At some point in your shooting career, you’ll begin to learn from the bad shots you’ve made because they are the exception; the good shots are expected.

No one would disagree that how one thinks determines to a large degree one's success. In shooting, as in life, there are different ways to think about almost anything. An enduring question every shooter asks is, "What do I need to do to shoot higher scores?" It may be as simple as changing the way you think--about shooting and about yourself. This is especially true when devoting adequate time and effort into practice and training has seemingly placed the shooter at a standstill in his quest for improvement.

My losses are planted in my mind at least as firmly as my wins. I can't recall the good shots that won because in reality it's the bad shots that lost. That, by some definitions, is negative feedback--what I did wrong.

I have no choice but to judge my performances through negative feedback because it's unavoidable. When I fire a good shot, nothing stands out because I expect to make good shots. Over 99 percent of the time, based on my across-the-course scoring average, I'll have positive results and positive feedback.

Better shooters tend to operate more from negative feedback than do lesser-skilled shooter. The newer shooter has more positive things to focus on than negative, even though there are going to be more bad shots.

Not everything will give positive feedback the first few times it's tried, but improvements are there for the taking. Experiment, find ways to make it work better, and try again.

In a previous article I outlined the process for making changes using directed or controlled experimentation, and to reiterate that message, give a change some time--but not too much time. If it's not working or not feeling right, do not stubbornly accept that it must be right, no matter what the source of the information or idea might have been.

It is best to instead look again, a little deeper, at the core of what the change or method is supposed to accomplish and then find another way to incorporate that effect into your own set of techniques.

Teach yourself to change, and it becomes easier and more productive to do so. That's one key to ultimately finding the set of technical mechanics that allow you to shoot your best. Don't be afraid to give it all up and try something new. You can always go back to the old way.

As the skills and scores increase, the shooter is doing far more right than wrong, so it's now that the focus of learning may well shift to seeking out the defects in the position rather than building up all its fundamental strong points.

It's a balance, and I certainly look for ways to improve the strongest elements in my positions. I will add that a lot of the changes that improve my strong points have come from advancements I've effected in rifle design and setup. These modifications allowed an opportunity to incorporate previously unattainable changes. Those aside, however, it's usually finding ways to heal a sore spot.