how robust is your mental program

[Nimitz]

although those shooters hell bent on world domination understand the extreme importance of a robust mental program I don't think the ave shooter has any reall idea how important it is if you truely expect to get better. So to get the discussion going I thought I'd outline my current program and hopefully others will chime in about theirs ...

My MP has several parts, each designed to work on different aspects of the mental side of shooting performance.There is the conscious mind, the subconscious mind and the self image. I believe you must work on all 3 if you expect to produce championship level reslts.

I use the consciuos mind during training where I am thinking about and trying to develop techniques that will maximize my performance. when I execute a drill and don't achieve the desired results I stop and try to figure out what I need to do to get the correct results. I don't spend any time thinking about what I did wrong .... I spend my time thinking about what I did right and repeat that. I use a Performance Analysis Log to track my training progress. this is very different then keeping a journal. This is where I write down what I did in a training session and the things that I did right. I don't record things I did wrong since doing that will just lead to guarantying you will get good at doing wrong things.

To develop the self image I want to have I use the Direct Affirmation Statement. This is a very personal statement that lists my goal, the pay value to me and what I need to do to achieve it. I have several of these written on note cards positioned specifically where I will see them throughout my day: 1 on my car visor, one on my computer at work, one in my gun room. Any time during the course of the day when I come across one I read it to myself. At night after going to bed I read it again and this timeI do a complete rehearsal of a match along with it, shooting each stage perfectly. I only picture what I want to happen and avoid negative imprinting.

At a match I perform a combination of visualization before its my turn to shoot and running my mental program when it is my turn to shoot. My pre shoot mental program consists 4 parts: the point of initiation (I grip the gun); the point of attitude (i mentally rehearse shooting the stage while gripping the gun); point of direction (i dryfire the entire stage once making sure I see the sight on every target); point of focus - this is slightly different depending on if I'm shooting my rimfire or open gun - for rimfire (while pointing the gun at the cone I say "grip, eyes first" - for open (weak hand in surrender position, strong hand on the gun I say"grip, eyes first".

So, that's the basics of my program ... what is everone else doing?

Edited March 13, 2015 by Nimitz

[Nimitz]

hmmmmm .... 77 views but no other posts ....

surely I am not the only one with a comprehensive mental program ....?

[BoyGlock]

If you ask for it;

I dont think much about my mental program but I dont make a lot of blunders in matches. A number of minor mistakes and thats it. Ive met some shooters who are prone to this (blunders) but Im not, if this makes a sound comparison...

I try to make my mental prog. short and simple that it doesnt distract me from the chores at hand. I suspect Im doing it without much thought. Its as if its a normal process for me.

Eta. I understand your mp but Im not that big on it. As said, mine is simple and I dont feel Im at a disadvantage.

Edited March 14, 2015 by BoyGlock

[Kjdowning18]

Sounds like you have read with winning in mind

[Robco]

hmmmmm .... 77 views but no other posts ....

surely I am not the only one with a comprehensive mental program ....?

HA! You are intimidating us Nimitz!

Obviously you are following Lanny Bassham to the T, and I bet a lot of the other is from You Seeklander training. Good for you.

I will think on this a bit, shoot two matches this weekend and then take a stab at sharing some things I might be able to contribute. Good post.

I am linking here to the other posts we have been discussing many related mental aspects in, in case anyone else might benefit. The topic subject does not reflect all of the good stuff posted.

How Can We Make our Match Performances Equal Our Actual Skill Level?

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=211644#entry2353266

Target Acquisition Speed

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=210804#entry2343809

[jkrispies]

Ha, I was going to make a quip about "somebody's following Lanny Bassham" but others beat me to it.

On "The Statement," I changed mine last season for the worse, and then brought it back around to where it's supposed to be this season. I think it's important to constantly reflect on this statement the same way a business should concentrate on its Vision and Mission Statements. Just as these statements drive a business, our statements should drive our competitive programs. It's okay to modify them in an effort to experiment and push our envelopes, but it's also important to view them analytically so that they can be modified appropriately. To exemplify my point, let me go over a line from my old and new statements, and provide an example...

