Breathe, Shoot, Repeat. Breathe. That one word seems so simple and so obvious. Air comes in, CO2 goes out, and we remain upright and conscious. Breathing is, unfortunately, an often overlooked fundamental of shooting. Try to remember your first time shooting a gun at the range. Chances are you were so focused on perfecting your grip, stance, sight alignment, sight picture and trigger control, that you may have caught yourself holding your breath a time or two. Reduced oxygen quickly leads to mental and physical fatigue, and consequently, a dramatic decrease in the quality of shooting performance. Breathing is an automatic bodily function. It is not an option if we want to stay alive, and it is not usually a conscious decision. So why, when faced with pressure to perform in a stressful environment, is it so hard to remember to do?
14 |  sure shots mag |  issue 17
Photo by Mark Sager.
BY BECCA SPINKS