“My pistol/rifle was shaking too much,” is perhaps one of the most common responses athletes give when their coaches ask them how their match went. Although this may also only be a changed perception due to higher levels of adrenaline making your senses sharper, it is also true that the less your rifle/pistol shakes, the more control you can exert over it and the higher your results should be. Preparation season is a good time to focus on dry-firing drills for a better hold and dedicate a lot of time to them. Later in the season, you can maintain your hold by doing these drills for only a few minutes before each practice. These drills will activate your core muscles that keep you steady in your shooting position and strengthen the stabilizing muscles in your body that hold balance and reduce sway.
Drill 1: Single-Leg Stability Stand
Instructions: Stand on one leg while holding the rifle/pistol, ideally close to the wall for safety. This is done with or without equipment, with or without shoes and should mimic the shooting stance as much as possible. If it is impossible for you to lift a leg in your shooting position, you can rest slightly against the wall. Hold the position for 20 seconds, then switch legs.
Focus: Activates core, lower leg, and ankle stabilizers crucial for balance and reducing sway.
Drill 2: Half-Squat Wall Slide
Instructions: Without your shooting equipment, raise your rifle/pistol, assume a half-squat position with the back lightly resting against the wall. Slide down slightly and hold for 10-20 seconds.
Focus: Engages quads, glutes, and core to maintain stability under tension, simulating lower body endurance in a shooting stance.
Drill 3: Guided Pattern
Paste the above guided pattern for a better hold (available in pdf for both rifle and pistol and downloadable here) on the wall with the middle circle in the height of your front sight (measure the height when you are in position on the firing line, aiming at a target). Then stand next to the wall so that your sight is up to 10 cm away from the wall when you are in position. Rifle shooters can do these drills with the shooting jacket or without.
1. Slow Target Transitions: Have the shooter begin at the top-left circle and, while holding the shooting position, slowly transition to each target along a designated path.
2. Hold at Points: Pause for 5-10 seconds on each circle before moving to the next. Focus on maintaining control and stability during each transition, try moving your rifle/pistol as slowly as possible.
3. Varying Paths: Set different movement paths for each session (e.g., zigzag, diagonal, horizontal) to keep your mind and muscles actively engaged.
This pattern and drills will reinforce smooth, controlled movements and build the muscle memory needed for subtle rifle/pistol adjustments as well as activate your core, resulting in a better hold. Think of the muscles you are engaging to move your rifle/pistol and try to activate different muscle groups. Rifle: Are you leading your rifle with your left hand, your right shoulder, or your hips? Pistol: Try leading your pistol only with your wrist, only with your shoulder, or only from your hips.
1 thought on “3 Drills for A Better Hold”
Very nice exercise