In this issue: Re: calling the shot Prone and kneeling roll Re: barrel length Standing position update ******************************************************************** Tom Neuser wrote: Re: Calling the shot. Maybe it is just a matter of definition, but it seems to me that calling the shot is a constantly developing skill that even the best shooters use. Not every shot is a 10.9, in fact, some are not even 10s. When the shot is not perfect, don't all shooters pause to evaluate? A novice might be most concerned with sight alignment and follow-through. As kinesthetic awareness develops and a shooter perfects his positions, calling the shot might refer to sensing the tension in a muscle group. At the highest levels it might refer to a completely mental activity. My point is this: Calling the shot is the ability to predict the point of impact based on the shooter's awareness/impressions at the time the shot breaks. Reviewing and evaluating this information is essential to mastering precision shooting. It only becomes a detriment to success if the shooter's focus remains on "what went wrong" to the exclusion of the necessary steps required to fire a perfect shot. In my opinion only, of course! [Editor - The reason Chet says you shouldn't call the shot is that mentally every shot is a 10.9. If you call the shot, you now have an image of a non-perfect bullseye even if you don't look through the scope.] Tom Chet Skinner responds: In the book "The Mental Art of World Class Competitive Shooting", Appendix D, page 5, paragraph titled "Calling The Shot" (fourth paragraph) ; Appendix C, page 4 to page 7. The reader will note a discussion on the subjects of Calling the Shot and communicating a Score. Basically, if you accept the current world scores as top notch and accept their shooting performance as the best, you are accepting the premise of mediocrity at its highest level and concurrently the public acceptance of mediocrity of performance in competition. This is not acceptable. You, as a World Class Competitive Athlete can not accept such mediocrity of performance. The only way to win is to perform at such a level leaving no question as who is the best of your competition. Maxing the competition. Remember, the high scoring shooters are your best instructors of what not to do or how not to do it. You noted this simple fact during your attendance at the World competitions and your comments clearly indicates the winning athletes had many position and shooting problems. Let us consider Air Rifle. The Max score is 600 and that is your goal to achieve the Gold. No other score is acceptable to the World Class Shooting Athlete. However, we repeatedly note the scores of 530 to 550 being achieved and the athletes wondering why the scores will not go higher. Such scores are Physical scores, meaning that the athlete had used only their muscles to construct the position and accomplish the shooting sequences. This is the old military method of shooting. Mental refinement is not required and not used during the physical shooting technique and procedure. In 3 P the same boundary score is found at the 1100 to 1120 levels. Shooters at this level and below use Calling the Shot as much as they wish. Such statements will not effect the muscle tissue used during the accomplishment of the firing sequences. 599 and below is mediocre performance by what we call World Class Shooters. Any score that is not 600 is mediocre and it is the athletes tasking to concentrate on eliminating the weakness and deficiencies in the athletes own mental and physical athletic shooting performance. As the scores rise, the shooter progresses on a sliding scale from physical to a pure mental shooting activity. However, to exceed the score of 530 to 550 and 1100 and 1120, the mental shooting ability is required and such items of calling the shot or telling the score is a major element of match pressure to the athlete. For athletes who accomplish this aspect of shooting, the athlete must relax the muscle tissue instead of tightening it as was required during the physical phase. It is this relaxation of muscle and mental work that allows the non-dominant to accomplish its task of winning the Gold by direct control of the neurophysical systems during the shooting phases. Until the athlete becomes aware that to go beyond the physical scores and achieve the 600 the athlete must stop accepting the score levels of mediocrity and start shooting superior scores that can only arrive from achieving the perfect bull's-eye, and superior performance. The winning scores of the current Champions can only be classified as mediocre. They have accepted less than superior performance during competition and their shooting career. And, We as young athletes who praise them are in effect accepting and praising mediocre performance. This is why we get our --------beat off at every, almost every, International competition. While the other shooting nations have accepted Superior performance, we in the United States have accepted a mediocre performance level. Why didn't we do better at the Olympics, because our shooting athletes have accepted mediocre performance instead of superior performance in competition. Your defense of the function of Calling The Shot is just the typical acceptance of mediocre performance and instead of attempting to improve our young shooters you have, with out realizing it, defeated their shooting ability by communicating that it is OK and worth the effort to Call The Shot. Calling the shot and communicating the score can and does destroy our shooting athletes before they start. This type of negative and mediocre mindless communication is one of the factors that has destroyed our national shooting efforts toward achieving superior performance during international competition. Sorry Tom, not directed at you but at the many advisors and coaches around the states that don't really know any better and willingly accepts athletic mediocrity of performance. Questions.....? Think about it....! And, any one who tries to tell you the perfect score in superior performance can't be done...If