Bad results in competition?

[Bakerman]

Hello everyone, I'm new at this forum and I should add that I found much useful information already.

I have a problem with scoring my average training results in competition. I think it’s because my training scores guarantee me a medal in most of the matches in my country and I can’t simply concentrate on shooting. When I step on the range all the system just falls apart, I can no longer concentrate on the basic technique. Although I almost always score my minimum average, but I’m not satisfied with these results. So now I have a serious lack of self-confidence and don’t know how to get over it. Maybe it’s just because of over-training (I’m shooting about 4-5 times a week now for last months.)

Had anyone had a similar problem?

And what should I do to gain self-confidence again? Maybe there are some specific exercises to train psychological endurance etc.?

[Isabel1130]

There are probably several things going on here. Most of us shoot unconsciously in practice and when we get under pressure in a match, we start thinking. Unfortunately in shooting that is the wrong thing to be doing. Most of us try too hard in matches, and the first thing we start doing is holding the gun up too long because we are too careful and want to make sure we get it just right. This is a recipe for disaster. I have two suggestions. The first is to pay a lot of attention in practice to what you are doing when you are shooting a good shot, How is your grip, how is your breathing, how long are you holding the gun up, how quickly are you getting the shot off? How many shots after you start warming up does your hold stabilize and your finger start moving on the trigger? Then start going to matches with no expectations about how you are going to do and starting treating them like a practice for you to find out how to shoot in a competition the way you do in practice. Keep doing this until shooting a match is just like your practices, and you are a little tired and a little bored. Treat every shot like it is a dry fire, let the bad ones go, after trying to figure out what you did, and then put it behind you. This is supposed to be fun. The only person in shooting you are really competing against is yourself and if you are putting so much pressure on yourself to make it not fun why do it at all?

[2650 Plus]

You hae recieved great advice from Isabel and there is only one point in which I must disagree. Please dont waste time thinking about a bad shot. Do a shot review about your very best shot and deliver the next shot the same way you shoot the best ones. Lanny Basham refers to this as " the ultimate you" Shoot the next shot the way you shoot your best shots. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[lastman]

All great advice.

I also find that when I am having issues with confidence. I pick 1 aspect to a shot that I know I will do perfectly every time. It doesn't matter how small a part to the shot you pick i.e. Raise the pistol or something similar.

Keep reminding yourself how well you are doing that 1 thing and then build upon that 1 thing until that 1 thing is your whole shot process.

They key is to start with 1 thing that you are doing well. It doesn't matter how big or small that 1 thing is, then expand that 1 thing until it incorporated everything. Just keep telling yourself how well you are doing it.

Good luck

[Isabel1130]

For me there is almost always one answer as to why I don't have a good shot. It is, I held the gun up too long. Now, the reason I held the gun up too long may all be different, like I got to admiring the sight picture rather than pulling the trigger, or I lost confidence in my hold, or I shifted my focus from the sights to the target. When those things happen we should all put the gun down and start again. That is the hardest thing to discipline yourself to do. Your shot will only be as good as your hold is. If your hold is not quite ten ring you will have a lot of 9's that are still very good shots. Don't be too hard on yourself. as someone wise once said. "There is nothing interesting going on down at the target" Shoot the way you dry fire, with no flinching, no anticipation and no jerking and you will be fine. Hi Bill In spite of the dismal record the last few years, I say, BEAT NAVY!!!

[AP unknow]

When i shoot for a medal i will ruin all my skill even i saw two target (LOL)
My hand will shake and hearth beat rapidly.

When i shoot for nothing I will obtain all my skill and see my front sight clearly

[Bakerman]

Oh, I'm glad to hear such great advice. Thanks to everyone. I guess I just have to leave the bad results in the past and move on with practicing and shooting.

[A74BEDLM]

I had/have the same problem.

You have to think back to the practice and all the 9's and 10's you shoot and learn to believe in yourself. "I CAN DO IT". "I TRUST MY HOLD"

Next I found the best thing to take my mind of worrying was to give myself something to think about - a short mantra.

For me I use "Brace the Wrist, Squeeeeeeze the E" this is because I have to work on locking the wrist and I exaggerate the Squeeze becuase I want a constant increasing trigger pressure and the E represents the Sight picture on its side. When I think about the mantra my mind can't think about anything else. Also learn to accept an aborted shot - don't force - start again - mantra and shoot. I also had forgot one of the most important things - have fun! Its very easy to pressure yourself out of a match.

[Lu]

This is great advice.

I can't add much - but when I was competing I found it helpful to do mental training on some days instead of actually shooting.

Maybe you've done that, so I risk being boring:

but just repeat your perfect shot in your head like a meditation.
You can sit or lie, or you can even stand and hold your hand up as if you hold the pistol and go through the movements.

Don't overtrain - it doesn't help, it often makes results worse.

Try doing a lot of cardio on non-training days in addition to everything suggested above -

sometimes you're just bad at competitions because your heartrate is high.

Try running 3 kilometres and THEN start training - little things like that get you out of your "normal training mode".


Btw I used to have the same problem. I won some little competitions easily, and then horribly failed when trying to qualify for the European Championship. I'll never forget that day. Very embarrassing, but a great lesson for the future.

