BY SERGEANT FIRST CLASS JASON PARKER U.S. ARMY MARKSMANSHIP UNIT
GOING INTO THE 2013 SEASON, there are quite a few International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) rule
changes that have been fi nalized. Eventually these rules will trickle down to the USA Shooting national, and eventually, club level. Many of these changes affect equipment or general technical rules; however, the most notable changes are how the fi nals will be conducted. All events will now start from zero instead of bringing an athlete’s qualifi cation score forward. All for-
mats have been changed to include shooting series of shots and elimination shots resulting in only two competitors fi ring the last shot for the gold medal. In this article, I will address how to be an effective three-position fi nals shooter under these new rules. In the new fi nals, Men’s 50m Prone and Men’s 10m Air Rifl e will both have the same format with the exception of time limits. The three-
position fi nal has had the most drastic changes including shooting and transitioning to all three positions. The following are new skills each athlete will need to practice and add to his or her tool belt: the ability to rapidly change to the next position; get into position with ease; fi re the shot within the new time limits and recover quickly while getting ready for the next series.
BE ORGANIZED
Organization will be a key factor when you are changing over from one position to the next. Your goal should be to complete your transitions in a timely manner and be ready to execute quality shots once you get to the fi ring line. Your organiza- tion starts in the preparation time when you bring all of your equipment to the fi ring line. I recommend that when you go to the fi ring line you have a checklist of the things you will need. Then, set all your equipment up on the fi ring line so it is easy to access. This list should include, but is not limited to, items such as ammo, earplugs, wrenches, glasses, timer and hat. You should also report to the fi ring line with your boots laced and shooting pants on in order to save time during your transitions. Every minute helps when you’re trying to gain enough time for one or two more sighting shots.
SIMPLIFY YOUR POSITION
Try to set up your positions so you make as few adjustments as possible between positions. In today’s shooting sports, the equipment can be adjusted into any confi guration imaginable. Eliminate extra adjustments and you will save valuable time. However, don’t go to the extreme and build a position with minimal adjustments that is uncomfortable, illegal or doesn’t give you the support required. Keep this in mind as you go through your normal position training and always make mental notes as to why you are making certain adjustments. If you don’t have a good reason to move something, DON’T.
HAVE A TIMER
If there is an external factor that gets my heart racing more than oth- ers, it would be the pressure of running out of time. The timer will allow you to keep track of the amount of time left in the changeover period and you will also be able to monitor how much time is left dur- ing a series of shots. Watching the time during the changeover is self explanatory. You want to maximize your time to get as many sighting shots as possible. However, don’t rush your sighters to get one or two more shots and end up with a bad position.
26 USA Shooting News | Spring 2013 Another thing I noticed while going
through a few training fi nals is that I am able to get 12-15 sighting shots off before prone, but I would only be able to get three sighters before standing. To combat that imbalance of time, I started to fi nd ways to get ready for standing earlier. Some ex-