Back from his recent 2015 NRA National Outdoor Pistol Championship at Camp Perry and as he gears up for the 2016 Olympics, here is a great article from Olympian and multi-champion shooter Keith Sanderson.
Keith Sanderson’s Theory of Everything (…and Pistol Shooting)
Two-time Olympian Keith Sanderson talks like he shoots: Fast, loud, brash, but with reason.
Army Reserve Marksman 
Notes on the USA Shooting magazine.
1. The main reason I was in EXCITED ANTICIPATION to see this was hopes of getting more Sanderson tips on how to shoot well. the title, “Theory of Everything,” was a bit misleading. It was a great disappointment the find mostly eyewash of human interest flavor. Yes, the article was worth reading, but it wasn’t what I expected. Maybe for a raw beginner, in anticipation of the various videos you USAR folks have posted. Those are gems!
There were several truths presented (learn good form, exercise to build stamina, practice intensely), but for me, the one that was most impressive was “You can have a bad score, but if it’s the highest score on the line, you’re going to win.”
I learned this several times, once quite dramatically at a Quantico match. We had a minor hurricane come through. Lots of wind, LOTS OF RAIN, branches being blown off trees. Shots were “covered” not by pasters, but by rolling the pasters and sticking them IN the holes.
Each time I shot prone, rain water would be blown back into my rear sight and I’d have to blow it clear. At first, I was really depressed. Then, I figured everyone else would be having the same miseries – so just shoot my best. It turned out that on that stage and relay (300 rapid), I did have one of the higher scores, much better in comparison to others than I usually shot. I think they let the weather break their concentration.
This lesson applies in any nasty environment: wind, dust, rain, cold … just find ways to accommodate the conditions and SHOOT.
2. Look at the target image on page 58. Look at the pattern of impacts. Look at the number to the left of the centerline. In fact, look at the concentration in the upper left quadrant of the 10-ring.
The main thing is the left grouping. You may remember I’ve mentioned that before.
Aye. We didn’t have any input on that article. I just passed it along because it was about someone associated with our teams.
I wish USA Shooting would be more in depth on the training end but their publicity focus seems more about generating donations for their already-established Olympic hopefuls rather than get the next group of shooters involved and up through the skill ranks.
I once asked Nick Mowrer (http://www.teamusa.org/Athletes/MO/Nick-Mowrer.aspx ) about lack of sporting events for those of us not good enough to make an Olympic team but interested in shooting an IOC-recognized shooting discipline. He flat admitted to not being aware of such a thing and said the only people he knew shooting the discipline were those good enough to by vying for team slots.
Sanderson holds the U.S. record for Rapid Fire but there are only a handful of Americans currently shooting the discipline. Now, even if 50,000 American gun owners became seriously interested in Rapid Fire, rushed to take it up today, and continued their interest for decades, Sanderson’s record would hold for a long time because he’s that good. Of course, if there were that many active shooters in the discipline the improved awareness and visibility would only increase interest and funding for USA Shooting.
Organized shooting is not a victim of an anti-gun media. It remains a fringe, underground sport simply because there aren’t enough people interested in it. Golf is more visible and better funded simply because more people actively play and support it.
We have many gun owners but few marksmen. Golf has many golfers.
http://firearmusernetwork.com/2015/03/01/golfing-and-shooting-demographics/