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Thread: How do I learn to stop flinching?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    May 2010
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    Thank You!

    Many thanks for all the great coaching! I am going to try many before our next regional. I really appreciated the time you all took to respond to my request for help!

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    Doug,

    Im late in replying but hope I can add something to consider in helping.

    During practice, my dad would take several caps that were basically ?duds? and mix them in my cap pouch.

    When practicing I?d be none the wiser if the cap I uses was hot or not. As you can imagine, by simply standing back and watching, when the hammer fell on a dud cap a jerk or flinch was CLEARLY evident. I would then simply recap and discharge the piece.

    IF you do this, ensure you empty out your cap pouch and remove any remaining duds before you shoot in a skirmish!

    As many will say, you want ?to be surprised? when your shot breaks. In these instances, your brain and distractions are not involved and as if found 90% or more of the time, I hit the mark despite thinking that I blew the shot.

    Practice, practice, practice... Over time, you will get to the point where each time you load, aim and shoot - it will be as if you?re ?running a program?. ENSURE you?re are always employing all of the basic fundamentals of marksmanship (stock welds, breath control, etc...). Then with repetition, the conscious aspect of shooting will be replaced by the sub-conscious (muscle memory). Like golf, shooting requires a lot of things to happen simultaneously and our brain can only truly concentrate on one thing at a time, hence the absolute need for the subconscious to take over when on the line.

    Hope this helps!
    Semper Fi,
    Rob Freeman
    Col, USMC (Ret.)
    1987-2019

    The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. - Vince Lombardi

  3. #13
    Rick R is offline
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    I'm replying even later just to make Rob feel better. I couldn't help but think of this thread as I watched a few misfires last weekend and saw a lot of flinching going on.

    I found flintlock shooting to help. The dummy cap in practice, oops sorry the "P" word, is a great idea. Overall, practice, follow through holding on target a bit after the shot will get it done as long as your load isn't punishing.

    Rick

  4. #14
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Traverse City, Michigan
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    Region:
    Northwest Territory - Michigan, Ohio and Indiana

    Thank You!

    I wanted to again say thank you for the great advice and coaching. I've been working on several of your suggestions and it's working! I took 2 gold medals in 50 yrd carbine and 1 gold medal and 1 4th place in 50 yard musket in our last two regional skirmishes! On to the Nationals.

  5. #15
    Eggman's Avatar
    Eggman is offline Banned
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    For the folks that follow up on this - I would say the key piece of advice, that is my own, has been deleted. I was reviewing the criteria I laid our for possible edit a while back, and my right hand somehow involuntarily jerked, deleting the whole thing. My apologies to all would be expert shooters out there.

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