The relationship our brain has with our bodies is truly remarkable if you delve into all the little things that we know. The part I am particularly interested in is how well our brains adapt to certain things such as shooting. If we look at the precise actions involved in shooting, they are largely absent in our daily life. In many cases, we are doing things in isolation and combination that we will probably never perform elsewhere. This is why I think it is important that we not take a nonchalant approach to training new shooters. Stacking a ton of absolutely new concepts on someone and demanding precision is not impossible. The problem lies with being able to truly learn and create patterns that our brains will be able to not only remember, but build on. In this article I want to look at the task of shooting and controlling the recoil of a pistol with a proper grip technique, which is something people spend years trying to get right. Perhaps a look at everything from a neurological standpoint may help a little. MUSCLE GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS Have you ever considered just how many muscle groups get involved when it comes to shooting a pistol and controlling the recoil? When you are using a proper two-handed grip while aiming, you are involving muscles from your wrists, forearms, biceps, triceps, chest, and shoulders. In all those muscle groups, you are demanding a coordinated effort of both stabilizers and slow twitch muscle fibers in order to hold the gun steady while crushing that grip to control the imminent recoil. One thing I forgot to mention is that your trigger finger is required to act independently, which is one of the biggest reasons for missing a shot. We are demanding stability, maximum strength contribution, all except for a single digit that is accustomed to performing the same task as the others, but is tasked with moving while the others remain completely still. Not only that, but it also needs to overcome resistance without assistance from the other fingers. ISOLATION CHALLENGE As I discussed above, we are asking the trigger/index finger to move independently of the other fingers and even have it defeat resistance whilst doing so. Let us start out just by trying to make a fist with our index finger sticking straight out like we are pointing. Now move that finger back and forth like you are pulling a trigger. The faster you go, the more you are going to feel the other fingers mimic the action. This is just your body doing what it naturally does on any given day. This is one of the strongest reasons why you need time and practice on and off the range to even have a moderate level of competence. The longer you immerse your body and mind in a circuit of focused repetition, you create neural pathways that turns the isolated movement of the trigger finger under load into something normal…ish. There will always be movement, however you can lessen it with constant deliberate practice and repetition. VISUAL ELEMENTS In shooting, it is a standard today for shooters to have both eyes open but to prioritize a focus. You are using your eyes to establish a target/sight connection and hold that connection steady. There is also the element of hand eye coordination that helps you get right on target from the holster or when moving from target to target. Also, you have to use your eyes to monitor the actions of the threat. Oh, and let’s not forget that we need to keep our peripherals engaged to sense movement of friendlies or follow on hostiles. This can make for a heck of an eye workout, but the eyes are definitely capable of doing it, which should be a testament to the capability of the eyes. AGILITY DEMANDS It is a generally accepted idea to move when you are not engaged in actively firing, it is good to hold your ground when it is practicable, but be ready to utilize cover with haste if need be. This is where agility comes into play, as well as general speed. Being able to rush to a certain position and seamlessly establish a reasonably stable firing position should not be underestimated. This will help in keeping the pressure on the threat and end the fight sooner with less risk of getting put at a disadvantage. EFFICIENT MOTOR FUNCTIONS Establishing a mastery of manipulations is also an important element to increasing survivability. General manipulations can and should be practiced to the point that they are not only reflexive, but done without deviating your visual focus away from the threat. The thing people need to realize here is that time is what makes a difference and if your enemy needs only a split second to act, you should not hinder your ability to react while you are exposed. PERIPHERAL AWARENESS Though it can sound hypocritical to say focus on the target while also being aware of your surroundings, I have found the hard way that it is important. Using your ears and developing a peripheral motion sensitivity is not only helping establish a greater web of security, but it can also allow you to limit cognitive distraction when it may be needed in order to utilize maneuverability and plan out this maneuverability, which requires neurological focus. So, having a peripheral sensitivity that is passive can help with decreasing anxiety and the neurological load in a fight. Better awareness makes planning and strategic development much easier to learn and implement. CONSIDERATIONS I am doing a general overview in this article to kind of warm up your understanding of the subjects to come. I think people misunderstand not only the importance of these skills, but also how complex they can be for the brain. If we look at examples of efficient fighters such as SF, they can tell you how many tasks you need to be able to merge in order to increase your survivability. The skills are not impossible, but they do require more of your attention than just dopey occasional exposure. The idea that people perform “well enough” when using a firearm is not only lacking truth, but also are only looking at the ones who have survived to tell about it. I feel that this subject can help individual shooters to understand why it is important to maintain focus and commit to practicing even with no ammo. Also, the instructors can probably learn a bit here in order to understand how the human brain is stressed and use it to develop a more reasonable and easily absorbed set of lessons. This understanding can help keep shooters engaged and even patient enough to let their bodies adapt to the tasks required. In my mind this can only be helpful for all.
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Do It RiteAlaska-Based Youtube Vlogger, Retired Marine, Firearm and Gear Tester. Archives
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