[Bakerman]

Thanks for advice Lu.

Today worked with my coach and found out that I have some problems with a good follow-through so need to work harder on that.

Still shot a good 562 (AP) score for me. So just gotta work on that way.

[2650 Plus]

No matter what yourt coach has told you , follow through is no more than your reaction time when the shot has fired to your recognation to the firing. A smothe steady pressure on the trigger, while you are maintaining total focus and concentration on perfecting sight allignment will give you that. I would recommend working on the fundamentals rather than worring about follow through. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[Guest 5]

I am still an avid pupil, so all the above advice is great. i've picked up some great pointers reading this thread. In my limited and humble experience I have found visualization integrated into my preshot routine as very helpful. I see the perfect sight picture and visualize the automatic trigger release, seeing a 10.9 being marked. Theres been many times my following shot was just like how I saw it in my minds eye. It helps me to relax too. Now if I could do it more often lol. Just my .02 :)

[BPBrinson]

When you're betting for stones in an archery contest, you shoot with skill.
When you're betting for fancy belt buckles, you worry about your aim. And
when you're betting for real gold, you're a nervous wreck. Your skill is the
same in all three cases - but because one prize means more to you than
another, you let outside concerns weigh on your mind. He who looks too hard
at the outside gets clumsy on the inside.

-Chuang Tzu

[Guest]

My practice rounds, as an average, are usually 17 points higher than my match scores... It is becoming very consistent nowadays and makes me feel like I'm not improving...

I guess attending more matches is the best way to overcome match-shyness, considering that everything else is relatively done properly...

Regards,

Akin

[lastman]

No matter what yourt coach has told you , follow through is no more than your reaction time when the shot has fired to your recognation to the firing. A smothe steady pressure on the trigger, while you are maintaining total focus and concentration on perfecting sight allignment will give you that. I would recommend working on the fundamentals rather than worring about follow through. Good Shooting Bill Horton

For the first time I'll have to somewhat disagree with you there Bill.

For me follow through is a psychological aspect to the shot delivery that is of critical importance.

Physically speaking you only need to follow through for the time it takes for the projectile to leave the barrel.

Psychologically speaking however if you're not prepared to do the same things after the shot that you were doing before the shot a sense of anticipation kicks in and a whole raft of problems such as snatching and breaking of the wrist pop up.

The easiest way I found to cure those problems is to continue positively applying pressure to the trigger and total focus on the sights for 2-3 seconds after the shot.

Good luck

[Brian M]

But if you focused on the fundamentals (trigger control for your example), then that erases your "need" for such a Massive period of follow-through. Even if you don't believe that, your example is 100% personal and in no way represents what the theoretical "perfect" shot process entails. Heck, my entire shot process doesn't last much more than 3 seconds total when everything clicks.

Brian

No matter what yourt coach has told you , follow through is no more than your reaction time when the shot has fired to your recognation to the firing. A smothe steady pressure on the trigger, while you are maintaining total focus and concentration on perfecting sight allignment will give you that. I would recommend working on the fundamentals rather than worring about follow through. Good Shooting Bill Horton

For the first time I'll have to somewhat disagree with you there Bill.

For me follow through is a psychological aspect to the shot delivery that is of critical importance.

Physically speaking you only need to follow through for the time it takes for the projectile to leave the barrel.

Psychologically speaking however if you're not prepared to do the same things after the shot that you were doing before the shot a sense of anticipation kicks in and a whole raft of problems such as snatching and breaking of the wrist pop up.

The easiest way I found to cure those problems is to continue positively applying pressure to the trigger and total focus on the sights for 2-3 seconds after the shot.

Good luck

[paulo]

I am a student here and can take almost all the advice given so far, I am also starting to be very comfortable with all the theoretical aspects of a perfect shot and try to apply it every time I pull the trigger, but I am coming to the realization that clearing your mind in practice and specially in competition is the best way to shoot to your potential, and that is all you can ask for.
That level of concentration and focus I have no clue how to achieve yet.

[Brian M]

Paulo, it comes with time. Do you know how to drive a car? Do you have to Think about it, or does it just happen (shifting/using the clutch in a standard, adjusting the fuel to achieve or maintain a speed without constant speedo monitoring, etc...) The same is true of shooting, train on the basics, practice putting them together and eventually they will become subconscious actions (automatic/without conscious thought) allowing your brain to control the actions for you.

Going into theory a little bit, you have to Train only one thing at a time because your conscious mind can only Focus on one thing at a time. Yes, you can flip back and forth between a few thoughts/actions, but only truly focus on one. The subconscious though, it can control multiples (just as it does with your breathing, heart beat, squeezing glands, blinking, etc...) and it can do so MUCH faster than the conscious.

It's the last thing to "find", and the first to go. I used to be able to have 1 out of every 4~5 shots. After a 2 year break, I've had one out of 180 competition shots. lol, whoops... guess more training is in order. I was roomed with Brian Beaman at the Winter Airgun and he mentioned he trains 5~6 days a week, with 2.5~3 hours airgun and 1.5~2 hours freepistol. Just to put some perspective on the time commitment needed to be near the top for this country.