Mental Preparation

[ronpistolero]

Hi.

Just about every shooter does some mental preparation/training during the various stages of their training. I would appreciate how and what you guys do during this stage. I have been shooting for quite awhile now and this has never really been much of a conscious application for me (i.e. I don't know what else there is apart from simple visualization)

Regards,

Ron

[2650 Plus]

I found an issue with emotional preparation that really affected my performance. If I began a match with excessive arrousul there was a shortened concentration issue and I tended to be too cautious in following my shot plan. I used a technique better described by Mr Hall. T mentally removed my self from the range and the match and spent a few minutes doing a drill that I called " thinking pleasent thoughts ". As my pulse slowed and I gained control of my thought process I would prepare to re enter the compitition. This usually occured at the beginning of a competition and might reoccur any time I shot several strings above my average.An opposite problem sometimes affected my shooting performance as the match progressed. My intensity level would drop and I would begin to loose points because I just wasen't working hard enough. To address this problem I would look up or down the firing line, pick a known excellent shot and say to my self " I'm Going to beat that shooter" I believe that the aggressive attitude helped me to get back on my best attitude for shooting the good shots. There is much more information available to comtrol the mental aspects of your shooting performance but many shooters simply walk up to the firing line and shoot good shots without any mental problems at all. They dont seem to be affected by match pressure, and just shoot many tens. This is probably the result of absolute confidence in their skills to do exactly what they need to do to win the match. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[SteveT]

Great ideas, Bill. I learn something new every day.

Thanks,
Steve Turner

[ronpistolero]

Thanks for your reply, Bill. But my problem, I guess, is that my attention span (concentration?) is too short that even visualization has been very difficult for me. Any articles/tips you can refer me to to improve thiis concern of mine?

Regards,

Ron

[2650 Plus]

Thinking back to my initial attemps I had no idea that visualization was the way to go. I won my first major match giving myself verbal commands for each step in the delivery of the shot. I'm not sure but using verbal commands may be the entry process to developing true visualization. There is a discussion of a process to extend your ability to concentrate posted in this section of target talk. I would sugest you might want to try the techniques discussed in that posting. Note that the poster was not sure he had lengthened the time of focused concentration but was sure that the quality of concentration had improved. I sugest that for the present you might try working within your limitations. This will mean developing a shot sequence that starts the pressure on the trigger earlier or using more initial pressure or moving the trigger finger faster so as to minimize the amount of time where you must be concentrating on pure sight allignment.Even if this doesn't help it is something to consider for your shot sequence. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[2650 Plus]

Ron I do appologize. the initial post in the subject I refered to was your earlier post. I went bach to be sure I had referenced the correct post and there you were, so you had already recieved what little I know about visualization. . And how I delt with the concentration issue. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[RobStubbs]

Thanks for your reply, Bill. But my problem, I guess, is that my attention span (concentration?) is too short that even visualization has been very difficult for me. Any articles/tips you can refer me to to improve thiis concern of mine?

Regards,

Ron

Ron,
Unfortunately it just needs practice and in some cases lots of it. You may need to spend an hour or more each night working on mental drills. Also as bad is that everyone is different and some people click with some drills whilst others can't stand them. Short of seeking out a professional sports psychologist, all I can suggest is reading as many different mental training books as possible and try and find what works best for you. There have been loads listed here before so I won't repeat it.

Rob.

[Steve Swartz]

There are several excellent threads (recently) that have delat with these issues in great detail.

I have recommended the procedures of autosuggestion (technical teerm for what Bill describes as "giving myself bverbal commands" but tied to establishing semi-autonomic responses to the command through "self hypnosis") as described in detail in Terry Orlick's book.

Try googling up:

- Sports psychology
- Neurolinguistic programming
- Autosuggestion
- Visualization
- Imagery

etc. etc. etc.

Or just browse through some of the TT threads on the same subject for much more discussion and detail . . . Look for my posts, Ed Hall's posts, JP O'Connor's posts (have to go back a year for JPs stuff but is well worth it), and David Levene's posts for some of the more "prolific" discussions on this topic.

Oh yeah avoid "Chet Skinner!"

[ronpistolero]

Guys,

Many thanks! These forums (or is it fora?) are really useful. Had I come across these kinds of references earlier, I'd be very glad to be able to share my experiences to the tyros.

Have gone through Ed Hall's articles and am a third of the way through JP O'Connor's. The more I know now, the more I realize there's so much more to learn.

