sighting (Pistol).......................................................................................................... 8

Targets and how they should look.............................................................................. 8

Sight and Sight Pictures ............................................................................................. 9

General Considerations............................................................................................ 10

Minimum Arc of Movement....................................................................................... 10

Raising the Pistol in Timed and Rapid Fire Events ................................................... 11

Breath Control: Pistol ............................................................................................... 12

Trigger Control: Pistol .............................................................................................. 13

Follow Through: Pistol.............................................................................................. 14

Stance/Hold Exercises ............................................................................................. 16

Dry Firing Exercises ................................................................................................. 17

Live Fire Exercises................................................................................................... 18

Slow Fire Firing Procedure....................................................................................... 19

Timed Fire Firing Procedure..................................................................................... 19

Rapid Fire Firing Procedure ..................................................................................... 20

Free Pistol Match Exercises..................................................................................... 21

Match Final Trainings............................................................................................... 23

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The Basics
We all have to start somewhere and this is the place. We'll look at a few of the
components that are used to place a shot on a target. Initially, you'll need to put alot of
energy into thinking about how to perform each task. As time passes and you work hard,
you'll move from the conscious act to sub-conscious delivery. That's when you'll really start
to shine as a shooter.

The basics include:

• Stance: How to stand steady and support the pistol.

• Position: How to point the pistol at the target.

• Grip: How to hold the pistol consistently.

• Sighting: Where to look, what are the different sight patterns, etc. for pistol.

• Minimum Arc of Movement: How to shoot on the move.

• Raising the Pistol: Where to look and how to raise in Timed and Rapid Fire
Events.

• Breath Control: Suggestions on Breathing when firing your pistol.

• Trigger Control: Making your pistol move smoothly.

• Follow Through: Keeping your pistol on target as the shot leaves the barrel.

Technical Exercises
I've broken down the technical training section to highlight various exercises. These
exercises should be used one at a time for a specific training session. That is to say,
depending upon the shooter's individual training needs, take one and perform it (possibly
in conjunction with another, at most.) Don't take 3 or more and have a session that
incorporates them all. Training relies upon specificity: focus on one aspect of shooting and
improve that area. By doing too much at one time, you dilute its value.

Similarly, you should repeat the chosen exercise more than once. If you do something
once a month, it doesn't make much of an impact on you. To get the most of an exercise,
do it 3-5 times within a short period of time, perhaps a week. If you then choose to repeat
the task the following week, or perform another task which builds on that exercise, all the
better. You're reinforcing what you performed and imprinting the new technique.

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The exercises are as follows:

• Generic Training Exercises:


Stance, Dry Firing, Live Firing, originally for Air Pistol, but applicable to all
bullseye disciplines.

• Standard Pistol Match Training:


Taken from SFC Pistol Shooting Technical Coaching Level 1 Manual, plus MP3s
for developing proper rapid fire rhythm.

• Free Pistol Match Training:


Taken from SFC Pistol Shooting Technical Coaching Level 2 Manual.

• Match Finals Training:


Train for the Finals of an ISSF match. Read the commands or download the MP3!

Training Related Documents:

• Shooter Fault Terms and Definitions Document


(Defines and Describes Common Shooter Errors)

• Pistol Shot Error Analysis Document


(An aid determine what you may be doing wrong)

• Blank Annual Training Plan Chart


(Chart for developing Annual Training Plan)

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Developing a Pistol Stance
Stance defines how you should stand to provide a stable and consistent support for
shooting. You must be able to duplicate this naturally, or you'll have difficulty producing
good groups (getting your shots to land together in one area.) Furthermore, your stance
must be comfortable. Some matches can last up to almost 2 hours - you must be able to
hold that stance during it.

Follow these instructions to develop a basic stance:

1. Stand comfortably and naturally with your feet about shoulder width apart.

2. Weight distribution should be equal on each foot (50/50) and slightly forward (about
55% on the ball of the foot, and 45% on the heels.) Furthermore, the feet should be
turned slightly outward for sway control.

3. Knees should not be locked backward, nor should the thighs or calves be flexed.
Relax the legs such that you feel a little bit of muscular tension.

4. Back and neck should be aligned straight. The shoulders should be relaxed. Keep
your head up and stand tall.

5. Your non-shooting hand must be anchored; otherwise, it will swing (moving while
shooting is 'bad') and throw off your stance. Place it either in your pant's front
pocket or tuck it into your pants or belt. Don't stick it in the back pocket or in the
back of your pants as I believe that this induces a twist in your spine, throwing off
its natural alignment.

6. The elbow and wrist of your shooting arm should be locked during the lift and until
you have completed your follow-through after the shot is released. A relaxed wrist
will move about 5 degrees to the right or left during a shot; whereas, a locked wrist
reduces the movement to only 2 degrees.

7. Keep both of your eyes open, looking as straight ahead as possible. Aim with your
dominant eye which is usually the same eye as your shooting hand (not always so.)
You may wish to put a translucent blinder in front of your non-aiming eye to help
you focus on your front sight. Remember to allow equal light into your non-aiming
eye. Clear tape on your lens takes care of this. In a pinch, place a piece of paper in
between your lens and your non-shooting eye.

Adopting a Natural Pistol Position


Once you're in your stance, you need to know how to adopt your position. That is to say,
you need to learn how to put yourself in front of a target and naturally point at it. Once
again, consistency and comfort is the rule, so you can do this again and again over the
course of many long shooting sessions.

Follow these instructions to adopt your position:

1. You should be turned about 45 to 90 degrees to the target.

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2. Close your eyes, raise your shooting hand and point with your index finger. Don't
think about trying to point at the target: just focus on finding the position that feels
comfortable. This is the natural point of aim and you need to find it sub-consciously
(hence: don't think about the target.)

3. With your eyes closed, comfortably turn your head toward your shooting hand and
open your eyes. Ideally, your eyes and hand would align with the centre of the
target.

