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Getting rid of "warm up" nerves/jitters


PrimaryBruce

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I've shot a lot of competive skeet and faced this issue big time. It has ruined numerous good scores and produced disastrous performance in shootoffs. Several years ago a dear friend who is retired military, former member of the MTU at Ft Benning, a 2650 NRA bullseye shooter and a member of two Olympic teams shooting Rapid Fire Pistol offered some advice. His two sons are also 2600 bullseye shooters and one shot Rapid Fire Pistol in the 1996 Olympics (background provided to demonstrate that he has something to offer). He said "Match pressure is nothing but dumb thinking. It's thinking about the result before the match is over. The only thing that matters is the technique." Following his advice worked for me. It turned off match pressure like flipping a switch. I haven't experienced it since. YMMV.

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I've shot a lot of competive skeet and faced this issue big time. It has ruined numerous good scores and produced disastrous performance in shootoffs. Several years ago a dear friend who is retired military, former member of the MTU at Ft Benning, a 2650 NRA bullseye shooter and a member of two Olympic teams shooting Rapid Fire Pistol offered some advice. His two sons are also 2600 bullseye shooters and one shot Rapid Fire Pistol in the 1996 Olympics (background provided to demonstrate that he has something to offer). He said "Match pressure is nothing but dumb thinking. It's thinking about the result before the match is over. The only thing that matters is the technique." Following his advice worked for me. It turned off match pressure like flipping a switch. I haven't experienced it since. YMMV.

Great stuff!

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I've shot a lot of competive skeet and faced this issue big time. It has ruined numerous good scores and produced disastrous performance in shootoffs. Several years ago a dear friend who is retired military, former member of the MTU at Ft Benning, a 2650 NRA bullseye shooter and a member of two Olympic teams shooting Rapid Fire Pistol offered some advice. His two sons are also 2600 bullseye shooters and one shot Rapid Fire Pistol in the 1996 Olympics (background provided to demonstrate that he has something to offer). He said "Match pressure is nothing but dumb thinking. It's thinking about the result before the match is over. The only thing that matters is the technique." Following his advice worked for me. It turned off match pressure like flipping a switch. I haven't experienced it since. YMMV.

Great stuff!

I've taken this advice-- not worrying about the result (ie the scores...). For example, unless its a major match, I rarely even walk the targets to score them. I get a feel how I did (both good and poorly) and that's good so I dont worry about the proverbial "making up the points on the next stage..." thoughts.

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  • 1 month later...

For me its getting everything prepared the night before 'jamming mags, setting out gear and belt, etc' . Knowing I got dry fire time in the week before. Getting to the range a little early. And kind of like golf. When I step up to the line I have a 3-4 word mantra that I tell myself. (pick it based on what I am working on and make it positive) Like "Find the front sight, press the trigger, have fun" something simple and effective. Also if I have time 5,5,5 breathing. 5 breaths 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out. Helps me get calm and ready.

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I've started getting the nerves again, probably as a result of shooting more major matches and the anxiety that one blunder can (and has several times now) cost me to lose the match. Lately, I've just been telling myself "too late", as in "too late to worry about this stuff" during the "are you ready", and just focus on taking a full exhale between "standby" and the buzzer. Hard to think about stuff when you are thinking about your breathing-for simple minded folks like myself, at least.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 month later...
On 7/22/2016 at 2:39 PM, jamesb74 said:

For me its getting everything prepared the night before 'jamming mags, setting out gear and belt, etc' . Knowing I got dry fire time in the week before. Getting to the range a little early. And kind of like golf. When I step up to the line I have a 3-4 word mantra that I tell myself. (pick it based on what I am working on and make it positive) Like "Find the front sight, press the trigger, have fun" something simple and effective. Also if I have time 5,5,5 breathing. 5 breaths 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out. Helps me get calm and ready.

 

I really enjoy this advice. Some matches require me to be out the door and in the car at 6AM, so I've had a cup of coffee or two or a Monster or two, and I've noticed the caffeine has started to affect the "hand jitters" more so than the nervousness from the match. I've got to find a way to get myself awake in the morning without so much caffeine.

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Harnessing the jitters is why I like competitive shooting.

