From the outside, shooting may not look like a physically demanding sport, but as with all things, looks can be deceiving. It’s true that the sport doesn’t require large amounts of physical ability to get involved; one of the main reasons it has such a large appeal across all demographics. But, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s easy; it’s as important to be physically fit as it is mentally fit when competing. Here, we’ll be taking a look at the benefits that can come from getting involved in shooting and why you should head to the range!
Low Barrier to Entry
Shooting, unlike some other popular sports, has a relatively low barrier to entry. Typically, you don’t require much equipment, especially if it’s your first or second time. Often, ranges will have protective glasses, air rifles and other equipment to hire, but we’d suggest calling ahead first just to double-check. You may have to pay an entry fee, or this may be covered with a membership charge. You’ll also likely have to pay for the ammunition.
Additionally, if strength or physical fitness isn’t necessarily your forte, it certainly doesn’t mean you won’t succeed on the range; with composure and hand-eye coordination being key attributes of strong shooters. Whether you’re planning on shooting at targets on the range, or shotguns at clay pigeons, having steady hands and patience will also stand you in good stead. For this reason, shooting an easily adaptable and accessible sport, for younger, older or disabled participants that are seeking a taste of competition.
Easy to Learn, Hard to Master
Shooting isn’t a particularly rule-heavy sport. With just the requirement of basic principles, people often have no difficulty getting up to speed with the guidelines. That being said, like chess, once you’ve learnt the basics, it’s a sport that’s hard to master.
Constant and Tangible Improvements
Unlike other sports, shooting is easily measurable in terms of performance. As you’ll be shooting at targets or clay pigeons, your performance will be measurable with either points or successful shots. As you won’t be directly competing against anyone, the main variable is your performance on the day. When starting out, it’s satisfying to see improvements over the last round, either with more successful shots or improved consistency.
Safe Sport
Despite involving the use of guns, shooting is actually a very safe sport and comes with a relatively low likelihood of injury. As many ranges are manned with marshals and instructors to help new shooters learn the ropes, people will always be on hand to ensure that everyone follows best practise when handing the equipment.
You’ll also receive thorough training on how to handle the equipment safely when walking around the range. This training ensures that all people in the range are kept safe and that you have the skills to handle, load, reload and shoot the guns safely.
Trains Mentally and Physically
Shooting is a sport that requires both mental and physical dexterity. It teaches composure and relaxation to ensure consistency in the shots, even when under pressure in a competition setting. Composure is as much a physical skill as it is mental – being able to hold physically still requires you to feel comfortable with the weight of the gun and have the mental ability to remain calm. Carrying out core exercises can help with this.
Additionally, although limited, the sport requires an element of physicality in holding the gun and ensuring a good aiming position. Most competition rifles have a maximum weight of 5.5kg. This isn’t awfully heavy, but they can still improve overall arm strength when held in position for a long period of time.
Teaches Self Reliance and Resilience
As shooting is a solo sport, it teaches discipline in self-reliance and resilience. Self-reliance means that you are relying your own powers and resources, both mentally and physically, to perform in a situation. It also means that you have the tools to remain calm, even when under pressure or when not performing as you would expect. For professional athletes, it’s important that they are able to harness any poor performances and channel that into a strong performance moving forward. Resilience is also important as this affects your attitude towards the sport as a whole. If you have a bad day, resilience will keep you coming back to train and improve, rather than throwing in the towel.
Transferable Skills
Although guns don’t play a part in day to day life in the UK, shooting still teaches various skills that can be transferred. Hand-eye coordination is used for a multitude of daily tasks, and strong coordination can often allow you to complete fiddly or challenging tasks that others may not be able to. Additionally, shooting instils discipline and respect for others that can be carried through to daily life, along with the ability to remain calm in stressful or pressured situations.
If you’re a keen sportsperson, why not check out your closest range and head along for a taster day? Or check out our other blogs on sports here!