Towards the end of last season I was listening to interviews by various Red Bull air racers, and one or two of them made the statement that in order to fly that fast acrobatically (sorry, you'd probably have to follow that sport to understand it) you have to "stay in front of the airplane" and know what you're doing with the airplane before you do it. These pilots use intense rehearsal via visualization techniques the same way many of us shooters do. I liked the idea these pilots brought up, so I thought I'd incorporate it into my statement to a line that went something like "I get in front of the gun and I stay there." During the off-season, though, I listened to an interview that Taran Butler gave where he made a point along the lines that he shoots his best when he stays on the front sight the entire stage so that he can remember back and recall each shot in his mind. I remember this was something many great shooters have said, so I ended up scratching the "stay in front of the gun" line and replaced it with "I stay with the gun and execute proper sight focus with every shot."

My last match was sort of a disaster, and I think it's because I was in the old mode of "staying in front of the gun" (ie, thinking about what I was going to do NEXT instead of NOW) rather than the few times when I just shot the dang stage.

The perfect example was Stage 6. I shoot L-10, so reload points are important. It was roughly two sets of arrays with 5 paper targets apiece (10 shots/1 full magazine per array) and ending on an array of 4 papers with a hidden target at the end, EXCEPT the entire stage began with a 4" steel about 20 yards out that activated a swinger at the back of the course. As I stepped into the box, I was still debating how to handle the reloads with that steel thrown in at the start. One plan was very straightforward and had an initial reload immediately after the steel to keep one in the chamber so I could shoot each array straight through doing a smooth reload between each array. A more ambitious plan had me shooting the steel first shot, and then I'd go immediately to the first (very close) array of 5, running the gun dry, followed by me doing the final two arrays out of order to maximize my reloads as I shot on the move into a position where I could decrease my distance to the swinger while simultaneously placing me in a position to take out the hidden target at the end. Given the size and distance of the initial steel, a part of me didn't entirely expect to get it on the first shot, but I planned for the best so my mental rehearsal concentrated on the second more ambitious stage plan.

Anyway, I stepped into the box, the buzzer went off, and I nailed the steel on the first shot. This first-shot hit created a mental shock for me! I immediately went into executing my more ambitious plan that I'd visualized beforehand... and that mental shock sort of hit a reset button that cleared my mind and I concentrated on the front sight like I was supposed to be doing the entire match. I didn't think about where I was going-- I just did it, and I beamed in on the front sight and JUST SHOT THE FRONT SIGHT.

That final stage ended up being my best stage of the match (I finished it #6 out of 41) and it served as a clear reminder to me that mastering the mental game is by far my biggest challenge and goal.

Edited March 14, 2015 by jkrispies

[Nimitz]

Rob, you are right on both counts! The beginning of developing my mental program was by following Seeklander's training methods since I had trained with him 3 times. I did not understand at the time where he got his program from but it made immediate sense to me so I adopted it. It was only about a year later when I found Lanny and after reading a few pages went "so that's where the basis of Mike's program comes from" ...

I've certainly abopted his program "all the way" and while initially I just accepted it on faith that it would work, over the last month the pieces have started to fall into place as my match performance is starting to consistently resemble my training. i certainly haven't gotten measurable better in the last month and so my only conclusion is that my MP is bridging that gap ...

[MarkCO]

I'd say practice, preparation and winning is pretty good for the mental game. If you are in last, no amount of telling yourself you are better than you really are is going to help. We seem to have a good number of shooters right now who are mental GMs and scoresheet Cs. Certainly not directed at the OP, but practice is better than thinking about winning.