4. If you are pointing elsewhere, move your rear foot in the direction of the error. (For
instance, if I was pointing to the left of the target, then I would move my rear foot to
the left, which in turn rotates my point of aim to the right.)

5. Once on target, repeat the process to ensure that your natural point of aim is truly
on target, and adjust as necessary.

6. Finally, place your pistol in your hand and test that after the raise that the sights are
on target. Adjust as needed. Remember not to lower your head during the raise:
find your sights by lowering your eyes.

Gripping the Pistol


If you over-grip or under-grip the pistol, your shots won't land consistently on target. Here's
a brief overview on how to grip the pistol:

1. Pick up the pistol with your non-shooting hand and place it firmly in your shooting
hand.

2. The pistol is seated deep into the web of the hand (that fleshy area between the
base of the thumb and the base of the index finger.) You're trying to make the pistol
barrel a natural straight-line extension of your arm.

3. The thumb is loose and relaxed along the thumbrest.

4. The primary gripping pressure is produced by middle finger.

5. Secondary pressure is provided by third finger (the one beside the little finger.)
Also this finger can produce tiny changes in front sight elevation by
increasing/decreasing its pressure.

6. The little finger (or pinkie) is loose and not exerting any noticeable pressure.
Essentially, it is just along for the ride.

7. The fingertips do not exert pressure on the pistol grip. Imagine that your fingers are
tri-sectional: they are essentially 3 bones with two joints connecting them, attaching
them to the hand with a third joint. Your fingers should be in contact with the pistol,
gripping it with the second or middle section of the fingers. This ensures that you
are pulling the grip straight back into the web of your hand, not pushing or pulling
the pistol to the right or left.

8. The trigger finger must not be in contact with the grip at all.

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9. Lastly, the finger must be able to flex at the middle knuckle without moving the
pistol OR varying the pressure of any other fingers. This is important and demands
lots of practise. You must be able to pull the trigger without moving the other
fingers. Unfortunately, the hand is made to work this way: you must train to
overcome it.

Comments on Grip Pressure:

• Make sure the grip is firm but not to the point where your hand starts to shake (that
is bad.) A firm grip and locked wrist tend to have about 2 degrees of movement
right and left from the point of aim; whereas, a loose wrist has about 5 degrees of
play. Obviously, a firm grip and wrist is better.

• If your fingertips or nails whiten, you are gripping too tight. Back it off until colour
returns to them.

• Similarly, you can look at your hand after gripping the pistol: areas on the hand
where the skin is flushed may indicate that you’re gripping too tight.

• When you find a good grip (pressure), consistently maintain it.

• Lastly, spend some time just working on your grip, learning how to easily and
consistently seat the pistol in your hand and grip it. Learn how it "feels", so you can
duplicate it that much easier.

An inconsistent grip is really bad for shooters. If you lack some strength, then overgripping
will cause your hand to tire and your pressure may become inconsistent. It may also lead
to tremours in your hold. When your grip is too loose, you won't be able to hold it on target.
With practise, you can master this fundamental and essential skill.

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Sighting (Pistol)
Sighting is terribly important in shooting and you need to devote alot of energy into
coordinating your sights and the target. If you can't consistently aim your firearm at the
target, you'll never be satisfied with your results. Here's a brief overview of sighting
considerations.

Targets and how they should look


What's wrong with this target? Easy: its crisp and the bull is defined and
black. To see the target this way, you must be looking at it, which you
should NEVER do when you're actually shooting. When you're aligning
your body on the target, looking over your pistol hand, you can look at
the target. Make sure that you are pointing directly at your aiming point.
Once you're on target, and you've tested that your pistol is settling in
wherever you aim, then stop looking at the target!

This is much better. The centre is grayed out and its not as sharp,
preferably being nothing more than a gray blob down range. Why should
it look this way? The answer is that you're not supposed to be looking
directly at the target. Your primary attention should be focussed on the
front sight and its relative position to the target. If you believe that you
can see both the target and the front sight in sharp focus simultaneously,
then you're mistaken. The eye cannot physically perform the act of
focussing on 2 objects, one being close to you (the sight) and one far
away (a target 10-50 metres downrange.) When it appears that both are
in focus, your eye is actually focussing on one object, breaking back to
the other object and re-focussing very quickly, and then back again. In
other words, half the time you are not looking at your front sight and your
shots will be all over the place. Focus on one thing: your front sight.

Let's look at sight alignment. This image is not the conventional view
presented in manuals. Of course, the front blade is crisp and black. This
is our primary point of focus. But, looking at your front sight doesn't
guarantee a great shot. You also have to make sure that it is properly
aligned in the rear sight; hence, the upper corners of the rear sight notch
are black and sharp as well. (Unlike the target and the sights, your eyes
are able to keep these two objects almost equally focussed because
they are very close to each other.) Make sure that the top of the front
sight is even with the top of the rear sight. Also, make sure that there are
equal bars of light on either side of the front sight. If the light is too thin to
accurately gauge its thickness, you may want to consider making your
rear side notch wider, or decreasing the width of your front sight, if your
pistol has these options available. BTW: the reason that the whole rear
sight isn't black, is that you are looking through the rear notch to the front
sight and you pay attention only to the upper corners of the notch. From
these reference points, you determine that the tops are flush and that the
blade is centered.

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Now we finally get to put our sights in front of a target, so we can discuss sight pictures. A
sight picture encompasses the sight alignment from above and establishes a relationship
with the target. Essentially, when you point at the target, what you see is your sight picture.

There are three generally recognized points of aim on a pistol target: center-of-mass, 6
o'clock and sub-6. I haven't seen anything out there that definitively proves that one style
is better than another, so try them out and see what works best for you. Make sure during
your trial phase that you mark the results down in your shooting diary, so you can review
and choose wisely.

