Hold Points, Focus Points and Soft Focus

Posted On: 06-15-2026

At the beginning the first thing most youth shooters learn are their hold points.  It is like chop sticks on the piano, the basics of shooting would certainly include hold points.  When asking a young shooter what those hold point locations are, or even what are hold points I sometimes met with a blank look.  I walk them through the hold points, and as I see them shoot even the ones that know hold points often seem conflicted as to how much they need to take the literal translation of hold points.  For many there is nothing arbitrary about the points – they are fixed and they shall not move!

Of course, though, learning chop sticks and continuing to play the piano leads to much more all in a way to build upon those chop stick notes.  Hold points are like that in that while fixed as a beginning shooter, they must start to experiment with moving them around.  The adjustment is prompted for lots of reasons like one-eyed vs two eyed shooters, single barrel vs over and under, backgrounds, and eye strength.  Many will say the hold point on station III is the middle of the house, but we also know that hold point must be moved right or left to avoid not seeing the true straight-away under the barrel.  Many also start to learn to move the hold points upward and outside the house for one reason and that is to find a comfortable barrel placement to best  see the emerging target. 

Soft focus is meant to relax the muscles of the eyes as science tells us we are faster at contracting muscles than we are at decompressing muscles.  Most importantly one must let go of the barrel, the sight and whatever bright too large a bead is present and see out into the distance just prior to calling pull.  While a simple thing to tell a youth shooter to try it, is of course difficult to achieve and accept.  Often when working with youth I might remind them of soft focus only to ask if they used it and to hear they did not.  Probably one of the best things to learn to accept for better scores.

So, I offer another idea and that is a focus point.  Most often this might be a point where targets are certified as flying about 10 feet high at 30 feet out.  Most clubs have a post set at that point so one might try encouraging shooters to mount their guns, find a hold point then find that focus point before calling pull. Sometimes having something more tangible helps youth shooters understand the process. 

Bottom line here is getting them to relax their eyes, let go of the barrel and find a focus point prior to calling pull.  Scores will improve and eye movement will become stronger.  Finally, this focus point is for the eyes and not the entire head.  Keep the head set tight and move the eyes to the focus point.