Mental checklist before pulling the trigger.

[HogBoss]

In the sticky on the Advanced Marksmanship section of the hide (http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...rksmanship/460-fundamentals-marksmanship.html), there was a quote made by user j-husky that I found to be very compelling:

"The reigning champions will tell you they have a mental checklist of the fundamentals they run through each shot."


I've tried to articulate my own and here's what I got:

1) Finger off trigger (grasping the handle)
2) Thumb on the back of the stock (consistent grip)
3) Butt stock in shoulder pocket
4) Slight forward load into weapon
5) Head straight / proper cheek weld on stock
6) Verify eye relief (no black circle / crescents seen in scope)
7) Be cognizant of breathing
8) Align reticle on target
9) Place finger on trigger / verify proper placement on trigger (still refining this)
10) Press trigger, try to ensure even pressure application from finger onto trigger


What mental check list do you all go through prior to releasing a shot?

 

[oinco]

"What mental check list do you all go through prior to releasing a shot? "

ummm, I'll tread lightly with the double entendre........."am I ready to live with the consequences of this load"

 

[Sterling Shooter]

1. Not viewing target, shoulder rifle and align sights, cognizant of the 5 factors of a steady position.
2. Adjust natural point of aim.
3. Focus on front sight.
4. Pull trigger smoothly.
5. Follow through.

Number one is most important. Most new shooters will immediately steer the sight to target while shouldering the rifle. They do not recognize that they are controlling the rifle with muscle. They are hard pressed now to adjust natural point of aim not having one to begin with. Absent muscular relaxation, unpredictable recoil resistance will cause them to hit some place other than where aimed.

I think the first post here lays it out correctly but contains too much information. What I mean by that is the novice shooter coming out of a basic marksmanship class may be overwhelmed by it all. Coming out of most any marksmanship class there's too much to digest unless it's chunked in an order of instructions which can actually be grasped on the firing line. The 5 step order allows a shooter to properly execute the firing tasks by the building block method, a method which can be assimilated by most any anxious shooter.

BTW, modern marksmanship usually omits any reference to breathing since science suggests a shooter not conscious of it will indeed pull the trigger during the natural respiratory pause. Only when made conscious of breathing like when prompted by a coach " watch your breathing" will breathing become an issue.

 

[S12A]

1 - The position and hold must be firm enough to support the weapon

2 - The weapon must point naturally at the target without any undue physical effort

3 - Alignment and sight picture must be correct

4 - The shot must be released and followed through without any undue physical effort

 

[kraigWY]

Relax

Relaxation is the most under rated fundamental of marksmanship.

The body naturally wants to be in a relaxed state. If one "tenses up" to make the shot, the body will fight you, and will go to a relaxed state as the trigger falls.

This really screws up follow through whether we release it or not.

I've seen some International shooters that reminds me of watching a horse, they seem almost to be asleep in the standing position. I've seen others dance around like someone dropped hot brass down their back.

I don't have to tell you which had the higher scores.

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Relax

Relaxation is the most under rated fundamental of marksmanship.

The body naturally wants to be in a relaxed state. If one "tenses up" to make the shot, the body will fight you, and will go to a relaxed state as the trigger falls.

This really screws up follow through whether we release it or not.

I've seen some International shooters that reminds me of watching a horse, they seem almost to be asleep in the standing position. I've seen others dance around like someone dropped hot brass down their back.

I don't have to tell you which had the higher scores.

I have a difficult time with it. It's like every time I hear " ready on the left" I fall apart. Concentration on what I want to accomplish rather than relax has been the key for me. That's to say I get relaxed by not thinking about it.

There's no doubt you are as always right about the importance for relaxation. I wish you lived closer to my city, I'd like to compare coaching strategies. I have a very bad coach he only coaches what I tell him I need.

 

[Graham]

I've tried to articulate my own and here's what I got:

1) Finger off trigger (grasping the handle)
2) Thumb on the back of the stock (consistent grip)
3) Butt stock in shoulder pocket
4) Slight forward load into weapon
5) Head straight / proper cheek weld on stock
6) Verify eye relief (no black circle / crescents seen in scope)
7) Be cognizant of breathing
8) Align reticle on target
9) Place finger on trigger / verify proper placement on trigger (still refining this)
10) Press trigger, try to ensure even pressure application from finger onto trigger

What mental check list do you all go through prior to releasing a shot?

