This is the sort of subject we should discuss more. It's good to trade ideas about how to train. Here's the disclaimer: I'm starting my seventh season, just now trying to get "serious," AAA in both smallbore classes and in HP Standard, AA in HP hunter. I've read everything I could get my hands on. That's it. I don't fancy myself a coach. Now, in no particular order:
The real experts agree that the most important thing is to train correctly, with a good idea of exactly what you are trying to do. We've probably all wasted a lot of time, and reinforced some bad habits, just "putting some downrange" because it's fun. I'm starting to understand that training is the time to WORK on specific skills. "Train hard, match easy."
Once the basic physical technique (stance, hold) is OK I think the broad task is to learn to make the shot release a reaction to the sight picture so that the trigger is breaking early in the steady hold period and the mind is not much involved. No, I can't do it yet but every little bit of progress is exciting and gratifying. I'll be glad to send you a piece from the PS Highpower Primer discussing how many shots it takes to strengthen the neural pathways in the brain so that the motor signal to the finger doesn't "rob" energy from the sensory signal from the eye (or is it vice versa?) Anyway, it's a lot.
While we're climbing this curve, practice must not only be regular, but frequent. Bassham says five or six days a week (but NOT seven.) The only solution for me is an airgun. I'm not disciplined enough to dry fire that much. The good news is that our new skills don't erode all that quickly when you lay off for awhile. I cornered Troy Lawton at Winnsboro during morning practice (we were setting targets) and asked him about airgun practice. "Do you enjoy shooting it?" "Yeah, most of the time." "Well, when you feel like shooting, shoot, but when you don't, don't." (He was gracious enough to take time to show me some things about hold, too, but that's another story.)
The mental training challenge is the biggest. It's hard to DO the things necessary for a good shot and simultaneously OBSERVE what's happening, good and bad. Desire to hit the target is a big impediment here. Real good trick to switch the focus from hitting to simply executing the shot well. When you stop feeling good when a poorly executed shot hits anyway, you're making progress.
My challenge (there is no "problem") is concentrating on a spot on the target while I wait for the decent sight picture. When some thought about score, or the last shot or the next shot or the office or whatever creeps in, I generally miss. The champions say "I don't think about anything."
I have at least some, small plan for each session. If I simply cannot get warmed up and start enjoying it, I quit. I sometimes extend the session when I feel that I'm doing well, to reinforce the good stuff, but this is dangerous. Don't shoot 'til you're too tired to execute properly and learn from the shots and don't be afraid to quit on a high note. When you've done what you planned to do, you should generally quit for the day.
Bassham says:"Most of you shoot too much. I didn't say TRAIN too much. You SHOOT too much."
Suggested reading: Nygord's notes at www. nygord.com, all the articles at
www.pilkguns.com, the two Schussportschull Dialogues books (try Google), Lanny Bassham's books and tapes on mental management, some of the articles at
www.zediker.com on holding drills and training with an airgun, Zen in the Art of Archery.
I sure hope this excellent question starts a dialogue on this excellent board. I've gotten some great help from the folks who post here.
