Part I: Stress and How to Conquer It.

The skills and character qualities exhibited by competitive sports shooters are universally significant and essential to all areas of a successful individual's personal and professional life. This is one of the reasons why this sport has captured the hearts of many outgoing businessmen and career professionals, not just aspiring Olympic athletes. One such skill is the ability to control one's physiological and emotional state in stressful situations.

It is often said that the hardest victory a man can possibly achieve is victory over himself. That is, it is difficult to control one's thoughts and emotions through raw will power, especially in time of extreme stress or anxiety. However, that is precisely what the highest level pistol shooters try to achieve in practice and especially during competition. You may recall experiencing feelings of mental strain and nervous tension while you are approaching a deadline for a big project you had to prepare for your company, while running behind schedule. That stress not unlike what an Olympic Target Pistol Shooter experiences while he is on the shooting range, as he tries to win a Gold Medal for himself and glory for his country. In the former business situation, you can take a break and relax during work to relieve some tension; in the latter situation, the Olympic Athlete must keep on performing, as he knows that he is only given a very limited amount of time during which he has to deliver his best effort when it counts. After all, you train for 4 years to get a chance to show what you've got in just 60 minutes on that Olympic shooting range. Of course, the mental pressure is immense.

It would be useful to go over the very nature of "stress" and what we mean by such curious terms as "tension" and "mental strain." When we are scared or nervous about something, our body releases large doses of adrenaline into the bloodstream. This is a potentially great source of energy! In the ancient times, this gift of nature was vital for primitive humans. It was mainly used in two ways: fight or flight. Since most stressful situations in today's world no longer require a violent physical response, an adrenaline rush can become an obstacle when we need to maintain focus and concentration on solving problems encountered at work or in our everyday relationships.

Competitive target shooters have a very technical way of overcoming this type of stress. A marksman knows his level of expertise by consistently showing certain results in practice, under little or no pressure. His goal is then to replicate and eventually outperform his day-to-day practice score in a competitive setting, but continuously partaking in tournament events at the local, regional, and even more advanced levels. Ultimately, the skilled shooter must rein in his emotions and use the stressful atmosphere for his own advantage. Consequently, these adverse conditions help the marksman peak during an important championship. To have such an ability would be greatly beneficial to all who desire success in sports, as well as in their professional lives. Remember, stress is not a sickness; it is not something you can cure or subdue forever. What you must learn to do is control your response to stressful situations, and you will begin to live a more peaceful, enjoyable, and fulfilling life! The first step in that process is pursuing an activity that will help you reach these goals, such as Target Pistol Shooting.

Neglecting the issue of stress can lead to serious health problems, including insomnia, eating disorders, and even depression. Unfortunately, society does not immediately provide us with a way to this issue. Your boss will probably not be very understanding if you ask him for a "day off" because you are feeling "stressed out" and cannot complete your work on time. Today, people are simply expected to "deal with it" and to "suck it up." However, there is an easier way to conquer stress, if you have the proper skills and experience to overcome such situations. If you have a problem, you need new skills to fix it and move forward (for this purpose, we developed advanced level of education such as High Intermediate Level and Master Class). Target Pistol Shooting is a perfect way to learn and actively practice these valuable skills. In a competition, every misplaced breath, every inaccurate movement, and even the slightest change in heart rate can be the difference between getting Gold and being Dead Last! Self-control is one of the most valuable human virtues, and Target Pistol Shooting is the right place to begin to achieve victory over yourself!

Part II: Other Advantages of Target Pistol Shooting.

Let us consider some other valuable advantages that sports pistol shooters enjoy. For one thing, any individual has the potential to compete at the highest level in Sports Target Shooting as long as they are willing to commit to it. There are virtually no physical or age limitations stopping you from taking part in this wonderful activity. Morever, Sports Shooting is widely enjoyed and practiced by both sexes alike! Furthermore, just as many women find security in being able to operate a firearm safely and efficiently, as criminals are deterred by the thought of potential targets who are armed and skilled in the use of firearms. Being able to protect your family by the use of force is a right that any responsible citizen should exercise if such need arises. You must start with a solid knowledge of safe gun handling and proper shooting techniques. If you are at this stage, you should consider signing up for a Basic Pistol Course!

Most of us have dreamed of becoming a professional athlete at least at some point in our lives. If you did not get a chance to try and realize your dream, the Target Shooting Sport always remains an option for anyone ambitious enough to take on the challenge of winning Olympic Gold in one of the oldest and most respected modern Olympic sports! It is never to late or to early to join a club team or start competing in local tournaments. The Swede, Ragner Skanaker, waited until he was 55 to win his first Olympic Gold Medal. Darius Young, an American, has kept on competing and showing solid results at various World Championships well into his 70s!

The psychology of this sport, lack of age limitations, practical usefulness for modern everyday life, great stress-management skills, development of general psychological knowledge - those are the fundamental skills on which the sport is based. I will again remind you that shooting a firearm is in no way limited only to men. Miss World 2002 - Oksana Fedorova demonstrated her ability to handle a pistol, and I am sure that she is not the only one!

This is just a brief summary of the many opportunities enjoyed by Sports Pistol Shooters. Please refer to one of our other articles for a complete list of reasons why people take up this great sport:
How can you benefit from Olympic Target Pistol Shooting?

I would also like to point out that it is essential to understand that the single shot, on which the whole sport is based - is a very complicated element. Complicated - meaning that it is made up of many important parts and rules that must always be followed. We will begin talking about these in our NRA-based course, which is called:

BASIC PISTOL

Course Taught By: Author of this article Ruslan Dyatlov - World Class Sports Master of the Russian Federation in pistol shooting, certified coach of Russia in pistol shooting, certified NRA instructor USA
Contact Phone: 248-935-3257
E-Mail: rdiatlov@hotmail.com

Contact us today to sign up for classes:

Prices & Tips
Midwest Academy of Target Shooting
Phone: (248) 935-3257
Email: rdiatlov@hotmail.com
Mail: Attn: Ruslan Dyatlov
Midwest Academy of Target Shooting
P.O. Box 2017 Royal Oak, MI 48068-2017

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