b1gcountry Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I shot a match last month where I was very focused. I spent a lot of time before my spot rehearsing the stages in my mind and getting focused and relaxed for my turn. I did ok. This month I focused less on the shooting, and just gave myself one shooter's worth of stage prep and did much better. What about it? Can you over focus and psyche yourself out, or was it just luck of the draw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickb45 Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I personally like to be as prepared as possible for the stage. I show up early, walk stages, use my 5 minutes then rehearse in my head until I'm up. It also takes a little extra planning shooting SS. I don't think about results, my scores or who else is shooting, just focus on the process of executing my stage plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoshidaex Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 It's a balance you have to find yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I think it's important minimize stress, and by forcing the focus (ie, "over focus") that may induce stress. A calm, yet thorough focus is my personal ideal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 one data point is not enough to draw any conclusions .... any 2 matches are completely different ... that being said .... I doubt you'll ever find a top shooter tell you the path to shooting greatness lies with being unfocused, unprepared & just shoot and see what happens ... I treat every match like it was the Nationals. You can't expect to do well at big matches if you don't take matches seriously until you get to the big match .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 I wasn't un focused at the last match, I just let myself loosen up between my spots. I still went into focus mode one or two shooters before my runs. It is hard to do a 1:1 between these two matches especially because it was 100+ degrees at my match last month. I can't say how that affected me exactly, but it is likely it did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 ...but this isn't really about my last two matches, I'm asking about everyone else's gathered knowledge so I can apply to my next match. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterpuc Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I find that my scores are much better if I truly focus on a stage. I shoot single stack, so there aren't really any extra bullets for make up shots and reloads need to be made at certain spots. So, I do try to rehearse the stage as much as possible physically, then mentally while others are shooting. Every so often I will find myself in the shooters box thinking "I'm really not prepared for this" and my score will reflect it. It is usually because I was talking to friends before my turn and wasn't mentally focusing on shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I find that my scores are much better if I truly focus on a stage. I shoot single stack, so there aren't really any extra bullets for make up shots and reloads need to be made at certain spots. So, I do try to rehearse the stage as much as possible physically, then mentally while others are shooting. Every so often I will find myself in the shooters box thinking "I'm really not prepared for this" and my score will reflect it. It is usually because I was talking to friends before my turn and wasn't mentally focusing on shooting. +1 on all points above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Does the equation change at all of you are shooting steel plates instead of uspsa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 for me I treat every match the same, assuming it was something I was training seriously for. Doesn't matter if its Steel Challenge or USPSA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camazama Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 While having focus and being mentally prepared for the stage, match, etc. is good, I believe there is a point where you can become too focused and it will start to negatively effect your performance. In the past, I was so concerned about beating so and so and telling myself I had to beat a certain time, that I would become almost hyper-focused. This situation negatively affected my shooting. Once I started running my own game plan and stopped focusing on everyone else and their scores, my performance greatly improved. You need to find the balance between focused and consumed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 I don't believe you can ever be "too" focused .... however, as you discovered, you can easily focus on the wrong things with disasterous results ..... speaking of which, focusing on results is exactly what you never want to do .... there is only the shooting, nothing else matters .... results always take care of themselves .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 (edited) In the past, I was so concerned about beating so and so and telling myself I had to beat a certain time, that I would become almost hyper-focused.This is the opposite of focus. True focus is a concentration on the awareness of surroundings and accomplishing the task at hand as efficiently as possible. The results will be whatever they will be. Edited August 23, 2015 by jkrispies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camazama Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Actually, I would focus so hard on doing absolutely everything perfectly that I forgot to focus on just shooting. As Nimitz stated, I was focusing on the wrong things, which can be very detrimental. Theoretically, your subconscious should be able to take over and you can focus on your game plan and not on everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangeHooligan Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 (edited) Nimitz, What You said, "there is only the shooting, nothing else matters .... results always take care of themselves..." That is Poetry! Thanks, RH Edited August 23, 2015 by RangeHooligan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Read Brian's book. It really talks about this at length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 reading Lanny Bassem's With Winning In MInd will really help as well ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 The more I cared about the outcome, the worse I shot. The less I cared about the outcome, the better I shot. But ask yourself - what shouldn't I care about? My performance? The results? Did I call every shot? I found that I performed to my ability if I didn't care about anything at all. At that point you become more of a "witnesser" than a "performer." Just calmly watching, or witnessing, the activity as it unfolds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 (edited) I need some time to think on that I think I Cared less about the second match in many ways. I was consciously trying to focus during the first match. Edited August 27, 2015 by b1gcountry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Last weekend I shot a very good match (for me) on 5 stages by just basically stepping to the line and doing what I needed to do without giving much thought to anything. My mind was pretty much blank as I shot, on autopilot based on my stage plan visualizatons. The sixth stage was a convoluted design with two swingers. It took forever to re-set between shooters so the entire match was backed up on that stage at the end with my squad one of the last to go. After a 1.5 hour wait in 100 degree heat, nobody in my squad could concentrate when we stepped to the line. My shooting partner is an M, and he had enough sense to come up with a waaaay better stage plan than me, but then he failed to engage a target, which he NEVER does. As for me, I literally felt myself thinking in one array of three targets with a single no-shoot, "I need to focus so I don't tag the no-shoot," so of course I tagged that no-shoot. For me, the match was a perfect affirmation of where my focus needs to be along with an example of what it shouldn't be. Good learning experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMC Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 I find myself joking around too much and not focusing all the time at matches. Its a tough habit to break out of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 For me, the match was a perfect affirmation of where my focus needs to be along with an example of what it shouldn't be. Good learning experience! Often, learning what not to do is more helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolguy Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 After 40 years of machining, half of what I know is what not to do. Valuable information. One of my sayings is - Experience is what you get right after you need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Experience is what you didn't have when you got that scar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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