Adjustments!

Sometimes you will see a shooter in competition, whether seasoned or novice, be all over the place, high right, then low left, then high left, then low right.  You will think how can he miss so often.  What is happening is he is thinking about it and trying to adjust his draw to hit the target.

Never, ever, adjust your draw in competition.  Adjusting your draw is normally fatal.  Thinking about it is normally fatal.  That is why most often we lose to slower shooters when we try to adjust to slow down.

All adjustments need to be made before the set command. All adjustments need to be to our alignment and not to our draw. 

Horizontal adjustments are made by moving the feet.  If you are shooting right turn your shooting toe to the left slightly.  If you are shooting left turn slightly to the right.  I have told novices to turn their toe and invariably they will lift the ball of the foot moving in the proper direction then raise and move their heel in the same direction and final alignment is the same or worse.   When you change your alignment raise your the ball of your shooting foot and turn it slightly. Do not move your heel. After adjusting the shooting foot you can move the off foot to where it comfortable.  All this is done prior to the set command.  With practice you should be able to move your shot across the target in small increments, say 3 inches.

Vertical adjustments are made by changing your balance.  If you are shooting low, balance back slightly.  If you are shooting high, balance forward slightly.  Again this is done before the set command.  Again with practice you should be able to sweep over the target from bottom to top in small increments.  Again all adjustments are made prior to the set command.

Let me repeat. NEVER EVER ADJUST YOUR DRAW IN COMPETITION!!!!!!!!!

When the "shooter on the line" command is given you are done making adjustments.  You just draw your normal draw, each and every time. I have heard other mentors tell their shooters to change where they are aiming.  I think that is bad advice.  We do not aim.  We should not try to adjust our draws or adjust our aim.  

A good practice drill would be to start with a blank card board with no aiming spot set at 6 feet. The 6 feet helps so that we hit the cardboard most of the time.  Then practice walking your shot string across the target in 1 inch increments from left to right.  Left to right since most of us are right-handed and have a cross-shot.  You practice making the pre-set command  horizontal adjustments.  Likewise you can next walk your shot string from bottom to top.  When you are done hopefully you will have a big plus sign on your target.

In competition if you hit the fringe of the target make an adjustment to move your shot towards the center.  If you have been practicing making small adjustments (3 inches), you should have the confidence to walk your shots to the light.  A fringe hit may be a fringe miss without an adjustment.  

Again, NEVER EVER CHANGE YOUR DRAW IN COMPETITION!!!