The Legs Have It
Posted On: 01-03-2026
How we take advantage of our legs is often never discussed as a component to good shooting. It seems most of us have spent a great deal of time focusing on things other than the stance or another way to think about this is the foundation. Trite I know, but all great things that rise start with a good foundation.
How youth shooters stand as they address the shot varies as much as the weather. No two seem to be alike and each has a style. I see upright shooters, and I see squat shooters, leaning over shooters and leaning back shooters. However sometimes I see upright shooters, and I watch them and mechanically they have the most controllable motion when swinging a gun.
I have mentioned before we all have a strong side and a weak side to our ability to rotate on each station. A right-handed shooter can rotate much further left then right and the opposite for a left-handed shooter. The swing is a concert between footwork, motion and faith. Starting with the feet remember each shooting venue is different. Some have a black line; some have a worn-out line. Some have cracks and some are not level. We adapt to those points and taking this further we must adapt to all five stations.
The other day I was watching people just walking and I said to my wife how different people walk and at what point did they develop their walking style. I can say the same for a shooting stance – at what point did one develop a stance and more importantly, have they ever first taken a good hard look at how hey developed that stance, and second; how has it helped or hindered them over their years of shooting.
If a young shooter is just getting started perhaps a change can help, but those having shot a while will resist and find it tough to re-work a stance. Nonetheless, it really does need a look. Like I was doing watching people walk, do the same and watch people shoot. Do they adjust? Are they successful? Are they consistent?
I want to add in one more comment about footwork and that is being consistent might get in the way of being adaptable. If we never spend any time starting our station being adapted, but still consistent with footwork, our errors outward into the range can and likely will be exaggerated.
Try this simple test to see if your feet are helping you create a good foundation. Go to Station I and set your feet. Now instead of pulling the trigger on the hard left target quickly wait a second and then see how well you rotate to the target. Do the same on Station V with a hard right and notice your body binding up. Now consider this scenario – you arrive at the range with a hard left to right wind and you set your feet the same way you have set them round after round. Now all of a sudden, the hard rights are tough to catch up to so you mentally have a choice. Do I remain stubborn and not reset or do I adjust and adapt to the need to give your feet a righter turn to be able to rotate. You see you must be adaptable.
David R. Vaught, Ph.D.
Executive Director