Core principles

Ethan Lowry takes a muscular approach to shooting with a look at the importance of building core strength

- Ethan Lowry

In comparison to sports like football and tennis, a layperson could be forgiven for assuming that clay shooting probably doesn't require that much physical training - that is, exercise of the whole body rather than just your trigger finger. As many of us would be quick to point out, a full day of shooting, whether on the clays, at a sporting shoot, controlling pests or stalking, can be both physically and mentally taxing.

Most athletes supplement their skill-based training with other forms of exercise aimed at building general fitness or strength, but many shooters tend to neglect this aspect of their beloved sport. Could fitness training help you become a better shooter? Clay shooting does not require marathon-level cardiovascular fitness or a bodybuilder's muscular physique, but a solid foundation of core strength can have tremendous benefits for shooters. Let's examine why.

The first aspect of shooting that many of us are taught - often before we even pick up our gun - is our stance. Our stance functions primarily as a solid base, ensuring that the frame of our upper body can turn efficiently and securely to follow the flight of a clay. This solid base provides the counterforce that ensures our aim isn't altered by the recoil from our gun. For most people, the stance they take before the trap is second nature - they don't even think about it. Little do they know that the bulk of this work is done by what are commonly referred to as our 'core muscles'.