[Nimitz]

I absolutely agree but personally I was struggling with how to have my match performance get in line with my training performance. Since I could do it in practice I certainly had the skills at some level but couldn't repeat that in a match ... working on my mental program as hard as I work on my physical skills has enabled me to start having the 2 performances begin to line up more consistently ...

Edited March 15, 2015 by Nimitz

[MarkCO]

I absolutely agree but personally I was struggling with how to have my match performance get in line with my training performance. Since I could do it in practice I certainly had the skills at some level but couldn't repeat that in a match ... working on my mental program as hard as I work on my physical skills has enabled me to start having the 2 performances begin to line up more consistently ...

Then you are doing it right I would say.

I think that even though most of us are some degree of type A personalities, that our individuality dictates performance goals to some degree. When I focus on having fun and not on "performing" my scores go up. OTOH, if I set and unrealistic performance goal, the tank is where I will find my scoresheets.

[Robco]

I'd say practice, preparation and winning is pretty good for the mental game. If you are in last, no amount of telling yourself you are better than you really are is going to help. We seem to have a good number of shooters right now who are mental GMs and scoresheet Cs. Certainly not directed at the OP, but practice is better than thinking about winning.

Mark, I can tell you from my own experience, that simply practicing more, better or even shooting a lot more matches, big and small, will NOT be enough to break through barriers caused by mental errors. I wish it were true, and I could essentially work, shoot and spend my way to better match performance level. But it usually will not, and definitely has not for me.

Think of our match performance level as a wagon wheel, with many spokes in it. Each spoke represents a particular element of our performance capability. We need to be balanced and well rounded, with all of the spokes equally developed, or, the wheel will not be round and will not roll well, and certainly not fast. Lanny Bassham states that there are essentially three component (spokes) in our match performance mental processes 1) Conscious 2) Subconscious and 3) Self image.

The point is, ALL three need to be in balance relative to the other two. Our skill set is in the subconscious. Conscious is our attitudes and thoughts and knowledge. And self image is our belief system.

In my own case, I have GM level skills in many components of our sport, and M class in all others. BUT I do not have confidence in my abilities, so I continually self sabotage my match performances by taking lots of additional shots (which cost a ton of points by wasted time) and I TRY too hard to speed up which of course, causes me to shoot beyond my ability to SEE what I need to see. I have never won many distinctions in big matches, other than top OLD GUY! So what I lack is 100% mental based. Especially in my Self image department.

So, to make a long story short-ish, NO amount of practice of any kind, rounds down range or even match participation is going to really AFFECT, let alone CORRECT my problem. I have shot 150K rounds in the last 4 years, shot 30 Major level 3 matches, and 150 or more club matches. I have trained with Nils and Manny and others one on one. I shoot every Area match each year. Yet I am stuck in the 74% performance level despite being classified as M class for 3 years.

If that kind of participation and investment and effort was the answer, I would be shooting 85% or more now. Obviously it is not.

I can assure you that the mental aspects Nimitz and others have been discussing here, is no laughing matter, and not delusional. It is the KEY to my, and many shooters' lack of progress. Nimitz has broken the code in his own performance block now, apparently, and he is attributing that success to the mental side of the game. I agree. I am in the same modality as we speak.

Check this link to a post of a comment a friend made - attributing his High M class match performance COMPLETELY to his mental progress.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=211644#entry2353504

I am sure you understand all or most of this already. Just saying that more practice is often NOT going to be the answer.

Thanks

[Robco]

Rob, you are right on both counts! The beginning of developing my mental program was by following Seeklander's training methods since I had trained with him 3 times. I did not understand at the time where he got his program from but it made immediate sense to me so I adopted it. It was only about a year later when I found Lanny and after reading a few pages went "so that's where the basis of Mike's program comes from" ...

I've certainly abopted his program "all the way" and while initially I just accepted it on faith that it would work, over the last month the pieces have started to fall into place as my match performance is starting to consistently resemble my training. i certainly haven't gotten measurable better in the last month and so my only conclusion is that my MP is bridging that gap ...

