Getting It Together Mentally...

[Flexmoney]

Getting it together mentally...involves the learning of several internal skills:

1. learning how to get the clearest possible picture of your desired outcomes

2. learning how to trust...to perform best and learn from both successes and failures

3. learning to see "nonjudgmentally"--that is, to see what is happening rather than merely noticing how well or how badly it is happening.

All of these skills are subsidiary to the master skill, without which nothing of value is ever achieved: the art of relaxed concentration.

--The Inner Game [of Tennis]

[rschoon]

I found out this weekend how much I don't have it together yet. On the other hand, It's getting closer.

[j1b]

For me, today, two components of mastering the mental game.

1- realizing that what I'm about to do ain't as big as what my mind thinks it is.

2- Nike slogan "just do it" - I mean really - isn't that easy!

J

[Clay1]

I'm shooting better than I ever have, probably close to the peak in my training. I went to a state match this past weekend and shot my worst match of the year. I beat myself, before the first shot was fired. Still have a lot to learn.

[ParaJoe]

It seems as if everytime I got to one of the local matches I have a bad day. Different reasons but I think it's all upstairs. I've been thinking about this match all week and all I can do is try to relax. I need to learn to trust myself and the skills that I possess and let them take me as far as they will. We'll see how this works....

JOe

[Flexmoney]

If you find that:

- You shoot well in practice, but have troubles at the match

- You shoot well at the local level, but have trouble at the big matches

- You shoot all the stages well, but you crash on the classifier

- You shoot great unless you are shooting with/against Shooter X.

All those things are the mental part of the game.

I wouldn't be without three books.

- Brian's Beyond Fundamentals

- Lanny Bassham's With Winning In Mind

- W. Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Tennis

[Steve Anderson]

Saul Kirsch's new book, Thinking Practical Shooting, does an excellent job of relating Bassham's principles to IPSC shooting.

The Bassham principles are difficult to apply in our sport at first, but once you figure out what you really want, your subconscious will give it to you at the peak of your current skill level.

(btw, your conscious mind cannot lie to itself about what it thinks is important)

At LAMR, you can have any (one) thing you want...

SA

[Steve Anderson]

Ironically, it was "the inner game of tennis" that helped me understand Bassham's principles..

SA

[Merlin Orr]

If you find that:

-  You shoot well in practice, but have troubles at the match

-  You shoot well at the local level, but have trouble at the big matches

-  You shoot all the stages well, but you crash on the classifier

-  You shoot great unless you are shooting with/against Shooter X.

All those things are the mental part of the game.

I wouldn't be without three books.

-  Brian's Beyond Fundamentals

-  Lanny Bassham's With Winning In Mind

-  W. Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Tennis

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have the first two - purchased as a direct result of comments on this forum. So "The Inner Game of Tennis" ranks with the first two??

[benos]

I hear nothing but good comments about Lanny's book, so I just ordered one from their site (and inquired about dealer pricing).

be

[vincent]

I agree that "The Inner Game of Tennis" is a good read.

If you like the Zen mental stuff another interesting read is "Zen in the Art of Archery" by Eugen Herrigel. It is a story about a westerner living in Japan taking archery lessons from a master. It's a little out there but it makes me smile to read the authors struggles and see how they relate to my own struggles with the finesse of shooting.

[tightloop]

Vincent, I LOVE your avatar....very cool

[vincent]

Thanks Dave. I made it myself after a particularly frustrating experience. I like it too.

[Vlad]

[All of these skills are subsidiary to the master skill, without which nothing of value is ever achieved:  the art of relaxed concentration.[/i]

--The Inner Game [of Tennis]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is oh so right for me. I noticed I shoot at my best when "i dont care" but which I dont mean that I dont care about my shooting, but that I dont care what the outcome is and just SHOOT for the fun of it. Things seem to flow better. I guess thats where the trusting comes in. If I over think a stage or start worring if I can make a shot or not, it goes down the drain.

[beak]

I've been struggling with mental issues for a year now. Once I turned GM I started putting all kinds of expectations on myself. It takes a lot of mental training to get myself to relax and just shoot. I find that if I go to a big match somewhat unprepared due to my work schedule or whatever. I shoot really well, and its because I don't expect too much from myself. I just have fun and let my training and years of experience take over.

Embarrassing story: I minored this year at the Nationals. Once I finished kicking myself in the a** . I started shooting the best I ever have at the National level. I new I was screwed so I just decided to have fun and relax. All the pressure (which I put on myself) was gone. Every time I was behind the gun it just floated out there and everything moved in a slow controlled motion. Now the question is... how do I shoot in this relaxed state at big matches consistantly? I don't recommend minoring by the way. I wish I knew the answer, I'm trying all kinds of stuff and its getting better but I'm not there yet.

Beak