TargetTalk

One of my shooters was working standing with the Noptel last week. He is a young improving shooter ( ~88 ave standing ). We were working on his approach onto the bull. In a perfect world everyones trace would fall directly down from 12 o'clock onto the 10 ring just like magic. His Noptel curve would come down from 12 o'clock but would make some left right movements as his hold settled. I said it looked like a falling leaf as it settled. The magnitude of the movements were several (3-4) rings left and right as it settled.
My questions is, where are these side to side motions coming from? His outward position looks solid. Are these motions coming from internal muscle tension he has is his body somewhere? He says that his body is relaxed.
Anyone have any ideas? I'm going to have him do some relaxation exercises prior to working with the Noptel then check to see if the same thing is happening. Next would be some position adjustments like a more upright back position.

Rick

Best guess is some tension releasing in the shoulder/arms as he settles into his hold. I've seen the same thing in position before, and that's what I attribute it to. I settle on the bull, the sights shake a bit, and then the hold settles down. If his hold is still ok after this movement, it's probably no big deal, and you can continue with your progressions coaching him.

However, it is a big deal if this is caused by muscle tension forming as he settles. Get him to recheck how relaxed he is.

Once his hold does settle there is much more movement in the x-direction, left right, than up-down. That type of movement is fairly typical in many shooters but that got me thinking of muscle tension as one of the main causes. He is still not relaxing enough and it is apparent even when coming down onto the target.

Hi Rick,
I had one of my shooters doing similar.
I had her get in position without a shooting coat and shooting pants.
She had a slight bend in her back leg that caused the muscle tension.
I picked up the movement on our SCATT.
ETs are a wonderful tool.
Kevin

when is he looking through the sights, or downrange?

He is looking through the sights when this is happening.

thanks for the tip Doodie, I'll try without a coat for any minute position problems.

Rick

rjjr wrote:He is looking through the sights when this is happening.

thanks for the tip Doodie, I'll try without a coat for any minute position problems.

Rick

might be worth looking at the inner/outer NPA without the eyes guiding... could be he's driving it in and fighting a position that's putting him elsewhere.

robf said it first.

The first thing I thought of when I read the initial post was a shooter forcing a gun onto the bull against an NPA that points the gun somewhere else.