Sight and Sight Pictures

Center hold, or center-of-mass, places the top of the front blade in the
center of the target. If you shoot different courses of fire on different
size targets, and possibly at different range distances, then this style
may be best for you. Visually, you'll always be shooting at roughly the
same "image". Some people feel that they lose some clarity on the
front sight because they are looking at a black front sight in a dark
background.

A 6 o'clock hold places the top of the front sight at the bottom of the
black bullseye of the target. The belief here is that this gives the
shooter a very tight point of reference which they can lock on to
visually and shoot at. Some argue against this saying that the top of
the sight blends into the target and causes them to shoot high. Other
shooters say they jerk the trigger when the front sight finally crosses
the bottom of the bull, causing shots to drop low. (This is a trigger fault
and not a fault of the sight picture.)

A sub-6 hold places a bit of white space between the bottom of the
bull and the top of the front sight. This allows the shooter to see the
sight absolutely crisp and clear in higher contrast then in the center of
the target. One concern that was raised is about developing a consist
aiming point on the target: how do you consistently shoot on a blank
area, off-center on a piece of paper? One solution is to aim such that
the bars of light on either side of your front sight are the same
distance (visually) as the distance between the top of the sight and the
bottom of the bull. As kids (or as parents), we probably saw the
children's puppet show that had the game and song "One of these
things are not like the other." This highlights that people are trained to
notice differences and similarities. The goal of sub-6 sighting is to
make all light bars (sides and top) look the same for consistency.

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General Considerations

• Everyone has their preferences and nobody has the definitive choice in what the
best sight picture is. Try them all out over several weeks and see what feels right
for you. Measure your results and mark it all down in your shooting diary. Finally,
when it comes down to making a decision, refer to your diary and make a choice.

• Try to shoot with both eyes open - place a blinder over your non-dominant eye.

• Lighting conditions vary from range to range and even between bays at the same
range. This should be taken into consideration when choosing your sight picture
and how you respond to variations at a match.

• Always allow your sights to float in your area of aim, regardless of what sight
picture you choose. If you don't float, you may not have the smooth, fluid trigger
control that you desire.

Minimum Arc of Movement


Movement
I have some good news and I have some bad news. Good news first: you're alive and well,
getting involved in the great sport of pistol shooting. Now the bad news: since you're living,
you will never be able to stand absolutely still. More to the point: you cannot stand still and
hold your pistol motionless. Why? Well to name just a few reasons, your heart is pumping,
you're breathing (or wanting to breath), and your body is responding to a myriad of nerves
firing throughout your body. Suffice it to say, there are alot of important things happening
inside of you and you can't switch them off. As a result, when you look at your sights, you'll
see them moving in front of your target. This is known as the arc of movement. Your goal
is to minimise this movement and adapt your shooting to it. Here are some things to
remember about minimum arc of movement:

• You cannot force yourself to be motionless. Odds are that you will have the
opposite effect. Accept the movement and shoot through it.

• Minimum movement is usually achieved shortly after raising the pistol and lasts
less than 6 seconds. As such, you should train yourself to get the shot to break
within 6 seconds of your raise (that is, once you've raised the pistol into the firing
position, not from when you start your raise.) Holding longer and trying to become
motionless is counter-productive. Once you lose the minimum arc of movement, it
does not come back. As such, abort and try again.

• The movement that you see at the tip of your barrel isn't all that much. In most
cases, its range of movement would be within the black, and could possibly be
within the 10 ring. While you should learn to reduce the arc of movement, having
an arc of movement isn't the worst thing. In this case, you'll probably deliver a good
shot, if you adhere to all of the other basics.

• More important than initially reducing your arc of movement is controlling how you
respond to it. First, you must learn to keep the sights aligned as they float in front of
the target. If you lose sight alignment, that error is multiplied many times over and

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you'll get wild shots. If your sights are aligned, you'll shoot within your arc of
movement. If your sight alignment is poor, who knows where the shot will land!

• Similarly, knowing that your sight is floating, some people think "Pull the trigger as
it crosses the area of aim." Well, in theory that sounds good; but, in practice, it is
very wrong. Pulling fast on the trigger as the sights move through the area of aim
tends to destroy trigger control (resulting in pushing, pulling, snatching, jerking -
you've heard them all) and disturb the alignment of the sights (here comes the error
multiplier.) As a result, the shot tends not to land within your group. Accept that
your pistol will move, let it float and shoot in an area. Squeeze the trigger while the
sights are in that area and maintain sight alignment. Your shots will group very
nicely.

• You may perceive that the sight is moving alot because your attention is on the
target and not on the front sight. Look at the sights! Your concentration must
always be on the front sight which will, in turn, make the target look like nothing
more than a grey blob down range. This will reduce the perception of your sights
moving all over the place.

• We know that you can't force yourself to stand motionless. However, you can work
on your stance to reduce body sway and you can look into ways to enhance your
core stability. Furthermore, you can look into footwear and balance (equilibrium)
training.

Achieving a minimum arc of movement takes work and confidence in yourself and your
hold. You must accept that a little bit of movement is inevitable and okay. Don't overreact
to this movement and forget the critical basics of sight alignment and trigger control. You'll
be surprised at how well you can shoot!

Raising the Pistol in Timed and Rapid Fire Events


The vertical raise in timed and rapid fire events is a critical skill to learn. The key lies in
your stance and grip, such that even with your eyes closed, you would raise on target.
Nobody expects you to do this (yet *s*) but top champions in rapid fire report being able to
do this after extensive training. Here's a process to get you started:

1. Start with your stance and grip. You align your body such that your natural point of
aim brings the gun on target with the sights aligned at your aiming point (center of
mass, 6 o'clock or sub-6.) To test, close your eyes and bring the gun up: if the gun
points to the left of your target, move your rear foot in the direction of the error (in
this case, to the left.) Settle and try again: adjust as needed. Finally, raise the pistol
and watch the sights during the lift: if you have to adjust, this will show the need.
This gets your gun on target and roughly aligned on each raise.

