Firearms are one of the few inventions of mankind that have dramatically changed the course of history. While their first use was military, they rapidly also became the subject of a martial art which evolved into a sport. The sport of competitive shooting evolved from pre-existing archery and crossbow tournaments. Starting in Switzerland, the various disciplines of sports shooting have since spread all over the world, reaching a high point of popularity at the turn of the 20th century.This popularity is reflected in the fact that rifle, pistol and shotgun competitions were included from the beginning in the modern Olympic Games.
Today, competitive shooting often involves shooting at fixed targets. In its early days, however, shooting at a fixed target was considered unworthy of a good shooter. The various moving target disciplines (skeet, trap, sporting clay) are thus particularly long-lived. These disciplines are different in many ways and those who think that shooting is all about manual dexterity and a sharp eye are mistaken. However, there is one thing in common — shooting requires precision, confidence and exceptional coordination. Athletes point out that the sport of shooting sport is a continuous and persistent selfwork and that a shotgun is a tool for self-improvement. It is a craft in which the shooter recognizes first and foremost himself and must learn from his mistakes on his path to breaking more and more targets. But there is more to shooting than that…
Skeet shooting is a unique model that allows you to see the phenomena of the mind (Oleg Maltsev)
Dr. Oleg Maltsev and the “Research institute for the study of human behavior in extreme situations” , has devoted particular study to the discipline of skeet shooting. This particular discipline stands out in terms of the requirement of complex motor coordination, using visual methods which allow us to comprehend phenomena of mind.
Skeet and other clay shooting seem at first sight to be a type of enigma, violating the laws of physics. A shooter is firing at something apparently invisible. He shoots at one point, and the clay breaks at a different point. In the doubles discipline, two clay targets are released simultaneously, intersect at a center point and then fly off in opposite directions. How, then, can a shooter hit these targets? The common advice that “you simply have to make your shooting technique automatic” is unhelpful: it does not explain what the shooter is trying to make a habit of. In fact, success in skeet shooting involves a range of different factors, including not just physical training and development of necessary motor skills, but also a number of psychological factors. Dr. Maltsev’s research focuses on psychological phenomena encountered by a human mind when solving complex coordination tasks such as those involved in skeet.
Skeet is a unique research environment where physical models can be used to demonstrate and draw analogies with the phenomena of the mind, that are manifested both in shooting and in solving diverse tasks in life, particularly in the business domain.
Phenomena of the mind will be manifested similarly in shooting and in business. Just the way people in business aspire to hit the bull’s eye and close 10 out of 10 contracts, shooters want to break all targets regardless of their trajectory. Nevertheless, none of us are born ready as skillful shooters in sports and business. What it takes to acquire necessary skills in the process of life and activity and what kind of approach should one use? On the path of achieving predictable and consistent results, paramount role will always be taken by the training methodology and a coach. But before the emergence of an effective methodology, there must be rigorous scientific study that will lead to devising a new system of training, the steps of shooter’s training and description of the way mind and consciousness interacts while implementing different tasks.
The results of this work will be presented in a series of books and monographs. Academician Oleg Maltsev authored a book titled «Skyshot» dedicated to performing high coordination tasks in the form of clay shooting. The purpose of this book is to teach a person to break the target based on a scientific approach. Three monographs have been announced, that provide all the details of the study and explanation of how one can develop a self-training program and develop necessary skills. Two volumes of the three have already been written and are on the stage of editing and production: Volume 1: Phenomena of the Mind and Volume 2: Consciousness. The work on the third monograph «Tsuranov Phenomenon» in the series is also in progress.
March of 2023 promises to bring exclusive materials for readers of “In den Himmel Aufgestiegen” (eng. “Skyshot”). Chief editor of “In den Himmel Aufgestiegen”, Dr. Oleg Maltsev and Expeditionary Corps are in Italy – on the land of the oldest and leading manufacturers of arms in sport and hunting field and the homeland of outstanding shooting champions of Olympic games and World Championships. The expeditionary group has already visited factories, including Caesar Guerini, Rizzini, Perazzi, Benelli and Fanfarillo, as well as the brand of shooting clothing Castellani, and there are more places on the agenda. Also, Dr. Maltsev and the Expeditionary group are going to have a few training days at the Tiro a volo Falco, a shooting field of the multiple Olympic champion Mr. Ennio Falco, who has become a good friend of our magazine. During the previous visit, Maltsev and Falco had productive meetings and training sessions. This time, there will be also a series of lectures within the framework of scientific study of Skeet.
In the course of the expedition, the group will also gather further research materials, and carry out a parallel study on of complex processes of mind in static conditions. The intent is to compare the highly dynamic conditions of skeet shooting with those of a stationary discipline. For this purpose, we have chosen one of the most difficult shooting disciplines: airgun shooting.
This journal, In den Himmel Aufgestiegen, will continue to cover the expedition and share its research results, as part of a wider program of publication. Our journalists and researchers have access to a large library of literature and materials relating to sports shooting, including works authored by leading coaches and champions worldwide. Some of the materials translated for In den Himmel Aufgestiegen are:
- Don Currie’s Focus. Movement. Faith. Instinctive shotgunning for sporting clays
- Bill McGuire’s Focus and Fire
- Todd Bender’s Championship Skeet
- Todd Bender’s Championship Doubles
- Shot analysis for skeet. Theories of coaching with Todd Bender
- The Biggest Winner. Leo Harrison III.
- Ben Husthwaite’s Method Star
In the frameworks of the ongoing researches at the Institute in cooperation with In den Himmel Aufgestiegen, below is a list of books that recently complemented our unique library, some of which have been also translated from English language into Russian language for internal use of the research team:
- “Gunfitting. Achieving the Ideal Fit for the Game and Clay Shot“ Don Currie, 2021
- “Mastering Sporting Clays“ Don Currie, 2018
- “Instinctive Shooting: The Making of a Master Gunner“ Buz Fawcett, 2013
- “Shooting Passion“ Renato Lamera, 2012
- “Tiro a volo. I sui segretti… svelati“ Renato Lamera, 2018
- “A Target in the Sky“ Renato Lamera, 2003
- “Step by Step to Success. The Art of Skeet Shooting“ Tonino Blasi, 2011
- “Das Wurftaubenschießen seine Geschichte und Pflege” A. Siegl, 1920
- “Die Kunst des Schießens mit der Schrotflinte” (inklus. Wurftauben), 1922
- “Lehrbuch des Flintenschießens. Nebst einer Anleitung zur Herstellung von Flintenschießständen”, 1928
- “Skeet and How to Shoot It” Bob Nichols, 1939
- “Field, skeet, and trapshooting” Charles Edward Chapel, 1950
- “Skeet and Trapshooting” Dick Shaughnessy, Tap Goodenough, 1950
- “Score better at skeet” Nick Karas, Fred Millildine, 1972
The journal In den Himmel Aufgestiegen aims to popularize scientific research in the field of the Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines that make up the concept of Clay Shooting. One of our main goals is to the study of shooting disciplines strictly on a scientific basis. We provide useful materials for beginners, professional shooters, and scientists alike. On our pages you will find practical information for shooters, excerpts from books and courses on shooting, surveys of the results of studies on the phenomena of mind, and articles on the topic of the psychology of shooting and its application in life. The journal provides a space for discussion between interdisciplinary scholars, professional coaches and shooting athletes. Our team is now working on the English version of the site, as well as on the first issue of the journal, which will be bilingual (Russian and English).