Well, Ken, you are an exemplar for all of this, and I appreciate both your actual current success and your sharing it with us!

You are on the leading edge of the real crux to successful match performance. All the practice in the world will be wasted if we don't successfully address and handle the mental side, as you are doing so well right now!

[Robco]

I absolutely agree but personally I was struggling with how to have my match performance get in line with my training performance. Since I could do it in practice I certainly had the skills at some level but couldn't repeat that in a match ... working on my mental program as hard as I work on my physical skills has enabled me to start having the 2 performances begin to line up more consistently ...

Well, as my post reply below demonstrates, I do NOT AGREE at all with MarkCo's statement/inference. We are not talking about blowing smoke up our own As@es here. Self image development is EQUALLY important as training in every other manner in our sport, including dry fire, live fire and match experience. Trying to perform well in competition, without proper self image, is as destructive as doing so without the ability to shoot accurately.

[MarkCO]

Robco, I agree that we can fail in the mental game which is detrimental to performance. However, you are going a bit over the top with what I actually said. Honest assessment of the various skills, and realistic expectations are a large part of the mental game, and a huge area where people fail. If you read what i wrote from a clear perspective, all I really said was that you can not mentally win without the requisite skillset, which comes from practice. You can mentally prepare to win 24/7, but if the skillset is not there, you won't EVER winl. Conversely, the best shooter in the world with no confidence has a smaller step to take between 3rd or 4th and 1st.

An example is the shooter who, when analyzing their scores boosts his or her performance by 10% "if only I had not missed those 4 targets". That is useless and damaging. They did miss those 4 targets. If that is failure in skillset or mental, the performance must still be modified in order to perform better. It is all about balance, which, to me, is exactly what Nimitz is saying.

[Robco]

Robco, I agree that we can fail in the mental game which is detrimental to performance. However, you are going a bit over the top with what I actually said. Honest assessment of the various skills, and realistic expectations are a large part of the mental game, and a huge area where people fail. If you read what i wrote from a clear perspective, all I really said was that you can not mentally win without the requisite skillset, which comes from practice. You can mentally prepare to win 24/7, but if the skillset is not there, you won't EVER winl. Conversely, the best shooter in the world with no confidence has a smaller step to take between 3rd or 4th and 1st.

An example is the shooter who, when analyzing their scores boosts his or her performance by 10% "if only I had not missed those 4 targets". That is useless and damaging. They did miss those 4 targets. If that is failure in skillset or mental, the performance must still be modified in order to perform better. It is all about balance, which, to me, is exactly what Nimitz is saying.

I understand. We apparently agree, I was just responding to what seemed to be a dismissive statement. So no worries.

You brought up a lot of different situations and issues here, which I am very "into" also. We can dig deeply into each of those and benefit from the process.

As Lanny Bassham teaches, we cannot simply "fool ourselves" with positive self talk, because we KNOW it is BS when we do it. And anyone who practices dishonest self praise or delusional self talk, is beyond anything we are discussing as beneficial, for certain. What this post and related ones are generally about, is attempting to address, and close the gap, between what our actual SKILL set and level is, in actuality, and what our match performance results are. Obviously on match day, we are what we are. We can only execute, at BEST, at our actual skill level (barring luck, etc). However, most of us perform in a match, significantly below our actual skill levels. And that is the whole point. What causes that?

IF you accept the reality for most of us, that we perform in matches significantly below our actual skill levels, then it becomes questionable whether simply training and practicing to increase skill levels, will have ANY impact on match performance. In my experience, it usually does NOT help, because the CAUSE of the match performance "failure" is NOT skill based. IN fact, the opposite is apparently the case - that the more one trains and works at increasing skill levels, the more pressure one puts on oneself, thus exacerbating the mental problem preventing better match performance.

