TargetTalk

Hi,

I am just about to enter my first competition :)

I was just wondering how people prepare for a competition day. I am not thinking of the weeks of preparation/training beforehand but more the night before and the actual day. Things like types of food and timing of meals, warm up exercises both physical and mental etc.

I had an intersting conversation last night and it just set me thinking.

I know it is a very personal thing but there may be some common thoughts/routines. As a telecommunications company in the UK used to say in their advertising 'It's good to talk' :)

Cheers

Mark

The most important thing for your first competition is to allow plenty of time.

For the BPC Open meeting remember that EC is in the BPC clubhouse, not at LRC. There can sometimes be quite a queue for equipment control.

If this is your first time at LRC on the electronic targets, have a word with one of the range staff (preferably before preparation time). They will explain the target controls to you.

Hi David,

Thank you for the heads up. Do you know whereabouts the BPC Clubhouse is at Bisley? I have only been once with my son and had a quick walk around. Very interesting 'colonnial' style buildings all over the place.

My son had an experience with the electronic targets which was a valuable learning expereince. I was watching him shoot and saw his dismay at shooting a zero. He turned and looked at me as if to say 'what happened there?'. We both know he is good enough for it to have been VERY unlikely he scored a zero. We have since been told he should have put his hand up and explained to the RO what had happened - the targets apparantly can be temperamental.

Are you going to the BPC Open?

Cheers

Mark

Mark, PM sent.

The biggest surprise for me in my first competition this last November was the amount of noise from other shooters. At my club there are a maximum of 10 on the line during practice, but for the competition there were about 35 shooting at a time, and the number and variety of popping sounds going on was quite distracting at first. I wore hearing protection, and it was not a pain problem, just a distraction with which I was unfamiliar. Once I settled in (took most of the first 60 shots) it was no problem, but had I anticipated it being so distracting I might have mentally rehearsed hearing such noises while shooting, or even simulated it for a session or two at home with a sound file loop from a competition in my headphones.

Other than that, I'd say just stick to your routine, being aware that the increased excitement of a competition may influence your perception of time. There may be a tendency to rush. Instilling calm, breathing properly, stubbornly ignoring the habits of the shooters around you will probably help.