 

Going back to the first few posts, in the Fight response, adrenalin frees stored sugar for maximum energy.  Sugar cubes or food will just lengthen the free sugar available but the very nature of the response makes it redundant.  “Bonking” is more likely in a match if you do not maintain sugar or fluid levels.  Fast sugar is a poor choice.  Energy bars and Gatorade are more appropriate.

 

I am still struggling to be a “good” shooter but the best stages I have had was embracing the calm and finding the sight.  Now repeating that for all of the stages eludes me.

Edited by dogtired
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Steve Anderson mentions in one of his podcasts that you get nervous because of your lack of confidence of being able to perform at the match (or something like that). I think there is a lot of truth in this, at least for me. I used to get them bad.  Recently I attended his class, and got his "Get to Work" book. I found after amping up my weekly dry-fire routine, that when it came time for a match, I made sure I was in "match mode", and just shot my targets to my level of performance. 

 

I have been surprised how well this has worked out for me. YMMV  :cheers:

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I do agree that lots of dryfire and confidence in your equipment and your skills will help quite a bit. Last match I shot over the weekend, I had to sprint from the parking lot to the sign in table since I was running late. Getting the blood pumping before shooting the first stage helped quite a bit as the jitters didn't seem as bad relative to my previous heart rate from running. 

 

Getting a small coffee instead of 2 monsters probably helped a lot as well :blink:

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After a recent DQ that really bothered me (I totally screwed up, all my fault and ticked at myself) I noticed that my heart rate was really getting elevated just before time for me to shoot. But, once I got into my routine while at the line it all came under control. It made me realize just how much that routine helps me. 

 

What is really telling though. When I was a teenager I shot rifle for my high school and I would always struggle with jitters. My Dad kept telling me to establish a calming and mind focusing routine and it would help. Of course, being a teen I wasn't going to listen to my Dad. Obviously he was right. To really add to how dumb I was as a teen, my Dad was the National Collegiate Rifle Champion in 1961 while shooting for the West Point Rifle Team. 

 

I kinda want to go back in time and slap the crap out of myself. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is a very interesting thread. Lots of good advice (except for the less coffee camp ;0). My pre-match jitters start the night before and go away after the first stage is shot. My natural defense is to obsessively organize my gear and get there early to walk the stages etc. The one thing that calms my nerves is reminding myself I’m there to have fun. As a D shooter, there’s no hope of winning anything. It also helps if I pick a particular skill to work on that day (ie, no standing reloads). This helps focus my mind and avoids getting overwhelmed.

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On ‎11‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 8:39 AM, touji said:

I do agree that lots of dryfire and confidence in your equipment and your skills will help quite a bit. Last match I shot over the weekend, I had to sprint from the parking lot to the sign in table since I was running late. Getting the blood pumping before shooting the first stage helped quite a bit as the jitters didn't seem as bad relative to my previous heart rate from running. 

 

Getting a small coffee instead of 2 monsters probably helped a lot as well :blink:

Two good points in there.

 

Getting stretched and the heart rate up does seem to help. Kinda a dry run before hand. And I love my coffee also. But go light when heading to the range or match. And don't drink any at all if doing long range until after. It really can screw with you.

 

Get rid of the monsters and energy drinks. They really are bad for you.

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I do what I do every morning, but especially Match mornings.

 

It may be 2 hours or more after I get up before I leave.  It may be a 45 minute drive to the range - up to 5.5 hours.

 

There will be caffeine.  I am a fan of Deathwish and see it as more of a self medication.

 

But I do that daily under varying levels of stress.

 

Last Sunday for the first time at an IDPA match I felt NO nerves, jitters, stress, whatever we name it.  It was like Ice.  I was Calm.

 

Near the end of my first IDPA year I am shooting better every time I shoot, but this was a pleasant shift.

 

I kind of like the sound of the words "Zero Down" - I heard them more than I had before.

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I do about 15 million walk throughs on every stage. This really helps me. I view shooting as an individual performance like public speaking. No-one wants to stumble or stutter over their words. Everyone wants to impress the crowd and look their best. Its just human nature. So I look at the walk through as learning my script on the spot and practicing it as many times as I possibly can to figure out what movement I can eliminate, what might look/feel more smooth, etc. I'm not a "great" shooter by any stretch but I usually come in anywhere from 5th to 10th at any given match multigun or pistol. I usually focus on shooting a clean match without few penalties even if my times aren't blazing, and that relaxes me as well, along with the fact that I'm doing something I really enjoy. 

 

-V

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