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This study tested the two following hypotheses: (i) compared with non‐athletes, elite athletes are characterized by a reduced cortical activation during the preparation of precise visuo‐motor performance; (ii) in elite athletes, an optimal visuo‐motor performance is related to a low cortical activation. To this aim, electroencephalographic (EEG; 56 channels; Be Plus EB‐Neuro) data were recorded in 18 right‐handed elite air pistol shooters and 10 right‐handed non‐athletes. All subjects performed 120 shots. The EEG data were spatially enhanced by surface Laplacian estimation. With reference to a baseline period, power decrease/increase of alpha rhythms during the preshot period indexed the cortical activation/deactivation (event‐related desynchronization/synchronization, ERD/ERS). Regarding the hypothesis (i), low‐ (about 8–10 Hz) and high‐frequency (about 10–12 Hz) alpha ERD was lower in amplitude in the …