Having been through this extensively, and currently immersed in this full time, it is crystal clear to me that it is wrong thinking to approach improving my match performance, via more skill development thru training and practice. It is like pissing in the wind. Instead, I am working on the mental part which is the CAUSE of the disparity between my lower match performance level and my much higher skill level. What can I do to improve my match performance? - well, the answer in my case, is NOT more skill development. It would simply be wasted, superfluous, unless I eliminate the self sabotage which is the true impediment to my better performance level in matches.

So, my approach is one of a management consultant. What is the problem? (poor match performance). What is the cause? (something OTHER than skills, because I possess those already). What can be done to address the cause of the problem? (how do we develop better mental management). This is a logical approach.

As to "what-if" Monday morning quarterbacking a match performance. I consider it ESSENTIAL to a shooter's growth. It is personal, not to be presented to others which can be interpreted as "making excuses" or any other negative possibility. A shooter has to have a REALISTIC understanding and awareness of their actual capabilities - including strengths and weaknesses. Brutally honest. The first step in solving a problem is admitting one exists. Second step, is analyzing what the problem is, including the cause(s). Only then can a shooter devise an effective training plan to address the issues and bring about change and improvement.

In the case of our discussion here, IF something besides shooting skills is the cause of my match performance shortfall, then it would be ineffective in the extreme to simply go out to increase the shooting skills level, and thereby neglect to address the actual root cause of the problem - which will continue if not get worse in the process.

In your example, I would ask, WHY did you miss the 4 targets? If it was a FTE situation where you forgot them entirely, then that is NOT a shooting skill issue at all. Or, if it was actual Mikes, then WHY did the misses occur? What type targets, what range, what situation relative to other parts of the stage, etc. If it was poppers at 15 yards, then maybe you need to practice such target situations in live fire practice and figure out what the skill deficiency is - actual marksmanship? Disrespecting steel? Trying to shoot them on the move when that is above your skill level? etc. IF you forgot the targets and ran by them in the stage, what good is ANY type of shooting skill training going to do to remedy that? And if those 160 points you lost by those 8 mikes and FTE penalties was the reason you placed 27th instead of 12th place in the Area match, isn't that significant to recognize and then take into consideration for your training plan? As opposed, for example, to having 10 mikes in the match accounting for a similar point loss. Very important types of information and distinctions here.

So, as long as post mortem analysis is engaged in for positive reasons, and not excuse making, etc, then it is essential and important work for every serious shooting competitor.

One thing is for sure, competition is a true mirror for us all, to see ourselves in. We cannot hide. HF and points is all that counts, not style or how good we look, etc. And match performance distills ALL of our whole being down into a reflection that leaves lots of clues for us to follow, along our path to improvement.

Good discussion.

[titandriver]

That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out response brother Cookie! Bravo!

[Robco]

That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out response brother Cookie! Bravo!

Thanks old man! You shooting Shoshoni tomorrow- Ankeny seemed to be suggesting there was a match?

I "did good" in my hoser match today at Kingman, AZ. Potlickers were somehow unable to post the results yet, but I probably won Limited. Man, you would blend in there at your advanced age! I think I was one of the young ones at 56.

I was able to shoot my own game pretty much all the whole match. Which was my goal of course. Had 10 Open shooters on my squad, one a GM in Limited, and FAST. This is often what messes my mind up, watching and hearing them shoot the stage and then I get my mind set on doing it at the same speed. But today I managed not to ever fall into that trap. Making progress!

Ande did well too.

[titandriver]

Ankeny must've OD on meds or something as his infirmities pile up - pretty certain they shoot on the 4th Sunday. Think I'll call Fox or Sells and have 'em check on Ron, he could be in some kind of danger!!

So lots of near-70 year olds there eh? I'd definitely fit in there then! I'm at the point where I can barely put one foot in front of the other!

Glad to hear you both done gooder, keep after it!

[Robco]

Ankeny must've OD on meds or something as his infirmities pile up - pretty certain they shoot on the 4th Sunday. Think I'll call Fox or Sells and have 'em check on Ron, he could be in some kind of danger!!

