TargetTalk

I shoot around 360-370 in the standing part of 3x40 on 50m and in 10m air rifle I shoot around 560-570 in 60 shots.

One problem that I have is when I check my balance and make NPA corrections looking over my sight everything is good. When I look down the sight everything starts out good and my descent to the middle starts from twelve o'clock and often when I reach the 5 ring then my balance will go out a little on my toes. Therefore the last part of my descent goes from two o'clock towards the middle. I get kind of a banana shaped line when using the SCATT.

It feels that something in my upper body changes, maybe I'm relaxing my stomach and back to much so I fall a little forward?

Sometimes I notice this thing exactly when I breath out the last breath on my descent. It's because of that observation I suspect that I'm relaxing something somewhere in my upperbody.

I know it's hard to give any tips without seeing me shoot but maybe it's some kind of standard problem that I have.

I attach one of my SCATT files if that helps.

A little answer to my own question.

Yesterday when I was training I noticed that I didn't arched my back enough. When I arched my back more and got my shoulders further back the balance got easier to maintain.

The problem is to keep this position, I don't know it's strength issue but it is very easy for me to fall forwards during the series.

The shooting did go well and part of the time really well, did a 368 in 40 shots standing at 50m. I finished with three 9,8 to the right so I got to keep figthing to reach 370 and beyond.

Be careful about arching your back. Putting aload on it can lead to long term problems.

It sounds to me like you need to work on overall position balance, first without the rifle, then with the rifle.

Try to find a coach in your area who can look at your position. Even if it means making a trip to see him.

Doesn't all good standing shooters arch their back to get the rifle to come over the balance point?

Of course excessive arching isn't good but how do you get the balance without doing it. I've had back problems for the last 10 years but only shooting the last 3 to 4 years so I listen to my back and my new set of shooting clothes have helped me alot because it gives my lower back some support.

I work almost everyday with my balance in the standing position without a rifle and my balance is pretty good measured with my standards but the problem is to keep it during the series and the whole shot. I've been down to trace lengths around 75 with the scatt when "shooting" 50m. Not good but for me it is a huge step in the right direction.

I can tell you that I've made all that is humanly possible without leaving the country to get my hands on a coach but it seems impossible. My country only have training camps and such for the shooters that is already selected to compete for my country at world cups and such.

I've been thinking about going to MEC but then there's the cost, gets pretty expensive flying and staying in a hotel.

Yes I think so. You have to counter the weight of the rifle a bit as that is on the front of yr body. So leaning backwards a tad is normal

First thing I do with the air rifles is to add weight as far back as possible so that with the support hand under the rifle and in position the rifle will be slightly back heavy. If this can be achieved it means the CoG is over or inside the feet. This means that the shooter is not lifting the rifle with a cantilever action. That is, having to push down the butt of the rifle to hold it in position.

Now the shooter can "cradle" the rifle close to the body and only worry about balance.

I use lead sheet matched to the buttplate plate pattern. Driled to match the mounting screws. Truck tyre balancing weights work well too as they can be glued on (they have adhesive attached) and removed / moved as well.

How much muscle tension should it be in the legs and ankles?

For me it feels like I must maintain a degree of muscle tension in my lower legs and ankles to keep my legs straight up from the feet and not bowing out towards the toes. The feeling is a little like I push with my front of the foot like you would do if you just want to fall backwards when standing up.

Is this correct or is it possible to maintain the balance without any muscle tension at all?

I would guess a general very slight tension enough to stand you up, but probably not a direct force like it sounds your calves are doing to keep you from falling forwards.

Curious. You say when you arch your back it gets better. How parallel and how close are you holding your rifle to your chest?

I'm trying to figure this out too.

It's not the calves that work the most. It's mostly in the ankles, like you do if you stand up and want to fall backwards. If I do have this tension and I manage to controll it under the whole shot process the result is pretty good. Yesterday I finished of my standing training session at 50m with 20 shots shooting for points and ended up with a 93 and 94 series. Not great but after 3 hours of training I'm very satisfied with that and it's at the top of my current level.

I have the rifle as close as possible to my chest and slightly canted to get it closer to my head. When I stand in position with my head above the cheekpiece the cheekpiece have contact with my throat. I have the rifle in line with my shoulders I think.

When I arch my back the upperbody gets more towrds the heels therefore the rifle sits more over the middle of the feets.