WINNING IS A MOVING TARGET
The standard of shooting worldwide has risen massively over the past 20 years, particularly at the top level of competition. Only a few years ago it would have been unheard of for someone to hit in the high 90s at a Sporting shoot; now it’s commonplace. The winning scores get higher each year. As a result, everyone is having to find new ways to keep getting better.
“This has been happening for generations in other sports, of course, but shooting is beginning to catch up,” says David Radulovich, a Team USA shooter, World Fitasc Champion and co-host of the Beyond the Podium podcast. “Our sport isn’t particularly old compared to other major sports. Take golf for instance. It’s been around for hundreds of years, so over time professionals have been able to look at factors other than just the mechanics, allowing them to get better.”
As the standard of shooting competition rises, it affects not just the competitors but also their coaches. “To stay in the coaching business I have found new ways that allow my students and I to stay at the top,” says David, who has found a ‘questioning’ technique useful to prompt improvement in his own shooting. “The question I have always used is ‘What is the next thing that will improve my score?’ If there are eight things that will enhance my shooting performance, I need to find a way to try out all of those eight things.”
David explains
