Learning with Analogs

[mjoy64]

I started shooting competition pistol matches a year ago and was immediately drawn to the sport. When I to got in that mode of wanting to get better I did many things to try to facilitate this desire. One of the things I did was I drew a parallel to a similar learning process I went through... that being when I took up golf for the first time.

Now it probably is just me associating two things I love to do but... I wonder if any others had similar experiences. I work in the technical world so I tend to use that type of thinking when I learn. For me, I knew that the first two basic things I needed to have down cold for a good golf swing were my stance and grip. Without a solid foundation in these areas it is difficult to build a good golf swing.

Here are the grip/stance basics I learned from playing golf:

Stance - You need a good athletic stance, feet slightly wider than shoulder width, with your weight slightly favored toward the balls of your feet (maybe 60/40). Your stance should feel as if someone could give you a firm shove from the front and that it would not upset your balance. It is also key to assume your posture in the most relaxed manner possible, particularly avoiding tension in your hands as it leads to tension in other parts of your body. Tension does not enhance your ability to make a good fluid golf swing.

Grip - A good grip starts with your hands working in unison to deliver the club back to the ball with the clubface correctly aligned. The grip should be firm, but not so firm as to introduce tension in your arms.

With a proper and consistent grip and stance, you have the basis for the beginnings of a solid golf swing. A good golf swing is built on this solid foundation.

Here are the golf analogs that I applied to my shooting:

Stance - For me it felt almost identical to the golf swing, the biggest difference being where your hands are positioned and the direction you are focused while shooting. The stance was natural for me. What I had to fight off was my natural desire to hunch my head forward closer to the sights. Based on my best understanding of good shooting mechanics, my correction was to focus on lifting the gun up a little higher to my eye level instead of hunching my head down to the gun. I also struggle with tension in my shoulders and arms as I anticipate the buzzer to going off.

Grip - The basic thumbs forward grip with the strong hand as high as possible on the grip and the support hand canted foward made sense. With this grip I have the sensation that the hands are there working in unison toward the goal of bringing the gun back in line as the gun operates in recoil. I find my biggest struggle with the grip is when I rush the gun out of the holster (where my grip might only be 80% optimal) trying to get on that first target as quickly as possible. I have noticed several times that if I focus on a good grip as my one "swing thought" I may feel slower out of the holster but am much more in control during the entire COF.

Anyway, I have used some of my golf experience as an analog for trying to get better in this sport. I'm curious if anyone has mentally been down this path (or a simlar one).

Mike

[Jman]

Many parallels between the two games for sure. Both physical and mental.

Jim M

[Flexmoney]

Good post.