AS INSTRUCTORS, trainers, teachers, educators, coaches, mentors or whatever we choose to call ourselves, our jobs are to effect behavioral change within those under our charge who are seeking to learn — or do — something unfamiliar. How this is done — and its long-term effectiveness — is largely determined by how the subject matter is communicated and to an even greater extent how it is demonstrated, especially if more than intellectual comprehension is required.
The act of shooting, like any other eye-hand-coordinated task, requires that contributions from the senses of sight, touch and sometimes hearing be coordinated by the brain, where they complement one another in achieving the desired outcome. Quite often, the manner in which the information is communicated determines the success (or lack thereof) among the people attempting to learn that information.
The very best teachers don’t just convey their message such that the students can understand the information or task; they convey their message so it cannot be misunderstood. This style of communication leaves no doubt in the students’ minds and, importantly for everyone, leaves little room for further discussion. In order to accomplish this, the whats, hows and whys of the subject matter must be clear, concise and non-arguable.
Hard Basics
In the realms of defensive or competitive shooting, casual or otherwise, the “what” is how we define success. Success in shooting, by most every definition, is hitting the intended target.
The “how” can be distilled down to stabilizing the muzzle on the target while pulling the trigger to cause discharge … without affecting the muzzle’s relationship to the target. It should be noted that “stabilize” means with the least amount of motion possible — as opposed to motionless, which is not possible (so long as the student in question has a heartbeat).
The “why” is simply how we are benefitted by the action we just performed. It is to successfully achieve the “what” in the triad of what, how and why. If the objective of shooting is hitting the target and we successfully do so, the learning and practical performance was accomplished.
You’ll notice that was all presented without acronyms, abbreviations or slang. It was clear to anyone with a fundamental awareness of gun safety that the primary concerns are the muzzle and the trigger, the same primary concerns in achieving overall success.
Concise is exceptionally important because many of us are conditioned early in life to learn in short bits of information such as A, B, C or 1, 2, 3. After the foundation is solid, more can be added, but too much information all at once tends to dilute or even eliminate the essentials necessary for successfully accomplishing the objective.
Exhibit A
When a statement or action cannot be questioned, it is non-arguable; it is easily accepted as fact with no other discussion necessary. Questionable information is distracting in the learning and performing of a task. It interferes with the acceptance and retention of the taught knowledge or ability.
In the example listed, it would be pretty hard to argue against hitting a target if the muzzle were pointed at it when the bullet exited the barrel.
Student learning takes place and is easily retained if the message presented is simple, makes sense, is non-arguable and is easy to achieve and reproduce with a minimal number of repetitions in a practical exercise.
Driver’s Ed
Another useful technique that streamlines the learning process is what is referred to as analogical teaching. This technique compares shooting by way of an analogy to a commonly known and practiced skill with which the student is already familiar.
Since most of the people we teach drive motor vehicles, it is easy to analogize driving and shooting. Perhaps the most prevalent and valuable analogy between the two is comparing the movement of the trigger to the accelerator of the vehicle: Both require smooth, fluid movement as well as control in both directions by way of constant contact to drive or shoot in the most efficient manner. There aren’t many people who drive a vehicle by just stomping the accelerator to move from a stopped position, quickly removing the foot completely from the accelerator as soon as the vehicle starts to move and then proceeding to do it over and over again until they reach their destination. By suggesting that manipulating the trigger of the gun is similar to operating the accelerator on a motor vehicle, it is very likely to smooth out trigger jerk and other maladies associated with trigger movement.
Meet Your Co-Workers
When getting to know the students during the initial stages of the class, it sometimes helps to know some of their pastimes. Often these avocations have similarities to shooting that can be analogized to increase students’ understanding of the shooting technique at hand.
A prime example of this is a golfer’s visual focus when making a long drive down the fairway: That focus has to be on the back of the ball until the club makes contact and the ball leaves the tee. The same applies to the front sight of a pistol, where to shoot a precision shot, the shooter’s hard focus must remain until the bullet exits the muzzle.
Link Up
Analogical teaching requires an instructor have a broad base of experience in a variety of fields to effectively link shooting to an entirely different skill. This technique aids in communicating the simplicity of shooting to a greater number of people by practicing methods of performance already familiar to them. Effective communication is essential in introducing developmental skills and elevating student performance by refining their technique of delivering an accurate shot.
