Winning- How Important Is It To You?

[spook]

I hate shooting too carefully. It has been sneaking into my game in the past year.

It's like: how sure do you want to be of your shot? You might say that you can be 100% sure of a shot, but if you wait one second longer or pull the trigger a little slower, you'll be "more sure".

It's so easy to get caught up in calling your shots and slowing down to much in the process.

I hate it cause shooting carefully takes the fun out of IPSC

[hopalong]

Spook,

Well don't......

Put the fun back in IPSC, that is what we do it for any way, winning is just a by product.

HOP

[spook]

I know what you mean Hop. And thanks for saying it.

I'm getting the fun back while shooting the Glock now, 'cause I REALLY don't care whether I'm 1st or last. With the revolver I tried to create that same attitude, but it's so difficult when there's lots at stake (like a World Championship). Your brain just keeps telling you that it DOES matter, creating tension and making you afraid to make mistakes.

Also, it's like: How sure do you want to be when you make a shot? You can be "sure enough" about a shot, but with revolver there's no room for error (make up shots) and every extra tenth of a second you take to confirm sight picture will make you "more sure" of the shot. This combined with the fear to make mistakes will lead to too slow and "risk less" shooting.

[ong45]

92% of Jerry at the world shoot and you think you shot too slow?

spook Posted Today, 11:37 AM

  it's so difficult when there's lots at stake (like a World Championship). Your brain just keeps telling you that it DOES matter, creating tension and making you afraid to make mistakes. 

I think you'r right, it did matter at WS , which makes your performance all the more impressive.

James

[spook]

Thanks for the words James

I just know that "there was more" but I couldn't get it out. I'm not saying I would have done any better if I had shot faster (maybe would have thrown 2+ more mikes in the whole match). But this slow and certain shooting will always leave me wondering. I wish I could shoot the whole match again for fun to see how I would do...

[Flyin40]

I revisited this with a couple of shooters after a match last weekend over some beer, wings and steak

A yr later I still view this the same way. Winning doesn't motivate me, only self improvement. Setting goals and achieving them.

I thought I would give this a bump to see if anyone had anything else to add and let some new members get some insight.

Flyin40

[Chris Keen]

Winning is an encouragement booster to me, whether it be a local match or a big one, just be careful it dosent make you sit back and rest on your laurals for any length of time.

Shooting more accurately used to make me slow down to "be sure" of A's, and a good friend constantly told me: "Do not slow down and shoot more accurately ...... just shoot more accurately!" This eluded me for quite some time, but I have recently grasped the full concept of this notion.

And it's surprising how it really does only take 1/10th of a sec. to call that shot, and "See what I need to see to win"

Edited April 8, 2006 by C.Keen

[Merlin Orr]

Winnning - How important is it to you?

Important enough to bitch and moan and worry constantly but not enough to constantly practice and work toward winning.

I don't think I am alone here.

[Flyin40]

Winning is an encouragement booster to me, whether it be a local match or a big one, just be careful it dosent make you sit back and rest on your laurals for any length of time.

LOL, yeah right........when have you ever seen me sit back on a stage......lol. .

I credit alot of my improvment to that. Willing to try things in order to learn regardless of how it affected the outcome.

To make it to the next level.......its all about the accuracy baby

Flyin40

Edited April 8, 2006 by Flyin40

[Chris Keen]

Try shooting MINOR for a few months and see how you compare to the MAJOR shooters!

[Flyin40]

Try shooting MINOR for a few months and see how you compare to the MAJOR shooters!

Already ahead of you.........I'm scoring minor while shootin major loads for the rest of the yr. Every single stage, every single shot will be a reminder for an accuracy(vision) based outlook vs. my current thought process. I need to shake it up a bit to make it too the next level. Shooting the way I did last yr will only keep me in my current class.

Flyin40

Edited April 8, 2006 by Flyin40

[j2fast]

I won't rehash everything I said on page 3 but the fire is definitely burning a little hotter now. I've improved with my production gun and now I am picking up a limited blaster from a fellow forum member. I'm still taking everything in stride and more worried about self improvement than what others are doing (no Merlin you're not alone). I'm hitting at least 4 or 5 big matches this year, then hopefully try to get a slot to Nationals next year. I guess we'll see but I don't plan on reverting to the over competitive head case I was in my younger years.

Although big match fever is burning, especially since I'm not classed in Limited and want to be by the June updates since I'm changing my registration to Limited for all my matches (and Points Series). I'm rambling, need caffeine.....

[XD Niner]

My priorites are:

1. Be safe - go home in at least as good of shape as I came and with a little tan to boot!

2. Have fun - why else do this?

3. Learn - from others and my own performance

4. Improve - lots of room here

5. Socialize - I enjoy the vast majority of my fellow shooters

5. Win - last and definitely least

Don't get me wrong, I am very competitive but I compete against myself, not others.

