How to deal with a really bad match result?

[2Alphamikenoshoot]

On ‎1‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 7:18 AM, narwhal said:

I was wondering how people deal with a really poor match result?  Do you take the parts of the match you did poorly on and implement those into practice more to improve?  Do you shrug it off as a bad day and not change too much?  Do you look at your equipment and consider changing it?  Does it tend to de-motivate you and make you wonder if you're just wasting time doing something you don't have any natural talent for, or does it energize you to improve?

 

I shot a club I've never shot at while out of town on business, and got absolutely smeared, finished 24/36 overall when I'm used to finishing in the top 10% of a similar sized field back home.  Yes, it's a better/more competitive club.  Had an equipment problem (a magazine fell out of it's pouch while I was sprinting between positions, costing 20+ seconds), and there were tons of really tight shots on swingers/pop-ups usually with non threats around them plus a lot of partial targets 50% covered by non threats, and I ended up pegging 3 NT's, whereas most of the field was able to avoid doing so.  Also I had not been able to dry or live fire for 2 weeks directly prior due to flying for business, so I was a bit cold.  Anyway, still a beginner, only shot a few dozen matches but this one was probably my worst result.  

Oh this is a good one.

Dealing with poor match results: First off you need to have realistic expectation management. I try to shoot as many big matches as I can because the level of competition is tougher at majors. Locals not so much. I use placement as a data tool and that's it really. Especially with practiscore competitor you can really look at the data and see what you need to improve.
Improvements: Naturally we do whats easy or fun. You need to practice the stuff that you had difficulty at. Or what carries the most weight at a match. To me this is transitions and shooting on the move. There are a lot of other things that contribute to a good match. But personally I think being as efficient as possible and shootin on the move and transitions is what helps.

Bad days: Sometimes you can just tell youre off. Like your processing speed isn't there. Or your vision is off and you cant pick up your sights or dot as quickly as usual. You need to be honest with yourself and know how you shoot normally. With that being said you cant just buy your way to the top with more expensive equipment. A double stack 1911/2011 with a frame mounted dot is much more refined than a glock. And will only make a good shooter shoot slightly better. But I don't think itll make up for skill.

Motivation: I think this one is really important. I think this has to do with ego. Ego is not your amigo. You have to be dedicated to improvement. If you get crushed at a match you have 1 of 2 options. 1) let your ego get the best of you, and quit. Or 2) Use it as a teaching lesson and keep practicing and doing dry fires, and working on whatever is necessary to improve.
Everyone has to start somewhere. Where you are at now is not necessarily where you'll end up, shooting-wise. Just remember that. Pick peoples brains. Ask questions. Ask more experienced shooters why they did this or that. And try to shoot with more experienced people than yourself or your usual group of dudes. You'll have to step outside your comfort zone on this one. But you'll be pleasantly surprised. Everyone I speak with and pimp for extra knowledge are always more than helpful. Its weird. We are all competing with eachother but no one withholds information or advice.

 

[2Alphamikenoshoot]

On ‎4‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 10:27 PM, MrT_shootsAcz said:

As far as I'm concerned this post covers it and in a very succinct fashion.

 

only thing I'll add is a note due to where I'm at with my own development...

 

I have been at the USPSA game for a year, had plenty of shooting experience prior but nothing like this sport... much more tactical Timmy stuff (go ahead and make your jokes gamers, I'm with you know ?).  I've found along with practice that I am still experiencing particular aspects of stage design or target arrays for the first time.  If I Mike something up or handle it wrong I file that into my practice bank and work on it... like said in the post I quoted.  The other thing I also do is only beat myself up for so long, just long enough to learn from it.  Something I learned actually outside of this game but it very much applies to it is this... you need to fail and experience everything that comes with it due to pushing yourself.  This is the place where you will learn the most when you are aware of what "you" are doing.  I believe the awareness part is a portion of what Mr. Enos talks about in shooting with an awareness and being in the moment.  Anyway... I chalk everything up to a learning experience, even my better matches, and always strive for continuous improvement.

this is known as the growth mindset. Failure is not welcome but it is necessary for growth. The fixed mindset is when people fail, and are so demoralized they don't do anything risky again. Or they are so fearful of failure they don't try anything risky at all.  

[CSEMARTIN]

On 1/22/2017 at 6:18 AM, narwhal said:

I was wondering how people deal with a really poor match result?  

 

I just got destroyed two weekends ago by a CDP Sharpshooter.  I used to shoot in the CDP Division as a Master, and I usually won.  Then I took a 9 year sabbatical after I went to an egregiously dangerous major match.  That match was so disturbing to me that I took a step back.  There was also a thread on this forum that was started about ten years ago about a guy that injured his hand very badly while reloading.  I don't recall there ever being a consensus as to what or how it happened.  Since I am a Surgeon and my hands are very important to me, I didn't touch my reloading machine for a decade.

 

 I decided to get back into shooting a few months ago.  I suck right now.  I suck really bad.  I miss targets, my flinch is back, I have brain farts, etc.  The rules have changed.  The scoring system has changed.  There are some obstacles I need to deal with.

 

For me a bad match result is not as demoralizing because I know what I am capable of, and more importantly, I know what I need to do to get there.  There was a thread on this forum that  I remember following about what you would do if you could no longer be competitive.  That thread has haunted me because as I get older I worry that I may have peaked.  Now I can look forward to competing in the Senior Citizen category in a few years!  I'll just work to be the fastest geezer at the range!

 

People are either fighters or they are quitters. My attitude is you haven't failed until you have given up.

[EEH]

Well Doc. I lived thru this thing, only took a year to learn how to walk again,but I didn’t take 10 years off. As for senior citizens class you’re a long way from that. As for the rules changed yea they changed a lot in the last 15 years I’ve been shooting. You are in mid 40’s so some of the 20 to 30 will beat you. But nobody can beat me,if they do they say yea but he’s an old man, but if I beat them everyone says you let that old man beat you. So you see I can’t be beat. At least not to brag about it. Enjoy shooting and reloading . Practice till you get it right.

[Ken6PPC]

52 minutes ago, EEH said:

Well Doc. I lived thru this thing, only took a year to learn how to walk again,but I didn’t take 10 years off. As for senior citizens class you’re a long way from that. As for the rules changed yea they changed a lot in the last 15 years I’ve been shooting. You are in mid 40’s so some of the 20 to 30 will beat you. But nobody can beat me,if they do they say yea but he’s an old man, but if I beat them everyone says you let that old man beat you. So you see I can’t be beat. At least not to brag about it. Enjoy shooting and reloading . Practice till you get it right.

 

58 Chevy, right? 

 

You are indeed blessed to still be here!  

[EEH]

Yep 58 

[CSEMARTIN]

Ken,

 

You could tell that was a '58 by that photo?  I'm impressed.  I couldn't even figure out it was a Chevy.

[benos]

Short answer... my way of dealing with a bad match.... Jot down some notes on anything that contributed to it, then note the corresponding remedy's, then forget about it.