So lots of near-70 year olds there eh? I'd definitely fit in there then! I'm at the point where I can barely put one foot in front of the other!

Glad to hear you both done gooder, keep after it!

HA! Yes all you geasers are a mess!

Shooting at Rio Salado in the morning. Need to get ready and get to bed.

[titandriver]

Got me a black suit and a plot at Riverside, so I'm ready!

Good luck tomorrow!

[Robco]

Ha, I was going to make a quip about "somebody's following Lanny Bassham" but others beat me to it.

On "The Statement," I changed mine last season for the worse, and then brought it back around to where it's supposed to be this season. I think it's important to constantly reflect on this statement the same way a business should concentrate on its Vision and Mission Statements. Just as these statements drive a business, our statements should drive our competitive programs. It's okay to modify them in an effort to experiment and push our envelopes, but it's also important to view them analytically so that they can be modified appropriately. To exemplify my point, let me go over a line from my old and new statements, and provide an example...

Towards the end of last season I was listening to interviews by various Red Bull air racers, and one or two of them made the statement that in order to fly that fast acrobatically (sorry, you'd probably have to follow that sport to understand it) you have to "stay in front of the airplane" and know what you're doing with the airplane before you do it. These pilots use intense rehearsal via visualization techniques the same way many of us shooters do. I liked the idea these pilots brought up, so I thought I'd incorporate it into my statement to a line that went something like "I get in front of the gun and I stay there." During the off-season, though, I listened to an interview that Taran Butler gave where he made a point along the lines that he shoots his best when he stays on the front sight the entire stage so that he can remember back and recall each shot in his mind. I remember this was something many great shooters have said, so I ended up scratching the "stay in front of the gun" line and replaced it with "I stay with the gun and execute proper sight focus with every shot."

My last match was sort of a disaster, and I think it's because I was in the old mode of "staying in front of the gun" (ie, thinking about what I was going to do NEXT instead of NOW) rather than the few times when I just shot the dang stage.

The perfect example was Stage 6. I shoot L-10, so reload points are important. It was roughly two sets of arrays with 5 paper targets apiece (10 shots/1 full magazine per array) and ending on an array of 4 papers with a hidden target at the end, EXCEPT the entire stage began with a 4" steel about 20 yards out that activated a swinger at the back of the course. As I stepped into the box, I was still debating how to handle the reloads with that steel thrown in at the start. One plan was very straightforward and had an initial reload immediately after the steel to keep one in the chamber so I could shoot each array straight through doing a smooth reload between each array. A more ambitious plan had me shooting the steel first shot, and then I'd go immediately to the first (very close) array of 5, running the gun dry, followed by me doing the final two arrays out of order to maximize my reloads as I shot on the move into a position where I could decrease my distance to the swinger while simultaneously placing me in a position to take out the hidden target at the end. Given the size and distance of the initial steel, a part of me didn't entirely expect to get it on the first shot, but I planned for the best so my mental rehearsal concentrated on the second more ambitious stage plan.

Anyway, I stepped into the box, the buzzer went off, and I nailed the steel on the first shot. This first-shot hit created a mental shock for me! I immediately went into executing my more ambitious plan that I'd visualized beforehand... and that mental shock sort of hit a reset button that cleared my mind and I concentrated on the front sight like I was supposed to be doing the entire match. I didn't think about where I was going-- I just did it, and I beamed in on the front sight and JUST SHOT THE FRONT SIGHT.

That final stage ended up being my best stage of the match (I finished it #6 out of 41) and it served as a clear reminder to me that mastering the mental game is by far my biggest challenge and goal.

Good stuff John!

