Do most folks need to let their training "Soak in"?

[Snarlingiron]

I shot Skeet or Sporting clays just about every week end for a year. I worked on various problems, shotgun fit, lead, etc. Then hunting season came along, and I didn't shoot clays for about 2 months. Last weekend I went out for a few rounds of skeet. With no thought, and little effort, I shot 23, 22, 23 ( I can't get dialed in on Station 8).

For me it always seems that when I take a hiatus from something of this nature and then return, everything just seems to fall in place. It was the same for pistol training.

Is this just my peculiarity or is it the same for most?

 

[Milkmaster]

practice..practice...practice...and maybe a knowledgeable person to watch you shoot.

 

[Dave McCracken]

My training has been soaking in for decades. Keep on going, if it works.

Hit a plateau, then work on the problem.

 

[MCgunner]

It's like a bicycle. But, you do get rusty. I know how to ride a motorcycle. I raced, had a professional AMA road race license in the early 80s. I came back to it in 99 for a while after 11 years off and I couldn't do squat for 3 or 4 races. I'd go into a corner, mind knew what to do, but my body wouldn't do it, just screamed NOOOOOOOOOOO! LOL Well, it took half a season to get back into it. I was depressed the first race back.

Point being, I knew well how to ride, but racing, well, I lost the edge. I'd reckon it's the same with gun competitions. It takes a lot of practice to stay on top. I've done enough IDPA to see this is fact and skeet and trap should be no different. I'm a hunter, anyway, never got sucked in to serious clay shooting. A man can have only so many expensive hobbies on a working man's salary. I still dabble a bit in mini bike racing. Same skills on smaller motorcycles with less damage when you crash. LOL It's a lot easier on the budget, too. It keeps those special skills honed. One should practice with firearms for the same reason. You might not lose the skill, but you'll lose that sharp edge.

 

[green country shooter]

A police officer i know said he shot his best qualification this year when he hadn't practiced at all. I said he'd probably laid off long enough to cure his flinch.

 

[MCgunner]

Judging by SOME of the LEOs I've shot against, that's believable. ROFL!