2. The position: what I do in timed and rapid fire is stand with my arm at the 45
degree angle, head up straight and in position to look at my sights when the gun is
raised. I lower my eyes only (not moving my head) and look at the mid-distance to
the floor. Don't focus on the floor - look at the empty space between it and you, so
you can see the target peripherally.

3. The raise: The target turns or the whistle blows or whatever happens to indicate
the start of the timed stage. You keep your head motionless and lift the pistol
smoothly and steadily at a constant speed. Don't move your eyes to the gun. As
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the pistol is raised through that midpoint and the floor where you're looking, your
eyes catch the sight. I repeat: as the sights pass before your vision, you catch the
sights and hold them. (The sights come to your eyes, not your eyes go to the
sights, and your head doesn't move.) As the pistol raises, your eyes follow it and
you make rough to fine adjustments to the sight alignment. As you settle on the
target, you should have perfect alignment. Then its time to shoot.

With practice, the process becomes pretty easy (yeah, right, like trigger control and
concentration *s*) Don't worry: you'll get it. Just remember to build a proper stance and
don't move your head. After that, its just a matter of dedicated training and practice.

Breath Control: Pistol


Breathing is an integral part of your life. If you are unable to breathe for a short period of
time, then you'll lose consciousness. Any time longer and you can run into some very
serious problems (i.e. brain damage or death.) As such, your body is tuned to monitor your
breathing and maintain the breathing cycle. Here's some thoughts on breathing while you
shoot pistol:

• Breathing causes movement. As such, your minimum arc of movement will be


exaggerated while you're breathing. Consequently, you cannot shoot and breathe
simultaneously.

• Your eyes need oxygen to see the target properly. Your body will fight for air as it
uses up its supply. The symptoms of oxygen deprivation adversely affect your
control over your hold and your sight alignment and picture. You need to have
oxygen in your system to shoot well.

• Since the two statements are at odds with each other, you need to reach a
compromise between shooting and breathing. You need to make sure that you
have lots of oxygen in your system; such that, you can pause breathing long
enough to get your shot to break within your minimum arc of movement. Here's one
method for slow-fire shooting:

1. Once you are in position and ready to fire, take two or three slow, deep
breaths. (This makes sure that your system is fully oxygenated.) Make sure
that you do not hyperventilate by breathing fast and deep.

2. As you raise the pistol, breath slowly in (inhale).

3. As you settle on the target, exhale completely, but don't force the last bit of
air out of your lungs. Just breathe out naturally. At this point, you're at a
natural point between breathing in and out. Your body is accustomed to a
pause at this stage.

4. During this pause (lasting 6 - 10 seconds) don't breathe. Finish obtaining


the perfect sight picture and squeeze the trigger.

5. Complete your followthrough after the shot, and then inhale as you lower
your pistol.

6. After the shot, ensure normal breathing takes place.

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7. Note: As an alternative to exhaling as you settle into your shooting position,
you could exhale half a breath. This keeps some oxygen in your lungs. At
this half breath point, you pause and fire. After following through, exhale
completely as you lower your gun. This forces an unnatural pause in your
breathing cycle, but some people feel more comfortable with this method.

• Rapid Fire events would use the above sequence, as five shots are being delivered
in under 10 seconds.

• In Timed Phases (five shots in 20 seconds), I would recommend a short, shallow


breath between the second and third shot, or between the third and fourth shot.
Holding your breath for a full 20 seconds is not how people breath and I suspect
that your body will start signaling you to breathe. This will undoubtedly affect your
shooting.

• Take time to ensure that you have deep breaths during the match. Over the course
of a 60 shot air or free pistol match, you will have held your breath alot. This will
affect your system as the match progresses. Good aerobic capacity will reduce the
impact and making sure to breathe will help too.

• Taking three deep breaths prior to shooting can also work effectively as a "calming"
or relaxing technique. Incorporate this into your mental training.

Breathing is important to shooting. It must not interfere with your minimum arc of
movement. Develop a routine, follow the pattern faithfully and this will become natural
when you shoot.

Trigger Control: Pistol


Trigger control refers to how we activate the firearm; such that, the pistol fires without
disturbing the sight alignment and the sight picture. Essentially, when you pull the trigger,
the sights stay aligned and your point of aim doesn’t change.

Developing good trigger control is critical to your success as a shooter. If a problem exists
here, improvements can produce great leaps forward in your ability and shrink your group
size. So, if you are struggling with your shooting, your trigger control is one of the
best places to start working on!

Here’s some information that you should keep in mind when you shoot:
• The trigger should be moved straight back, towards your rear sight. Some people
describe the action as "Draw the front sight straight back through the rear notch."
The pressure that you exert must be 100% straight to the rear. You cannot place
sideways pressure (to the right or left, called "pulling" or "pushing") on the trigger,
as this action will move your pistol out of your aiming area. Pressure straight
rearward will keep the pistol on your point of aim.

• The trigger must be activated slowly. By quickly activating the trigger, you may
"snatch" or "jerk" the trigger, which does two very bad things: disturbs your sight
alignment and moves you off your point of aim. Take your time, accept the
minimum arc of movement and S_L_O_W_L_Y squeeze your trigger. No rushed
movements. No thoughts of "It’s in the black now: PULL!" Slow it down.

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• The trigger must be activated smoothly and progressively. When you decide to fire
the shot and activate the trigger, the action should be very fluid from start to finish.
That is to say, when you start, increase pressure on the trigger at a steady rate.
Draw it back in one motion, not start and stop, start and stop. There is an old Jedi
saying that applies here: "Do or do not. Trying there is not." (Okay, I'm showing my
immaturity; but, Yoda had a few good things to say.) Either pull the trigger or don’t
pull the trigger. Anything in between will either cause problems or indicate that a
problem exists (i.e. lack of concentration or looking at the target.)