Bill, thanks too. And I appreciate your humility as shown with your ability to apologize. Am in good company here.

Next, something foolish. Do you guys ever experience matching your scores or improving it when you've had coffee an hour earlier? I love espresso-based drinks and I used to come to the range with some levels of caffeine and I fairly often maintain my not so great scores.

Thanks again.

Ron

[Steve Swartz]

Ron:

It depends!

In theory, moderate amounts of caffeine can help concentration (just as moderate amounts of alcohol can, in theory, help relaxation . . . so chug a quart of vodka washed down with some red bull and mountain dew, and you will always shoot tens!).

However

Here's the best advice you will ever ignore =8^)

1. There are thousands of things that will either give or take away an "edge" for you and everyone else; and they differ in ways both subtle and obvious;

2. The old saw "whatever works for you" is actually true HOWEVER

3. Knowing how to tell the differnce between "It Works" and "It's Pixie Dust" are not as easy as opne would think.

So Here's The Deal:

Does it help you focus on the front sight with intensity; both physically and mentally?

Does it help you concentrate on maintaining alignment before, during and after releasing the shot; irrespective of perceived movement?

Does it help you release the shot perfectly; subconsciously and without disturbing the sights?

Does it help you establish- and then accept- your minimum arc of movement (settle) for that hold?

Does it help you ignore the target and concentrate on alignment?

There are two aspects of delivering the perfect shot: the "Setup" and the "Release."

The setup is establishing the platform as it were; everything to get your sights perfectly aligned and settled in the aiming area with the proper level of concentration and focus (the Shot Plan is designed to get you "Setup" reliably and consistently shot after shot). It includes all of the physical elements of stance (foot position, lean, etc.), grip, etc. etc. and the mental elements of visualization, autosuggestion, etc. Basically the purpose of the Setp is to get you "In The Zone," ready to deliver the shot.

The release is the actual delivery of the shot. The 250 ms or so immediately before the "go" signal is sent to the trigger finger at least to the moment the pellet skirt clears the muzzle. Trigger technique and follow through are obviously the two most identifiable elements of technique in ply during release. There are some not-so-obvious elements though having to do with whether or not you accept the "Theory Of Area Aiming." If you do not accept area aiming, your technique will be quite different than if you do.

So

Bottom Line: does a little bit of coffee help you perform either your Setup or your Release?

This simple (and somewhat obvious) rule applies to anything: if it helps you properly execute the fundamental elements of technique, then it is a Good Thing.

The PROBLEM is this . . . FIRST you have to have a good understanding of what those elements are, and how they interact as a whole to deliver the perfect shot.

Your mileage will, of course, Vary! My advice must pass the same test as everythng else . . .

[As to your pushback comment about "doing your homework;" look, I was lazy too by not digging through the old posts and just posting the links. I admire the gentelmen like David Levine, Richard H and others who regularly post the actual links to the previous threads. I apologize for not doing the same and only referring to them; I also apologize for not recreating them for you in greater detail. My memory just isn't that good! And indeed, if every question has already been asked and answered in detail (probably true actually) and all we ever did was post links and say "do your homework" this would not be a very fun place at all. My apologies.]

[2650 Plus]

What Steve said!!! Good Shooting Ron Bill Horton

[jackh]

Ouoting Steve plus **questions:
"So Here's The Deal:

Does it help you focus on the front sight with intensity; both physically and mentally?

Does it help you concentrate on maintaining alignment before, during and after releasing the shot; irrespective of perceived movement?"



**What is the difference between the above two? Why not simply combine them? Keep them steadily aligned while and after the trigger is pressed.

To me, using phrases like 'concentrate' and 'focus' causes them to be the goal. I like to tell my subconscious to do what I want as a goal like 'keep them aligned, you know how, just do it'.

[ropistolero]

Steve,

Thanks, and ah, you need not apologize so profusely. My shortcomings are mine alone, so additional help is doubly appreciated. So far, I have been trying to move from being a long time hobbyist to being more competitive and all inputs are very much welcomed.

I guess I have not been that sensitive to notice any difference except that a habit (coffee) that is an everyday part of my life, if missed, might affect my moods.

Thanks,

Ron

[FP570]

Doesn't all mental preparation/discipline all just come down to confidence in ones self and ability? If you believe in your skill level while training, shouldn't you have the confidence to but that ability into play in competition? Isn't self doubt the root of poor mental planning?

