ozamataz_buckshank1

You're expecting a conversation between Mx and Ops to not be combative?

Military here, we've still got it. Pretty sure we're the reason they still manufacture floppy disks.

First of all as a disclaimer, I've sadly been out of the sport for the past 10 years so my tips may be outdated. However, back in the day I was on a top 3 NCAA team and spent many years competing at the national level and occasionally making the finals. I was not (obviously) at the level Ginny was, however I did have the pleasure of knowing and training/competing with almost all of the Olympic and National Team members in the 2000-2012 era.

In my opinion SCATT's main benefit is as a feedback tool for your analyzing the size and shape of your "hold" and consistency of your approach. One of the things I would analyze specifically is the consistency of how you approach the target. Is your approach coming in straight from the top (or bottom if prone/kneeling)? Is it consistent for EVERY shot? An approach coming in from angle may be a sign your NPA is off. If your consistency starts to worsen over time it may indicate your position is shifting or settling, possibly introducing muscle tension as the session goes on. Not saying it can only be this or that...but this line of thinking is an example of how you can use the unique feedback from the SCATT.

There's a book called "Ways of the Rifle" from 2009 that had a section on training with a SCATT system. They included a picture of 60 shot airgun practice session overlaid on a single target. The shooter was an Olympian and had achieved a perfect 600/600. I remember being blown away by the consistency as all 60 shots formed a line on the approach never varying much more than the width of the 9 ring. I remember the first time I saw that photo it blew my mind the level of consistency the top level athletes were achieving. Taking that mindset and applying it to every step of my shot process was a huge catalyst in my improvement from top 100 to top 20 on the national level.

So to answer your question, SCATT can be a very useful tool but you have to put in the effort to analyze what it's telling you. If you have a setup where you can live fire with the SCATT, that is best. However, if you're limited to dryfiring, it is still a very useful tool that everyone at the highest level uses at some point or another.

As far as developing bad habits...I'm not sure there are any bad habits the SCATT would inherently build. Just make sure the distance is set up correctly (10m can be hard to find at home) so that you're not fooling yourself. Other than that, it's a tool! The most important thing is in how you use it. Approach your training with purpose and mindfulness. Try and pick one thing to focus and work on in one given training session. But above all, have fun!

...and remember this sport is easy! There's only two steps!

1) Perform well enough mentally and physically to shoot a ten. 2) Repeat Step 1!