Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

What mainstream sport can benifit our skills?


DrLove

Recommended Posts

Fair warning, I'm new, started competitive shooting this past summer.

I've been working with a trainer since January, and this summer really started training with an eye toward 3-gun. We do a lot of football-style agility drills, which are pretty legit. I was thrilled to see one of the stages at the Fort Benning match start with a sled drag just like what we've practiced in the gym. That's a nice coincidence, and I've no delusions that such training will be so spot-on for other matches. That said, anything that consists of burst-ey cardio is amazing in my book. Some folks have mentioned tennis, and I couldn't agree more. Fast bursts of 30 to 60 seconds are good conditioning for what you'll see in match conditions. 3-gun match directors in particular love to make you run, run, run then settle down into a long-range rifle shot. Some others have mentioned basketball as well, that's got to be good too. Again from the 3-gun perspective, it's all about run run run then *whew* relax and make the shot. Remember to breathe!

From a fitness perspective, anything that gets your heart rate up then forces you to perform a skill-based challenge is the order of the day. Tennis and basketball both meet that criteria. If you don't want to do the Sport thing, just work on drills that force you into that scenario.

My favorite drill: Do some quick sprints, 10 to 20 yards, then a burpee (google it), come up into a kneeling position. Elbow on the knee, three points of contact, pointing a PVC pipe (guns aren't allowed at the gym!) at your trainer (or the wall). Make the shot. With a trainer, I point the PVC pipe at his outstretched palm (he selects at random) and I have to call out how many fingers he's holding up. That's about as good as it gets in a gym, not on the range. If you're on the range, even better. Run down to that popper and back, burpee up to the knee, and make the shot.

Those drills are as much about the mental focus as they are the physical. Being able to settle down with your heart pounding is worth practicing. BREATHE!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 58
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Mentally, I would say golf. Try reading the "Golf is not a game of perfect" book collection for mental preparation.

Ranger6

+1 on golf. I've seen really good golfers choke when the competition gets tight. The top player learns how to focus on the task at hand, nothing else. Coming down the stretch in a match, golf or shooting, it's very easy to focus on your score or hit factor instead of planing your stage or golf hole and just shoot your own game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

MMA is a good sport for all around fitness and movement skills. A large part of MMA is knowing body position and balance while being able to explode into a different position. Also the footwork with the stand up game is great for being explosive and moving in multiple directions.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MMA is a good sport for all around fitness and movement skills. A large part of MMA is knowing body position and balance while being able to explode into a different position. Also the footwork with the stand up game is great for being explosive and moving in multiple directions.

yeah, but the 'getting kicked repeatedly in the head by a maniac' caused me some trouble keeping my focus, and blood kept dripping into my eyes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah, but the 'getting kicked repeatedly in the head by a maniac' caused me some trouble keeping my focus, and blood kept dripping into my eyes.

Been hit a lot before, that was one of my strong points while fighting, I could get hit multiple times and still be able to focus on what I have to do. And luckily most of the time it wasn't my blood.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...