TargetTalk

Hi, TTers.

Am having trouble with energy and time management in AP matches - thought I could confide and get tips in exchange.

I have learned in training that dry firing is a good technique for warming up the deltoid and supraspinatus muscles to make aiming more precise during matches. After experimenting, I found that I could do 50 lifts to the NPA with dry firing in fifteen minutes before the match started. I then found my shoulder to be tired after this exertion, and found it difficult to aim well, aborting lots of shots. It also took me about half an hour to get my heart rate down from 120 to c. 80, despite breathing purposefully.

What would be a better technique for warm-up without fatigue before a match, or - how would an individual shooter go about finding what's best for him or her?

Tips in this regard are welcome.

Dry fire ten times and stop panting; you're getting yourself all worked up..

Try different regiments in your training, and take notes on each.

You need to do that regment for at least a week, to see any results.

here's mine for 3x-5x weekly: I lift light-weights (2.5lbs bells) for 15 minutes, then a 15 minute break. 2x daily. I also stretch 5 minutes before a dry fire session. then 15 minutes of dry fire.

I used to run 45 minutes 3x-5x weekly but stopped. I tried swimming 3x-5x weekly. Both will build up your stamina. But in my case swimming is actually better for me.

Whatever you try, give it time.

I can see a few problems here.

The first and most alarming one to me is where you say you can't get your heart rate down from 120 to below 80. Either you are suffering great anxiety or your fitness is no where near where it should be.

As far as your warm-up is concerned, it doesn't seem too strenuous. I would look more towards addressing the aborted shots during the match. I'd suggest that there's quite a few.

This would be a bigger cause of fatigue than your warm up.

Curing that is actually simple enough. "Get on with it!" When you are about to start your shot, think to yourself. I am committed to shooting a positive and confident shot." Then "Get on with it!"

If you can reduce your number of aborted shots, I'd be pretty confident that you'll find you are much more able to get through the match.

Either way you should talk to a doctor about your heart rate issue. If you can't drop it below 80 in half an hour of doing not much, there's a real problem there.

Good luck.

Thanks for the tips thus far.
1. After this match I had a normal training session. This time I did not prop my gun on its case, fatiguing less while in the "waiting position" as my arm was not raised nearly as much. Also I aborted fewer shots and was less anxious than in a match.

2. I think that my tachycardia was down to match anxiety more than fitness. I run cross country, up to half marathon distances (while carrying a Glock, but that's a different story).

More tips would be welcome - for me, Olympic pistol shooting is a power gym for the mind.

A couple of thoughts;

Dry firing is not warming up. Warming up is to warm and loosen the muscles to avoid injury and to get them 'match ready'. So warm up with some walking, followed by some light arm swings and then do some light stretches. After this you can do a short series of dry fired shots. Maybe 10 or 20 and do them before the preparation time. In prep time, do maybe 5 or 10 at the target and then rest. That way you shouldn't be tired for the match.

In your training you should be shooting or dry firing many more 'shots' than in a real match. 150-200 shots is not unreasonable, but don't do that every training session, once a week is ample.

There's a phrase that I can never remember exactly that goes something 'train hard compete easy'. But the point is your training should be more demanding than your competitions.

Rob.

Thanks a lot for the tips, Rob! This is the kind of response that I have been looking for.