[Perry F.]

I am not so focused on winning a match. To me its more important that I shoot a match up to my level or ability if I do that I am happy. If I shoot crappy and know I am capable of a better score then I get upset at myself.

Perry

[Paladin]

Winning is very important to me.. but then again it all depends on how you define 'winning'... For me it is were actual performance = 'my potential best at that time.'

[tightloop]

Merlin....

Your comments are the way they are because you have other interests as well as pistol shooting...you have a new MOR rifle, you like to fish, you like to hang out at the shop with Benny and the gang...if pistol shooting was all you did after work, winning would become compulsive with you and you would leave NO stone unturned in search of it... Been there, done that...now I am with you..have more interests....but winning was always the goal when I shot a lot...

[Chuck Merriam]

Well...when I shoot a local match and Chris Tilley and Kurt Gaskill show up...not much of an option! It does spur me on to see if I can keep up. I always feel like I have won when I shoot my best and don't have any major mental blunders. I really enjoy the people and how much we rib each other during the match. If I do win, it is better when there are good shooters there to beat. Have fun and don't let yourself get in the way!

[LittlePistol]

I can't imagine *not* caring about winning, rankings, beating peers, crushing opponents, etc., etc.

The only problem is, I'm new to this sport, and terrible, and the only competitor I leave reeling in humiliation after a match is...myself.

I am in the process, though, of really changing my outlook - not that I'm losing my competitive fire, which is after all, why I started shooting IPSC - but refocusing in a productive manner. It was *not* productive paying attention to the times/points that another shooter in my squad, whom I considered "better" but not impossibly so, was turning in after a stage. It was not productive flying around, shooting as fast as I *thought* I was seeing, and turning in mikes, multiple hits on no-shoots, D's, etc., and not even being fast.

After hitting rock-bottom, like an alcoholic, in subsequent matches, I've started to really see what I needed to see, which feels like an eternity, but I'm finally getting 90%+ of the points, and shooting an entire stage with no D's, nor dead hostages. <sigh>

I'd like to say this was some sort of epiphany, but it wasn't -- instead it's a little depressing, because I realize how much work and time it will take to see what I need to see, only a LOT faster. It puts winning in perspective. I still can't see ignoring the leader-board, or not worrying about match-results, nor trying to win in my division, etc., but I'm resigned to acknowleging my current level of ability, and reconciling a desire to "win" with the practice required.

Hey boo...I know this post has been dead for a while, but I just had to comment...you sound just like me...hopefully I can heed your advice before I become my own worst enemy!

[boo radley]

Hey boo...I know this post has been dead for a while, but I just had to comment...you sound just like me...hopefully I can heed your advice before I become my own worst enemy!

Wow -- fun reading that again; thx!

Unfortunately I'm still plagued by some of the same demons, since that post, but I've also had some nice personal victories over this time, too -- chief among them is that I am still having fun shooting, and going into this year more motivated than ever to improve.

Steve

[Chris Keen]

Take your shooting seriously .............. and yourself lightly.

[LittlePistol]

Take your shooting seriously .............. and yourself lightly.

+1 on that! That advise definately came in handy today! There were a lot of "dead hostages" falling left and right because of me and my squad today!!!

"A bad day on the range is better than a good day anywhere else!"

[benos]

I hate shooting too carefully.

Don't ever think of shooting carefully - shoot decisively!

Review everything you do with that filter and create a new plan.

be

[Jake Di Vita]

One thing I've noticed....If I'm shooting in a squad with my main competition and he gives me a opening, I would always say to myself "ok...he gave me an opening, just take it easy and get the points and you will gain some ground." Whenever I said that, I always found my points were about the same as if I would shoot at normal speed, but I was a good 2 seconds slower.

Whenever you go to a stage with a plan to take it easy, or to go fast, it won't be nearly as effective as just going to the line and shooting like you know how to do.

[GentlemanJim]

I just love to play, I am a competitive person! and try to push myself following the lead of better shooters.

I am happy if I feel I have done my best , unhappy if I did less

I dont really care about winning, or who I may have beaten.

I just want to do well get better and have lots of fun!

Jim

[JFD]

I just show up at a match and "perform", trusting that I was smart enough to focus my training properly. Any attempt to "make it happen" is usually a very bad thing.

My main goal at the end of a match is to identify a skill to focus on in practice. Right now I've identified I'm no sprinter and have been working on this in practice. No way will I show up at a match thinking "I need to move faster". Better for me to let it happen naturally.

While I could say winning isn't important to me since it isn't likely to happen unless I troll a couple of local small non-USPSA ponds, my overall placement IS very important to me. Right now I'm still busy trying to beat certain individuals I've set my sights on. I've had decent success so far. When folks start setting their sights on me, and are successful at it, I may not take it so well. Of course it's going to happen, but I'm hoping I can hold them off for a few more years.