Tips on Pistol Shooting

[hvj1]

thx hvj. i am writing my diary but the goals seem very hard to define. this is because the performance seems to be fluctuating. this may be due to the fact that the nature of my job makes me travel and i miss out on practice for a series of days. this warrants loss of many days to regain the old level. hence the diary seems to be running in circles rather than going ahead

1. Is it possible to carry your pistol along that is if you are travelling by train. Even if you are travelling by air, you can inform the airline in advance, considering that you are in the services, that should not be too much hassle.

secondly what i meant by taking my mind off scoring was that while prac SA earlier the mind would start calculating how much i would have scored had it been live firing (with that particular SA %). but now i have been able to get the mind to concentrate on just increasing the SA% rather than think of the score.

Improving your percentage, requires such whole hearted focus and determination, that leaves very little or ZERO room for any thing else. This training helps tremendously to focus oneself and ones mind on the job on hand. Due to this shooting you will find, it has an effect in your day to day life and work too. This is the beauty of the sport and that is why, I am here to give back what it has given me.
This box drill technique is one of the best techniques for sharpeing your will power, concentration, organising yourself. Remember what I have said in Mental Training. You have to evolve from one level to another (which you are understanding and doing, quite well, I must say).
Regards

[jitu sati]

hey hvj i am back and have again started my routine prac. will need to put in more effort to get back into grovve. most travel is by air and carrying the AP may not be feasible. but keep the sight picture cards with me on which i keep focussing. however the the % of SA has now again dropped to 80% and need to get it back with daily effort.
u were to give the next ex. will u be giving it or it will be given only after i reach 100%
jitu

[jitu sati]

hey hvj we r waiting for the relaxation techniques. i am sure every body would find them useful in AP matches and equally in normal life
jitu

[sa_ali]

Very good thread.
Keep it coming, as for sharing info.
I follow 2 things, first you really have to know it well enough to share on platform like this, as it opens you to more good and bad scrutiny. But in both cases we will end up learning more.
when you teach u learn more as there are people who will ask you, challange you, which in return will push you to learn even more than earlier about the subject you are talking off.
Secondly, in order to learn new things you have to let go few things which you hold.
its like what my father tells me, you are not the monkey who has put his hand inside the pot to take out the bread but now not able to take hand out as ur fist is closed and the same hole is now smaller.
So you got to open the hand to move on to next

We are indebited to you for sharing these valuable tips and personal experiances with us.

[hvj1]

Hello Sa_ali
You are right on all three counts. I had slacked of a bit off late, since I was not getting much of a response on this thread. Will continue agains with your interest on the subject.

Hi Jitu,
Will get to it eventually.

Best Regards

[hvj1]

Welcome back Jitu, the next exercise is after you reach 100%. Reaching 100% is PART of the next lesson.
Regards

[jitu sati]

ok hvj. will continue the effort. it is certainly helping in improving performance
jitu

[hvj1]

Lesson No.11 Trigger Operation
1. As mentioned before, the trigger should be operated by the tip of the forefinger, ideally the centre of the trigger (usually marked by a horizontal groove on the trigger) should be placed between the tip of the forefinger and the first bend of the forefinger. This is ideal trigger finger hold for airpistols.
2. The tip of the finger is recommended since the (tactile) sensory nerves are most sensitive at the tip of the fingers.
3. The trigger must be pulled backwards in a straight line (co-linear with barrel)) with a continuous pressure. Same pressure to be continued after the shot breaks (follow through) for 2-3 seconds.

Discussion
While taking a shot, a pistol shooter attempts to achieve the following as perfectly as possible;
1. Trying to keep his sights aligned.
2. Trying to maintain the aligned sights within the same aiming area.
3. Applying continuous tigger pressure.
All the above activities are being done SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Now the mind can concentrate on ONE activity at a time, therefore, most shooters CONSCIOUSLY FOCUS on one of the three, while SUBCONSCIOUSLY executing the other two.
How do we achieve this???

