How do I learn to trust my shooting

[Nik Habicht]

I seem to have trouble trusting my shooting on moving or precision targets.  If there's any difficulty to the shot, it seems like I psych myself out and cost myself lots of time.  Case in point: 3 port stage. Port one some paper and one steel, that activates an out and back in port two.  I shoot the steel last and hustle to the port, where I blast five rounds on the out&back.  (3 As and 2 Cs) there's some other paper to shoot in this port and one popper that activates another out&back in port three.  I shoot the steel last, reload on the move, and have already planned to shoot the open papers first and then shoot two headshots on the out&back.  After that I'll finish with two 1/2 size poppers at maybe twelve yards.  Everything goes according to plan, until I shoot the second popper, and let my eyes drift back to the headshots on the out&back (1A and 1B) and need to use a second shot to knock down the popper.  Then I get it in my fool head that I missed on one of the open papers and I transition there and put another round in it.  The local GM tells me that I need to trust my shooting, because there are two As on the target, and my makeup round was a C.  Also, I came around the corner reloaded in plenty of time to shoot the out&back.

So in a nutshell, how do I teach myself to not play so conservatively on the target engegement order and to just put two rounds at moving targets?  Is it much like anything else, that I just need to do it? That if I take the steps and fall flat on my face, I just need to pick myself up and try it again on the next stage? And if necessary again and again?  Is the path to learning paved with risktaking?

[benos]

Nik,

The answer to your question is simple - I know you've heard it a million times because I know how long you've been hanging around here. Trust comes from 2 things - 1) Mastery of the concept and practice of calling the shot; 2) Complete attention during execution.

Make it your priority in practice to know what this REALLY means, and then carry it into competition. When you know WHILE you shoot, all other concepts (speed, holding back, going for it, risk, etc.) become irrelevant.

be

[Flexmoney]

Nik,

The local GM may be seeing something in your shooting that didn't make it into your post.  You also talk like you think you need to take more risk.  (Only you can answer that.)

Other than that...it's like Brian said...you already know the answer.  So this thread really is just a booster.

You don't have to "trust" your shot if you have taken the steps to properly call the shot (and every shot).  The speed and confidence will come from practice and experience.

Visual Patience.

(Edited by Flexmoney at 8:34 pm on Jan. 9, 2002)

[Nik Habicht]

Thanks for the words of encouragement.  Sometimes it just helps my thought processes when I'm trying to figure something out to pour it out on the screen.  By writing things become clearer.  Kyle, I think that the big revelation at Sunday's match is that I play it to conservatively some times and I should challenge myself a little more.  After all, since I'm not even close to placing in my class, it's not as if I can crash and burn and lose first C by being more aggressive.  

Brian,

I know I called the two headshots, 1 dead center, the second just low of dead center, but as I was shooting the second steel, doubt crept in.  During scoring the hits were just where I called them.  Of course I've only been calling the shot regularly for the last couple of months, and I've had ammo problems in that time, so maybe more successful, shot calling trigger time is what's required to boost my confidence in my shooting.  Off to dryfire I go....  

[Flexmoney]

Nik,

I am the same way.  I often need to write it out...and then answer my own question.

Pat's dot drill just popped into my head. (just sharing)