| Hitting the target is one of the essential tasks for | | | | depends on the level of your training. Start with |
| a fencer. This means that accuracy training is an | | | | the biggest ball available. As you go through the |
| important part of any fencer's development as an | | | | drill progression, go back to the big ball every time |
| athlete. Unfortunately accuracy comes with | | | | you start a new level. When you are hitting it |
| practice - lots of practice. Experience in the | | | | reliably, even when moving, move to the next |
| martial arts suggests that 10,000 or more | | | | smaller ball. |
| repetitions of a skill are needed to develop | | | | Drills with the ball would seem to be rather simple. |
| mastery. As you can imagine, your fencing | | | | A logical progression is: |
| master and your fellow fencers really get bored | | | | (1) from on guard, hit with a simple extension |
| being a target to get to those sorts of numbers. | | | | from the static position. |
| This means that a training aid that is simple, | | | | (2) then hit with a thrust with a step forward. |
| inexpensive, and portable is worth exploring. | | | | (3) then hit with a thrust and lunge |
| There are a variety of sophisticated target | | | | (4) then hit with a thrust on the advance-lunge. |
| trainers available--the Target Speed is an excellent | | | | (5) then hit from the balestra-lunge. |
| example and the various flexible arm systems are | | | | But there are variants that will make the drills |
| another. However, these are a reasonable | | | | more difficult and increase the training load. For |
| investment for a club, but can be somewhat | | | | example: |
| pricey for the individual. Plastic balls with holes in | | | | ... on guard with the point level with the ball, |
| the shell, the practice ball, offer one option. | | | | immediately retreat one step and lunge. |
| These balls are readily available in three sizes: a | | | | ... on guard with the point past the ball, withdraw |
| softball sized ball, a baseball, and a golf ball. Each | | | | the arm and extend to hit. |
| of these represents a different target. The | | | | ... advance-lunge at a ball of one size, followed by |
| softball approximates the shoulder in epee or any | | | | advance-lunge at a second ball of a different size |
| of the flat surfaces in the primary target zone | | | | behind the first and displaced laterally |
| from low line under the weapon arm, up on the | | | | approximately half a strip width. |
| inside of the forward chest. The baseball is an | | | | ... changing the hand position to lunge point up or |
| approximate lower arm, the available target as an | | | | with opposition. |
| opponent quickly reverses direction with a parry | | | | I am sure you can identify other patterns that |
| after seeing the start of the final action of a feint | | | | simulate fencing situations. The key point is that |
| attack, or the target on an opponent with a large | | | | to get better at hitting the target, you have to |
| bib and a crouching on guard. The golf ball is | | | | practice hitting a target. The varied sizes of |
| approximately the exposure of the hand and | | | | practice balls offer you an inexpensive option to |
| lower arm on a careless epee guard. | | | | do just that. At 100 practice actions a day, you |
| The ball you select as a practice partner depends | | | | get to 10,000 quickly. |
| on the target you are training to hit. But it also | | | | |