You reminded me of something about the "front sight focus" thing. I think I have mentioned it somewhere here before, but I think that once we start being AWARE and SEEING while shooting, it makes a huge difference as you experienced and described. We probably jump to the conclusion that it is the front sight focus that was responsible, when it could simply be representative, of our PAYING ATTENTION and seeing everything we need to see for each shot. So, whether your focusing your attention on the front sight, resulted in actually optically focusing on it, or just mentally focusing on the sight, is essentially irrelevant. Whatever you thought, you actually DID what you needed to be doing with the resulting success.

Keep it up!

[Ron Ankeny]

Self image development is EQUALLY important as training in every other manner in our sport, including dry fire, live fire and match experience. Trying to perform well in competition, without proper self image, is as destructive as doing so without the ability to shoot accurately.

Ummm, yeah I agree. Back when I had my sights set on GM (pun intended) I was a different person. Very focused, very intense. I didn't like me as much back then (neither did some others), but I could whip out a string of 90-100% classiifers on demand. There has to be a balance.

Mark, I can tell you from my own experience, that simply practicing more, better or even shooting a lot more matches, big and small, will NOT be enough to break through barriers caused by mental errors

Doesn't that depend on your approach? Is it possible to practice, dry fire, and shoot our small club matches for the purpose of working on the mental game? Have you ever, ever, seen a shot at one of our matches that you couldn't make? Do you have the speed and ability to get there first ready to shoot? Can you perform the non-shooting tasks smoothly and efficiently? In short, do you have the skills to win? If so, (and you do) then all that is left is to execute the stage.

Monday morning quarter backing your own performance is fine. Then let it go. The sights and sounds of a match have no meaning. If Titandriver blasts through a hoser stage at mach 10, or if an open hoser busts a string of .09-.12 splits, that should mean nothing other than entertainment. Shoot your own game. Maintain focus and pay attention to what is happening in front of you. Let yourself shoot according to your own temperament.

FWIW, I didn't know you were in Arizona. I am not whacked out on my meds, we do have a small local match today. I guess it's just a pick up thing to get ahead of the weather and activity credits. Three more weeks and I get to syand on two feet. Ten weeks of stumping around on one leg is driving me nuts.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Ron Ankeny

[Robco]

Self image development is EQUALLY important as training in every other manner in our sport, including dry fire, live fire and match experience. Trying to perform well in competition, without proper self image, is as destructive as doing so without the ability to shoot accurately.

Ummm, yeah I agree. Back when I had my sights set on GM (pun intended) I was a different person. Very focused, very intense. I didn't like me as much back then (neither did some others), but I could whip out a string of 90-100% classiifers on demand. There has to be a balance.

Mark, I can tell you from my own experience, that simply practicing more, better or even shooting a lot more matches, big and small, will NOT be enough to break through barriers caused by mental errors

Doesn't that depend on your approach? Is it possible to practice, dry fire, and shoot our small club matches for the purpose of working on the mental game? Have you ever, ever, seen a shot at one of our matches that you couldn't make? Do you have the speed and ability to get there first ready to shoot? Can you perform the non-shooting tasks smoothly and efficiently? In short, do you have the skills to win? If so, (and you do) then all that is left is to execute the stage.

Monday morning quarter backing your own performance is fine. Then let it go. The sights and sounds of a match have no meaning. If Titandriver blasts through a hoser stage at mach 10, or if an open hoser busts a string of .09-.12 splits, that should mean nothing other than entertainment. Shoot your own game. Maintain focus and pay attention to what is happening in front of you. Let yourself shoot according to your own temperament.

FWIW, I didn't know you were in Arizona. I am not whacked out on my meds, we do have a small local match today. I guess it's just a pick up thing to get ahead of the weather and activity credits. Three more weeks and I get to syand on two feet. Ten weeks of stumping around on one leg is driving me nuts.

Ron, most people don't like you, now!

Alright, Rich was hacking on you unnecessarily, your being a temporary cripple and all due to your accident. I bet he did not come shoot with you guys today. Potlicker!

