It’s a Movie, Not a Snapshot!

I said something yesterday that I’ve never said before. We use the term “sight picture” to describe where our eyes are when we take the shot. This leads people to look for a snapshot, which makes them poke at the end of the shot.

Although I do emphasize the “picture,” (left of the barrel or across the barrel) and visualizing the picture, my visual process is more a movie of how it comes together, rather than a snapshot.

This is why the kill shot reviews are so powerful. They show the movie how the shot comes together, which includes not only the end picture but also the timing of how it comes together!

As I think back about my shots and Nationals in 2013, this is what I saw. It was a movie, which includes the end product. But it emphasizes how the shot comes together. This includes timing – and it’s all timing!

By the way, at that Nationals, all I did was watch the kill shot review over and over…

I see the movie and then shoot the movie, which makes me smoother at the end of the shot. The movie is very detailed with respect to how it comes together. Not so much about the exact lead, except on quartering shots! On quartering shots I will visualize the movie but be stubborn with the picture of the target being either left of the bead or right of the bead.

This takes the panic out of the end of all shots for me. And it will definitely help all pick up some of the quartering shot that we give up on by hoping!