TargetTalk

Why do I shoot better when angry, pissed and aggressive?

From lousy group to very sharp group. Very quick trigger.

Why sharper shooting when aggressive, eyes staring?

Focus

Yes, I agree that it could change your focus. Anger could change the Self1 and Self2 interaction (The Inner Game of Tennis) and break the Self1 negativity.

Or maybe it's something as basic as the extra energy caused by anger creates a firmer grip on the pistol, which your 'regular' grip lacks but requires.

Oz

Ha Ha

I can relate to that.

I remember struggling to hold the 9 ring during a CF precision stage once. Got pissed off and blasted the last five like a 10 second series. shot an all x ring 50.

Other on the range were so impressed they saved the target for me...

I remember being at a shoot and being nervous. Consequently i shot like i was using a scatter gun, thus i cracked the sh#ts and dropped 5 points in the next 25 shots.
Even my coach at the time purposely revved me up and said my shooting was crap and that i would never be any good; i was redy to knock his head off. I then went out and shot a 2" group in free (10 shots), the draw back was he told me what he was trying to do afterwards.... brain + information = bigger groups. Sometimes it pays not to listen to your coach and not think at all.
Hopefully in the 6 years since i last picked up a free pistol i have forgotten what i used to do , now i just need a free pistol to see what i have forgotten!

there is a NB to being cranky when you shoot; when the wife has peed you off it's best not to shoot. Some anger may not be able to be channeled into positive outcomes, better off heading down to the pub or out to the shed!

Cheers Haemish

. . . if yoiur coach is any good he or she should already be telling you not to think while you are shooting . . .

[consider: anger is a "functional distraction" ie it takes your mind off of shooting and allows you to tap into your potential. If you accept the whole "role of the subconscious" theory of shooting then the anger=better shooting phenomenon makes perfect sense.]

Well it is OK to think while shooting- just maybe about the right things.

What you describe is getting aroused (NOT That way) you need a certain amount of arousal to shoot well- kind of the "get some"attitude. The reason you tend to have more focus in many cases(after shooting poorly) is that you have felt a sense of "loss" in your previous shots and you are able to either get "pissed" or shoot with a sense of "OK it's over for today" Thisa tends to drain the adrenaline.

A few factors to consider:

* as FP570 says, it might be the arousal level needed to obtain 'good' shots. If this is the case, the potential problem is that you are obtaining the arousal by getting"angry, pissed and aggressive" - this is not good for those around you and your standing with other shooters (and range staff). There are better (and more consistent) ways of getting a desired arousal level.
* one side effect of having a 'bad' start to competition is that the pressure is off (you are unlikely to catch up even if you shoot the rest of the event at better that usual skill levels). For many shooters this is an observable phenomenon.

Spencer

Just a small question? Have you ever been so arroused that you shot poorly ? I suggest that you consider the high arrousal score as the highest arrousal you ever want to use and do some expermentation as to the lowest arrousal you can tolerate and still shoot well. Look into Ed Hall's dissertation on emotions and means to control them, Good Shooting Bill Horton

tough subject.

bryan wrote:tough subject.

so if moving into one of the 4 emotional quadrants, "angry", makes you shoot better, then I would think results are the issue.

Can you tell me what this refers to and/or where i might be able to see something on it?

thanks

Ed