Advanced Topic 1
Building From a Single Shot Forward
by Edwin C. HallQuite often we speak of practicing. What is practicing? One definition may include the repetitive performance of a task until the task is embedded into our subconscious. But what if we practice strings of fire that are not perfect? Would we not be learning how to do the same imperfect strings over and over? What if we were to embed into our subconscious the routine to shoot a Marksman's score?
When we are first introduced to Bullseye shooting we are given the descriptions of each course of fire. These include the idea that during sustained fire, we are provided twenty and then ten seconds to fire five rounds. Notice the way we interpret that. We immediately decide that we must get off all five rounds in that time period. After all, the course of fire is five rounds in 20/10 seconds. But what if we can't keep them on the target when we shoot that fast? Or what if we can't keep them within our definition of center? If we shoot all five all the time aren't we really just practicing to do just that?
A concept that is very difficult for some of us to fathom is to work on just one shot until it is perfected. This is especially difficult for those who only shoot leagues and matches. Do you have the discipline to give up the possibility of 40 extra points per string? If you do, you may find that doing just that can quickly improve the shots you do take and propel you to the Master scores quicker than flinging all five rounds all over just to meet the time limits with all your rounds.
So what actually am I suggesting here? That you work with the first round until it is always a ten and then add in the second round. Work with just those two until they meet your definition of perfection and then move forward again. Never give up what you have already achieved. If adding a round messes up the previous one, step back to that one until is correct again.
If you are shooting leagues and can bring yourself to work in this fashion, let the addition of the extra rounds be the carrot that gives you incentive to perfect those first shots. If you feel bad about having your scores look so low, talk with the league statistician about leaving you off the paperwork or better yet, explain what you're doing and see if others may want to work the same program with you. Maybe you can even form a small competition with someone to see who can add rounds sooner. But again, set up criteria to meet, that describes your idea of perfection in shots.
Now that I've described this a bit let me add some delimiters. First don't perform this such that you purposefully take fifteen seconds to fire a perfectly dressed up shot. Work on the first shot happening in a reasonably short time after the facing of the target. After this shot is happening on time and accurately add the next. You may find that you can fire three perfect shots during Timed Fire but only two within the Rapid limit. That's all right, work with your timing while keeping the shots perfected until you can add the next round.
Remember that practicing perfect shots will more quickly take you to the really high scores than practicing less than perfect ones just to meet a time limit.