• When you draw on the trigger, only your trigger finger moves. The hand is made to
squeeze the fingers in unison. You have to work beyond your hand’s physical
design. Isolate the movement such that you only move the trigger finger at the
second finger joint. The remainder of the trigger finger must stay motionless and
not come in contact with the pistol grip or frame. In addition, the other fingers must
maintain the same pressure as before. Its tricky, but with practice, you will do it
well.

• Take up the trigger slack and a tiny portion of the trigger pressure during the raise
to the target. Be aware of the weight and be careful not to discharge the pistol
during this raise. Note: If you are new to shooting or have concerns with
control, do not apply pressure to the trigger until you have settled on to the
target.

• The trigger should be activated when you have achieved your minimum arc of
movement, usually in less than 10 seconds after the raise.

• Work towards unconsciously activating the trigger, such that the shot becomes a
surprise break. Your sub-conscious mind will become trained to recognise when to
take the shot and will activate the trigger finger. As such, your conscious mind will
be surprised, subsequently avoiding numerous trigger problems like flinching or
anticipating recoil. This is difficult to master, but it will come with time and lots of
practice.

As I mentioned earlier, trigger control is a critical skill to develop. It takes time and hard
work, but the rewards are huge. (Note: Dryfiring is one of the best exercises to hone this
skill. Check out the Training Exercises section for more information.)

Follow Through: Pistol


Follow through is the completion of all your efforts in delivering the shot, as you maintain
stance, grip, and alignment well after the shot has left the barrel. When the shot breaks,
you must hold your position briefly. Allow the pistol to settle after recoil, before you lower
the handgun. Similarly, you must maintain your concentration as part of your follow
through.

The rationale behind follow through is multifold. First, you want to reinforce holding your
position through the entire shot. People who have either poor follow through or no follow
through, may anticipate the shot breaking and actually lower the pistol prior to the shot
leaving the barrel. (Ever drop a shot at the bottom of your target, or well below your group?
This could be a problem with follow through.) Second, for shot analysis, you need to be
able to look at your sights and call your shots (prior to looking through your spotting scope,
review your shot process and sight picture, in order to state where your shot landed.) If

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you’ve lowered your gun, you can’t review your sight alignment and sight picture. Third,
from the review, determine what you did right, and consider areas for improvement.

So, here’s what follow through consists of:

1. The shot breaks.


2. Maintain your hold, sight alignment and sight picture for a count of 1 or 2 seconds.
3. Allow the pistol to recover from the recoil, and settle back into your natural point of
aim.
4. Review the following items:
o What did the sight alignment look like?
o What did the sight picture look like?
o Did your natural point of aim return to your aiming point on the target?
o How did the grip feel?
o How did your trigger action feel?
5. From the above review, call where the shot landed on the target (i.e. 7 ring/high
right, or 10 ring at 9 o’clock.)
6. Lower the pistol.
7. Confirm your shot call with a spotting scope. If there is a difference between what
you called and where it actually landed, try to figure out why this took place.
(Calling shots is a learned skill. It takes time and repetition. Don’t give up if you’re
having difficulty.)
8. Analyze what went right and congratulate yourself. If the shot could be improved,
decide what element needs to be worked on, and develop a positive action plan to
work from.
Follow through is often overlooked, especially when one becomes overly concerned with
scores. Instead of allowing the shot to leave the barrel, they're rushing to the scope to see
how they did. As a result, they undo all of their hard work. Take the shot and follow
through. Your groups will get smaller and you'll learn alot about your shooting.

15
Stance/Hold Exercises
Task Description Goal
SH1 Hold pistol, arm extended, without point of aim, without Develop kinestetic feel of
shooting. During this training, one works on the consistent stable stance.
shooter's outside position attempting to stabilize it. The
shooter must also try to keep the firearm still.

SH2 Hold pistol, arm extended, with point of aim, without Develop consistent
shooting. stable stance, holding on
a point.
SH3 Hold pistol, arm extended, with point of aim, without Testing stability of stance
shooting. Close eyes then open after 2 seconds: point of and ability to maintain it
aim should not deviate if stance is correct. without visual cues.

SH4 As SH2, but break out of position (lower, step back) and Develop adoption of
re-adopt stance. consistent stable stance.

SH5 As SH4, except adopt stance in front of a different point Develop ability to get into
of aim (1 of a possible 5). Break and repeat on another consistent stable stance,
point. quickly and intuitively.
(Task imprinting)

16
Dry Firing Exercises
Task Description Goal
DF1 Dry firing, hand supported - without looking at sights Develop conditioned
(preferably eyes closed), practice squeezing trigger. smooth trigger
Focus is solely on squeeze, free of all other distractions. squeeze.

DF2 Dry firing, arm supported at elbow (resting on pillow, Develop conditioned
armrest) - without looking at sights (preferably eyes smooth trigger
closed), practice squeezing trigger. Focus is solely on squeeze
squeeze, free of all other distractions.

DF3 Dry firing in dark/dim-lit room Developing kinesthetic


feel of grip/stance

DF4 Dry firing against a blank wall Develop sight


alignment

DF5 Dry firing against a dot on the wall Develop hold

DF6 Dry firing against a target Focus shot delivery


without the shot

DF7 Dry firing, finals Focus on


process/delivery, shot
in 75 seconds

17
Live Fire Exercises
Task Description Goal
LF1 Live fire, shooting against a blank target Grouping, reducing diameter of
group.

LF2 Live fire, shooting against a ring-less target Grouping in the black

LF3 Live fire, shooting against a reduced ring target Grouping in a small area in the
black

LF4 Live fire, shooting against a "paster" target Grouping on a significantly


(target is roughly half diameter of regular reduced target. Change tone/pace
target). of training.

LF5 Live fire, finals shooting against a blank target Delivering single shot in 75
seconds

LF6 Live fire, finals shooting against a faced target Delivering single shot in 75
seconds

LF7 Live fire, "rushed" shooting, shooting every 60 Contingency planning - staying
seconds calm and catching up in match
when running out of time or
delivering shot in finals after
aborting shot - reduce to 40
seconds if not changing targets.

