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Visualization a work in progress


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I'm starting to see improvements in my scores soon after incorporating visualization into practices and matches. Improvements have come in the way of higher accuracy(less points down) and just one mental mistake. Although my sample size is small, ten matches, the improvements are obvious. My overall speed is the same but now I'm seeing the COF and seeing my sights line up as I'm looking at the targets.


My mind is calmer. I can hear everything. At a match two weeks ago, I can hear the guys chatting behind me right before the buzzer and while I'm shooting. CORRECTION: I was listening to the guys comment on my shooting AS I was shooting. I find that I can switch between thoughts and tasks easier and faster. On one stage(same match), I lost my mental round count preparing for a reload and found myself mentally counting targets I shot WHILE engaging a target then transitioning to the next shooting position. I scored towards the top just below M, EX and top SS shooters( Currently SS ). I'm not sure if I picked up bad habits but these are things I observed I'm doing lately.


My "To Do" list includes: improve visualization by increasing the amount of detail and increase speed in practice(which I hope to translate to speed in matches).


Simple enough :D


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Your mind may be "calmer" than it was before, but by your description it's not yet "quiet".

Very true. I would like to have less unnecessary conversations with myself while I shoot.

Your conscious mind can only focus on one task at a time. You need to make that one task watching your sights and getting them sufficiently aligned.

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I'm starting to see improvements in my scores soon after incorporating visualization into practices and matches. Improvements have come in the way of higher accuracy(less points down) and just one mental mistake. Although my sample size is small, ten matches, the improvements are obvious. My overall speed is the same but now I'm seeing the COF and seeing my sights line up as I'm looking at the targets.
My mind is calmer. I can hear everything. At a match two weeks ago, I can hear the guys chatting behind me right before the buzzer and while I'm shooting. CORRECTION: I was listening to the guys comment on my shooting AS I was shooting. I find that I can switch between thoughts and tasks easier and faster. On one stage(same match), I lost my mental round count preparing for a reload and found myself mentally counting targets I shot WHILE engaging a target then transitioning to the next shooting position. I scored towards the top just below M, EX and top SS shooters( Currently SS ). I'm not sure if I picked up bad habits but these are things I observed I'm doing lately.
My "To Do" list includes: improve visualization by increasing the amount of detail and increase speed in practice(which I hope to translate to speed in matches).
Simple enough :D

How do you do this? Any guidance for the newb

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Good deal - I'm working on this too. "Level One" for me was visualizing the targets in the order I would shoot them, from a first person view point. That helped me be more efficient with stage execution and not forget targets. Once I got that down I realized I was seeing the targets just fine during live fire, but I wasn't always seeing my sights! ;-)

So "Level Two" is visualizing my sight picture on each and every target in the order I would shoot them, from a first person view point. And now I see my sights and hit the targets much better during live fire.

I'm sure there's a "Level Three", but I haven't gotten there yet.

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I dug up a couple old visualization posts...

Visual Patience:

I know this has been said, but I thought it might bear repeating. You know, it is actually faster (more efficient) to imagine in your mind exactly what you want/need to see, and then make yourself see it. (As opposed to just randomly blasting at the some part of the target.) I mean, you can find the center of the target, SEE the gun/sights stop, or hesitate, call the shot, find the precise center of the next target, and so on. The gun moves quicker from shot to shot, and target to target, because of this thing called “knowing.” Knowing is the result of awareness, and awareness comes out as a result of a precise plan, a firm conviction to execute the plan, the confidence resulting from erasing doubt, and the will to allow your confident plan to manifest, no matter how long it seems like it’s taking. Under stress, the emotional feeling of passing time should not be trusted. Generate the will to be visually patient – allow your precise plan to manifest. Done correctly, instantly - time evaporates – your body will freely express the training it has undergone. Not done, the concept of time will confuse you.

Visualizing Practice:

I visualize ANYTHING I want to do. Free throw shooters who spent the same time visualizing shooting free throws improved about as much as those who actually shot free throws (for a month). (Don't ask me where I got that, I just remember reading it, somewhere.)

"Also, to be effective, should my visualization be from a “driver’s seat” view, or can it be from a 3rd person perspective?"

