TargetTalk

I would like to know what people think is the best way to stand when shooting.

OK, I'll bite....

Whatever gives you your NPA (Natural Point of Aim).

Get in what you think is the correct allignment and close your eyes. Raise the gun and let it naturally fall in the direction of the target. Open your eyes and see where you are. Make adjustments from there. I believe the theory (as the name implies) is that this is the most natural stance. Keeps you from creating tensions (and fatigue) from correcting your mis-allignment.

A good starting point is your body 45 degrees away from the target, feet shoulder width apart, pointing slightly out.

I've heard to pivot the back foot to go more right or left. I usually just adjust my whole stance. I've also heard to move the back foot backward/ forward to raise/lower where the gun points, too. Haven't tried that, but it makes sense.

I usually do this allignment for each 5shot string.

My .20 cents on what sounds like a trick question! :)

On your hind legs!

The "best" way depends on what is "best" for *you.*

Start with whatever gives you good NPA.

Tweak (if required) for whatever gives you good NPA *and* tight settle.

Steve Swartz

In addition to what has been said about NPA,you should be aware of your foot position.In standing,you should pay particular attention to stability and comfort. How far apart your feet are and the angle of your feet,is up to you,as long as you are reasonably comfortable and relatively stable.Ernie.

bill_livers wrote:I would like to know what people think is the best way to stand when shooting.

The British book I have shows standing at a 45 degree angle to the target. Not head on, not sideways. According to the book, standing at an angle to the target causes your wobble area to be smaller than it would be either head on, or at a 90 degree angle. I haven't experimented all that much to find out.

Mike
Wichita KS

Standing facing the target would cause your pectoral (chest) muscle on that side to contract. This would most likely be an area of fatigue / breakdown of form, eventually. 90 Degrees to target would cause that same muscle to stretch out and and bring in the lateral (rear) head of the shoulder muscle. Again, unnatural and points for fatigue.

Simply put, if you outstretch your arms perpendicular to your body, that 45 degree angle is roughlt where they "naturally" go....

Dear MSC,
Must be a slightly older book. Can't think of any top-level shooter that has his/her arm at an angle of 45 degrees. It also depends on the discipline in question. Most rapid-fire shooters point their arm almost straight to the target (parallel to the chest). The shoulder is a complicated joint as it can rotate in its socket, but can also be moved as a whole by changing the position of the scapula. A straighter aim is frequently accomplished by “pulling the shoulder in towards the chin”. Again, this approach is more frequent in (but not exclusive to) dynamic events compared to Free Pistol and Air Pistol.

However, what works for anyone else (and that includes world champions) does not necessarily work for you! (This has of course been stated over and over on this forum). Avoiding strain whenever possible is generally a good idea.

Naturally the angle between chest and arm determines the position of the feet. Here you have a few more choices to make. Wide apart or close together. Rotation of the legs (open or closed stance). This is also determined by the event. For rapid fire a closed stance gives more control over the rotation, that is governed by the legs (rotation in the shoulder is definitely a no-no).

Cheers,
Bob

MSC wrote:Standing facing the target would cause your pectoral (chest) muscle on that side to contract. This would most likely be an area of fatigue / breakdown of form, eventually. 90 Degrees to target would cause that same muscle to stretch out and and bring in the lateral (rear) head of the shoulder muscle. Again, unnatural and points for fatigue.

Simply put, if you outstretch your arms perpendicular to your body, that 45 degree angle is roughlt where they "naturally" go....

But then, back in the bad old days when shooting facing the target (i,e, toes parallel with the firing line) was still 'popular', a lot of people could shoot 290+ on the old duelling target...
and I have seen shooters get the same level of scores standing at 90 degrees to the firing line...

There seems to be three separate positions that will give a good NPA for most people; roughly toes parallel with the firing line, at 45 degrees, and almost at 90 degrees. Each of these will need to be 'tweaked' for each individual shooter.
However, of these the 45 degrees (or there abouts) gives the stablest stance for most shooters when testing on a board set up with strain gauges.

Regards to all,
Spencer C