One of my favorite lines from a movie is in “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson when he is teaching his children to shoot and he instructs, “aim small, miss small.” That movie came out over 20 years ago, but even at a younger age, I understood how simple and wonderful that little nugget of shooting advice was. If we are shooting at a pistol competition like IDPA or USPSA and are overwhelmed by the entire landscape of a stage, we are likely going to shoot poorly because our focus is too broad. If you are laser-focused and are attempting to choose what quadrant of the “A” box you want to shoot on every target, you might not hit exactly where you are envisioning, but you will perform much better than the other scenario described.
Aside from the mentality of “aim small, miss small,” there are other tips, tricks, and hacks we can deploy as pistol shooters to improve our accuracy. One thing I will often do is switch disciplines entirely. We have discussed in the past that cross-training can be very valuable. Whether it is something like recreational axe throwing with friends which have become very popular across the United States or even archery. I do both, but I will often do archery and pistol shooting on the same days when at the range.
Archery shooting teaches you to have stability. You have a bow at full draw and it is extended away from your body. You need to have strong shoulders, grip strength, and good proprioception to remain stable and balanced.
So, what’s proprioception? That is the ability to feel things with your hands, muscles, and limbs and make the mental connection in your mind of what is occurring. For example, if I think I am applying too much pressure in my support hand shooting archery (pushing my shots to the left) I should be able to proprioceptively change that; apply less force in future shots. Similarly, if you are pushing shots with your handgun one way or the other, you should be able to adjust the nuances of your grip accordingly. This type of self-adjustment is something that is learned over time and I believe doing similar yet different hobbies of archery, axe throwing, and fishing can help with that. It is all about mastering ourselves and bringing as much to the table as possible.
So, if you ever feel like your shooting is in a funk at all, it might be time to put down your pistol and try something else even if it is for one hour or one day. Until next time, continually check out our blog, join our newsletter, and watch the website for new and exciting updates! As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below. We love it when you participate in our articles and keep the conversation going!
