What to focus on?

[Aglifter]

Back in the long, long ago, I used to compete in powerlifting and strongman. For that, I used to focus by listening to certain types of music, and watching a blinking red light, essentially I would put myself where I could be detached from my body. I haven't tried this for shooting, as it feels a bit like "overkill".

I don't know that I can still come as free from my body as I could, but what should I focus on? If I was still in training, I would focus on "ideal form", then tell my body to execute it, and adjust for any imperfections that would get fed back.

Should I just focus on the front sight, and eliminate everything else? Should I focus on a "perfect shot"? (I'll need to understand what that is, first.) If I can fully form what is in a perfect shot (I know I cannot truly execute one - professional shooters have a "stillness" to them, that I will be unable to develop), but if can learn to understand the components, I can execute as perfect a shot as is possible, given my injuries, etc.)

[Sam]

Timing of your post is kinda cool. I just returned from the gym. I was wondering what to focus on to push my bench press to the next level.

As far as the shooting goes, for me, the thing is to keep my mind quiet.

The front sight is a very good vantage point from which a shooter can view the world. Our eyes have got to be seeing something, right? The front sight shows where the bullet is going to strike, so that's an ideal place to use as a visual focus. If I ever "lose" the front sight, I have to re-acquire it to continue shooting accurately. The less I lose it, the less time I spend re-acquiring it.

One of the things that I've picked up here at BE.com is that "intent" is critical for me. I visualize the stage in every relevant detail. (If I leave any thing out I will not see that thing when I'm shooting.) Then, I just have a very specific "intent" that executes what I have visualized. I believe the advantage of "intent" is that there is absolutely no indecisiveness or mental horseplay going on when I'm shooting. That the zone for me. In a nutshell.

[Chris iliff]

My absolute best stages occurred with no conscious thought or focus so to speak. Nothing. Lately as my game has progressed I am seeing and noticing things in my shooting that need fixing. After some focused practiced, I will rely on my subconscious to re-assert itself, and then once again flow like water. Peaks and valleys, just the way it is. I have experienced periods in my shooting that seemed effortless, those are great! Then without warning, I notice something and a light bulb goes off. Usually, what I notice, is some little bad habit I picked up along the way. Until this is worked out, my focus will be drawn to it.

Visualizing is key for me, if I can get a good movie of what I'm about to do playing in my head, all the little details there, it almost always goes better. OH, it helps if there are no "words" in your head movie. Just a silent film of you executing every shot.

[Flexmoney]

^{A front sight focus is great...if all you have on your plate is being still and making the one shot.}

^{Most here, need to work on the fundamentals, first...}

^{http://www.brianenos.com/pages/words.html#fundamental}

^{For example, locating the target is not a front sight focus activity.}

[benos]

As far as the shooting goes, for me, the thing is to keep my mind quiet.

The front sight is a very good vantage point from which a shooter can view the world. Our eyes have got to be seeing something, right? The front sight shows where the bullet is going to strike, so that's an ideal place to use as a visual focus. If I ever "lose" the front sight, I have to re-acquire it to continue shooting accurately. The less I lose it, the less time I spend re-acquiring it.

One of the things that I've picked up here at BE.com is that "intent" is critical for me. I visualize the stage in every relevant detail. (If I leave any thing out I will not see that thing when I'm shooting.) Then, I just have a very specific "intent" that executes what I have visualized. I believe the advantage of "intent" is that there is absolutely no indecisiveness or mental horseplay going on when I'm shooting. That the zone for me. In a nutshell.

Awesome post Sam!

When you see the front sight in RAZOR sharp focus, it will appear as a giant bilding silhouetted against the sky.

At that moment it's all happening.

be