TargetTalk

In the offhand position, what can I use for keeping my boots from slipping on a slick floor? This would be for 3P air rifle. Thank you.

tradewind wrote:In the offhand position, what can I use for keeping my boots from slipping on a slick floor? This would be for 3P air rifle. Thank you.

Very little is the short answer. ISSF rules prevent you applying anything to the floor itself. I would however suggest if your feet are really sliding then you need to investigate your stance / foot position. One technical suggestion would be to try degreasing the soles of your shooting boots with something like white spirits - make sure however that it doesn't start dissolving your boot soles !

Rob.

Most of the time you slide on a floor, it's because of a coating of dust, or something else on the floor. You can usually fix this by simply wiping off your boots before getting into position (just like bball players do) either with your bare hand or a dry towel.

You are quite within your rights to ask the range officer to wipe the floor where you stand with a damp cloth. This should dry out within a few minutes and should remove any dust particles.

There is one way to stop your boots sliding around on the floor, put several tiny blobs of Blu Tack on the soles of your boots. I know its probably illegal but its on your boot not the floor. If a blob comes off and sticks to the floor your in deep do do. This is only a semi serious suggestion so don't beat me up.

Peeps

Just got back from the Beijing world cup. The officials there were really enforcing the rule regarding applying substances to the floor. Our coach got some clarification. If the floor was dusty or dirty, you could ask a range official to clean off your spot with a rag and water. After the water evaporated you could shoot without any rule issues. Spitting on the floor or dripping some water on the floor and standing in it while still wet is what the officials are looking for. Be sure to keep your boot soles clean. This will probably take care of most of your problems.

Eric

We also ran into this this past weekend at the New Mexico State Championships which were held in a school gymnasium. The basketball court was nicely cleaned and wonderfully polished.

Many shooters, and almost all in the Final that I talked to, noted they were slipping on the floor. Before the Final my shooters asked me what they could do .... now CMP rules do not enforce the ISSF rule .... yet. But we agreed that the spitting and coke on the floor was not a good idea.
One shooter set up low and as her back foot slid, she fired as she went thru the 10 .... fired a 96 final and moved from 7th to 4th. I could only laugh (and cringe) as she reported this to me, but give her one for ingenuity......

I like the clean the soles idea ... I know we shoot on a concrete floor in practice & I'm sure the boots pick up quite a bit of dirt ..... We'll do some checking ... maybe plain old rubbing alcohol (to clean the soles) will be OK

Maybe ISSF needs to first have standards for the floors before they started on the shooters

In my previous shooting range we had a very slippery wood floor. All we did is take the tape we use to stick the target to the pellet trap, and stick it on the floor were we put our feet, worked like a bomb.

As for ISSF matches, well I have only shot at two international matches and I didn’t have the problem with my feet slipping, I think it is very unlikely to get that problem at a world cup level.

Another idea is to look at ping pong, those people put all kinds of stuff on they paddles to make it sticky, maybe you can find something there that will do the same with your shoes, I think if it is done right, you will be able to be in the ISSF rules. I mean, all the shoes doesn’t have to same friction constants, if yours are more slippery then other people, I don’t think there will be a problem with making yours less slippery.

Just note that all said above should not be done without consulting an ISSF official.

I agree, the ISSF should have as part of their range specification, a non slippery floor surface where the shooter stands.

My club has a carpet tile floor where you stand and we have no problem.

Peeps