Victor_R Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Is staying calm "KEY" in shooting well? I find myself getting antsy when I shoot. Rushing but I don't mean to it just happen's. Buzzer goes off and all that's running through my mind is GO. I can't remember what I was looking at after a stage or if I was calling my shot's or not. I'm going to try being calm at my next shoot this Saturday and see how that works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glknineteen Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 (edited) I think staying calm is very important, but there's a fine line between calm and just downright slow. I think the best condition is sort of an urgent calm, where you know your goals and what you're going to do in the stage, and you know you need to go fast, but the urgency doesn't turn to a panic. Panic isn't going to allow you to pay attention to what's going on in the stage. It's tough to find that happy medium, but when you do, it really does feel markedly different. I kind of think of it like those picture books, the ones where it's just a weird abstract picture, but then you start to change your focal plane and suddenly, it's a snowboarding kangaroo. I've been "in the zone" during shooting maybe once or twice, and I'm trying to figure out how to cue it to happen, but it really is cool when it does. All that being said, I think the key is where you're focusing. Normally, when what you described happens to me, it's because I'm focusing on the entire stage at once. I find it's better to focus on specific goals, which is why the runthrough is so important. Break it down into parts. When you are waiting for the buzzer, it may be best to clear everything out of your mind except for where you're going to do first. If your starting position is hands at sides facing downrange, you should have your draw so ingrained that all your focus is on the first target. Once that target is down, focus on the next, and so on. When starting uprange, just focus on getting turned around and the presentation to the target. Stuff like this helps to slow you down enough to make more focused shots. Edited June 15, 2010 by glknineteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 I suggest... Get one (positive) thought in your head. Make it as close to the most fundamental thing as possible. Remaining calm might be a good thought to experiment with. I also like to be more "aware"...or to "see more". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfchorn Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 I had my first "moment" a couple weeks ago during practice. We set up a short stage to practice shooting on the move. During the run, things went into a sorta' slow motion. I remember thinking "gotta' speed up, this is taking forever." When the run was over, it was nearly 1.5 seconds faster than my previous run. At first, I didn't believe it. I thought it was much slower. Then the person running me said "Holy crap, that was fast!" Haven't been able to do it again. Figure I'll just keep working on fundamentals and focus, and it will happen. I can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Is staying calm "KEY" in shooting well? I find myself getting antsy when I shoot. Rushing but I don't mean to it just happen's. Buzzer goes off and all that's running through my mind is GO. I can't remember what I was looking at after a stage or if I was calling my shot's or not. I'm going to try being calm at my next shoot this Saturday and see how that works for me. Staying calm, yet highly alert and flexibly focused on each task at hand was the ultimate state for me to shoot in. It took maybe 15 years of training and competing to arrive at that conviction. And as I've realized now, it's also the best state to always be in. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandro Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 (edited) Link to my post on similar topic from Brian Edited June 15, 2010 by Sandro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor_R Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 (edited) Good stuff guy's.This calm thing came to me when I was practicing my draws. I was rushing and decided to not think about it so much and it seemed my draw felt faster. I don't really know how to explain it but it was like a light went off in my head. I tend to over think things instead of keeping it simple. Thanks again for your words there much appreciated. Edited June 16, 2010 by Victor R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor_R Posted June 20, 2010 Author Share Posted June 20, 2010 Well I shoot Renton WA IDPA match today and tried to keep my calm through the match and it seemed to work. I felt like I was going slow but I guess I wasn't. I came in 1st in CDP MM, CDP Division Champ and 2nd overall out of 88 shooters. I'm shocked to say the least. Now all I have to do is learn how to control it. Thanks again to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyZip Posted June 20, 2010 Share Posted June 20, 2010 Remember the feeling you got as a kid when your coach would say "keep you eye on the ball"? How he was trying to get you to see that ball as opposed to thinking about the game as a whole. Because at that moment there is no other momennt, just you and the ball. I'm beginning to see that calm comes with just doing as opposed to thinking about what you are doing. If I think about reloads, I start to have issues. If I just look for the magwell, and try and look the mag into it, and feeling the things I need to get a good index on my mag, it will happen for me almost. If I think about the draw and forst shot, it takes a long time. If I look to my first target, and wait to break the shots when I see