18
Slow Fire Firing Procedure
Task Description
STD1 Load and fire two 5-shot strings without regard to time.
STD2 Load and fire two 5-shot strings under match conditions and commands.

Timed Fire Firing Procedure


In timed fire matches, the shooter must adopt a meticulous routine. Magazines
must be checked and carefully positioned. Sights must be verified, and stance,
position and grip carefully adopted. During slow fire, the shooter has time to correct
the above points between shots. However in timed and rapid fire matches, there is
only time to concentrate on the delivery of five well-placed shots.

Task Description
STD3 A one shot exercise: deliver one shot within three seconds and then return to the
ready position. Repeat for 10 shots.

STD4 Fire two five-shot strings at a blank target under timed fire conditions.

STD5 Fire two five-shot strings under match conditions and commands.

20 sec Download and practice with this MP3: 20sec_timed.mp3


Timing Right click and "Save Target As..."
Exercise
Set up your equipment to DRYFIRE beside your computer or download this to
an MP3 player and take it down to the range.

Here's what you do:


You receive the "attention" command, followed by 7 seconds of silence. At the
beginning of the first tone, raise your pistol and settle into your sight picture.
Make sure that your sights are aligned perfectly within your area of aim. Use all
of the time to do this. At the
beginning of each 5 subsequent tones, fire your pistol while maintaining perfect
sight alignment. Your shots should be all fired before the beginning of the final
tone. Each tone is equally spaced, allowing you to learn even pacing for your
shots. This is similar to how a novice pianist uses a metronome. Practice will
enable you to shoot without rushing or running out of time. Note: use all of the
time between tones before you fire. During this period of silence you would be
recovering from recoil, and it wouldn't be realistic to fire then.

Putting this into practice:


I put my 5-shot dryfire trigger in my Walther GSP and get set up. Similarly, I
could use my Morini 162EI air pistol, which has multishot dryfire capability. I then
load the file into Winamp and set it to repeat the file. This way, I can do a 5-shot
series, and then repeat without getting out of stance. After repeating the series
10 times, I'm ready to call it quits. Do this everyday for a week, and your timing
should improve dramatically.

19
Rapid Fire Firing Procedure
The beginner will have a mental block when faced with the ideal of delivering five
shots within 10 seconds. As such, overcoming this barrier is vital. Review the
importance of grip, position and sight alignment, as these are the main factors that
help the shooter move from the ready position to an accurate aiming position with a
minimum loss of time and motion. Establish a strict rhythm for aiming and firing, in
order to incorporate allowable malfunctions without completing their string in six
seconds or less.

Task Description
STD6 Fire a two-shot strings in three seconds at a blank target. Repeat this exercise
five times
.
STD7 Fire two five-shot strings within the period allowed to demonstrate an
understanding of rhythm.

STD8 Fire two five-shot strings under match conditions and commands.

10 sec Download and practice with this MP3: 10sec_rapid.mp3


Timing Right click and "Save Target As..."
Exercise
Set up your equipment to DRYFIRE beside your computer or download this to
an MP3 player and take it down to the range.

Here's what you do:


You receive the "attention" command, followed by 7 seconds of silence. At the
beginning of the first tone, raise your pistol and settle into your sight picture.
Make sure that your sights are aligned perfectly within your area of aim. Use all
of the time to do this. At the beginning of each 5 subsequent tones, fire your
pistol while maintaining perfect sight alignment. Your shots should be all fired
before the beginning of the final tone. Each tone is equally spaced, allowing you
to learn even pacing for your shots. This is similar to how a novice pianist uses a
metronome. Practice will enable you to shoot without rushing or running out of
time. Note: use all of the time between tones before you fire. During this period
of silence you would be recovering from recoil, and it wouldn't be realistic to fire
then.

Putting this into practice:


I put my 5-shot dryfire trigger in my Walther GSP and get set up. Similarly, I
could use my Morini 162EI air pistol, which has multishot dryfire capability. I then
load the file into Winamp and set it to repeat the file. This way, I can do a 5-shot
series, and then repeat without getting out of stance. After repeating the series
10 times, I'm ready to call it quits. Do this everyday for a week, and your timing
should improve dramatically.

20
Free Pistol Match Exercises
Task Description
FP1 Hold firearm in the correct position
This is a very important aspect of handgun shooting and may be practiced without
a point of aim. During this training, one works on the shooter's outside position
attempting to stabilize it. The shooter must also try to keep the firearm still.

FP2 Same as FP1


The shooter's wrist must have a 300-500 gram weight attached. The weight must
not hang down or stiffen the wrist. By training in this way, the athlete can improve
the special requirements of the shooting arm.

FP3 Hold the firearm in position and fire


The important point is trigger control. No shot should be fired until the pistol is
stable and the aim accurate. For this training, the shooter has no point of aim but
takes up a position in front of a large blank surface. This training may also be
conducted in the dark. The shooters does not see the pistol's movement and
therefore does not lose concentration on the trigger. Another point is to achieve
perfect coordination between holding and firing.

FP4 Hold firearm in position


On a blank target, draw a large black circle which will be point of aim. The circle
must be large enough that from where you are standing, the front sight is one-half
its diameter.

FP5 Perfect aiming


During holding, the pistol must not move from the point of aim (which may be larger
for beginners.) After successful training, it may be reduced. For this exercise, close
the eyes for one to two seconds during holding. Even with the eyes closed, you
should be able to maintain good aim and remain on point of aim. For this exercise,
do not shoot.

FP6 Same as FP4, but now you may shoot


In this way, you will have the opportunity to refine your firing. If you had trouble
staying on the point of aim in FP4, then you will have the same problem here.
Trigger movement should not affect the pistol's stability. If it does, repeat the FP3
exercise.

