A quote from native North Carolinian, Michael Jordan
I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
In addition to being an excellent athlete, Jordan is known for his relentless training and never ending commitment to excelling and keeping his sport pure. 
What does this have to do with shooting? Athletes often return to the fundamentals; shooters should follow their example. Sometimes, you have to take it back to the basics.
When was the last time that you stopped and “watched” what you were doing when you were at the range? Even advanced shooters can benefit from practice of the fundamentals. Here are some refreshers to reflect on:
Grip refers to how the gun is held. Whether one- or two-handed, the grip should be high, firm and consistent. Create a good grip by placing the backstrap in the web of the hand and wrapping the fingers around the stock. For the two-handed grip, bring the support hand around the front of the grip so that the fingers of both hands overlap.
Aiming determines the point of impact and consists of sight alignment and sight picture. The proper way to aim is to align the front sight at the same height and centered with the back sight and pictured against the target with the eyes’ focused on the front sight.
Breath Control minimizes gun movement. Practice by taking a deep breath, letting out half and holding it during the shot.
Hold Control is holding the gun motionless while aiming and firing through a firm grip and a stable shooting position. Physical fitness and muscle tone is important for hold control.
Trigger Control is squeezing the trigger without moving the sights by gradually increasing pressure to the trigger in a way that the shot comes as a surprise. If you know when the gun will fire, you’ll very likely miss the target.
Follow Through ensures a good shot by implementing all shooting fundamentals before, during and after the shot the same way every time. While it might take years to master, eventually this becomes almost instinct.
What other fundamentals can you think of?
We’d love to hear from you.
ProShots Range Staff
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