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dravz

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Posts posted by dravz

    Nervous? Your body is just trying to help!

    in Tips for Improvement

    Posted

    This is taken from the CSF-PREP curriculum done by the Army to teach Soldiers mental strength routines. While we shooters have match stress to deal with, Soldiers have two-way range stress to deal with. One of the easiest ways to make nervousness less stressful is to understand why it happens.

    Your nervous system does nothing by chance. Everything your body provides you during stressful moments is good for performance, but since we don't know that we wonder why our bodies are trying to sabotage us when we need help the most, like right before a big match. Fact is, performing at extraordinary levels requires an extraordinary amount of energy and activation. Mentally tough individuals learn to accept and embrace the natural and helpful flood of adrenaline and energy -- to see the nervousness as an advantage!

    Dry Mouth

    Saliva, used to digest food, turns off so energy used for digestion can be redirected to the brain and muscles -- where it's needed! Unless you are nervous before an eating contest, this is a good thing.

    Rapid Breathing

    Brings in more oxygen and rids the body of waste products that cause fatigue. Take deep breaths to get your breathing under control and relax to stay in the zone.

    Increased Heart Rate

    Speeds up the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain and muscles!

    Sweaty Palms and Pits

    Sweating ensures the body, muscles, and internal organs remain at their optimal temperature right from the start of the mission.

    Butterflies in the Stomach

    Digestion shuts down so that energy used for digestion can be redirected to the brain and muscles! The resulting change in stomach acid creates the sensation of "butterflies." Realize this is an advantage (again, unless you are preparing for an eating contest), thank your stomach for powering down and conserving energy!

    Digestive Clearing (PPP)

    Relieving oneself empties the digestive system so that energy used for digestion can be redirected elsewhere, and lightens the load on your body! The 3 P's: Pee, Poop, and Puke! Your body clears out your digestive tract so it doesn't slow you down during the mission. Get the lead out!

    Trembling Hands and Knees

    The nervous system kicks into a higher gear in order to speed up communication between the brain and the body, which results in trembling hands and knees in some people.

    Understanding why your body does these things when you are nervous will help you perform at your best without worrying about your body being out to sabotage you. It is just trying to help! Understand what is happening and use it to your advantage.

    Visualization...

    in Mental Conditioning

    Posted

    The exercise I discovered that is really powerful, which many of you probably already use (I know Mr Enos talks about his Journal)is the correlation between writing a thought down and your mental image of that thought being simultaneously projected. So I've started a daily exercise of creating an imaginary place. I bring in key words that cause a vivid mental image as I write them. Once I've written this "story" I have noticed that I have a feeling of experiencing it completely and I also remember it exactly as I visualized it while I wrote it, even days later. I'm also considering adding real items to the visualization to stimulate the experience. It is said you need to visualize the smells, the feelings, the environment as you visualize your shooting. So have you ever really thought of what burnt gun powder smells like it? You know it when you really smell it, your brain recognizes it, but if you close your eyes and try to re-enact that exact smell, can you? I cannot. So I thought if I visualize pine needles, I will have some real pine needles with me a that time and will take a whiff, or mint leaves or orange peels etc,. Over time I would like to think that my smell association with visualization would become stronger. That is at least what I would like to try and find out. I would like to try the same thing with touch association (visualize cool water while touching water).

    Definitely try to include as many of your senses in your visualization as possible to make it that much more real and vivid. Maybe you can't recall the smell of gunpowder (I can), but you can still feel the weight of the gun in your hands, the feel of the grip on your palm and fingers, the sounds of the range around you, and so on. Putting the extra senses into the imagery is a good thing.

    Ben Stoeger

    in Range Diary

    Posted

    I have set myself some tangible goals regarding my 2012 training plan. I will post those when I get around to it.

    Also.. there will be a review of Engmann's book forthcoming in the near future... oh yes.

    Looking forward to both.

    I only know of Engmann from his time on Top Shot, so this should be interesting. :sight:

    Calius on 2nd Finger of Strong hand

    in Tips for Improvement

    Posted · Edited by dravz

    What about numbness? Does anyone else have some numbness of a finger or fingertip? The bottom end of my strong-hand ring finger has some lingering numbness. It isn't that bothersome but it is definitely worse after practice, but it's at the point now where it's been numb for almost a week now. Now that I type it out I should probably have it looked at, huh.

    edit: Oh, and on topic, I had that hog-knuckle when shooting and practicing with XD's for some time, but it has subsided mightily since switching to a Glock (34). I am now getting the Glock palm callus though, as someone described earlier in the thread.

