TargetTalk

Hello everyone I'm a freshmen thats having a problem with finding something that calms me down. I don't have much of a problem when I close my eyes and stand still for a moment but once I open them my feeling of calm leaves me and I tence up. Maybe this is attributed to me not being able to find a specific thing to calm me down? I am a part of a high school precision air rifle and lookforward to continuing in this sport past high school. You may know ,if you are in a high school in the georgia area, of Aquinas which iis where I'm going............... Thank you for your help, And if I could know what you guys/girls do to calm yourself's down that might help (Don't really know)

Oh and by the way I just wanted to know who made the target talka and Pilk gun stickers? They were handed out at my last rifle practice and I thought they were pretty cool. Although whoever made them is going to get sewed for copy rights (just kidding).

It's largely a practice thing. For me what works is focusing on my breathing, deep and slow and trying to keep my head clear of other thoughts. That takes practice as well - to be able to keep your mind clear I mean. Additionally during the match treat it as a practice session. Visualise shooting on your home range, next to someone who you often shoot with in training. The 'home comfort' factor will calm you do down. Additionally treat every shot as a one shot match. Don't think of the scores, don't add them up and forget any poor shots that happen. The trick is to focus on the shot process for every shot regardless of anything else which is going on.

I would also advise getting hold of the book by Lanny Bassham which I think is called 'with winning in mind' - an excellent and easy to read book on the mental aspects of shooting.

Rob.

I can suggest the following things which might help improve your concentration and relaxing techniques:-
1)When sitting down behind you shooting bay concentrate on your toes, ankles, legs, knees etc , telling yourself "Relax foot", "Relax, knees", etc
up your body, right to you head.
2) Have a stop watch, and find your pulse, and concentrate on getting your heart beat down lower.
3)When you are approaching a competition treat everthing as normal up to 2 days before it. Then tell everone that if they can't say anything nice, or positive, don't say it. You don't want to hear anything negative or nasty.
4)Diet - it is important to watch what you eat and drink. - eg No coco-cola or coffee. Don't eat a meal Just before you go to shoot. Leave an hour or so for anything to be digested.
5) Use calming music to switch yourself off.

Everyone gets nervous. You just have to discover which area affects you.eg- eating, loud talking, fidgetting, angry moods, lots of trips to the toilet! etc.
See if you can look up how Skiing Biathlon athletes bring down their heart beats. They have to shoot immediately after cross country skiing.
You might find something about this sport in your Library.
Good luck.
Alex L.

I wanted to add a bit to Rob's great comment to "focus on the shot process...".
Try to develop a specific "Shot Plan" or "Mental Program" like a computer program for a perfect shot. Map out the details for what you want to do physically and mentally, then practice until it becomes automatic. This should keep you too occupied to tense up when you open your eyes. It should also build your confidence and make matches much easier as your job now becomes "doing something you have done 1,000 times before".

GA is a fantastic state for high school 3P Air Rifle.
Good Shooting!

Hi

Eat a Turkey sandwich about a half hour prior to shooting, you'll have trouble staying awake. Turkey is full of chemical Tryptophan (I think I spelled that right), that induces calm.

I tried it for breakfast last month for Bullseye, worked great for Slow fire, but my first timed and rapid in .22LR stunk.

If you're shooting air rifle, then it's ALL slow fire....

Mike

I have narrowed my trouble using the "winning in mind" book to find that I have trouble with my councias mind. I have trouble with concentrating on that "happy" thought or pleasing, good self image thought. My thoughts keep jumping between homework, G/F, how I look, and sometimes shooting. I feer I may have ADD or just a silly freshmen who needs to practice. Anyway thanks for the advice and if you have any on the conciace minde it would be appreciated.

What I've found that usually works for me is to get a song stuck in my mind. Anything works, but it should be sufficienly long & elaborate (ie: not just a 6 second jingle) that it takes up some brain busy work. Kind of like using a mantra, all it does is to keep some extra gray cells busy so their neutrons don't go off firing about some really deep thoughts that would distract from shooting.
It may not even be a favorite tune, just the last thing I heard on the radio (for you young-ins, "radio" is an ancient science of free audio broadcasting ... :^). Kind of the equivalent of white noise to lull my brain.

Just keep the rest of your conscious mind focused on the task at hand - even if you have to quietly talk to yourself and go thru your checklist. I wouldn't worry about having "happy thoughts", just have confidence in your checklist of physical equipment and tasks, for now.

I still beleive the major problem is lack of practice. It takes practice to be able to empty the mind and it takes practice to keep being able to do it. I know I have suffered over the last few weeks but I'm on a 3 week rest period. When I pick up the gun next week I will be concentrating again on the single shot process and practising shooting with a pretty much empty mind. Sure I will be focusing on my foresight (pistol) but I will try and ensure I remain focused and if I don't then I'll take a break.

Rob.

One obvious answer: shoot as many matches as you can, the higher pressure the better. All these practice techniques mentioned are invaluable(and neccesary), but it always helps to experience first hand how to calm yourself under tough conditions.

Everybody will eventually develop their own method of calming themselves with practice and its different for everybody. I can't even really describe what I did, some weird combination of breathing and a sort of visualization, obviously, it was a work in progress for me too, as it is pretty much everybody.

Used to shoot in GA Highschool myself, Good Luck this year!

This is going to sound somewhat odd, but what works for me is HEAT. I've been out to the Prado range a couple times this last summer when the outside temperature was in the 90's and the inside in the 100's. All upper body tension and random thoughts just melted away.

Just before shooting, try: Georgia summer weather, steamy hot shower, car heater with closed windows, wrestler's sweatsuit, etc.