Frustrated Perspective

[Little Bill]

I have hit a point in my life / shooting where I am trying to gain some perspective, and who better than to ask than the good people at BE. Details:

My shooting took a backseat to work in the last few months and it also looks like I may be making the jump into a different job next spring if things roll my way. (My sweet wife and I are also trying for a Bill Jr. soon).

Due to my lack of practice (dry or live), my classifier scores are pretty stale, and I am at something like 73% avg Open. I try and be a competitive dude, but I feel that I really need the practice with the Open gun to be competitive, especially once I sneak into A or M class. Unfortunately, I am not getting the practice and I don't really foresee the time and money for the type of practice I know I need (and want). I have found that my “fun-factor” has gone into the toilet, because I am frustrated with myself when I don’t perform with the Open gun the way that I know I can.

I am trying to stick with the sport that I have come to really love, but I have hit a frustrating point: Feeling that I am not shooting Open to my ability, and knowing that my time and money to shoot are on the decline due to other good things – starting a family and better work. It’s a strange feeling when I am happy about spending my time / money with my wife on “future kid stuff”, but then being unhappy because I know that I have dented my time / money for my push to M-card in Open.

So, I have been kicking around the idea of switching to an iron-sight gun (Limited), to take the pressure off MY shooting and try to add some fun-factor back to the game. (This would require selling the Open gun) I know that Limited is as competitive as Open (if not more), but I was thinking that it may (?) allow me to just shoot matches when I can, without the added pressure I feel shooting in Open. Is this sound thinking? Should I just stick with the dot and try to mentally drop the pressure I have induced?

Am I head-case or what? hahahahahaha

[wide45]

I'd say stick with what you've got. Not having time to learn new equipment will likely increase your frustration.

[Flexmoney]

Headcase required reading:

http://andersonshooting.com/winning.htm

[h4444]

I understand totally where you're coming from.....

I've got a new "little one" at home. She's about 15 months old now and she does take away from the hobby time,,,,,and you know what, I don't mind at all.

What it forced me to do when I started getting frustrated was better focus my learning time. I realized I had all these problems and didn't know what to do to solve them.....

It drove me nuts....

I focused on one problem at a time and found ways to work on them individually to refine and improve that particular problem,,,,,if possible, in dryfire practice.

You've shot your way to 73%,,,,you know it takes incremental improvement. Now you're at the point where regardless, you do need to work at it to keep improving.

My shooting time has been cut by probably 3/4, but I've improved more in the last 2 to 3 months than ever.

I've just focused on one problem at a time,,,,,,and decided to be patient and enjoy solving those problems.

H4444

P.S. How do you eat an elephant????...................."One bite at a time." Same approach.....bite off one problem at a time,,,,look for the odd bits of time here and there,,,,figure out ways to maximize that time to solve the problem.

[Loves2Shoot]

Why do you shoot? If you want to improve and don't feel you have the time then you don't understand what you need to do. Clear your brain out and make each shot count. If you do that, you can't help but improve.

To compete is to win.

The notion of not being "competetive" seems to be your stumbling block from becoming a better shooter. Each shot is fun, unique in it's own way, presenting a fresh challenge, so enjoy each one and make them count. None except you cares about what you are doing, so if you remove your self imposed expectations and focus on shooting, much will be revealed to you.

ps. Few shoot to their ablilty, the best know their ability and shoot within in it

[chp5]

You can always dryfire - even if 15 minutes a few times a week.

Get SA's book and use it. It really helped me - mostly because it gave me a structured dry fire practice routine. Chris Patty sells reduced targets that are great for dry fire in confined spaces.

Shooting a different gun/division also keeps you fresh. I started shooting Open just for that reason.

Why not keep the Open gun and shoot Production? Pick up a G17 on the cheap, together with some of the less expensive Bladetech stuff and you're set. Production MAKES you call shots and pay attention to funamentals because you're shooting minor. You can buy Win White Box or even Wolf (yes, Wolf) 9mm almost as cheap as reloading it.

I probably have some 10 round 9mm Glock mags lying around. If you get a Glock 9mm, drop me a line and I'll send you some (you need lots of mags for Production).

Cy

[Little Bill]

I greatly appreciate the comments to date. I got Bassham's book about a month ago, but I haven't had a chance to REALLY read and digest it. I think that I will try to quit sweating the game (competition), and worry only about the shot, and then the subsequent shot(s). I have SA's book, and I need to put myself on dry-fire schedule, even if it is only 10 min. I also need to start distinctly identifying where my problems occur, so I can focus my limited training on what will help the most.

Good advise from good people, Thanks!

[shred]

I think that I will try to quit sweating the game (competition), and worry only about the shot, and then the subsequent shot(s).

This might be the key. I got my 'A' card the month after I came back from a year-long sabbatical from shooting IPSC. If you're at 75%, you already know how to shoot. It's everything else that's the problem.

[Sam]

I have found that my “fun-factor” has gone into the toilet, because I am frustrated with myself when I don’t perform with the Open gun the way that I know I can.

Bill, the sole source of frustration is our own expectations. Because "this is life", you aren't able to get as much practice time in as you would like to. And you're not breaking any new ground right now because of it. I suggest adopting an attitude of open acceptance toward the fact that life has a few other things in store right now and you'll return to a more serious focus on shooting as time and commitments allow. By practicing acceptance, your enjoyment of shooting will return right away. And with this important part of your life in harmony again, everything else will be more enjoyable too.

