Optimising your performance: Awareness of progress

[Paladin]

We shoot sometimes with doubt, hesitation, second-guessing, eye resting and back stops. All of this make our shooting jerky, indecisive, slow and usually ineffectual.

This has to do with us having no awareness of progress or not being able to track it readily. Now we might be generally aware of our front sights lifting, and swinging over to the next target but is that enough for optimising the shooting? Will I still wonder if the previous target was hit in the A zone or C zone? or was it hit and didn't fall or what? Will I be stuck looking at the one ragged hole in the A-zone because my shot call showed 2 perfect shots. When do I snap out of it and move on, emptying my cup for each shot?

The way to be sure is through awareness of progress and it starts with a plan that has specific objectives and control activities. We must be able to assess in a purely observational manner whether the objective was achieved and to take the necessary corrective actions then and there. Once you establish the intention via specific objectives the brain will auto-execute or auto-correct for you. If the observation leads first to thought however then the brain will not auto-correct and you will have to think the shot through. Again, you may now achieve but your performance will not be optimal.

Comparison of general objective setting to shoot a stage with 2 steel targets with no shoots behind them and 2 paper swingers that will start swinging from the 1st steel target is hit.

1. Let me see now, I can't hit the no-shoots so I have to be careful when shooting the steel- no trigger jerking, make sure to followthrough. Some of these guys here are pretty fast on steel so I have to shoot the steel quickly, whew, hope I don't miss and hit the no-shoot. Aah, the swingers- I hate swingers!! okay I am just going to lock in on it and fire two shots rapidly then move to the other and do the same thing. No time for pretty, fancy sight pictures- those guys talking about no double taping don't know jack!

Comparison of specific objective setting to shoot a stage with 2 steel targets with no shoots behind them and 2 paper swingers that will start swinging from the 1st steel target is hit.

1. At the start of the beep, I will draw quickly and smoothly to the target, confirm a perfect sight picture in the center of the steel and exhibiting reasonable trigger control shoot the steel in the middle. I am then going to watch my sight resettle on the target, and immediately I will acquire the next steel target and repeat. Then I will transition immediately to the first swinger, lock in on the A-zone and shoot it when it rests at its lowest swing point and when it is at its highest swing point, then I will immediately look to the next target, focus on the A zone and repeat.

Who do you think will shoot the stage better??

The benefits here are it is easier to be aware of progress since your mind-body is clearer on the task at hand and so can get into the zone and so you will minimise doubt, second guessing etc. - things that leads to suboptimal shooting..

Ever seen Jerry B. before he shoots a stage, some have called him fussy and meticulous, is he really?? Go out and try this and you will see improvements right away.. this is another one of the secrets!!

[Faze]

I really enjoyed reading your examples, it seems to me like a comparison of negative versus positive thinking.

If you are thinking about what you want to do, it's easy to do just that.

If you are thinking about what you do not want to do, it's easy to do just that.

I have a G26 with a .22 kit for it, am I just going to frustrate myself doing these drills because of it's size? btw, Advantage Arms makes a nice .22 kit for glocks, I've been very impressed. Zero malfunctions with lead bullets, sights are right on, and it shoots more accurately than I can hold (at least for now )

Also, thank you Mr. Enos for a very nice forum.

[Turtle]

Paladin,

I heartily agree with you. I became aware of this over 20 years ago while doing a lot of down hill skiing. Many times, newer skiers will try their hand at an advanced hill (Black Diamond/Double Black Diamond) and what they see is a viscous beast with big teeth (moguls) waiting to devour them. What I saw was a friend telling me "follow me down this pretty staircase, it'll be a blast!"

Now, which skier got eaten up?

There is definitely power in positive thinking, but progress doesn't stop there. That's what I keep telling myself anyway...

Regards,

Todd

[Paladin]

Faze: You ask if you will frustrate your self with the .22 kit, but why did you acquire it? You must have had some goal in mind? Are you now questioning that goal or is the improved probability that you may realise the goal suddenly intimidating. That in itself is a challenge as success can be scary as well..

Go for it and achieve!!

[steve223]

Great Post!!

[Ron Ankeny]

Positive thinking and visualization are without doubt important concepts in maximizing performance. However, I believe some folks way over think the stage and get bogged down in minutia. My mental management system would be substantially different than the one given in the example. Maybe it’s a personality type of thing.

[short_round]

Who do you think will shoot the stage better??

I think these are different steps in the same journey. One is probably more advanced than the other and there is another level still (which Ron I think is alluding too.)

Do you think about breathing? You are thinking about it now that you read it. Do you realize you were breathing while you weren't consciously thinking about it a few seconds ago right?

You've heard this beaten to death here and it will continue to come up "see what you need to see" because it is so true. However, this assumes one huge thing. You perfectly break the shot just like you breathe. Without conscious thought, just like you exhaled just now. Okay, so now you are thinking about breathing again (and probably just took a deep breath). See how easy it is to consciously take over what can be a subconscious activity?

I think before perfectly breaking shots becomes like breathing to me I will have many mental debates with myself like Paladin is writing about. Hopefully eventually those will all go away and I will finally just shoot.

[Al Capizzo]

...break the shot just like you breathe. Without conscious thought, just like you exhaled just now.

Short Round, this is about the best description of our goal that I've ever seen.

Thanks,

Al

[rwmagnus]

Short Round you hit the nail on the head. The more I practice dry and live fire the easier breaking and calling the shot becomes. Disruptions in my practice bring on the manual mode of thinking instead of doing.

Paladin nice post!