How fine footwork will improve your shooting

Is your shooting not quite where you would like it to be? Maybe you have missed a few you felt you should have killed and wondered why? Perhaps some days it seems like you have cracked it, and others you aren’t sure there’s even any lead in your cartridges?

There could be a few reasons why you are shooting inconsistently, but footwork may well be at the core of your problems. After all, if we don’t move our feet, how can we expect to be in the right position to shoot consistently well?

Digweed’s wisdom

To learn a bit more about how good footwork can help you become a better shot we spoke to some of the nation’s leading instructors. And we started with Dylan Williams from the Royal Berkshire Shooting School: “Shooting is like a lot of other sports. If you look at tennis or golf or squash, at the moment you hit the ball you are endeavouring to have your shoulders square to where you want to hit the ball. And as George Digweed told me more than 20 years ago, if you are a right-handed shooter, when you move your feet you want your left foot to be pointing where you want to see the bird die, not the point where you first pick the bird up. Because otherwise the swing will not continue through after you have taken the shot.”

It’s all about your weight

Small steps will make all the difference and help you be ready for whatever comes your way, as Dylan explained: “When you move your feet you are not trying to walk closer to the bird; all you are doing is transferring your weight. You need to keep your heels and ankles close together, because then you are preparing for the next shot. If you end up with your feet too far apart you won’t be able to react quickly to a shot 180 degrees in the other direction, and not only will you miss but you will probably fall over. Further to that if you don’t get your footwork right then you won’t get your gun mount right and you will have inconsistent shots and a rather sore shoulder.”

Learn from the best

“If you look at the likes of Will Garfit, George Digweed and Simon Ward they have an economy of movement, which always makes it look easy but it comes from repetition. They also appear to have more time which is the tell-tale sign of somebody with excellent footwork. 

And this is the same in other sports; look at Roger Federer, David Beckham or Joe Root and it seems like they have all the time in the world. The good news is footwork is just one aspect of shooting which can really be honed at the shooting ground, because you can have the necessary repetition until it becomes second nature.”

A balancing act

You might have found yourself overbalancing backwards or when turning on a crafty crosser but better footwork will help eliminate this fault. Sean Bramley, Senior Instructor at EJ Churchill Shooting Ground, explained more: “Footwork is essential in whatever sport we play. As in any sport, being balanced allows you to perform in the most competent and effective manner. Shooting is no different. If your feet are in the correct position then your shoulders will remain square and your head still, therefore allowing the gun to remain on the perfect line for executing the shot you are going to take.”

Use your instinctive skills

Many of you will have enjoyed playing other sports and it’s important to allow some of those skills to help make you a better game shot. Holland & Holland chief instructor Chris Bird said: “Natural and instinctive footwork can most definitely improve your game. I believe the most successful approach for most people is to start with a comfortable, natural position with the feet no wider than shoulder width apart. Select your quarry, then move or shuffle the feet within your own space so that the front foot is pointing towards or just beyond the intended ‘kill zone’ as the muzzle of the gun establishes contact with the target.

The first foot to move should be whichever feels most natural, and this will depend on your quarry and its flight path, but also all the other sports you have participated in.”

How to miss fewer birds

“It is important not to step outside your space, as this may result in a loss of balance as well as your body leaning forward. This will drag the gun under the quarry's flight line, causing a miss low and probably behind, as the efficiency of your rotation has been comprised. You must also ensure that your eye to target connection is not broken by taking too big a step. Take care not to move the feet just for the sake of it. If you are still fairly flexible there will be many birds that would be better shot earlier having saved the time it takes to move position.”

To find out more about Le Chameau footwear, visit their website here. 

Written by Will Hetherington, GunsOnPegs Contributing Editor

Will was the editor of the Shooting Gazette, a leading international driven shooting magazine, for 13 years. Having been involved with country sports publishing for a total of 19 years, he was Contributing Editor at GunsOnPegs for several years.