Simply: Range; Wind; Fundamentals.

Some sport shooters, like golfers, have a mental list that they recite to themselves, but the purpose of that kind of a technique is for getting scores on a known match target at a known range on a known course.

When using alternative positions while identifying and tracking targets (not to mention while also maintaining cover and communicating) one has the additional conscious mental capacity to concentrate on no more than one or two marksmanship fundamentals. I don't know of anyone who memorizes a ten-point checklist. I do know of many shooters who perform the same series of movements every time, most of it ingrained in muscle memory, and when a weakness or bad habit is identified they counter it by making its antidote the last conscious step prior to breaking the shot.

For example, in practical field matches I am currently at: STOP (breathing); (Final) FOCUS (crosshair); SPOT (the hit).

 

[ksthomas]

HogBoss,

That list is way too long. Firing a proper shot is way too complicated to think about; you can't do it. No one can. The best shooters DON'T think about all this, because it's automatic for them. Completely subconscious. That's the purpose of all the dry firing, all the drills, all the time spent on the range in practice; to get to the point where hand position on the stock, breathing, trigger control (including follow through) is completely and totally subconscious. The conscious mind can handle one thought, one task at a time. The subconscious can handle dozens. You need to learn to let it, but that means accquirring the muscle memory of what a perfect shot looks like, what a perfect trigger break feels like,etc., etc., etc..

I have a single mantra that repeats every time I fire a shot, and focus exclusively on each point as I repeat it; Alighnment, picture, focus, squeeze. I do this fr each and evcery shot in a rapid fire string, as well as on slow fire. On each point, it reminds me to check that point off as I'm breaking the shot. Alignment; aligning the sights perfectly. Picture, making that last second adjustment to a proper sight picture WITHOUT losing the alignment I just verified. Focus, is a direct check that my focus is sharp, hard and clear on the front sight, and nothing else. And as I'm thinking Squeeze, the shot is already breaking on its own. This process for each shot takes maybe 2.5-3 seconds, no more, far less time than it takes to describe. The rest, should be left to the subconscious.

 

[HogBoss]

Simply: Range; Wind; Fundamentals.

Some sport shooters, like golfers, have a mental list that they recite to themselves, but the purpose of that kind of a technique is for getting scores on a known match target at a known range on a known course.

When using alternative positions while identifying and tracking targets (not to mention while also maintaining cover and communicating) one has the additional conscious mental capacity to concentrate on no more than one or two marksmanship fundamentals. I don't know of anyone who memorizes a ten-point checklist. I do know of many shooters who perform the same series of movements every time, most of it ingrained in muscle memory, and when a weakness or bad habit is identified they counter it by making its antidote the last conscious step prior to breaking the shot.

For example, in practical field matches I am currently at: STOP (breathing); (Final) FOCUS (crosshair); SPOT (the hit).

Most of my rifle shooting has been from the bench at 100 yards. Admittedly, I have been bad about paying attention to wind or thinking much of distance. Over the past couple of months I've gotten out to 200 - 300 yards and 500 a couple of times where I've been more considerate of the wind and distance.

Most of my focus has been on improving my fundamentals from the bench. I'd like to start shooting prone, offhand, or sitting, but I can still tell that after a year of shooting for precision (previously did more combat handgun, and trap / skeet) I've got more to learn. The things I listed are areas where I tend to focus both on dry fire and at the range. My strategy has been to iteratively go through every movement / state that I go through in the rifle loading/shouldering, sight picture acquisition, and firing process.

I tend to be a self-taught learner, but I suspect that I am in need of formal training or good coaching regarding my fundamentals. I'm sure I've got some bad habits that have gone un-noticed. Any ideas on how to self-diagnose that sort of thing?

 

[HogBoss]

HogBoss,

That list is way too long. Firing a proper shot is way too complicated to think about; you can't do it. No one can. The best shooters DON'T think about all this, because it's automatic for them. Completely subconscious. That's the purpose of all the dry firing, all the drills, all the time spent on the range in practice; to get to the point where hand position on the stock, breathing, trigger control (including follow through) is completely and totally subconscious. The conscious mind can handle one thought, one task at a time. The subconscious can handle dozens. You need to learn to let it, but that means accquirring the muscle memory of what a perfect shot looks like, what a perfect trigger break feels like,etc., etc., etc..