[2650 Plus]

Self doubt is the killer of good scores. FP570 has clearly identified the negative thinking issue. Remember what Hershel Anderson said just after shooting his 2680 national record. " I have just spent a month removing every negative aspect in my performance ". With the inference that they were replaced by positive approaches. Could it be that the 2681 in the future will be shot by the person with just one stronger positive thought than Hershel had ? This aint dream world stuff my friends. I believe with all my being that this is the most direct route to that monster score whether you shoot ISSF, NRA 2700, High Power , Small Bore or Air Rifle 3p Good Shooting Bill Horton

[jackh]

My mentor said in so many words that if you can shoot one 10, you can shoot all tens. Only your head prevents it. I don't recall the exact words as Col Miller said it in several different ways.

[gordonfriesen]

My mentor said in so many words that if you can shoot one 10, you can shoot all tens. Only your head prevents it. I don't recall the exact words as Col Miller said it in several different ways.

Jack (and all),

I think this advice works best for mid-range shooters. At the low end, the novice doesn`t really apreciate what he is doing to produce those few tens, and at the high end, perfection remains forever out of reach. But in the middle, where we are regularly scoring 30, or 40 percent tens, it is quite right to wonder why that known ten routine cannot be executed once or twice more per target.

And then there is learning how to overcome the distraction that kills rhythm and confidence. Today I shot a match, and the whole thing went according to plan for five targets. I was a couple of points above average, and a couple below my goal. Then on the sixth target, there was a failure in the timing system on the first string (the duelling sequence was botched) and on the second string I had an alowable mechanical failure. Those two glitches induced me to drop another seven points off the projected pace, leaving me with a very ordinary result when I was looking for a very good one.

As a general question to the community at large, how can we train for these moments when real competition conditions come around only half a dozen times or so each year?

Best Regards,

Gordon

[RobStubbs]

As a general question to the community at large, how can we train for these moments when real competition conditions come around only half a dozen times or so each year?

Best Regards,

Gordon

Gordon,
You can mentally rehearse such a competition as often as you want. Build in the system failures and plan a route to overcome them. As long as you keep all mental training positive and constructive, you can't go too far wrong.

Rob.

[NiteKitti]

It is a good idea to read up on Sport Spychology.
Positive thinking Positive thinking Positive thinking, but when you are at a competition with heavy pressure it is not so easy to stay positive and relaxed. Learn to be able to stay positive through the whole competition! Do not let a bad shot get you down...continue as if it never happened.

"As a general question to the community at large, how can we train for these moments when real competition conditions come around only half a dozen times or so each year? "

Since competitions don't come around every day, you should try and make yourself think (at training) the way you think during competitions. Formulate the same stressfull thoughts like "I cannot shoot one more 9 else i won't achieve my goal" or pretend you are shooting a final "for the next competition shot LOAD, ATTENTION, 3 2 1" If you are used to stress like that, it will stop affecting you.
But better yet would be to get rid of all those negative thoughts at competitions. Take each shot seperate and concentrate completely on it, do not think of the competition as a whole.
Deep breaths between each shot allow you to calm and concentrate better.

I play mental games with myself while I train...See which thoughts deliver good shots and which do not. Which thoughts make me tense, and which calm me. Then i know which thoughts i should keep in my mind during competitions.

Just my 2c.

[Ed Hall]

Since competitions don't come around every day, you should try and make yourself think (at training) the way you think during competitions. Formulate the same stressfull thoughts like "I cannot shoot one more 9 else i won't achieve my goal" or ...

Sorry, but I'll have to voice my disagreement with the above. You should not concern yourself with thinking about anything less than perfection in your training and especially mental preparation. You should only accept the idea that you will shoot perfectly when you rehearse. I suppose I'd rather suggest that you train to think in competition as you do in training, instead of the other way around. It is not necessarily the easier route, but I think it is more productive. The key, of course, is confidence, which was mentioned before. Confidence and success promote each other.

Something else to consider, is that for most of the shooters out there, it isn't a 5 or 6 that defines their score. It is the sum of all the shots that determines the final score. Yet, a 520/600 shooter will get all wrapped up in a six that was fired early in the match and trash the next few shots. Shoot each shot as a single match and don't wory about the score. Someone else will tally it for you and you can review it later.

I might also suggest that Ron check out my past post about creating a Happy Place.

Take Care,
Ed Hall
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