TRAINING AND CONDITIONING FOR SKEET SHOOTING
SILVESTRE MARTINEZ AND LLOYD LOYA
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keet shooting is a very popular and competitive sport (5). As
with every sport, everyone wants to have an edge on their
competition. Everyone wants to be the best, but in order
to be the best you must train every aspect of the sport to have
the competitive advantage over your competition. Many people
who participate in skeet shooting spend hours practicing their
shooting which is considered the best way to improve in this sport.
However, what if the shooter could add something else to their
training that may help improve their shooting along with the usual
shooting practice? Supplementing skeet shooting with a sportspecific and functional movement resistance training program may
help to elevate skeet shooting performance. The purpose of this
article is to illustrate how a resistance training program specific to
the movements of the sport may provide that added advantage in
skeet shooting.
DEMANDS OF SKEET SHOOTING
Skeet shooting is a sport that can really take a toll on the body.
A typical skeet shooting session may take up to two hours. Skeet
shooting events can last up to a week and may consist of walking
in the sun while absorbing the recoil of each shot. All these factors
can cause mental and physical stress on the body that can become
a negative factor when it comes to shooting performance. The
duration of skeet shooting can hinder the performance of even
those who are greatly skilled at shooting (7). The primary upper
body muscles in the body that allow skeet shooters to perform the
shooting motion (i.e., aim and torso rotation) are the trapezius,
deltoids, arms, lower back, and abdominals (core). The primary
lower body muscles that supply the body with a firm stable base
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are the quadriceps and the calves (2,6). Strengthening these
muscles, along with improving cardiovascular stamina for longer
events, may boast improvements in skeet shooting skills. Any
cardiovascular training will need to be sport-specific to keep the
athlete in a game situation. The training program provided is
designed specifically to focus on improving the shooting motions
(i.e., shooting stance, torso rotations, and arm/shoulder placement
with gun) of the sport by enhancing the athlete’s strength and
conditioning through functional movements of the sport. Every
training concept will be utilized through the sport (7).
INJURY P REVENTION (FIGURES 1 – 11)
When it comes to any sport, no athlete wants to get injured. It
is important to always consider the health of the athlete before
anything else. Repetitive blows to the shoulder, which is where
most of the impact is taken from the recoil, can seriously injure
a competitive shooter (4). Although there is no guarantee of
preventing injuries, coaches and athletes should do everything
possible to minimize injuries (4). After firing thousands of rounds
a year, it can be common for a competitive shooter to injure their
rotator cuff or develop tendonitis of the shoulder, neck, elbow,
or wrist, for example. Such injuries often start as mild discomfort
but can quickly turn into something much more serious and can
even lead to surgery (4). This is why a proper warm-up/cool-down
should be done before and after any training or shooting session
to reduce the chances of injury (Tables 1 and 2) (1,2).
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