Fixing Bad Habits

Fixing Bad Habits

Every shooter develops bad habits from time to time. Lots of times the bad habits are lax safety protocols when handling your firearms. If you have a bad habit with that, fix it!

But, what I want to discuss today are bad habits in the fundamentals that you may not know you are doing. I was shooting at the Sporting Clays National Tournament very recently. I’d also visited the foremost gun fitter in the country and he said for my over/under shotgun to fit correctly they needed to cut quite a bit off the end of the stock because the length of pull was too long. And, they could likely do it that day and I’d have it back before my event the next day. Awesome, let’s do it!  Well, my shooting sucked. Why? I was essentially shooting a brand new shotgun. Everything felt different about it, the weight, the balance, the movement while tracking birds. The gun went from feeling like it was part of me to feeling awkward. It seemed like I was exactly where it needed to be in the sight picture but birds weren’t breaking! I couldn’t figure it out all day. Then the nicest gentleman said I was lifting my head off the stock for the second shot. My response: “well that explains the entire day! I’ve never done that before and I’m shooting a brand new gun. And thank you very much!” Having experienced, well-trained eyes on you while shooting is invaluable. Me and that gun will be spending a lot of time at the range so it goes back to feeling like an extension again.

Lifting the head of the stock is a common mistake in sporting shotgun, so is failing to keep the gun moving. Here are some common mistakes when shooting pistols:

1) No training plan – do you have goals or do you just go to the range and send lead at the target? Decide what you want to work on and the timeline. Want an LTC? Awesome! It’s not a new-shooter course. Take a basic handgun class to be ready for it. You will also need a holster class and some defensive shooting training. Along with regular practice and more advanced defensive shooting. The good news is that it’s fun to do and you will learn a lot more about yourself and the gear you’ve chosen. Wouldn’t you rather find that out on the range than in real life?

2) Trying to learn off You-Tube – You wouldn’t believe how much I hear this! It’s actually very encouraging that so many people are seeking information and researching about pistol training, techniques, etc. But, you cannot learn how to shoot from You Tube! There is fantastic content on there if you understand some things. And, there is a ton of absolute, dumpster fire garbage. You need to be in person with a qualified instructor to learn some things.

3) Not being present – Being present means really paying attention in the moment and doing everything with intention. After all, you have a loaded firearm in your hands! If you are thinking about your day, the last shot you missed, the squabble you had with your spouse or kids, work pressure, etc. you are not present. You are just sending lead down range. If the gun is in your hand, everything should be with intention and a present mind. We can all be distracted by life. But, it’s not meaningful practice.

4) Not focusing on the front sight or getting sucked into the dot – Do you just look at your front sight or do you really focus on it? Looking means it can drift slightly (or a lot with an incorrect trigger press). Focusing on it makes the sight settle. Dot shooters tend to get sucked into the dot instead of focusing on the target, seeing the dot and taking the shot. Try this next time. Focus on the correct thing and see what happens to your shot group.

5) Anticipation – There are a lot of reasons people develop this habit. It’s obvious to an instructor because the muzzle dips down just as the shot breaks. Sometimes people are trying to game the recoil. You can’t! Everyone has to deal with recoil. Let the gun do what it’s engineered to do. You aren’t helping it or yourself. Anticipation can also be a pre-cursor to flinching. The fix for this is dry-fire, ball and dummy drills, and having your Guyde watch you for what is happening.

6) Holding your gun up too long or over confirming the sights – This is a very common thing. The gun gets heavy if you keep holding it out there. If you see the correct sight picture, press the trigger. Over confirming can be cured with understanding where your trigger breaks the shot. Dry Fire is the best way to do this. Spend a lot of time on your trigger press. Really feel all the things as you press the trigger. Do you have some “crunchiness” or something like the Glock “smoosh” on the way to the wall. One gun I have has a “hop hop hop” to the wall then a very crisp break. So, I know I can do that hop hop hop and be right on the wall, settle the sights quickly and press the trigger for a perfect shot. Get to know your trigger, your shooting will improve dramatically.

7) Incorrect grip or body position – Get a good grip on the gun and keep that same grip throughout your magazine or drill. Don’t adjust your grip for any reason. Consistency is the key to great targets. Always check your body position before starting. Where are your toes pointing? 45 degree angle away from your target? That means you have to do a lot of muscle compensation to stay on target. Square up to the target and things are much easier.

How do you correct these? Get regular training. Your Group Guyde is a well-credentialed individual. Take a class. You will learn more in a class than just going to the range and sending lead at the target. If you don’t know what you are doing wrong, you are continuing to give the brain the wrong feedback. It will take you longer to re-wire and develop the correct habits the longer you do that. You are much better off taking training than buying that new gun. The more consistency you develop, the better and better your targets will look. That’s the most satisfying thing in the world to have a beautiful target to be proud of. It’s next to impossible to develop that if you’re shooting a different gun all the time. I’m not saying don’t buy that new gun! But, training will get you much farther down the road. Then you practice at our events. Ready to level up? Take another training that helps with your goals. Then practice. Rinse and repeat.

 Stay safe and keep on training!