Edelmann Control Targets for
Shooting with Rifle and Pistol
This article was written by Walter Schumann, former trainer of the German Shooting Federation,
and reprinted by permission form Carl Edelmann GmbH & Co. KG, the original publisher of the article.
A high degree of technical proficiency, body control, mental and autogenic training is nowadays necessary to keep place with the high level of performance in target shooting. The new shooter is usually left to his own resources, often there being no trainer in the clubs to keep an eye on him, to tell him what he is doing wrong.
As a result something has to be found which enables the shooter to guide himself. The control targets have been developed to help with this task.
A shooter has to do his shooting almost scientifically. The shooter and his equipment must be the means for achieving the best possible result using his technique and all his potential. As in an experiment the shooter can work at himself and he can criticize himself without assistance. The more the shooter has completed his knowledge, the more important will be the analysis of his shooting. The capability to criticize himself on his own will improve him. Shooting at a blank target ( without any printing on it ) and the training effects which can be obtained is common, but in today's training process this will not be good enough.
Therefore, very good shooters were tested for very long periods in order to give them the training elements to make training more interesting, more versatile and more effective - these are control targets.
This training system is also very good for less advanced shooters to recognize their mistakes, made without knowledge, and to eliminate them. Furthermore the control targets have a great psychological value - "Away from the '10' and playful to success!"
In the following, the exercises with the training elements are divided into two separate phases:
1) "Dry Training" ( without shooting )
2) Training by shooting
1) Dry Training
Firstly exercises for holding the weapon at the control target are necessary for improvement of body control and for getting better specific condition. When doing this, the eyes remain cloased. They are opened only for controlling whether the weapon is aiming at the control target. Exercises for holding should be made as often and as long as possible - also at home!
2) Training by Shooting
At the end of " dry training " people should shoot at the control targets in order to see whether by shooting with " live " ammunition changes have occurred in the position of the body or whether errors arise due to pulling the trigger incorrectly.
In the following there are suggestions for applying these training elements. Additionally, your own exercises can be worked out. It is not necessary to work with all the elements in one day. It is only important to determine the sense and direction of training before commencing.
Please also read statements on SPECIAL TARGETS.