BulletWhisperer Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 Do you do this? At any match level. Do you really shoot the same at every match by concentrating on your own game? Your competitor's wheels just came off at a stage, at that point do you take it down a notch? Thinking " Ok,now I'm ahead, ill just cruise it , take no risks" Or your wheels just came off OR your loads didn't make Major. And now you're soooo behind that "what the heck, full throttle !!" I like to squad with my competitors whenever possible. But sometimes we get assigned. And at big matches we get to see day one results ( do you change your game from here? ) I noticed that I do it. And it works for me than it don't. I remember discussing this with another shooter just recently, but his mentality is different. He prefers to mind his own shooting and not others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vluc Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 You can only control your game,and it is based on the match you are shooting. No two matches you shoot are ever the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuildSF4 Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 Shoot your game, how others are shooting is immaterial, as vluc states you cannot control the other shooters game, only yours. Have you read Saul's book 'Thinking Practical Shooting'? It covers this pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonSnow Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 (edited) He prefers to mind his own shooting and not others. That's me too. Ultimately, I'm competing against myself. I usually try to avoid squading with competitive people who are close to my skill level because it throws my mental game off. I have enough trouble clearing my mind and focusing on the shooting as it is. Edited October 23, 2013 by JonSnow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 With solid advice, even some texts, from two of my good friends who are GMs, I was successful at shooting my own game at my first Nationals. I had some elevated heart rate anxiety at the beginning. I tried to keep repeating to myself the things I needed to focus on and told myself each stage was just another stage at a local match. The two stages where I tried to "gain" something were literally my two worst stages of the entire match. Each time I pulled it back a tad and went out and shot the next stages very well, even one all As. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerburgess Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 I almost always shoot my game my way at my pace, the one time I changed it up was after zeroing my third stage at an area match (equipment issue), after the zero I just shot as fast as I could go, not to try to get back into contention but because it was fun and I knew I was out of it for the match so I had nothing more to loose. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletWhisperer Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 I didn't think the majority would admit to it anyways. I see it .I hear it. It does go on. Just one of those things that don't belong in books or in class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Any time spent focusing on what others are doing is time you are not spending focusing on what you are doing. I shoot my best when I am totally focused on what I am doing, and not the outcome but the process. Your performance should not be dependent on or change based on what others are doing, this is not team sport ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletWhisperer Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 Any time spent focusing on what others are doing is time you are not spending focusing on what you are doing. I shoot my best when I am totally focused on what I am doing, and not the outcome but the process. Your performance should not be dependent on or change based on what others are doing, this is not team sport ... I don't disagree one bit with the philosophies of the replies here. The OP does not mention to what happens only to ones competitor, but also to self. We are not robots here. We all see what goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 I force myself not to see what's going on with others ... Unless I'm scoring I honestly could never tell you how anyone on my squad shot a stage because I'm simply not paying attention to them. I don't want to know how they did for many reasons, most important of which would mean I'm focused on the results not the process of just shooting well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Any time spent focusing on what others are doing is time you are not spending focusing on what you are doing. I shoot my best when I am totally focused on what I am doing, and not the outcome but the process. Your performance should not be dependent on or change based on what others are doing, this is not team sport ... I don't disagree one bit with the philosophies of the replies here. The OP does not mention to what happens only to ones competitor, but also to self. We are not robots here. How would you shoot if you were a robot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I would shoot exactly like I was programmed to shoot and hopefully my programmer set me up to just focus on the technique of shooting and not worry about the outcome of my shooting ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redial Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Wait - there are other shooters?! ;-) Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a matt Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I almost always shoot my game my way at my pace, the one time I changed it up was after zeroing my third stage at an area match (equipment issue), after the zero I just shot as fast as I could go, not to try to get back into contention but because it was fun and I knew I was out of it for the match so I had nothing more to loose. Mike I've done that or just shot not worrying about anything, pressures of doing well. It was great. 1st. Stage = 3 mikes and a FTE. So I decided its over, now it is time to have some fun. I ended up 1st in C limited and it was a sectonal match. You never know. I'm sure if I shot my usual careful match results would have been different. I learned more that day than in any one day of shooting so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bthoefer Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Any time spent focusing on what others are doing is time you are not spending focusing on what you are doing. I shoot my best when I am totally focused on what I am doing, and not the outcome but the process. Your performance should not be dependent on or change based on what others are doing, this is not team sport ...I don't disagree one bit with the philosophies of the replies here. The OP does not mention to what happens only to ones competitor, but also to self. We are not robots here. How would you shoot if you were a robot? If I were a robot, I'd shoot like RoboCop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