FP7 Live firing at a blank target


This aspect of training is especially important, as it marks the passage from winter
training in dry firing to spring training in live firing. Do not try to score immediately,
but rather, become accustomed to the problems associated with live firing. You
must get used to a distance of 50 metres. You trained in dry firing, so that for you,
the distance from 3 to 50 metres is deceptive.

FP8 Firing at a target and keeping score


Shoot without observation. In this way, you will not change the position of your
point of aim. Make no aim correction and shoot without problem. After 20-50 shots,
21
get the target and count the score. You must set up an individual training plan to
correct the faults you observe in the next few days.
Often, some shooters are discouraged by their scores. For this reason, they are
often advised to cut out the 9 and 10, so they see only the faults. This method is
very popular among shooters before competitions. You see only your faults and will
not be disturbed by a particular score.

FP9 Control of results


During the training, you must shoot with the desire to win. You must set a goal
within your capabilities and attempt to attain it. You may also use a variety of
methods; this diversity will help make the training more successful.

Note: As you see, the series of movements leading up to firing are divided into basic
elements. Moving from one exercise to another enables the shooter, as in any
other sport, to advance from the simple to the more complex. Through this gradual
training, the shooter will immediately notice where weaknesses lie. The shooter
has a training system, as well as a way to vary the training.

22
Match Final Trainings
Task Description
1 Shooters are called to the line, in the order they finished the match. You set up.

2 Command: Your preparation time begins now.


(3 minutes prep time during which you my dry fire.)
Command: STOP

3 Command: Your seven minute sighter time begins now. (You have 4 sighter target on which to
shoot unlimited sighters. A 30 sec. warning is given.
Command: STOP
(After this your gun must be open, but not cocked between each shot.)

4 Command: For your first shot LOAD


(You load one shot, cocking it & keep it benched.)

5 Command: Attention. 3-2-1-START


(These are about 1sec.apart. You have 75 sec. to fire the shot. When all competitors have shot, or
75sec. has elapsed...)

6 Command: STOP

7 Command: Change targets


(You return your target, put it on the seat behind you or hand it off, then send down next target.)

8 Command: For you next competition shot, Load (Note they don't count out the shots)

9 Repeat until all shots have been delivered.

MP3 Practice with this MP3: finals_10-50m.mp3 Right click and "Save Target As..."
Set up your equipment to DRYFIRE beside your computer or download this to an MP3 player and
take it down to the range. It essentially duplicates commands 4-7, with the "For your next shot
LOAD" until "Change targets".

Note After each shot, the scoring jury will call out the scores for each position. This is when it can get a
little unnerving because you're hearing everyone's score. There's cheering, clapping, groans etc.
So this is where and when you let the sound wash over you. Keep your focus very strongly in your
own world: talk, chant to yourself. Remember: it ain't over until it's over.

As I like to think of it, this is the thrill we don't get from our sport. This is the adrenaline rush
(controlled of course), our down-hill ski race! The added nerves make your eye-sight sharper, your
sense of touch more sensitive, your mind more focussed (flight or fight). And it truly is that.

So practice the process. Practice the isolation. Practice shutting the mind off, or chanting your
mantra, in between each shot. Practice the routine of the event. That's Finals!

23
Shooter Fault Terms and Definitions

Term Error Result (for Right Handed Shooters)

Snatching Sudden movement applying pressure by the finger to the outside of the trigger. Shot lands to the right and low.
Jerking Sudden movement applying pressure by the finger to the inside of the trigger. Shot lands to the left and low.

Anticipating Tensing the muscles of the arm and shoulders fractions of a second before or during the trigger Shot lands to the right and high.
release/discharge.
Lacking Relaxing the wrist prematurely fractions of a second before or during the trigger release/discharge. Shot lands to the right and high.
Followthrough (a)
Lacking Relaxing the elbow prematurely fractions of a second before or during the trigger release/discharge Shot lands to the left and high.
Followthrough (b)

Pushing Too much finger is applied to the trigger, as the second joint of the finger pushes the trigger and Shot lands to the left and (often) high.
subsequently the pistol off of the target.
Pulling Too little finger is applied to the trigger, as the second joint of the finger pulls the trigger and Shot lands to the right and (often) low.
subsequently the pistol off of the target.

Under-Gripping Lack of firmness in grip (loose grip) allows gun to fall towards open side of hand (away from palm). Shot lands to the left and low.
Heeling Gripping too tightly causing the heel of the palm to force the pistol off of target. Shot lands to the right and high.
Thumbing Too much pressure applied with the thumb. Shot lands to the right and low.
Fingertipping Too much pressure applied with the fingertips and little finger. Shot lands to the left and low.

Parallel Error The in-focus relationship and alignment are absolutely correct; but, the shot is released when the point Shot may be left/right/high/low, but usually in
of aim is incorrect on the target. the black, causing the least amount of error.
Angular Error The sights are out of alignment with each other, even though they may be correctly positioned in the Shot can land anywhere and cause the
aiming area. maximum amount of error.

Overholding Holding the firearm in position beyond the optimal range of time required to release the shot, causing Depends upon the resultant error.
minor physiological changes (i.e. eye fatigue, loss of fine motor control) which undermine the ability to
shoot well. By overholding, the shooter may perform any number of faults either singly or in
conjunction with other problems. Examples include snatching or jerking the trigger as the sights dance
across the target or or producing an angular error as the fatigued eye momentarily loses its ability to

For a shot to land consistently and accurately, you must:


1. Have a consistent stance and grip;
2. Maintain absolute focus on the front sight and its relation to the rear sight (not on the target);
3. Squeeze the trigger smoothly and slowly with all force moving straight back towards your hand;
4. Concentrate on Performance Delivery (i.e. stance, grip, sights, breathing, smooth trigger, followthrough) not on Performance Outcome (i.e. shoot a "10".)

Please Note: while there are numerous faults which may creep into your technique, disciplined Dryfiring and Wallholding will eliminate or reduce their occurrence.