what I'm supposed to , and not any sooner or later. it seems to go as fast as I can go at my current level. I guess, what I'm saying is that processing the task at hand, can often take your mind off what it is that keeps you from being calm. So that you go from being unnerved by the beep to being in the zone at the sound of the beep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Well I shoot Renton WA IDPA match today and tried to keep my calm through the match and it seemed to work. I felt like I was going slow but I guess I wasn't. I came in 1st in CDP MM, CDP Division Champ and 2nd overall out of 88 shooters. I'm shocked to say the least. Now all I have to do is learn how to control it. Thanks again to all. Nice work! I approach always staying calm as something I will always work with by paying attention to what I am doing (as opposed to something I can eventually learn to "control"). And good stuff from JimmyZip. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhuk Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Is staying calm "KEY" in shooting well? I find myself getting antsy when I shoot. Rushing but I don't mean to it just happen's. Buzzer goes off and all that's running through my mind is GO. I can't remember what I was looking at after a stage or if I was calling my shot's or not. I'm going to try being calm at my next shoot this Saturday and see how that works for me. Damn, story of my life absolutely Last weekend in a comp the first 2 stages were reaosnably OK, then I got that "adrenalin-thing" happening and missed every single bloody target! on the final run-through lol Never done that before, which was seriously embarassing heh. So this is definatively my main problem too - will also try to be a bit more 'zen-like' and keep all this in mind! Is staying calm "KEY" in shooting well? I find myself getting antsy when I shoot. Rushing but I don't mean to it just happen's. Buzzer goes off and all that's running through my mind is GO. I can't remember what I was looking at after a stage or if I was calling my shot's or not. I'm going to try being calm at my next shoot this Saturday and see how that works for me. Staying calm, yet highly alert and flexibly focused on each task at hand was the ultimate state for me to shoot in. It took maybe 15 years of training and competing to arrive at that conviction. And as I've realized now, it's also the best state to always be in. be Definately the sort of general mindset to aim for Thanks for this thread-reminder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 zhuk, Another thread on this topic. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhuk Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Thank you very much for that link, Brian - looks like excellent advice I will definately add that to my list of things to concentrate on when I finally get my own firearm, which ought to be relatively soon...it takes an excruciatingly long time here I have only been able to compete with my club's stock guns, so no practice has been possible so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I actually shoot better when I'm a little amped up, but not "nervous". If I'm too relaxed I shoot relaxed, which isn't good (for me). My version of amped up is really alert, ready to go...maybe a little tingle, but not much. R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunsablazin Posted August 26, 2010 Share Posted August 26, 2010 (edited) When I first started shooting competitively I was almost always a nervous wreck before each stage, really to the point I almost gave it up at one point, as the years and matches have rolled by, and I have learned to have fun shooting I'm usually cool and calm now. On the rare occasion that I feel nervous before a stage, I don't worry, because I know from experience that when the buzzer sounds that feeling will be gone. The only time the adrenaline flows now is after I have "burned down" a stage, and that feeling is one reason I keep shooting. Edited August 26, 2010 by gunsablazin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 26, 2010 Share Posted August 26, 2010 Good stuff gunsablazin. I learned that if I could keep my mind calm, not matter how jacked up I/my body felt, I could shoot to my potential in a match. I can still clearly remember a Steel Challenge stage from many years ago. (Probably early to mid '80's.) It was Five to Go, and when I was done I had 4 clean runs that set a new record for the stage (12.01 at that time). But before each string, I was so nervous my legs were visibly shaking. I remember wondering if the spectators could see my knees shaking as I was preparing to shoot each string! be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MQW Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 Check out this article on "Mental Training"; solid mental conditioning is THE key to successful competitive shooting; this is the one thing that isn't really paid the attn it deserves. here is a good link to an article on the subject: http://www.mind-fitness-training.org/JFQ_Mind_Fitness.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Marshall Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 The best thing is when stress hits, you must empty your mind. It is important to maintain control and stay calm, that way you can fix anything that stress you. When you panic about it, it becomes difficult to do. Stress can be very damaging to your health. Everyone has stress in their daily lives. You let them eat you, it causes problems and misery in your life. If you decide to approach it the right way, you can learn to relieve stress and feel better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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