Basic Pistol Course:
https://defendersanddisciples.com/training-defenders-and-disciples/nra-basics-of-pistol-shooting-course/
Basic Rifle Course:
Shot anticipation (flinching) is the natural reaction most people have when they pull the trigger of a firearm. It is the involuntary “dipping” of the muzzle just before the shot breaks. In my experience, it is the most common reason people miss the target.
During live fire, shot anticipation is difficult to detect, due to the violent recoil of the firearm that occurs milliseconds after the anticipation. Shot anticipation can sometimes be misdiagnosed as poor trigger control. However, after having a new shooter perform a few iterations of dry-fire with no sight disturbance, the low hits on target will persist during live fire.
This is because shot anticipation is psychological, not mechanical.
You have probably heard someone say that the shot should surprise you. The reason this is taught is to mitigate shot anticipation. However, it does not take many shots with a particular firearm before you can predict just where in the trigger pull the gun fires. Once you know this point (consciously or subconsciously) you begin to prepare for the inevitable explosion and loud noise that will occur three feet from your face.
I believe that there are times when telling a new shooter that the shot should surprise them is effective; however, there are many times when you need to know how to fire a gun at the moment you need it fired and not some mysterious period after you begin pressing the trigger.
Imagine if someone only ever learned to “let the shot surprise them” and they needed to use that firearm in a defensive scenario. Now, I don’t think anyone would slowly press their trigger such that the shot would surprise them in a defensive scenario. So why train them this way if there are better options?
Therefore, I like to advocate for desensitizing shooters to recoil.
Some have suggested that dry-fire can help with shot anticipation, but I disagree entirely. Dry-fire is great for drilling the fundamentals and mechanics of firearms manipulation; however, it does not address the psychological component of shot anticipation.
The most effective means, as far as I am aware, for fixing shot anticipation is to not let the student know whether the gun is going to go bang or go click. This is accomplished using a “Ball and Dummy” drill.
#ballanddummy #marksmanship #shootingdrill