Intangibles

[Bear1142]

Intangibles, that little twist of fate that you don't or can't account for, that affects the outcome of a performance/stage/match. Being a very analytical person, they absolutely drive me crazy. How am I supposed to take an unknown variable into account? I was struck by an intangible at the AL State match. I like to characterize intangibles as a striking object, because it can knock you out of a state of mind. It can, and does alter your perception. On stage 4, Front sight city, after the intial bank of three targets on your left. You had to make a 180 swing and move a couple of steps to see two partially obscurred targets to your right. The ranges at AL were mostly covered with semi-large chunks of gravel, making traction difficult at times. As I was breaking down from my two step movement and starting to break my first shot, my right foot (my plant foot, after these targets you had to turn 90 back to the left to proceed down a hallway. The course was shaped like and upside down T) slipped in the gravel and the exact moment I called a good sight picture and broke my first shot. The slip caused my whole upper body to lurch upward, ever so slightly, causing my first shot to go slightly high, directly into the No-shoot. The course of fire also dictated that I shoot 20 rounds before my first reload, with no extra shots available. Naturally, I made up the no-shoot shot and had to reload in a completely different place and time.

While reflecting upon this all week and trying to discover how to plan for the unknown, I discovered something far more important; the ability to adapt in the moment. In the time it took to move from this second array to the third (about 1 sec.), I knew I needed to move my reload up one array and I would still have enough to finish the rest of the course as programmed. I executed about a 1 sec. reload swinging from one window to another and was able to continue without pause or being knocked from the moment. I dealt with a future problem in the present without leaving the present. It felt as though my sub-conscious stepped up and took an active role in my conscious mind and fixed the problem. While I'm not sure if I've had a "breakthrough", or if it will happen the next time I encounter an intangible, My fear of the intangible is gone because I now know I will adapt and overcome it.

Erik

[Flexmoney]

Interesting.

I think (in this instance) your success was made possible by your experience and training. You knew going into the stage how many extra shots you had in your mag (in this case, none). And, you were aware enough while shooting to see the problem as it happened...and adjust to the new situation.

[Chriss Grube]

I have to agree with Flex on this one, training and experience and a little preparation. There is no way to prevent Murphy from hitching a ride so you have to adapt on the fly. Lots of other sports with a human opponent requires you to react quickly to their action. The way you win is doing it faster than the other guy which comes from training and experience.

[Bear1142]

The point I was trying to make was that the adaptation happened without any real conscious effort. My mind processed an unanticipated stimilus and reacted, without, what I perceived as any real imput from me. It just happened. Upon reflection, it's a very comfortable feeling.

Erik

[cpty1]

Your story brings to mind a painful experience I had at the same match three years ago. It was in the bay where stage 2 was at this year. Same thing...planted my right foot to move to the next shooting position and my right foot..shall we say, just left. Next thing I know, I'm on the ground, bleeding from my right knee and right elbow. Luckily, I was able to keep the muzzle pointed downrange, get up, and complete the course of fire. While footing was an issue at times this year, it was much better than it has been in the past. The match director said they had removed as much of the gravel and rocks as they could from the shooting areas. There were a lot of bandaged and bleeding people hobbling around the Alabama match in years past. Intangibles and unknowns will pop up at times, just know they could always be worse and move on.

[kevin c]

I remember falling on a stage and, after recovering safely, shooting the targets as I got up, strong hand only, because it was simply the fastest (safe) way to make up the time. This was done w/o conscious thought. I did this years ago as a new D class shooter.

Since then, I find that, at least the way I try to mentally visualize my run, if things don't go to plan, I get completely bamboozled, and tank the stage. I actually seem to be less flexible than before. Perhaps I am trying to force the shooting to fit a preconceived plan, rather letting it happen, observing and adapting on the fly?

[benos]

Many years ago, I remember The Great One making a classic statement. He said one of Todd's strength's was that when things went bad, Todd adapted no problemo. Whereas the Burner, however, didn't. But if things didn't go wrong, and the stage was such that one could benefit from an airtight plan, the Burner was tough to beat.

From a Temperament point of view, this makes perfect sense.

be

[short_round]

The last few months I have been following the downward spiral. If the plan didn't work out at the beginning it caused the later parts of the plan to get worse. I guess because I was trying to play catchup to make a plan work that had already failed. As if I boosted the jets I could make myself get back into the plan that had left me behind because I made a mistake. It doesn't work this way for me ... I tried.

It's like that asteroids game we used to play on the Atari. You could stand in the middle and shoot the rocks, but then when it got hairy you would hit the jets then start spinning out of control. The more you hit the jets the worse it got and the worse part was eventually you would see the big rock you were about to hit but couldn't do anything about it anymore (even if you held the thruster button down).

I'm not saying none of my plans ever worked out, but even the best ones didn't work out exactly like I had "planned." This last match, I tried to let it go. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do, and where I wanted to go. I got sick of saying to myself "you HAVE to be here", "you HAVE to reload there", "you CAN'T MISS here" and if it didn't work that way I wanted to tell me to go f$^k myself. It sucked, it wasn't fun ... I can't even stand myself telling me what to do.

During the match, I actually caught myself engaging an array not like I had planned, but rather than "make" myself go back to the plan, I just let myself shoot it. In retrospect I did the right thing. Even if my original plan was better than how I found myself doing it, it would have been a bigger mistake to make myself stop and start again. Most importantly I didn't dwell on the array that I just didn't shoot that way I wanted for the rest of the stage like I usually do. It was shot up already ... I let it go.

There is comfort in planning, but I can't plan for everything. There comes a point to where I have to let go ... (and use the force?)

[shred]

This last match, I tried to let it go.  I had a general idea of what I wanted to do, and where I wanted to go.  I got sick of saying to myself "you HAVE to be here", "you HAVE to reload there", "you CAN'T MISS here" and if it didn't work that way I wanted to tell me to go f$^k myself.  It sucked, it wasn't fun ...  I can't even stand myself telling me what to do. 

Get thee to a copy of "The Inner Game of Tennis". Should be $7 or so at your local used bookstore. If you hate it, sell it back and you're only out a couple $. It has lots of good advice on telling yourself what to do and how bad that can be.

[benos]

By nature, I'll try to control what appears to be a predictable situation with a plan. But after quite a bit of experience, I learned that many situations are best handled by only the simplest of plans, or the roughest of guidelines.

That was a tough lesson for me because it went against my natural tendency. But when I gathered enough strength to actually do it, the results were often outstanding.

be