poor performance on poor stages

[ErikW]

There was this stage at the Best of the Best match that was universally disliked by my squad. A squad member made the observation that shooters tend to do poorly on courses we don't like. (I had a mediocre to poor run.)

I thought of this again last week when I had to shoot an "all ports, all the time" stage I didn't care for. I won 3 of the 4 stages of the match, but not that one.

There weren't any difficult shots or swingers or weak hand or anything "hard" to make me dislike them, I just didn't like the designs and construction.

I'm going to keep an eye out for these stages, but I don't know what I can do to prevent lackluster runs on them. Anybody experience this and know how to deal with it?

[Flexmoney]

I have a non-Uspsa match like that (it is local).  I don't get much out of it.  I don't like it.  It bores my silly.

If you figure out how to run them..let me know.

I might try to shoot those stages in a manner that will allow me some training.

[benos]

Erik,

When I judge a stage, i.e., I'm scared of it or it's "stupid," I''ve already set myself up to fail. (I know that's obvious; but nevertheless, I've done it so many times it's ridiculous.) It's hard to approach a shooting challenge without any preconceived notions of how we'll fare, or if we like it or not. How can we avoid that?

be

[Shooter Grrl]

Kay - I'm jumping in with bof feet now

Erik - you fix it by always being Positive.  It's not a sucky stage or a boring stage - it's a stage you're gonna ACE - or you look it at and think - ha - it's perfect - just do this this this and this and it's mine.

At least that's how I get through 'em.

[BSeevers]

I am with Kath and Brian. Negative thoughts produce negative results, usually. Sometimes I tell myself you are ready for this challenge and this is the 10 match points you will win match with. Sometimes it is.

Positive thoughts combined with confidence(derived from correct practice) = match win

How's that for new math.

(Edited by BSeevers at 7:51 am on June 18, 2002)

[bird]

The mind controls the body.

If you look at a stage and "hate it"  then you are not going to shoot it well because you  have just programmed in negative thoughts into your mind.

Think about it,

most everything we do in this life are things we don't want to do, don't like to do, or or hate to do.

Why are there twice as many posts on this forum on "things I hate" as opposed to "things I like?"

People dwell on negative things because it is easy.

Negative thoughts are always there to poke you in the eye, punch you in the nose, kick you in the groin etc.

It is  very hard to rise above it.

When I hear shooters WAY better than me bitch and moan about a stage  I know that I have an advantage on them because I look at it as a challenge and usually do quite well.

(even though when the buzzer sounds I have no idea how I am going to shoot it and just do it..LOL).

I am just a newBE in this sport (and may be full of bovine feces) but since I started shooting IPSC it has taught me alot about life in general.

Thanks Brian for this forum and for making me think.

The mind controls the body

[Detlef]

I find it difficult or impossible not to *like*, *hate*, or plain judge stages. But it *is* possible for me to just focus on the challenge, and not let the stage quality judgement *get to me* and influence my shooting. In fact, the standards stages that most everyone else hates in matches are often my best. So, in the end, there is positive experience and expectation associated with the stages that I, too, hate...go figure.

--Detlef

[Nik Habicht]

I LOVE standards stages.  My best classifier to date is on a standards stage.  (57.600 % on CM99-10 in production)  I guess it's years of indoor IDPA matches paying off.  We shot on a limited indoor range, so to up the round count we usually shot each stage three times; freestyle, strong hand, and weak hand.  But I psych myself out almost every time if there's a swinger or a bobbler.  Out & backs are the only moving target I seem to shoot well.