I have a single mantra that repeats every time I fire a shot, and focus exclusively on each point as I repeat it; Alighnment, picture, focus, squeeze. I do this fr each and evcery shot in a rapid fire string, as well as on slow fire. On each point, it reminds me to check that point off as I'm breaking the shot. Alignment; aligning the sights perfectly. Picture, making that last second adjustment to a proper sight picture WITHOUT losing the alignment I just verified. Focus, is a direct check that my focus is sharp, hard and clear on the front sight, and nothing else. And as I'm thinking Squeeze, the shot is already breaking on its own. This process for each shot takes maybe 2.5-3 seconds, no more, far less time than it takes to describe. The rest, should be left to the subconscious.

What you say about my list being too long and the necessity of ingraining shooting at a subconscious level makes a lot of sense. When I am shooting clays with my shotgun or am working on handgun combat skills (quick draw / rapid target engagement at 15 yards or less, malfunction / reloading drills, etc) it's mostly instinct / muscle memory.

For combat handgun practice, gripping the holstered weapon properly, flipping off the safety and rotating as I draw, acquiring the front sight as I push out, putting my the correct part of my finger on the trigger, and executing a smooth trigger pull are not things I consciously think about. "Front sight / press" is the only thing on my mind with the handgun and all else is subconscious. I can see how this would not be different with long range rifle disciplines. With the shotgun it's: mount, point, lead, shoot.

 

[40xs]

In the last few years I've found myself parcticing, ( not in matches) and conditioning myself to execute accurate fire ( with mostly pistol ) while under stressed condition. Unlike in Bullseye matches where you shoot once and bring the weapon down to regain relaxation. I will shoot an entire magazine while holding the weapon extended and even with strained breath. I feel that if you can improve your personal performance under these conditions it will only help when you are shooting in a more relaxed state, but still remembering what is required to deliver a precision shot, ie; sight picture, npa, breath control, proper and same grip. trigger squeeze,etc.

 

[ksthomas]

HogBoss,

If you're really interested in this, you might want to check out "With Winning in Mind" by Lanny Bassham. Lanny was an AMU smallbore shooter, an Olympic Gold Medalist and former World Champion. He developed what he calls the Mental Management System, specifically to deal with things like this. Match pressure, nerves, subconscious self-sabotage (oh, yeah) and a host of other things that shooter do to themselves that keep them from reaching their potential. Great system, and it really does work.

 

[taliv]

my list is a lot longer, and some of you will think i'm crazy, but i do all this before just about every shot. ( my list is also quite different for HP though)

for sniper type matches, while the positions change, i try to do the following where possible (starting from mostly in the position and behind the gun, bolt back, mag in)

grip
-check scope turrets to make sure they are still where i left them
look at target over scope
point gun at target (so i don't have to search for it through the scope)
-index cheek to stock
-support hand to rear bag
move crosshairs near target
check head position using vignetting and brightness, fine tune if necessary
run bolt
-spin parallax to midrange and back for mirage check and feel for wind (usually i can hear it vibrating the string that holds my ear pro and i kind of gauge the speed by the pitch)
hand back to palm swell, finger touching trigger
estimate time i have to shoot
-relax body into the bipod or support
-fine tune rear bag
-switch focus to other eye, check bubble level
-check i'm on right target, not cross firing
take up 1st stage
-feel wind once more
relax face muscles and sort of quiesce myself and focus (hard to describe, but i shoot both eyes open even on 25x because it's hard for me to relax closing one eye)
-aim small
i see a hit (sort of a combination the sight picture I want and a positive thinking "this shot is going to be a hit") <----- i think executing this step is the biggest difference between hits and misses for me
then pull trigger as i think about forcing my eyes open to call my shot
before i blink, take instant mental snapshot of sight picture for reference in next shot
after i blink watch the trace/impact
open bolt



i don't think about breathing (i might be pausing it subconsciously, but it's not something i think about.)

items marked with a "-" are things i skip if i don't have time or the position isn't conducive