Rushing is one of the most frustrating shooting problems—especially because it often appears when things look good.
The mistake is not speed. The mistake is waiting to decide.
Why rushing happens
When shooters wait for a perfect sight picture, they create a binary decision:
- now
- or not now
The moment the picture looks acceptable, urgency spikes and the trigger is forced. The shot is no longer a continuation—it becomes a reaction.
This leads to:
- snatched trigger movement
- incomplete follow-through
- loss of rhythm
Continuous pressure removes urgency
Elite shooters do not decide when to fire.
They decide to continue pressure.
The shot breaks as a consequence, not an action. This removes the time pressure and the fear of missing the moment.
The trigger becomes a process—not a switch.
Why this works under pressure
Under stress, decision-making degrades faster than motor execution.
By removing the decision:
- cognitive load drops
- timing stabilizes
- execution becomes repeatable
This is why rushing often disappears when shooters stop waiting for perfection.
What to take to the range
If you rush shots:
- start pressure earlier
- never stop it
- accept where the shot breaks
Good timing is not chosen. It emerges.
References & Coaching Background
This understanding of rushing and trigger timing is well supported in elite coaching literature:
-
On the Firing Line – J. P. O’Connor
Describes shot execution as uninterrupted action rather than timed release. -
The Fundamentals of Olympic Pistol Shooting – Željko Todorović
Warns against waiting for perfect sight pictures and emphasizes trigger continuity. -
Competitive Sport Shooting: Practical Sport Psychology – Dr. Heinz Lösel M.D.
Explains how decision removal improves execution under competitive pressure.