us820 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 (edited) The first thing my coach told me was to avoid the scoreboards until the end.The other guys are your fellow competitors.We all compete against the same course to the best of our ability.Nothing more. Edited November 7, 2013 by us820 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyB Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) I shoot against the stage, not my competitors. However, as a goal, I like to look at someone who is better than I am and attempt to beat them on paper. I was pretty disappointed at our last club match, I felt I did pretty well, but the guy I hope to beat someday got DQ'd. I want my competitors to do well so if or when I do beat them it feels like more of an accomplishment for myself. Edited November 13, 2013 by TroyB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Txpastorbob Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I compete against myself.....but afterwards check the scores to see if there may be some smack talk due! coming or going Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CZinZA Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 If there are 100 competitors in a match and you see a few in your squad of 10 perform in a particular way, how do you know that everyone else is having the same trouble? Surely it's risky to change your strategy on such a small sample size? (Although i guess human nature might drive some non-robot behaviour ) Sent by Jedi mind control Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a matt Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) Sorry, but we are only as good as we are. If you try to "take it up a notch" you will end up not shooting as well as you can. You may hook up on one stage, but count your blessing. It won't happen again. We don't get faster stronger better during the match. Training is where we improve. Edited January 22, 2016 by a matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 When the buzzer goes off, there's just me, my dot and all those targets .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my00wrx1 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 The first time I shot plate racks man on man was a great lesson in ignoring what was going on around me and focusing on my own match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowdyb Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 (edited) I prefer to not be squaded with competition or other good shooters. I don't want to know times or hit or anything about anyone else. This allows me to focus entirely on myself. Call it selfish but I do best when I'm just "me". I want to do my thing, perfectly, all the time, no matter what. I'd love to be a robot when it comes to shooting matches. Edited January 28, 2016 by rowdyb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootacres Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 On 10/22/2013 at 11:50 PM, BulletWhisperer said: Do you do this? At any match level. Do you really shoot the same at every match by concentrating on your own game? Your competitor's wheels just came off at a stage, at that point do you take it down a notch? Thinking " Ok,now I'm ahead, ill just cruise it , take no risks" Or your wheels just came off OR your loads didn't make Major. And now you're soooo behind that "what the heck, full throttle !!" I like to squad with my competitors whenever possible. But sometimes we get assigned. And at big matches we get to see day one results ( do you change your game from here? ) I noticed that I do it. And it works for me than it don't. I remember discussing this with another shooter just recently, but his mentality is different. He prefers to mind his own shooting and not others. Im slowly learning to play the game to my strengths and weaknesses, or at least try. At club matches I sometimes try to push in certain areas to improve and learn. But when Im in a major I try to shoot my match. I try to identify where I feel I can gain points and hit the gas. There are also stages where its best to shoot conservatively, avoid disaster factors and move onto the next. Most people winning these matches do so by being consistent and not making mistakes. Not by burning down and taking 1st on every stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Alphamikenoshoot Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 I dont care what anyone elses capabilities are. Sure i am competitive. But if i start worrying about others, that can become a distraction. I just shoot my match and i shoot as fast as i can see my sights when i need to. Plus time is super subjective. You may look at a competitor and see him lay down a super fast stage. And now youve put undue pressure on yourself. Normally youd shoot that same stage without worrying about it and lay down a similar time. But now that youve looked at someone elses fast stage (because it looked fast) you try to push yourself beyond your capabilities and make mistakes. I see a lot of guys at majors sitting on their phones looking for updates on practiscore to see what their competition is doing. Or how fast they shot certain stages. I think thats too damn much. When i get to the range, my phone goes in my bag and doesnt come out until Ive finished up for the day. I dont care what anyone else is doin. I just shoot my match. No matter what. Even if i tank a stage for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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