The Gadget Trap

By Michael Theimer

I’ve watched competitive shooters, including myself look for crutches that would improve their scores. Don’t get me wrong. You need good equipment if you are going to have any chance at the Gold, but don’t get caught up in the pursuit of gadgets (crutches). It still boils down to hard work and determination.

I’ve watched to many good shooters get sucked into trying every new gadget that came along. At first, once they had it set up, their scores would progress sometimes slowly and sometimes very quickly. But then at some point their scores would crater and they would either reconfigure their equipment or try something new again. The cycle would start all over. Scores would increase then suddenly take a dive. Over and over again. The gadget trap…!

My competitive shooting career started when I made the High School ROTC Rifle Team. I spent many hours on the 50-foot range ‘busting’ caps and dry firing. Its here where I learned the basics; sight picture, position, proper breathing, trigger squeeze, hold, etc.

Competition was limited to the other local ROTC rifle teams in the area, plus the university ROTC Rifle Team. The focus of my early years was refining the physical aspect of position shooting. By my Junior year it was evident that I was learning and progressing fast. I was looking for the next edge – better equipment. The team raised money to modify our Army ROTC issued Remington target rifles with butt hooks and palm rests. We realized improved scores, but everyone would peak then scores would drop off. We would reconfigure our equipment or try something new…every time.

The summer before my senior year I saved enough money to purchase an Anschutz 1413 Super Match and leather shooting jacket. My Senior year we had a series of competitions with the University ROTC rifle team. There were a few that could beat my scores even without the top of the line equipment. This is where I began to realize the concept of ‘the mental game’. There was something beyond the physical part of learning position and leveraging the best equipment that resulted in high scores.

As I progressed through my college years of competitive shooting, the mental game became more obvious, but how to develop it eluded me. I had progressed beyond my coaches’ capabilities and looked for opportunities to compete with the best shooters in our ROTC region. Learning from those that were better than me became a new focus. Even though I was winning a number of competitions, my scores were falling short of what I knew could be. I was trying anything new from technique to equipment. I was caught in the ‘gadget trap’.

To keep a long story short I graduated and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army which opened a new door – the USAMU. It was here where I was able to rub shoulders with the best in the world. Both shooters and coaches. I learned more about the mental game and continued see the gadget trap afflict other shooters not only in the U.S., but from other countries as well. I decided to settle on the simplest equipment set up and stick with it. I wanted out of the gadget trap.

I learned during my four years at the USAMU that gadgets temporarily increased your focus, raised expectations and scores. Then gradually the focus of basic execution of good technique and dependence on the ‘gadget’ caused scores to drop off. The faster the drop in scores the faster you lost confidence which created a ‘death spiral’ in performance.

About this time, I discovered something new. Whenever I worked with new shooters, it coincided with increased scores and confidence level. It was the reviewing and re-focusing on executing the basics that helped me to refocus on the basics. Needless to say, I volunteered for any opportunity to work with new shooters and they were not only U.S. shooters, but from all over the world.

After about a year I had broken the gadget trap cycle and began to see consistency. It was the consistency that was helping me win the big matches at home. There were shooters who could post higher scores, but were not consistent when the pressure was on and had to shoot more than once over the course during a match. I would occasionally post personal high scores, but in the long term it was persistence, sticking with one system, technique, equipment setup, staying focused on the basics that delivered the best results, not getting seduced by new gadgets or new techniques.

The other thing that I learned was to compete against my self, never focus on trying to beat some one else. Once you have learned the physical aspect of the sport the mental game becomes 90 % of what it takes to win. You have to focus on your performance, not worry about the other competitor’s scores. Staying focused on the basics and practicing only perfect performance, using visualization technique and eliminating any and all doubt about your own performance. Don’t believe that new gadgets or unusual techniques will make you a winner. It’s a trap.

A person once told me, “If you think that you are a victim of life…then you are…!” This is one of the most profound statements that had a direct impact on my life, because it is exactly what happens in competitive shooting. If you think that you can never shoot good scores without that gadget, you won’t. If you think that the new gadget isn’t helping you continue to shoot good scores, you won’t..!

After I had been out of competitive shooting for a while and experienced some job changes, I learned to apply this same reasoning to life. It’s all about taking responsibility and control of your performance, life and ambitions. Making it into what you want. But you have to want it bad enough to make it happen. Gadgets and crutches won’t get you there. Only your determination and hard work will make it happen.

Michael Theimer

Running Target 50m.

Walther Running Target Rifle .22 cal. standard configuration

Redfield 3x9 scope with Bob Thomas two dot reticle on low mounts

USAMU 1972-1976 (OIC)

USAR 1977-1980

1976 Olympic Shooting Team (8^th place)

9 National Championship Titles in Running Target

Individual Medal Count: 22 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Bronze

United States Distinguished International Shooter Badge #166 (Championship of the Americas 1973 – Gold & Silver Medals)