Layout Copyright by Patrick Haynes, 2001 Available from www.TargetShooting.ca


Target Pistol Shot Analysis
Group One (“pie” slice and location identified numerically) Octant Error Analysis (anywhere within the “pie” slice identified
Shot 1 - high angular by a letter)
Shot 2 - low angular: pulling down on your trigger
Shot 3 - right angular A - Breaking Wrist Up
Shot 4 - left angular
B - Heeling: Anticipating Recoil
Group Two (“pie” slice and location identified numerically)
Shot 5 - high parallel: heeling C - Thumbing
Shot 6 - low parallel: pulling down on trigger; too much
thumb D - Tightening Grip while Pulling up on Trigger
Shot 7 - right parallel
Shot 8 - left parallel E - Breaking Wrist Down or Drooping Head

Group Three (“pie” slice and location identified numerically) F - Jerking (F1) or Tightening Fingers (F2)
Shot 9 - heeling; slack grip; anticipating
Shot 10 - trigger pushing G - Trigger Finger not placed Correctly on Trigger
Shot 11 - pulling on trigger; snatching; anticipating
Shot 12 - snatching; pushing down on trigger; too much H - Pushing: Anticipating Recoil
little finger and/or thumb

Parallel Errors: These occur when the in-focus sight relationship


1 and alignment is absolutely correct; but, the shot is released when
A the point of area aim is incorrect on the target. These “High”,
“Low”, “Left” and “Right” errors usually place the shot in the
H B black and cause the least amount of error.
10 5 9
Angular Errors: These cause the maximum amount of error, and
when related to another control factor fault, lead to every major
error imaginable. Simply put, the sights are out of alignment with
each other, even they may be correctly positioned in the aiming
4 G 8 7 C 3 area.

Heeling: Pushing with the heel of the hand.

D Jerking/Snatching: The sight alignment in the aiming area looks


F2 good, so you quickly and aggressively pull on the trigger, instead
12 6 11 of building positive pressure until the shot breaks.
F1 E
Thumbing: applying too much or inconsistent pressure with the
thumb.
2
Little finger / “Pinkie”: applying any pressure with the “pinkie”.

This diagram represents a pistol target for a right-handed shooter. Remember, it is impossible to shoot correctly unless:
For left handed shooters, reverse. Please remember that for shot 1. Intense concentration is channeled on to the alignment of sights
analysis to be meaningful, you must be grouping your shots to and their in-focus relationship.
some extent. These pointers are only in relation to your flyers. By 2. No distraction is allowed from the aiming mark.
finding out why you have an occasional flyer, and by learning 3. The arc of movement in the aiming area is ignored.
more about shooting technique, you can eliminate these problems. 4. The head is kept erect; look out of the eyes; no movement is
allowed.
5. Trigger release is positive: directly rearward; involuntary. Once
initiated, there is no letting off.
Taken from The UIT Pistol Book by John Chandler and the United
States Army Marksmanship Training Unit Manual. Layout copy- Remember: shot control is directly proportional to
right of Patrick Haynes and is available at www.TargetShooting.ca concentration on sight alignment and in-focus relationship.
Name: Date Submitted:
Nom: Discipline: Presente le:
Month: Jan/Janv Feb/Fev Mar/Mars Apr/Avril May/Mai Jun/Juin July/Juillet Aug/Aout Sept Oct Nov Dec
Mois:
Gen. Pre-season Gen. Pre-season Spec. Pre-season Spec. Pre-season Pre-Comp. Pre-Comp. Comp. Post-Comp.(Pre) Post-Comp.(Pre) Trans. Trans. Trans.
Saturdays/Samedis

Dates

Competitions:
Competitions:

International

National

Provincial

Others/Autres

Training Camps:
Camps d'Entrainement:

Names and Locations


Noms et Endroits

Goals & Objectives:


Buts et Objectifs:

Month: Jan/Janv Feb/Fev Mar/Mars Apr/Avril May/Mai Jun/Juin July/Juillet Aug/Aout Sept Oct Nov Dec
Mois:
Gen. Pre Gen. Pre Spec. Pre Spec. Pre Pre-Comp. Pre-Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. Trans. Trans. Trans.
Training Schedule:
Cedule D'Entrainement:
Physical - Strength
Physique - Force

Physical - Aerobic
Physique - Aerobie

Mental - Tactical
Mental - Tactique

Performance Steps
Technical - Shooting
Technique - Tir

Test or Evaluation Dates:


Dates de Tests ou Evaluations:
AR-Aerobic MN-Mental
TS-Tech. Score
Deadline for Submission: Please Submit to your Team Head Coach Reviewed by Coach:
Date Limite pour les Soumissions S.V.P. Soumettre a Votre Entrainer en Chef de l'Eqipe Nationale Revise par l'Entrainer:

Pre-season – Build foundation of skills and abilities


General Pre-season – provides groundwork through a high volume of training at lower levels of intensity. Physical training is the main focus.
Specific Pre-season – transition to competition by blending various types of training. Physical training maintains its high volume, but the exercises become more specific.

In-season – Stabilize performance


Pre-competitive In-season – take skills and abilities developed and incorporate them into performance. The focus to obtain in this phase is to fine tune the skills and determine where the athlete truly stands (performance-wise.) Inconsistent performance is natural in this phase as the athlete must constantly adapt to rationalize training with performance.
Competitive In-season – Results is the focus of this phase. The athlete pursues maximum performance. There is a high intensity of training coupled with the high stress of competition. Consequently, training volumes decrease. You must incorporate active rest to aid in recovery.

Post-Season - Recuperation
Use general physical activity to maintain levels of fitness. Rehabilitate any injuries. Athletes may participate in similar sports, but they must avoid specialization in them. Remember to keep training intensity and volume low, as this is the athletes’ recovery phase. Layout Copyright of Patrick Haynes. Available at www.TargetShooting.ca

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