As usual, it's different for different folks. Imagine yourself setting in the drivers seat of your car. "How" do you see? Do you see as if you are looking out of your eyes, or do you see yourself sitting in the car (third person)? Typically, your answer will be the easiest way for you to visualize.

I've noticed, over the years, that I never really responded well to just visualization practice. Meaning, I couldn't keep a steady practice because I just didn't enjoy it. But the interesting thing is - I've also noticed that I'm an extremely visual person. No matter what I'm doing, I seem to be able to find some way to see it in my mind before I do it. At this point, I believe that if you can fully and completely see EXACTLY what you are going to do in your mind before you do it - you can/will do it.

I wrote this in my journal the other day: Fill your mind with a live, moving image of exactly what you want to happen. Do not (unconsciously) fill your mind with unnecessary thoughts and worries about HOW you are going to make it happen. TRUST - your body/mind will manifest what you fill it with. Just don't be careless or negligent with your thoughts and actions. Indecision, incompleteness, and doubt are the roots of failure.

One last thing - I've found it beneficial to learn to visualize "both ways." Sometimes it's advantageous to "see" out of your eyes, like when firing the gun for example. And sometimes it's beneficial to 3rd person "see," like when moving, or entering a position.

When throwing rocks, darts, or shooting pool, I perform more consistently (better) if I can see the entire event happening, just as I initiate the action. In pool, I see the entire path of the cue ball, it strike the object ball, and the object ball ROLLING into the a certain part of the pocket. If I don't shoot until I can see that in my mind, I'm usually successful. (As opposed to simply just focusing on the contact point of the object ball, as is often taught.) Throwing rocks or darts, I visualize the dart or rock in flight, and landing exactly on it's intended target. (As opposed to just concentrating on the spot.)

Experiment with both methods in varying situations and see what you find out. The beautiful thing about visualization practice is that you can do it most anytime.

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45 Raven and I have been sharing ideas about how to go about this. Below is mine.

Here is a synopsis of my visualization progress:

In the beginning(Winter 2013), I lacked any sort of visualization except for where 180 degrees was. Eventually, I started to make mental notes of positions, shooting order and not incurring penalties.
Starting this January, I began to go over the course of fire in my head from a third person static point of view. As if I was another shooter waiting for my turn. No other deliberate effort to visualize was made. Benefits were immediately reaped in the form of lower down points and some time improvement.
Fast forward to the present, I am beginning to visualize myself going through the stage BUT from the SO perspective. Essentially, right behind and moving with the shooter. My emphasis is placed on where to move, the shooting order, shooting position(crouch, lean, away from barrier) and when I should be prepared to reload. This is where I'm seeing the greatest gains. I feel more efficient; my accuracy is fair to good and times dramatically improved. On a few stages over the past couple of weeks, I placed in the top 7. So I'm doing something right.
This is a milestone for me, I am semi-content with what I have done. Although my competitiveness wants me to continue advancing my mental preparation, I am giving pause to progress and making way for consistency. My intention is to build a foundation to ensure I don't regress back further than where I am now.

I find it very easy to visualize from a 3rd person POV (similar to an SO's perspective). I see me engaging targets, reloading and moving to positions. The mechanical details of shooting are not present, what I visualize is how I go about the course of fire (the flow, if that makes sense). I do feel a sense of calmness, awareness and purpose when visualization goes well.

... so continues my pursuit of progress ... and I'm enjoying it.

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  • 1 month later...

Visualization is only one componant of stage preperation. I broke it down into four elements or "points". I even went as far as making a card for my range bag with the four points written on it as a reminder. I posted this many years ago, so here it is again. Hopefully it helps some of you.

4 Points of stage prep

1-Solution

2-Choreograph

3-Rehearsal

4-Visualization

For me it was a realization that my Visualization process was not defined enough. I had thought I was visualizing each stage but I was not "seeing the forest thru the trees" so to speek. I defined four elements to stage prep that are essential for me to "Burn it in" and it propelled my game to the next level in a big way.

1)solution:Find the most effective/efficient way for "Me" to shoot the stage.

2)Choreography:Determine exactly where every step/shot will be etc.

3)Rehersal:Walking the stage and seeing every detail you will need when you shoot it for real.

4)Visualization:Replaying the rehersal over and over until called to shoot.

These four steps allow it to happen with out having to think about anything when the timer goes off. Prior to defining this process I was doing some of it but not all of it.

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