they haven't fired the perfect score how do they know it can't be accomplished. As far as I know there just is not many shooters in the United States that can claim they have fired the perfect score and they know first hand what superior performance really is all about. Chet Skinner, Coach meecin@tnproweb.com ********************************************************************* Hi, I have 2 questions. The first is about prone. I recently got a Sauer Atlanta coat and before I used a Hawkeye coat (I have no idea what model but it was red leather). Now my prone scores have are not as high as they used to be. The old coat was a lot smaller than the new one. Any suggestions on how to raise my scores? The second question is about a kneeling roll I got at Camp Perry. What should I fill It with? The club one I use now is filled with hard rubber chips. Also who made it? It is of brown leather and it says "Top shot" on one side. Thank you! [Editor - anything that can be molded easily - I would try rubber chips (recycled tires), cork, or birdseed.] ******************************************************************** Shortening barrells probaly shouldn't make too much of a difference to the physical capeabilities of a rifle because it is designed to do two things besides just guiding a bullet. To provide a tunnell that traps the expanding gases to allow a bullet to accellerate to a maximum velocity. I suspect this happens much less then 16 inches or many more handguns would be coming out with longer barrells. It also causes the bullet to rotate to a point where the full rotational momentum of the bullet is achieved. This distance is probaly much shorter then required for maximum accelleration. To Chop or not to Chop? Chopping may actually help a smaller shooter or one who physical capeabilities don't allow him to properly balance the rifle. After all, most quality firearms are only made in one length. If a shooter doesn't have to strain to keep the gun in position, he should be more comfortable and stronger mentally. To this type of a shooter, it would certainly be a benefit. The flip side of this is that the barrell provides a longer sight and base should reduce alignment errors and increase accracy to some degree. This same arguement is true for the barrells job of guiding the bullett. Variation in impact points down range may be reduced. Other shooters may require the longer barrell to achieve a proper balance I guess the bottom line with chopping barrells is that it is a personal preferance however I still fail to see significant gains to chop six inches off my walther kk-elec free rifle. ****************************************************************** Shooting Athlete: Standing position This is an update on the standing position. While much of the information was examined some time ago, slight differences from that entered into the book. As the difference is small, I wish to correct it and offer all of you the chance for consideration and change or not... The standing position is accomplished in the following manner: The feet pointing 90 degrees to the right or left (left or right handed) of the target line from target to firing point. Rifle positioned across the chest without the trigger hand touching the chest or any other part of the body structure for assistance in the standing position. For left handed shooter using a right handed rifle, this is a problem as the bolt handle will become a problem or obstruction for the athlete in achieving the correct standing position. The spine is not excessively twisted as in the older position setup but compressed by the exhausting of the lungs only. A very small turning of the upper body may occur in position but is OK as long as it does not over stress the bottom of the spine/pelvis and associated muscle groups. Recap: Feet 90 degrees to the line from the target to the firing point. Rifle firing across the chest with out the trigger hand touching any part of the body during the position firing sequences. The spine slightly twisted and compressed by the exhausting of the lungs only. Head straight up and down so balance is locked. Head may be moved forward as long as the head is not canted to either side and excessive stress is not generated by such a positioning of the head. The head pushed forward in some cases has improved by firming the standing position for the athlete. A problem arises in this position structure and that is what is the rifle doing in relation to the body. The rifle is presented with the following arrangement. The following is for right handed shooters. 1. The rifle will lay flat across the chest and use the shoulder pocket for placement of the rifle stock butt.. 2. The rifle will lay flat across the chest and use the upper arm for placement of the rifle stock butt. 3. The rifle will use the shoulder pocket and lay/point about 5 to 15 degrees away from the left shoulder. 4. The rifle will use the upper arm and lay/point at about 5 to 15 degrees away from the left shoulder. You have four conditions for placement of the rifle during the construction of the standing position. The four is given because each shooter athlete is developed differently and no two shooters will be able to match each ones shooting position. Therefore the shooter can pick the one procedure that fits them best and produces the best shooting results. What ever happens or which ever the shooter selects don't jump from one position to another and back again at whim. Test and try each one you select and try it for a period of time that will show its worth to the shooting athlete. Of course as is the case in all positions the adjustments by the athlete will be that which is needed for the position to accommodate the athletes body builds and physical structure. Questions....? Chet Skinner Coach meecin@tnproweb.com ****************************************************************** End of UIT Mailing List #37 Michael Ray - Systems Engineer Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. Rifle Coach UIT Shooting Page - http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/1190/index.htm