SSG Amanda Elsenboss is the NRA National High Power Champion for 2021. She is now with the Pennsylvania National Guard. Amanda Elsenboss also won the NRA Long Range National Championship for 2019. Amanda is one of the best American shooters, and she is only one of three women to have won the High Power title in U.S. History. Amanda is a master of the “mental game”, and has mastered gun handling and wind reading. DCM Emeritus Gary Anderson offers some sage advice to competitive shooters in the archives of On The Mark Magazine. Anderson was an Olympic Gold Medalist when he was younger. Anderson offers ten guidelines in his article Ten Lessons That I Wish I Had Learned As A Young Shooter. You should read the entire article, not just the Ten Lessons. Anderson explains each topic in detail, using examples from his own shooting career. Read the full article by Gary Anderson from On the Mark. LESSON 1 – NATURAL ABILITY WILL NOT MAKE A SHOOTING CHAMPION.
(You will also need hard work and perseverance. LESSON 2 – ANGER IS THE ENEMY TO GOOD SHOOTING.
The key to recovering after a bad shot, is to remain calm no matter what. BAD SHOTS CAN TEACH MORE THAN GOOD ONES.
Today, error analysis is a powerful tool for improving scores. LESSON 4 – NEVER PLAY WITHOUT A SHOT MAP.
(A shot plan is an in-depth breakdown of all the steps involved with firing a shot. LESSON 5 – PRACTICE IN BOTH GOOD AND BAD CONDITIONS.
Most competitions are held in windy conditions, or where there are many distractions. LESSON 6 – CHAMPIONS ARE POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC.
(Negative Shooters Expect Bad Results; Positive Shooters Expect to Train Hard to Change Bad Results.) LESSON 7 – IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU WIN OR LOSE.
It’s all about how hard you are trying to win. LESSON 8 – YOUR DOG WILL NOT BITE YOU AFTER YOU SHOT A BAD SCORE.
(Hopefully, your coach, parents and other friends won’t bite either.) LESSON 9 – YOUR PRESS CLIPINGS CAN HURRT OR HELP.
We can get carried away by winning. We begin to think that we are so good, we don’t need to work as hard. LESSON 10 – YOU NEVER SHOT THE BEST SCORE.
Great champions are always looking to improve. USAMU shooters at the Wa-Ke’-De Outdoor Range in Bristol, IN.
Photo courtesy of USAMU