The title of your thread is so appropriate. It is just a "Frustrated Perspective" that's the problem.

Life is so good!

[Flexmoney]

Sam hit the nail...expectations.

On a flip side...

I throw this out as a bone to chew on. We also tend to have what I call the "set point theory". Bassham goes into it a bit with the "it is like me to ______".

I think, in our regards, that if we can't get our mind around something (like becoming a top Grand Master), then we start rationalizing the reasons we won't get there. We put up our own hurdles.

Too much money...too much time...not the right equipment...bad weather...whatever.

[Little Bill]

Sam-

You got it just the way I see it. It is just a slice of time in life's pizza, and right now its only pepperoni, and not supreme. (But its all GOOD)

Flex-

Just because its pepperoni right now, doesn't mean I am going to stop trying to add some more toppings. (Is the pizza analogy getting out-of-hand? )

Thanks for bringing up this point of Bassham's. During my first speed reading of Bassham's book, I do remember the attitude that he described, "its like me to....." (ie shoot Xs, remain calm, shoot bad in cold weather, etc). It is kinda like a self-fulfilling prophecy. I need to keep my head clear and not tell myself, "its like me to....not improve any since my practice has been diminished...."

I think that I will take another page from Bassham, and maybe write down some good goals for next year, what I need to do to accomplish those goals, and set forth on a plan to make it happen. ( and try to tone down my delusions of grandeur )

[Loves2Shoot]

I think that I will take another page from Bassham, and maybe write down some good goals for next year, what I need to do to accomplish those goals, and set forth on a plan to make it happen. ( and try to tone down my delusions of grandeur )

Not all delusions are bad

[h4444]

.....one bite at a time.........

H4444

[Sam]

Good chew bone, Flex!

We do tend to define ourselves by what we want to become. From our earliest memories, somebody is asking what we want to be when we grow up. And this is the begining of a chain of life-long frustrations. Our mind constantly projects us in to a false future created by our ego. "I am a Master, therefore I must become a Grand Master." We are constantly judging ourselves by past performance and future expectations, so we make it impossible to be satisfied with what we are. It's like having a workshop full of tools in the back yard, but never being home long enough to use them. Where does it all end?

It ends the only place it could ever end. Right here, right now, where I truly am. The goal cannot be "becoming a Grand Master". The goal must be to "be the Master" right now. Only by being intensely present as I am, will it ever be, as Mr. Bassham puts it, "like me to be a GM". GM is just an external judgment that someone else makes about my ability. And I don't want to make any judgements about my shooting ability. I'll just shoot and Sedro can tell me when they think I'm a GM.

Or to condense all of this into the Cliff's Notes version, I'll have to quote that great and noble philoshopher Pop-Eye the Sailor, "I yam what I yam!"

[Little Bill]

......And I don't want to make any judgements about my shooting ability. I'll just shoot and Sedro can tell me when they think I'm a GM......

I like that mind-set!

[MarkS_A18138]

This same thing has been plaguing me for the last 11 months. I was on a steady clime to master class last year making it all the way to 80.9%. I than started having major health problems with my elderly mother (who I love dearly). I was still able to go and shoot when I wanted but it didn't seem the same. I was still staying up with the pack but it seemed the harder I tried the worse it got. I still believed during the middle of the year that I was on track and than more health problem set in. This time it was at Home with my wife of 18 years!!! After major surgery on Tracy things are getting back to Normal my Mom is doing well and my sole mate is recovering very well. She ended up 3 overall at our local steel match 4 weeks post op. Doctor was not happy but could not get mad at her because he is World class skeet and Trap shooter and understood going to the range and watching a match is not fun!

Now to make my point that even if you think there is nothing going on in your mind you’re wrong. I was the most claim person through this whole ordeal but at a subconscious level I was trashed out. For the last couple of months I have been back working on my game really hard and it still was not coming together. Last night before our local match I set down and thought thru everything from what I was going wear to what mind set I need to be in. I empty my mind of all things little or big and shot the match at a medium speed. That was the best match I have had in a year!!!! I was 1st overall with a production gun while second and third followed up with open guns. Second place was 30 stage points from me. I know it is all mental because the day before in practice I sucked so bad that my 9 year old daughter was kicking my butt and she is a D shooter. The only difference between an A shooter and Master is your mental state! I went home last night and really thought hard about the match and found when I shot I was thinking of nothing!!! I looked for my front sight and started pulling the trigger. I will tell you, I believe this to be the break I needed and will know for sure this weekend.

Sorry for the long post!

Stay focused and look at even the smallest problems!

[benos]

Man, there are some great thoughts and ideas in this thread!

Sometimes a diversion can be good.

I don't mean this to be condescending or sarcastic in any way... It is more difficult to shoot an iron-sighted pistol accurately at speed than it is an Open gun, which could be a great challenge for you, if, you keep your goals oriented toward performance. One reason I said that is because I know a top-level competitor who, although he didn't realize it at the time, became bored with Open gun competition. He decided to try a stock-type gun, and found the more difficult challenge re-stimulated his interest in competing, and now doubts he'll ever shoot an Open gun again.

Or, you could re-examine your motivations and goals, and simply stick with your current equipment - with a new focus geared strictly toward performance. Orient yourself to shoot each shot and each stage to the best of your ability and capacity, completely forgetting about where you finish or what your classification is. I know that's a lot harder to do than it is to sit here and type about it... but maybe the hardest part is to firmly decide to take that turn in the road.

be