A good suggestion to count score while shooting-
According to many its not a good way improve shooting in competition, and i do support their opinion. Count back while shooting to get accurate score. For example if u shoot 8 ,subtract 2 point from 600 = 598. If u shoot 9 ,subtract 1 point from your current score. (we are substracting from 10 coz a total of 1 set out of 6 sets in air rifle/pistol shooting is 10)So if my current score is 583 (thats 17-600)and my current shot score is 8 then my current updated overall score will be 8-10 = 2 thats 17+2 = 19 thats 19 - 600 = 581 = ur exact score as of right now. Its a descending or countback scoring system. I personally didn't learn it from anyone or anywhere, but I have a hunch that many shooters (not all) already know about it coz its basic math beaing used practically. REMEMBER AS U IMPROVE UR SHOOTING THIS SAME TECHNIQUE WILL SOMETIMES BE FATAL FOR U. Hence please read below for a solution for next level shooters.
Its good that u understand how to count ur scores, however when u become a good shooter, the same technique will literary kill your ability to perform well. I know you don't get it, that how come this has any effects on ones shooting? However when u tends to count back to keep track of your scores, you tends to get carried away whenever you shoot something unwanted, like 9s and 8s. Think it my way - when I shoot a 9 , which I do around 20 to 25 times in competitions. I tends to think "it's ok I still got a lot of targets left" However this thinking of mine makes me shoot more 9s and and I often shoot 8s in competition, even when I do a good job and hit 90+. This makes my overall score go down to a critical point.
Solution - In competition you see 60 targets worth 10 points each, (or in some countries including India, beginners have 40 competition targets). Overall scores are divided into 6 parts of 10 shots. Now its a common thinking of a shooter to see the whole competition as 6 sets of 10 targets each = thinking of shooting 95 or above score in each sets of 10. Now this thinking is something that gives you same feeling as the above mentioned flaw back of counting back. If u do bad in 1 set of 10 target (10 shots out of 60), lets say 93. Your brain will suggest that "its no big deal, we still got 5 sets of targets/we still got 50 more shots". Now this feeling does the same thing as the one previously mentioned in above paragraph. It overconfidence you and makes you shoot bad half the time. And for a shooter, who has the ability shoot 90+ tends to shoot around 70s more often. Solution--->This is something I am learning too. Contrary to above tip, this method is hard and sometimes fatal to start with, but once u got a hold of it, NO ONE CAN STOP YOU. This is something every great shooter practices to get 95+ score(Gagan, Abhinav and many 100s of more from around the globe). Now the solution is to think every single target out of 60 as one single shot. When we normally shoot we take in mind that there are 10 shots and I just shot 1 or 2 or 3 badones, so not a big deal. And we keep doing same thing for rest of sets (match). If we think 1 target as 1 shot, we'll do better. As if your thinking that no hope is beyond this shot and this is the last shot. Its a hard technique for a new shooter but if you practice it alot, your score will improve dramatically. I know very well that you are not clearly getting what m trying to say here. Its hard to explain it in words without practically teaching you. Its something a top shooter will easily understand.
If you did not get the meaning out of the above paragraph I suggest you ask your coach or a top shooter to read this. Its hard to explain in words hence the best way is to practically experience it. I hope it helps some of you. These suggestions of mine are not learned anywhere, I am a self learned shooter, never head coaching and I don't really practice at all , may be around 2 to 3 times before any competition I compete in. Something I still have to improve. Always keep in mind, u don't need a coach after basic knowledge, and anyone can shoot well, even all your classmates in school.
