Approaching theX

The other day at the indoor range shooting a NRA 20yd sf target I was doing so well I kept having the trigger break below the  black.  I know it not sight settings as I am calling most of those and also know when it is a X before looking in the scope.  I quit shooting for score and am just trying to get as many as I can in the black.  Also not feeling real bad if I am not outside of the 8.  4 or 5 out of 10 is about my avg winh half the missed in the 8.  Most of the blacks are 9s.  I been using tghe recommended breath in so it raises dot above target exhale and start squeezing trigger and trying to break in the black.  Well I decided to try something different and approched the black from below starting the squeeze in the white.  It seamed to me that I had far less wobble this way and didn't pull shots low.  QUESTION 1. Am I trying to learn a method that is wrong and just stick with the first method?  2. Does anyone here use this method?  It feels to me like I loose tension in my arm and joints when lowering the gun.  Don

Precision Pistol is one of the most personal sports and it really is mostly mental once you learn the basic skills. It is generally accepted that lowering into the black is better because lowering the arm extends the muscles which is a relaxing movement. Raising contracts the muscles which increases tension. but if there is any scientific evidence for that belief, I've never seen it.

International shooters raise to the bull because they have to start in the low ready position. Especially in Int. Rapid Fire where you have as little as 4 seconds to raise and shoot 5 shots on 5 different targets, there is no time to raise above and then lower into the bull.

If it works for you, do it. In a few years, if you hit a plateau, try lowering onto the target. Sometimes just doing things differently helps break through a barrier.

Putting more thought into it I don't think it is going to be good for TF and RF will even be worst as the gun recoils up ward and you recover for the next shot coming back down to the X.  I am not sure there is enough time to dip below and come back up.  Right now I seam to need 8 seconds for the string.  Don

My mentor told me his father shot on a timing of:

On inhale raise gun above target, exhale as gun comes down, once gun comes back down below target again the sight alignment is put together as he raises the gun up again to 6 o'clock looking for his desired sight picture, then he fires as gun passes the aiming point. He doesn't stop for a hold. 

This was a slow fire process of his that did not work for his son and certainly did not work for me. I think we all find something that works and stick with it though as individual shooters.

SteveT wrote:
If it works for you, do it. In a few years, if you hit a plateau, try lowering onto the target. Sometimes just doing things differently helps break through a barrier.

Thats it! That's the answer!

I raise to the target because everything feels tight when I do and usually the dot just sits there in the black.