We asked a selection of Laporte sponsored shooters for their best tips on how to improve – here’s what they told us.
Be honest with yourself. It’s very easy to have a bad day, we all have them. The temptation to blame it on external factors such as hard targets, poor light or injury is very tempting. You can learn a lot from a bad day, such as how to prevent them in the future.’ – Allan Ritchie
‘Shoot for yourself. A round of 25 is 25 individual competitions of one target at a time. Don’t think about scores or worry about what anyone else has hit. Just focus on what is in front of you at that moment. If you are relaxed and happy then the scores will follow.’ – Maddie Purser
‘Learn to shoot technically correct before you have a gun fitted. Otherwise you will have a gun fitted to suit a bad technique.’ – Elena Allen
‘Enjoy your shooting. You’ll shoot significantly better if you enjoy what you are doing. Its supposed to be enjoyable, not a chore. Keep the mindset that you’re supposed to be having fun.’ – Emma Stacey
‘Have the confidence and belief in yourself that you will do well. Everyone can have a bad day or a bad month but its not about giving up. You can only measure yourself against your own performance and not against other people. Easier said then done!’ – Elise Dixon
‘Don’t be put down by bad scores after a ‘bad’ shoot. Think about what you have learned from that day and what to improve on next time.’ – Alfie Tibbles
‘Eat well before and during competitions to keep your energy up. Have a decent breakfast before the shoot and take snacks in your bag to keep you going.’ – Lucy Pitt
Take time to learn your technique and build consistency with your routines. Do not be afraid to be different and do your research on coaches. A good coach, like the editor of a great book, will help perfect talent, not rewrite it.’
– Jack Fairclough
‘Gun set up is crucial. You must know where your gun is shooting. I suggest using a pattern plate for gun set-up with a person who knows what they are doing. Everyone who shoots will offer advice but only take advice from someone at the top of their game.’ – Cathal McDonal
‘Get your gun fit. Juniors, like myself, are constantly growing and our bodies changing. Following any changes to the gun, you will need to pattern plate to confirm the gun is shooting where you are looking.’ – Owain Humphreys
‘Do your own thing in either competitions or practise. Shoot with people who are good shots to bring the best out of you.’ – Gareth Williams
‘Pre set-up routine is possibly the most underrated but most important aspect. If you don’t commit to getting the pre-shot routine sorted and repeatable then you end up missing a load of targets. Slow everything down, learn to breathe, learn to relax before saying ‘pull’.’ – Oliver Sampson
‘Never stop working the basics. Fine tuning is great but having solid fundamentals will always put you in a better position than the majority of your competitors.’ – Ed Solomons
‘Have a good gun fit before you start shooting. This will make all the difference and to dry mount in front of a mirror to improve muscle memory.’ – Callum and Megan Jones
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