Which technical factors explain competition performance in air rifle shooting?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether the same shooting technical components determining performance in testing situation also affect performance in competition situation and how the technical skill level of these components changes from training to competition. Thirteen Finnish national (10) and junior national (3) rifle team members participated in the study. Participants were measured in competition and training situation within a five-day period. Shooting score, aiming point trajectory and postural balance were measured from both situations. Shooting performance decreased from training to competition situation (10.31 AE 0.13 vs. 10.14 AE 0.17, p < 0.05), accompanied by a decrease in holding ability, aiming accuracy, cleanness of triggering and postural balance. A multiple regression equation based on holding ability, aiming accuracy, cleanness of triggering and timing of triggering correlated with the competition situation shooting results (R ¼ 0.76, p < 0.01). Changes in shooting performance from training to competition situation were most strongly related to the changes in horizontal holding ability (R ¼ À 0.71, p < 0.01). Athletes and coaches should develop competition strategies and psychological training interventions in order to be able to maintain the horizontal holding ability in competition at training situation level.

Technical determinants of biathlon standing shooting performance before and after race simulation

“…It is likely that the decrease observed in stability of hold, aiming accuracy, and cleanness of triggering from rest to intense exercise was caused by the decrease in postural balance. In air rifle shooting, a similar relation between the change in shooting direction postural balance and the change in stability of hold was reported …”

“…The stability of hold in biathlon standing shooting has been related to postural balance both in rest and after intense exercise . The same link between stability of hold and postural balance has also been reported in air rifle shooting . Elite‐ and junior‐level athletes have been shown to differ in postural balance in standing shooting without physical stress, which as in the case of stability of hold contributed to the observed shooting performance difference between the groups .…”

“…Timing of triggering was related to the technical skill level in holding ability and aiming accuracy, and the improvement in timing of triggering from rest to load was likely caused by the decrease in holding ability and aiming accuracy. In air rifle shooting, a similar non‐significant increase was seen in timing of triggering in competition situation compared to training situation, when the stability of hold and aiming accuracy decreased from training to competition . The athletes have to rely more on the timing of triggering when holding ability and aiming accuracy decrease, and the timing of triggering is easier to time correctly when the movement of the aiming point is larger.…”

“…For the athletes using the timing of triggering shooting strategy, the 0.6-second time period used in the present study to calculate aiming accuracy did not reflect the actual aiming accuracy, since these shooters were moving toward the center of target for the 0.6-second period and did not even try to aim at the center of target for the whole time period. Aiming accuracy variable used in the present study could be an important variable for the shooters using the holding strategy as in air rifle 7,8,10 and air pistol 16 shooting, but this aspect of the biathlon shooting technique is a topic for future studies.…”

“…Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify performancedetermining factors in biathlon standing shooting. Based on the results in previous studies in biathlon, air rifle, running target, and air pistol shooting, 1,[6][7][8]10,15,16 the first hypothesis was that in addition to stability of hold and postural balance, aiming accuracy, cleanness of triggering, and timing of triggering would be important performance-determining factors in biathlon standing shooting technique. The second objective was to analyze how the technical skill level in these factors changes from rest to intense exercise.…”