Level: Intermediate (athlete has basic standing position but setup varies shot-to-shot or session-to-session) Duration: 90 minutes Equipment: Air rifle, shooting jacket/trousers if used, floor tape or chalk, mirror (if available), camera/phone for video, target stand, notebook
1. Objectives
By the end of this session, the athlete should be able to: – Reproduce the same foot placement, stance width, and body orientation to the target every time – Establish and verify natural point of aim (NPA) before every shot, not just at the start of a series – Recognize when their position has drifted mid-series and reset rather than muscle the rifle back on target – Build a consistent, repeatable pre-shot setup routine
2. Why Position Consistency Matters (5 min briefing)
- In 10m air rifle, the shooter has no sling or barricade — the entire hold is built from bone-on-bone skeletal support and stance
- Small variations in foot angle, weight distribution, or hip/shoulder rotation shift the NPA, forcing the shooter to use muscle to hold on target — which increases wobble and fatigue over a match
- Goal: build the position so the rifle naturally points at the target with zero muscular correction needed
3. Warm-Up & Baseline Check (10 min)
- Athlete sets up in their normal position without coaching input
- Coach marks foot position with tape/chalk (heel and toe of both feet)
- Take a reference photo/video from behind and from the side
- This becomes the “baseline” to compare against for the rest of the session
4. Natural Point of Aim (NPA) Drill (20 min)
Step-by-step NPA verification routine (teach this as a repeatable habit):
- Set up stance and raise rifle to target
- Close eyes (or lower head briefly), take 2–3 natural breaths
- Re-settle into position without consciously aiming
- Open eyes / re-check sight picture
- Note where the sight naturally rests — if it's off the 10-ring, adjust the feet/body, not the arms or aim
- Repeat until the natural rest point lands on target
Coach's role: Watch for athletes correcting with the arms/shoulders rather than resetting the feet — this is the #1 habit to break.
Drill: NPA Reset Between Shots
Have the athlete fully break position (step out, relax) between every shot in a 10-shot dry-fire series, then rebuild from scratch each time using the NPA routine above. This forces the setup to become a repeatable procedure rather than something held together by memory/feel.
5. Stance & Alignment Consistency Drills (20 min)
Drill A — Tape Mark Reproducibility (10 min)
With foot position taped from the baseline check, have the athlete step away, walk around, then step back into position 8–10 times, checking each time: – [ ] Feet land on the same marks without looking down – [ ] Hips and shoulders return to the same orientation relative to the target – [ ] Head/neck angle to the sights is consistent
If the athlete consistently misses the marks, that's diagnostic — it usually means the stance isn't yet “automatic” and needs more repetition before adding shooting on top of it.
Drill B — Video/Mirror Feedback (10 min)
Record or observe from the side and rear: – Check for consistent forward/backward lean (should be balanced, not compensating with lower back arch) – Check shoulder level — one shoulder creeping up/forward often signals grip or support-arm tension changing the position – Compare against the baseline photo from Step 3
6. Live-Fire Integration (25 min)
- Series 1 (5 shots): Full reset between each shot — step out, rebuild stance from tape marks, re-verify NPA, then fire. Slower pace is fine; consistency is the only goal here.
- Series 2 (10 shots): Standard pace, but athlete calls out “NPA checked” before each shot as a verbal habit cue
- Series 3 (10 shots): Scored series, coach tracks:
- [ ] Group shift over the course of the series (drift = position breaking down under fatigue)
- [ ] Any correlation between called shots and physical position changes noticed by the coach
7. Cool-Down & Review (10 min)
- Compare final-series foot position to the original tape marks — did it drift over the session?
- Discuss with the athlete: at what point (which shot number) did they notice fatigue or position breakdown, if any
- Identify one specific element (foot angle, hip rotation, head position, etc.) to prioritize next session
8. Homework / Between-Session Practice
- Practice the stance-reset drill (Drill A) at home, 10 reps daily, without a rifle if needed — just the physical stance and NPA check
- Take a “position selfie” from the same angle every session to build a visual record of consistency over time
- Journal: rate position consistency 1–5 each session and note any physical factors (fatigue, footwear, clothing changes) that may have affected it
Coach's Notes
Space for session-specific observations — e.g., which body part tends to drift first, whether fatigue or distraction is the bigger factor, and cues that worked for this athlete.