TargetTalk

Jeepers, but this is THE best thread ever!

I bet that this is one of the most common problems of even very experienced shooters. This season has been particularly bad for me.
Example: in standard pistol, my training scores are about 530 (yea, nothing to brag about, but still) - in the last competition I shot 503, and in an earlier match I scored below 500!
In rapid fire nig bore pistol I shot two times in a row 556 points - in the competition I scored but 504. The winner scored 541 so had I shot as I usually do, I could have afforded a complete miss and still won with flying colors.
I take some comfort in that one of Finland's top shots in the past ten years shared this problem. Apparently, he fairly consistently scored about 590 in standard pistol in training. In competitions, he was more than 10 points off the mark.

Now, Brian M's advice was clearly good.
Last winter I applied positive thinking for the first time, and it really has helped me.
The latest match - despite the atrocious score - was a good point in case. Before the match I did my usual excercises and for the first time I also utilised the 5 min preparation time to dry fire and sight.
Additionally, I pumped myself with positive emotions. The sighting series scored 49. The first two series were excellent, but then the nerves caught me as I shot far better than usual.
The 20sec series were the worst of the entire season - but what I managed to do (and this is what I have not been able to do in my younger years at all) was to forget about the poor results. "What is done is done, and you cannot improve on that" as my trainer likes to point out. So I pushed away the poor results, pumped up the positive feeling again and I was able to improve the 10sec series. In fact, I shot them about as well as I do in training.

Lessons for me:
1) Pump up the positive emotions.
2) Push away the poor shots and poor series. They're there like the sun rises and you cannot affect those anymore. Focus on the upcoming shots!

The utilisation of the preparation time is also important for me, and I have not been doing so this summer (unlike I did in the winter) as this "warms me up" and gets me up to speed. I'm a slow starter, you see.

In training, it is advisable to forget about the scope.
Last winter when shooting air pistol I cut out the inner rings of the target about half way between the 8 and 9 rings. Thus, all shots that did not touch the edges of the cutout were 9s or 10s - but I do not know which!
At best, I shot 39 shots in a row through the hole.

Lesson for me:
3) 9 is a good score! Be happy about it and congratulate yourself. On my level, I cannot intentionally hit the 10 - the 10 ring is inside the 9 ring so if all my shots are within the 9 ring there are inevitably some 10s as well.
(This was not awfully motivating when I hit nine 9s and but one 10, but still...)

Further good training is to make the training as match-like as you can.
Part of this is to train (and to attend matches!) on many various ranges.
Another good idea is to compete with a shooting buddy, e.g. shot by shot. Better yet is you have someone behind you spotting the shots, thus creating pressure.

Finally - anyone who attends a match is probably a good enough shot to be able to call the poor shots in advance. I.e. you can clearly see that you're e.g. aiming high. Well - DON'T TAKE THE SHOT! How many times I have done this mistake I do not know. But it is always better to abort the shot, lower your gun and to re-focus. Be it poor aiming, something in your eye, lost concentration or whatever. As you take the shot, there simply is nothing else in the world but the sights of your gun.

To Pat McCoy:
I agree partly. My trainer taught me this: there are no fears.
Enjoy the process! Enjoy EVERYTHING! Shooting is fun; aiming is fun; the shot is fun; the recoil is enjoyable etc. When all parts of the shooting are fun and enjoyable, there is nothing to fear, is there?
One of my fears is the poor shot. This I have overcome: I know that there will always be some poor shots (hopefully only few...) but in general I know how to shoot and I know how to make the good shot. So if the shot is poor, forget about it and think about the correct performance and do that!

Levergun59:
Agree totally.
I tried this last winter. Between the series, I sit down and think about how the 10 hit looks like. Think about an 8 or a 7 and I can virtually guarantee that will be your hit!
But think about the beutiful hole in the 10 ring.... You've seen it dozens of times. This puts you mentally in the 10 shooting mood and you'll shoot no worse than a 9 - and as we learned above, that is a good shot!

Many of you point out about focusing on the correct performance. It is, indeed, key. That is why the shooter has to practice so darn much!
Correct performance brings good results; poor performance poor results.

So let's see how well I'll be able to apply all the above in two weeks in the Finnish national championship competition!!

- Lars/Finland

Also, try to remember, you enjoy doing this sport (right?).

I've entered selection matches knowing I'd be dead last .... but fired a PR ... and had a blast doing so.

schauckis wrote: The latest match - despite the atrocious score - was a good point in case. Before the match I did my usual excercises and for the first time I also utilised the 5 min preparation time to dry fire and sight.
Additionally, I pumped myself with positive emotions. The sighting series scored 49. The first two series were excellent, but then the nerves caught me as I shot far better than usual.

Lanny Bassham talks about this a LOT. It's self image, and if you Believe you're shooting too well/above your place, your mind will find a way to sabotage you. This was introduced to me in a different way earlier with a poster in my home range that stated:

"What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Different way to look at the same thing. But basically, from what you've posted, the thing that's holding you back is your own self image. You got nervous because you were shooting "too well" for competition. But were you shooting above your Average?

Don't put so much emphasis on shooting in a match. You're still shooting one shot at a time, the whole process is the EXACT same between Practice (not training, Practice) and what you're doing in a match. The score is not the primary goal, it's just an end result, or the final outcome. If you can remind yourself that it's the shot process, the primary function of shooting, and not the Score, you might find that match scores come up. In an ideal situation, you'll be shooting personal records during matches. I don't often achieve that anymore (I used to when I was a Jr. shooter), but it's happened twice in the last year.

