September 22nd, 2021
SSG Amanda Elsenboss is now the 2021 NRA National High Power Champions. Amanda was also the winner of the NRA Long Range National Championship 2019. These two major titles make Amanda one of the most outstanding American shooters. She is also one of three women to have won the High Power title in U.S. history. Amanda has a unique combination of a “mental game” and exceptional gun-handling, wind-reading, and gun-handling skills. DCM Emeritus Gary Anderson (an Olympic Gold medal-winning shooter in his youth) offers valuable advice for competitive shooters in the archives of On The Mark magazine. Anderson offers ten key guidelines for all those involved in competitive shooting in his article Ten Lessons that I Wish I Had Learned As a Young Shooter. These are the Ten Lessons. You should read the entire article. Anderson gives detailed explanations for each topic and includes examples from his shooting career. READ the full article by Gary Anderson at On the Mark LESSON 1 – NATURAL ABILITY WON’T MAKE YOU A SHOOTING CHAMPION.
You also need to be persistent, hardworking, and willing to put in the effort. LESSON 2 – ANGER ISN’T A GOOD WAY TO SHOOTING.
(Recovery from a bad shot requires you to keep cool no matter what happens. LESSON 3 – BAD SHOTS CAN TEACH MORE THAN GOOD SHOTS.
(Today error analysis is one the most powerful tools to improve scores. LESSON 4 – NEVER GO UNTIL YOU HAVE A SHOT PLANN.
A shot plan is a detailed breakdown detailing each step involved in firing a shot. LESSON 5 – PRACTICE INSIDE BAD AND GOOD CONDITIONS.
(Most competitions take place in windy conditions or with lots of distractions. LESSON 6 – CHAMPIONS ARE POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC.
Negative shooters expect poor results, while positive shooters expect to work hard to improve their results. LESSON 7 – It’s not about whether you win or lose.
It’s all about how hard you try. LESSON 8 – AFTER SCORING A BAD SCORE, YOUR DOG WILL NOT BITE YOU.
(Hopefully, your coach, parents, and friends won’t be too harsh with you. LESSON 9 – YOUR PRESS CUPPINGS CAN HURT OR HELP.
(Winning can take over our heads. We think we are so talented that we don’t need to work as hard anymore. LESSON 10 — YOU HAVE NEVER RECORDED YOUR BEST SCORE.
(Great champions are always looking to improve. USAMU shooters at the Wa-Ke’-De Outdoor Range in Bristol, IN.
Photo courtesy USAMU. About Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson was the Director of Civilian Marksmanship Programs (CMP) between 1999 and 2009. He is now DCM Emeritus. Gary Anderson grew up as a Nebraska farmerboy and was passionate about hunting and shooting. Gary’s dream of winning an Olympic Gold Medal for shooting brought him to the U.S. Army. He joined the elite U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit in 1959. He won his first national championship just two years later. Anderson won four individual titles at the 1962 World Shooting Championships, Egypt. He also set three new world records. Gary won the 300m free rifle Gold Medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. This was a new world record. Anderson won three more world titles at the 1966 World Shooting Championships, Germany. Gary won a second medal at the 1968 Olympics in the 300m free-rifle race. Gary won the President’s National Trophy in 1973 and 1975, after his “retirement” form international competition. Anderson won two Olympic Gold Medals and seven World Championships during his competitive career. He also won sixteen National Championships. Anderson is unquestionably the greatest American marksman ever. Similar Posts