    Proper use of a timer

    in Training Techniques

    Posted

    I'm not trying to be arrogant or anything. These are just observations from falling prey to the time trap and how I have emerged from it, slightly mangled and wreaking of titegroup :) Hell, this may only work for me, but I figure there has got to be other shooters out there like me, so why not say what's on my mind if it may help them too.

    I wanted to bring this topic up again because I do now see what DoubleA was getting at. I did my practice today without any timer at all, instead focusing on only perfect execution. Without the timer I was able to pick out inefficiencies that I had never seen when going at 110% speed, there just wasn't time before! I was also amazed at the amount of trash technique I let slip through in pursuit of that second timer beep. It was eye-opening.

    :eatdrink:

    Getting Back In Shape

    in Physical Training

    Posted

    Regardless of what activities you choose, the biggest change has to occur in your mind. You have to make doing your exercise non-negotiable, like brushing your teeth or sleeping. Whatever routine you get on, do not allow yourself to get off it. Once you start letting things slip, even by a tiny amount, it makes it a little easier to slip it more and more often. Make exercise non-negotiable, make it a habit, and you will make your body into whatever you want.

    :cheers:

    Time on the Draw? What is good?

    in Handgun Techniques

    Posted

    You should always - always - draw the gun and get it mounted and into the target in exactly the same time. That is, as fast as you can move accurately. The only thing that should differ between a shot on an A-zone at 3 yards, and a shot on an A-zone at 50 yards is the amount of time you take to line up the sights on target, and cleanly break the shot. Your draw stroke should not change as the targets get harder or easier (aside, perhaps, from some "early engagement" on really really close targets... but that's really for another discussion).

    Though I would say "big" targets and "small" targets instead of "close" and "far" targets, you make a critical observation. Drawing is drawing -- breaking the shot may take longer, but drawing is drawing. Thanks.

    how do you stop sabotaging yourself?

    in Mental Conditioning

    Posted

    Thanks Brian, yes I have come to the realization, ignoring the distracting thoughts and focusing on the work at hand seems to be a constant in my own mind, however I am also finding that is it not as difficult if I can tune out external stimuli.

    You know, as I re-read your original post to start the thread it sounds like a self-image problem. Yes I'm a novice at this stuff, but hear me out. You sabotage yourself as you get close to your goal because you don't believe it is "like you" to attain those things, be it a reduced weight, or a certain performance level, etc. This is why you engage in the positive self-talk like directive affirmations, to repeat to yourself enough times that you do really believe it is "like you" to be that good, or that weight, or whatever. You perform how you expect to perform, not how you want to, and if your self-image isn't up to par it will continue to get in your way. Only reinforce the positives in your training and matches, in so doing you convince your self-image it is "like you" to perform at that next level.

    Mental gurus please feel free to correct my thinking, as I don't want to lead anyone astray.

    how do you stop sabotaging yourself?

    in Mental Conditioning

    Posted

    yes, not my expectations, but my abilities. I know my capabilities, and prefer that the presence of competitors, or stress of a match have me invent situations to create excuses. So yes, I have stepped up dry firing, I feel that training to build confidence will help with my self image.

    Went to an IDPA match sat. I know it will sound funny, but put on plugs and hearing protectors on so as not to hear other peoples times, or negative discussions. Had to fend off some thoughts that were steering the wrong direction. Results were fabulous.

    I think all of us worry about our placement and performance. The key is not to worry about how you did until all the shooting is over with.

    Right? :blush:

    How does one get a sponsor?

    in Miscellaneous BEginners

    Posted

    Sarge, you mentioned sponsorship from a reality firm, which reminds me of a thought I have had many times. A sponsor could be pretty much any person, company or organization. A sponsor does not have to be shooting or outdoor related at all! Just look back at NASCAR . . . I will never forget the day I saw Tide on the side of a race car! I believe it was Darrel Waltrip's car??

    Today race cars are really fast billboards, and companies the likes of McDonalds, Subway, Office Depot, Hooters and even candy companies spend huge amounts of money on just such advertising.

    Me? I'm holding out for a condom sponsorship :roflol:

    In my opinion, "real" money won't hit shooting athletes unless and until the major sponsorships start coming from outside the shooting sports -- Tide, Target, M&M's, etc. That's when it "blows up."

    Practising without my gun

    in Training Techniques

    Posted

    Mental reps: As old506 explained, do a lot of visualizing yourself having a perfect performance. Keep showing your subconscious mind what you want, again and again. Personally I do this instead of counting sheep every night to get to sleep, works wonders. :yawn: No gun required.

    Movement: Without a gun you can still practice your movement. You can do empty-handed shooting on the move to practice separating torso movement from your lower body movement. You can practice entering and exiting positions from varying distances empty-handed, just make sure to have your "pretend gun" up when you do so. You can do general footwork and agility drills to improve foot speed, stability, and balance.

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