Close encounters of the bridge kind

I contested the pairs event in shooting at my first Commonwealth Games. In that event my partner was having a poor day. The format meant all competitors shot their match at the same time, with the scores for the pair added together. I was a quick shooter so finished ahead of most, and was thus […]

Overconfidence creates triple squeeze chance

As an international shooter, my most memorable matches were events where I performed well against opponents who were also playing at the top of their game. I know of very few athletes who are excited by beating opponents who are not playing well or who are having an off day. It is much more exciting […]

Recovering from the Brink of Disaster

My favourite type of competition is teams. In this format the randomness often associated with the ‘run of the cards’ which we experience in pairs competition is removed. Your team is pitted against the opponents in an equal battle where skill, rather than luck, is the decisive factor. Playing teams can also bring its own […]

Anger Management

One of my partners maintains an impassive expression no matter how awful the final contract. We are not all blessed with such equanimity in the face of an unexpected action by partner. Some players will often sense that their partner is unhappy with a bid which has been made or a signal which has been […]

7 New Year Resolutions for Better Bridge

Many people like to make New Year’s resolutions. If you are one of those that do and want to make a resolution about bridge – here are some key steps that might help you reach your bridge goals.   Don’t assume you’re too old to make your dream of becoming an elite player come true. The […]

Getting out of your bridge black hole

One of the best-known examples of an event horizon (sometimes called the point of no return) derives from general relativity’s description of a black hole, a celestial object so massive that no nearby matter or radiation can escape its gravitational field. Often, this is described as the boundary within which the black hole’s escape velocity […]

Quality training

We have all experienced a drop in our scores in competition, when compared to what we shoot in practice. I have a theory that a major contributing factor to this is that our tens in training are just not good enough. All those 10.0’s and 10.1’s we shoot in a training match become the 9.9’s […]

Focus on scores?

We all focus a lot on the scores we get. It’s natural to do this. Our family or friends reinforce this by asking “what did you get at training?” when we get home. Scoring targets is a great way of measuring how we are going and whether we are improving. However there are times when […]

Beginner’s guide to prone

.22 prone target rifle shooting is a fun way to get started in the sport. This guide adapted from an original article by the Australian Olympian and World Champion – Don Brook – provides a fantastic guide to getting the basics of the position right. Beginners guide to prone

Ammunition Testing

Good accurate ammunition is the most fundamental aspect in target shooting. Without it, spending time on training, equipment or other factors is a waste.  If you are not confident that the shots you fired will hold an acceptable group on the target, then making adjustments to your equipment setup, or your position will be a […]