[jitu sati]

that is interesting. never consciously understood what i was doing subconsciously. hey by the way hvj i became 40 yrs young yesterday. right age to pursue this sport eh
jitu

-- Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:52 am --

hey hvj one question. which of the three should one concenterate on doing consciously
jitu

[hvj1]

Many Happy Returns of the Day Jitu, we seem to share the same zodiac sign. I will be getting back to you shortly regarding your question. But I would like YOU to think and TELL me which one you should concentrate on.
Regards

[jitu sati]

hey hvj thats great. when is ur birthday.
as for the question i feel that the SA should be the most important as any wrong pulling of trigger the SA would change hence this point would be auto addressed. that leaves the keeping of the sights in the aiming area. this probably will have to be done subconsciously as a part of keeping the correct sight picture
jitu

[jitu sati]

hey hvj we r waiting for the next post
jitu

[hvj1]

Absolutely Correct! The shooter MUST always CONSCIOUSLY focus on the sharp and correct sight alignment. At no point of time ( during shot execution and follow through)should the sights blur (applicable for air pistol). This is because your entire body relies on the clear signal the eye sends through the optic nerve to the brain, which controls the entire body in maintaining stability and the hold. The moment the sights blur, the message to the brain is diffussed and hence the body starts loosing the required muscular tension to keep the hold and body stability steady.
Trigger operation and the aiming area hold are executed subconsciously. For this there are exercise for programming the correct trigger operation and trigger timing along with the aiming area stead hold. I will dwell on these two aspect in detail in my next post.
Regards

[jitu sati]

great nice to know that atleast one aspect has seeped in correctly. getting back to serious practice from today after a hectic series of vists
jitu

[hvj1]

Relaxation Response
1.The concept of the Relaxation response was first mooted by Dr. Herbert Benson, after going through the subject, I mixed it a bit with our very own Yoga technique, which most of us are acquainted with as the 'Shav Asan', or dead body position and a generous dose of self-hypnosis.
In the 'shav asan' position, you lie flat on your back,with arms comfortably placed , palms upwards on both sides of your body, making a small angle with the torso. The feet too are spread slightly ( varies from person to person). Ideally, the entire body- torso, head, arms and legs should be in one plane, therefore a pillow under the head is not required.

2. Choose a time when you are the least disturbed by the outside environment, lie down as mentioned before on your bed. Be comfortable. Remove all watches, necklaces, rings or any other item which would otherwise hinder free flow of blood. This includes loosening your pyjama cord.

3. Start breathing deeply,focussing on your breath (flow of air) slowly breathing in and out. Tell yourself - with each breath I take, I am more and more relaxed.

4. Tell yourself - my eyes are feeling heavy, I am feeling good, yet alert. My eyes are feeling heavy, I am feeling relaxed. Say this to yourself till your eyes close peacefully. Continue focussing on your breathing.

5. Countdown:Tell yourself, that you are going to count from 1 to 10, each number is associated with a particular part of your body.
ONE: The soles of my feet are feeling relaxed (concentrate on the soles of your feet) Feel the nerves tingling as they relax. I can feel the soles of my feet relaxing, I am feeling good. The soles of my feet are relaxing more and more. The soles of my feet are relaxed, I am feeling good, very good.

TWO: I can feel the muscles and nerves of my feet from soles upto my knees relaxing. Concentrate on the musles of your feet and lower legs, feel them relax. Say to yourself- I can feel the muscles from my soles upto my knees relaxing. I am feeling good. My muscles are relaxing even more, I am feeling more and more relaxed, the muscles from my soles to my knees are fully relaxed. I am feeling very good.

THREE: I can now feel the muscles of my legs, thighs, upto my waist relaxing, concentrate on the musles, FEEL them relax, I am feeling relaxed, I can feel the muscles from my knees upto my waist relaxing, I am feeling good, very good. The muscles of legs from my soles to my knees and waist are now COMPLETELY relaxed. I am feeling very good, very relaxed.

