The New Rules of Marksmanship — Deliberate Practice [VIDEO]
How you become an expert shooter has more to do with how you practice than with merely performing a skill a large number of times. If it just took “putting in the time,” we would all be typing 1,000 words a minute by now, but we all just continue to peck away at the keys at about the same rate. Why is that?
An expert breaks down the skills that are required to be an expert and focuses on improving those skill chunks during practice, often paired with immediate feedback (see rule 7).
When I first learned to type in high school, I had a plan. I focused on where I needed improvement and practiced that — deliberately.
I then reached a point where I was “good enough” at typing, so I shifted FOCUS to higher priority items (at the time = chasing girls). Though I continued to type for the past 30+ years, more now than then, I STILL type at the same speed.
Why going to the range will never make you a better shooter.
Nine times out of ten, this is how shooters like you reach plateaus — you stop getting better and don’t know why since more PRACTICE does not equal more RESULTS. (BTW: The 10th time out of 10, the person is lying to themselves about their training.)
No matter what stage of shooting you’re in, Deliberate Practice is a must for moving forward. Find out how you can use deliberate practice to train smarter and faster than ever before in this week’s video.
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New Rule 6: Deliberate Practice
- How you practice is more important than how much you practice.
- Use the 80/20 rule to work on what’s most important first.
- Break each technique down into small “chunks” and practice “isolation drills.”
- If it’s boring, you’re on the right path.
- Keep a journal or training log.
- Only add stress when the path has been paved.
Are you deliberate with your practice or still pecking away at the keys?
Let me know how you are focusing on your weaknesses in the comments below.
Chris Sajnog
Founder of the New Rules of Marksmanship