And finally, remember that this is Supposed to be fun. Being nervous and anxious is decidedly NOT fun for me, and shooting becomes a chore when I feel that way. Probably why I don't allow those feelings when I'm shooting (or rather, don't start shooting when I feel that way). Try adding one simple confirmation line to your training and practice ~ tell yourself that you enjoy shooting in matches each and every time you pick up a pistol. BELIEVE that you enjoy shooting in matches. If you want to, think about a time (shot, string, etc..) when you actually Did enjoy shooting in a match and focus on just that time/feeling.... no negatives.

Anyway, good luck.

Brian M wrote: Different way to look at the same thing. But basically, from what you've posted, the thing that's holding you back is your own self image. You got nervous because you were shooting "too well" for competition.

Yes.

Brian M wrote: But were you shooting above your Average?

Way above.

Brian M wrote: Don't put so much emphasis on shooting in a match. You're still shooting one shot at a time, the whole process is the EXACT same between Practice (not training, Practice) and what you're doing in a match.

Spot on.

Brian M wrote: And finally, remember that this is Supposed to be fun. Try adding one simple confirmation line to your training and practice ~ tell yourself that you enjoy shooting in matches each and every time you pick up a pistol. BELIEVE that you enjoy shooting in matches.

Good idea. Thanks!

Brian M wrote: Anyway, good luck.

Thanks again!

- Lars/Finland

During a regional match I competed at I went into it with the understanding that it was an opportunity to shoot a personal best and wasn't focused on the level of competition or venue. I had shot some decent scores in practice where I would routinely simulate a match course of fire but this would be my first match in 5 months. I exclusively used a Rika trainer for 4 months and then went to the range three times leading up to the match.
On the day of the match I arrived with enough time to go through equipment inspections and set up my gear on the line without rushing. My first 10 shots took me almost 15 minutes to shoot. I was focused on establishing my natural point of aim and relaxing. After that I found my rythm and my subconcious took over. Before I knew it I had one more point I needed to pick up with two shots left to reach my goal. I shot a 10 and reached my goal and then another 10 to end the match. I passed my goal and shot a personal best match score.
As I put away my gear I reflected on how I did it. Before the match I sat on the line and focused on the target and my preparation. During each shot I reflected on my feeling and self talk during the match. One of the best things I did this time was to utilize the clock and not get into a rush. Everytime I felt I had a break in my focus I took time and when something didn't feel right I rested the rifle.
The next week during practice I repeated the lessons I learned at the match and shot a new personal best during a simulated match. A couple of people stood behind me during a few shots. They wanted to see how I was doing. I was aware of them being there but it didn't seem to distract me during the shot process. If I could I would have people watch me shoot more often to better prepare for pressure situations. Durng the match a judge/director was walking behind everyone and evaluating us. My older son tends to do this when I'm dry firing so maybe that had something to with my improved focus?
Overall my shooting has improved a lot in the last few months because I'm setting realistic goals now and investing more time in the preparation phase for practice and matches. I suggest Lanny Bassham's book and Anne Jeppesen's book for some good tips. I don't have access to consistant coaching and these books have helped me a lot together with the MEC Air Rifle Shooting book. Hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Vinny

I know the thread started with rifle shooting, but there are many shooting disciplines where not taking the shot is not an option even if the hold or position is less than ideal. How do you manage that?

I shoot IPSC more than other sports, and usually there you have the option of shooting more rounds, only sacrificing time. But in standard pistol or olympic rapid fire, or CF rapid fire, you are pressed to make the best shot (or several) you can within the severely limited time. So taking the shot is a process that must end with a shot, every time.

While practicing, you can cancel the process and not shoot, but what about a match? Do you generally have a "fixing process" to regain a sight picture if you don't get it quite right or lose it with poor trigger control or something? Or is it more of a subconscious process that either succeeds or fails, every time the same? Does the excitement in a match situation alter the process or make you end up in the "correction process" more often than while training?

Personally for me, I am not good enough in any of the mentioned disciplines to avoid correcting quite often. In optimal conditions, I can raise the pistol and find it pointing the right place with a good sight picture and release the shot without disrupting the position. I less than optimal conditions, I often find either the sight picture slightly off, or pointing outside the target area. Still, that can often be fixed in time (well, very difficult for the first target in olympic rf 4 sec) for a reasonable hit in the target. You simply have to do that to get any points for the shot, so the real question here is, does this happen more often in a match than while training? I think it does, and that it happens more often because of my trigger control getting worse. I raise the gun about as well, but mess up the position with trigger control.

It probably has to do with the pressure to take the shot in time. While training, I can fix the sight picture and still most of the time make it in time and only sometimes shoot late. In a match or seriously trying for a score, I guess there is just too much pressure to get even a 5 instead of missing the shot completely. Of course, it would be much better to try and regain control to get a 9 and be late one time in three, but you don't calculate statistics in a split second. Even if you do it in advance, it's easy to slip in the real situation and just shoot and hope for the best.

How do others deal with this while training? Do you also train correcting or just train enough so you never need to correct much and abort the shot in a training situation if it obviously started wrong? If you take the latter approach, how do you deal with a failure in taking the position in a rapid fire match?

Mika