Psychological Pointers, Tactical Pointers

The Path to Progress - Hand Model

Kristina Kiisk

Sep 6, 2024

The following Practical Pointer is an excellent teaching tool for coaches trying to explain progress to their shooters. It employs a visual aid to help grasp this abstract concept and leaves the shooters with a physical trace of their endeavours. Read on to discover the Hand Model designed by Kristina Kiisk.

Hand Model

This past December I came up with a hand model as a visual metaphor for (young) shooters to understand progress. We all want progress to be linear, which it is most definitely not. To illustrate this point, I ask my shooters to take a piece of paper and a waterproof marker. Then they are to place their hand on the paper, with fingers spread wide. If the start of the journey (whatever “the journey” may be for you, whether it’s the whole shooting career you’re picturing or learning the technique of a single shot, doesn’t matter, as long as it’s something that has a beginning and an end, a destination) is at one side of the wrist, your point A, and the end is on the other side, your point B, the only viable way to get from point A to point B is to trace the fingers up and down. But before we do that, I ask them to try to find a shortcut between the two points, which would require them to draw a line across their wrist, as this is the shortest way from the “beginning” to the “end”. And so they draw a line, with the waterproof marker, on their wrist, connecting points A and B. The problem with this solution is, as I then explain to them, is that we THINK that we’re doing something, working towards something, getting from point A to point B effectively; but in reality, there’s actually no trace of our work and it is useless – the line vanishes as soon as we lift our hand off the paper; there’s no mark on the paper, as if we never drew it in the first place …

So the first point of this exercise is to demonstrate that if we search for shortcuts and are tempted to half-ass, we get nowhere. Even worse, we can develop a bunch of bad habits and build up a lot of frustration along the way, putting in useless work. To get to where we want, we must trace the fingers up and down, which is a great visual demonstration of the path of the progress, we go up, then in order to continue, we must come down; we climb and then we fall. And we repeat it. And even if we don’t like it, even if we resist it, even if it’s long(er) and hard(er), this is THE way that will take us to the goal, the point B, and that is the path, the only one, that will leave its mark on the paper.

The second part of the visual demonstration involves the actual drawing of the hand and the fingers. This is how I help my students understand the development and the parts of a shot process (but it could be anything, really). Bottom line being: you can’t start at the end, you can’t jump to the end; you have to GET to the end, and you have all five fingers to go through before you can get to the end (or you’ll just end up with a line across your wrist with nothing to show for it on the paper).

Finger 1: Shot Process

The first finger represents creating the shot process – the simple act of establishing the steps of your shot. Many of us have a shot process, but we (at least some of us, especially those who are plagued with impatience and let the ego, which is a lazy piece of work, to call the shots – shooting pun totally intended) expect it to magically yield results and high scores right away. But there’s still a long way to go.

Finger 2: Memorize

The next step, before we can even begin to apply it, is to actually properly learn the steps of the process, the act of committing the sequence to memory – that’s your second finger. Spoiler alert, we still have 3 fingers to go before we can expect any results, so hold your horses! But it’s oh so tempting to feel entitled to success, having already “done the work”, “I’ve already done two fingers, how much longer?” the ego complains … Well, the first two fingers are easy, sorry to disappoint. Now the actual work can begin.

Finger 3: Internalize

At the third finger you start instilling the shot process, internalising it, becoming fully familiar and comfortable with it. How do you do it? Quality repetition will totally do. You can effectively practice it both on and off the range, with actual shooting practice or visualisation, mindfully repeating the steps of the process over and over. If visualisation practice is something that you struggle or are not completely comfortable with, please do not despair. One shot a day to start out with will be sufficient. You only need 2 minutes a day, every day, to build a habit that sticks. Don’t push or overextend yourself. Start with 1 shot or 2 minutes a day. Gradually over time you become more comfortable visualising and won’t resist it or fear it so much. This will get you nicely past the third finger into the fourth finger.

Finger 4: Apply

Now you start applying your shot process, but it’s too early to expect that you’ll be able to stick to or follow it for the whole duration of the match. Maybe you’ll be able to apply your shot process efficiently for only 10 shots, to begin with, if even that; then you might lose focus or grow tired or impatient or whatever demons surface during shooting to try and steal the show. So be it. The forth finger is where we extend the application of the shot process. Patiently and systematically. We want to extend it so that we’re capable of following it for the whole 60 shots of competition. That takes time. And patience. And courage. And work. The goal is to get ourselves into a repeat mode, a mindful automatisation, like clockwork. Stick with it. We’re nearly done with the fourth finger, and we still have a finger to go, so you shouldn’t expect flawless execution to match your shot process application just yet. Chances are, if you stick to the process and follow the model carefully, you are already going to see your result improving or your execution taking shape even before you reach the fifth finger, but let’s not jump the gun yet (shooting pun intended, #2); that’s neither the goal nor the focus of the fourth finger. You might be following the process closely and carefully, but the execution might still not come out quite right, be it technically, physically or mentally. This is what we’re after with the fifth finger.

Finger 5: Precise Execution

Once you’re able to follow your shot process consistently for 60 shots or the duration of the match, you move onto the fifth finger, where you focus on the precise execution, closely following the shot process you have created, learned, internalised, and put into consistent practice. That’s where application and execution meet. Consistent application = consistent execution = consistent result. Mind you, even reaching the fifth finger does not guarantee you lasting consistency and it will require work, awareness, mindfulness and commitment from you for every single shot, and you will still see ups and downs (because progress is not linear). The point is that you should not be expecting to execute perfectly until you reach the fifth finger in the first place (not that perfection even exists, but for the lack of a better term, I use this word).

By following this model step by step, mastering each “finger” thoroughly and completely before moving on to the next one, you provide yourself with a better chance of finding your shot and establishing consistency; you give yourself the highest possible opportunity of getting from point A to point B with the fewest number of detours. You do all the work first, then the result will follow. Take it or leave it.

And the waterproof marker? Well, I’d like my students to have the line across their wrist for some time after the exercise as a reminder of the importance of good choices and proper work. That shortcuts and attempts to half-ass will leave them with nothing more than an ugly line across their hand that they now have to work hard to remove.

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