You know as well as most, how much I have worked at getting match experience when and wherever I could find it. Driving 5 hours to Casper for a 10 shooter match! And then back to Shoshoni the next day, 150 miles each way for 12 person matches. So clearly, my comments are not without regard for the need and potential benefits of getting match time in. And I was speaking only to my own experience, however I have found it is universally relevant with most competitive shooters. I did all that precisely for the purpose of using club matches to train the mental side. Or more exactly, to TEST and see if I was making progress in that area. Anyway, most of my prior investments in time, money, ammo and miles driven were "wasted," relative to what I could accomplish with much less investment, now. But that is almost chicken and egg type stuff.

My whole discussion was premised on the FACT that I already possessed all the necessary skills to perform much better than I do in matches. And I did so for perhaps the last 50 matches I have shot. YET, I still made almost no progress in the standings. Obviously, something besides shooting skills, in the broadest sense of that definition, were NOT my problem which was causing me to continually fail to breakout of my 73% rut. In the last two years alone, I have probably shot 80K rounds in 70 matches and countless practice sessions, all increasing my skill levels, across the board. Yet my match performance and results changed almost NONE overall and on the average in the same period. UNTIL now.

And NOW they are indeed changing, dramatically, due to finally concentrating and focusing my training and efforts on my mental game, which has clearly been my "Achilles heal" in match performance. And by now, I mean this last two days! Shot a big round count match yesterday, in Kingman, AZ, 100 miles east of Vegas. Results not posted yet, but I probably won Limited (not that there was much competition). BUT I shot well, for me, SEEING almost everything I needed throughout the match of some 250 rounds. This morning, shot a club match with 103 shooters at Rio Salado. I took 2nd Limited at over 88% of the winning GM, Sam Travis. Would probably be 81% of a top GM, like Nils, etc. (Sam is actually roommates with Nils). The point, again, is that about 80-85% should be my realistic finish level against the top shooters in the sport, which is what I use for my milestone. I shot 94.55% of the points possible, with no penalties and few makeup shots, so accuracy is not an issue! I need to speed up a little, but the new discipline is only shooting as fast as I can see what I need to see on EVERY shot! I am getting there. And it is NOT from any practice or training or amount of match experience. Period.

Anyway, you have long seen that I had shooting and speed skills way beyond what my actual match performance reflected. Sabotaging myself by all manner of "trying" too hard instead of shooting within my own skill level.

I think I have finally, with a lot of people's help, in this forum and otherwise, figured out the combination that allows me to shoot a match within my own skill level, consistently!

Edited March 15, 2015 by Robco

[toothguy]

Shoot your own game. Maintain focus and pay attention to what is happening in front of you. Let yourself shoot according to your own temperament.

+1, everything else detracts from your performance because you have no control over it.

[Robco]

Shoot your own game. Maintain focus and pay attention to what is happening in front of you. Let yourself shoot according to your own temperament.

+1, everything else detracts from your performance because you have no control over it.

I'm with you fellas!

I shot two matches this weekend and finally am breaking through my mental blocks to doing just that. I would go further and state that my mental errors (trying too hard essentially) were causing all kinds of cascading mistakes due to cognitive dissonance. Trying to BE two different people at the same time (myself and a faster shooter I am not) has made my competitive USPSA career a living hell, literally for 4 years. I have finally learned it and figured it out now, and look forward to a huge and immediate jump in my match performance level hereafter. I won the match Saturday shooting as well as I ever have, which would be about a 83% performance against a top 3 GM. And Sunday at Rio Salado I shot over 88% taking second behind a fast GM who shot minor PF. So that would have been a solid 80% against a top 3 GM. And it all felt smooth, comfortable and easy! Hardly made any mistakes or additional shots or other time wasters like I usually do, as recently as a week ago in the Area 2 match. I attribute my success this weekend directly to my exposure and help and advice from Brian Enos's book and this Enos forum!

Area 6 in a few weeks will be my real test. I could easily shoot 85% in it, if I just be myself like I did this weekend.