FOUR: Concentrate on the musles of your lower back, stomach, feel them relax, concentrate on the muscles, actually feel them relax. The muscles of my stomach and lower back are relaxing. I am feeling very good. The muscles of my lower body, from the soles of my feet to the muscles of my stomach and lower back are now completely relaxed. I am feeling good, very good, very relaxed, calm and peacefull.

FIVE: Concentrate now on the muscles of your chest and upper back, feel them relax and growing heavy on the bed. I can feel the muscles of my chest and upper back relaxing, I am feeling good, very comfortable and relaxed. I can feel all th mscles of my body, from the soles of my feet to my chest and upper back COMPLETELY relaxed. Feeling very very good, calm and relaxed.

SIX: Concentrate on the fingers, palms and hands upto your elbows, FEEL them relax, feel the muscles relaxing gradually, I am feeling good, the muscles of my fingers, palms and hands, right upto my elbows are relaxing. ALL the muscles of my body, from the soles of my feet to my chest, including my fingers, palms and hands to my elbow are relaxing. The muscles of my hands to my elbows are now COMPLETELY relaxed. I am feeling very good, very relaxed and happy.

SEVEN: Concentrate on the muscles of your arms from your elbows to your shoulders, feel the muscles relaxing, your biceps, triceps and the shoulder muscles uncoiling and relaxing. I am feeling very good, the muscles of my arms, biceps, triceps and shoulder muscles are relaxing, I feeling very good and relaxed. The muscles of my body from the soles of my feet right up to my shoulders are completely relaxed. I am feeling so very good, calm and comfortable.

EIGHT: Feel the muscles of your neck relacing, concentrate on the neck muscles, feel them relax, my head is feeling heavy on the bed as my neck muscles are relaxing, I am feeling very good, very relaxed. EVERY muscle of my body from the soles to my neck are now COMPLETELY relaxed, I am feeling very very relaxed,very calm, very good.

NINE: Concentrate on the muscles of your face, chin, cheeks, tips of your nose, nose, eyelids, eyes, forehead, temples, scalp, top of your head. FEEL them completely relax, I am feeling very relaxed, the muscles of my face and head are relaxing, I am feeling very very good, very calm and relaxed.

TEN: ALL THE MUSCLES OF MY BODY, FROM THE SOLES OF MY FEET TO THE TOP OF MY HEAD ARE NOW COMPLETELY RELAXED, COMPLETELY RELAXED. Feel the relaxation in your body, enjoy the feeling, I am completely relaxed, completely relaxed, Feeling calm and wonderfull. I AM ENJOYING THIS STATE AND I SHALL PRACTICE THIS EXERCISE REGULARLY. THIS IS VERY HELPFULL FOR ME, I AM ENJOYING THIS FEELING OF RELAXATION AND CALM.

Visual Picturisation: Sometimes visulaisation helps a lot, I developed this method and found it works for me immensely.
As you count down, IMAGINE your body gradually immersing in a lake of bliss, see the level rise gradually from your soles. As you countdown, feel the level of bliss rising to envelope each relaxed part of your body. Once the level goes above your head, then you have reached nirvana. Hence this exercise is called relaxing in the lake of nirvana.

Having achieved the state of relaxation (nirvana), stay in this state for as long as you wish, even if you drift of to sleep, its okay. But if you wish to practice this in your office or elsewhere, then you can tell yourself to come out of relaxation, using the following commands;

Coming out:
Concentrate on your breathing again. Tell yourself, that you will count from ONE to THREE. At the count of THREE, you will open your eyes, feeling fully relaxed and happy.
ONE: I am concentrating on my breathing, breathe in breathe out (three times).
TWO: I am slowly becoming aware of my body, feel your body, flex your fingers slowly, gradually but very slowly stretch your toes and arms.
THREE: I am now going to open my eyes, when I open my eyes, I will be FULLY charged, calm , cheerful and happy. THREE - open your eyes slowly.

DO NOT GET UP IMMEDIATELY, gradually, flex your limbs and TURN ON YOUR SIDE, then very gradually push yourself up, into a resting position.