Ask The Instructor: Self-Diagnosis

Question: When I’m competing, and I miss one or two targets of the first pair, what’s the best way for me to figure out what I did wrong if I have no idea where I misses or why I missed?

Answer: First, let’s understand that the most common cause of a miss is lack of visual focus just prior to and through the breakpoint. What many shooters fail to recognize, however, is that the cause of this lack of visual intensity might not be a lack of visual effort. Sure, it’s possible that the issue is a “voluntary” lack of visual effort, whereby a shooter fails to intentionaly contract the eye muscles sufficiently and applies insufficient focus to the target. However, there may be a different explanation than lack of visual effort. 1) Excessive muzzle movement. Gun speed that is inconsistent with target speed, inhibits our ability to apply acute visual focus. Establishing your holdpoint too close to the trap on an outgoing quartering target, for example, will generate excess of gun speed. 2) “Visual control” of the target. Like #1, positioning your eyes too close to the trap will potentially inhibit your ability to “control the target” with your eyes, overestimating target speed. Acquiring the target with your peripheral vision and allowing the target and eyes to merge, is key. Failing to “quiet the eyes” as you call for the target, can also hinder your ability to visually merge with the target. 3) Target occlusion. When a shooter inadvertently interrupts his visual focus with the gun barrels just prior to shot execution, the potential for a missed target is high. So, what is the shooter’s path to diagnosing and fixing these problems before missing more targets at a particular station? Ask yourself the magical question: “Did I see detail on the target clearly as I pulled the trigger?” If the answer is no, then a few additional questions may help. Was my movement rushed? Move your holdpoint and/or visual pick-up point closer to the breakpoint. Is the target transitioning at the breakpoint? Lower your muzzle angle and shorten your move to the target to avoid occlusion. For mid-level to advanced competitors, the cause of insufficient focus is often something other than lack of effort.