IanLock Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 I really think that the whole zen thing and the mind game and metal approach is a big part of the shooting prosess. espesally at a competition Well it is for me anyway. Thing is, ive got a match coming up this weekend, and well its not a nerves thing, i dont get nervous before a match, but for some reason ive just got this feeling that its going to be a bad one. Im one of these guys, that never wins a match, never gets a trophy, which is fair enough but always give my best effort, and i really enjoy matches regardless of weather and the drive and everything. But just got a feeling. Do any of you guys and gals get this? What do you try to do to eleviate it.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 Specifically, what do you mean by "bad one"? Worse than or different from "not winning/getting a trophy"? be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanLock Posted October 4, 2005 Author Share Posted October 4, 2005 Just that thinks wont go to plan./ Jams will happen, My loading wont go to plan, Hit no shoots. It is a Shotgun match. Saying that though i have felt alittle better about it today, not really sure why? It is being held somewhere i have never shot before, perhaps that has something to do with it. Perhaps when i get squadded i will just ipod up, and and really focus on what i have got to do and nothing else. Focus on maintaining that zone like feeling for as long as possible. Just try to igone all the stupid banter that you always get at a match. I do shoot with some pretty good shooters. British and european champions current and past. So i tend to compare my times to them and always seem disapointed. But i must remember that they are in a different leauge to me. I supose you could call it performance peer presure. Feel like i dissapoint them a little bit if i dont do as well as i should/ know that i can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hey QuicksDraw! Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 There is power in thought. Tell yourself you Will execute your plan! The gun Will function 100%, your loading Will be Smooth, and thou shalt Not hit the no shoots. You will have the Good JuJu upon you. Let the rest of that crap go right out of your mind. There will always be shooters above and below you. All you can do is your best and then let it go. If you get to shoot with champions that's great. Watch and learn and your day will come. Relax and have fun. I am by no means an advanced shooter. By the time I make it to the prize table there is usually nothing there but the table cloth, but I don't let it get me down. I just keep practicing and imagine myself as one day being one of the hot patootie's. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanLock Posted October 4, 2005 Author Share Posted October 4, 2005 Thanks mate, Will do. Match is on saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggercontrol Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Thanks mate,Will do. Match is on saturday. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Make yourself your own hardest critic. Self reflect. Inject humility and have the utmost desire to excell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Yes, Ian. I get hit with the nerves at times. You have to figure out where it comes from. When you made your original post, you were expecting something bad to happen in your match performance. A lot of people will tell you that expecting a bad performance is a bad thing. I agree. And I also believe that expecting anything is a bad thing. Expect nothing! Just focus on the shooting, not the outcome of the match. Im one of these guys, that never wins a match, never gets a trophy, which is fair enough but always give my best effort, and i really enjoy matches regardless of weather and the drive and everything. As long as you are giving your best effort, that is all that is required. Through practice, your best effort improves and one day may start to result in match wins. We don't win matches by trying to win. We win matches by practicing long and hard, and then just letting the win manifest itself when the time is right. Relax, enjoy yourelf. You'll do fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 It is being held somewhere i have never shot before, perhaps that has something to do with it. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That may have a lot to do with it! Stay tough, ignore other competitors, and spend all your attention on doing what you know you need to in order to shoot well. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Do you remember that "perfect" match. See yourself on that day and bring it back. Believe that you are that shooter and more. Negative thought usually bring negative results but positive thought can bring positive results Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genghis Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 I have always lived by the philosophy, "Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser." I have intentionally made myself miserable whenever I've lost, in order to motivate myself never to want to go through that again. I've looked at my performance through a microscope to make sure I only make the same mistake once. I learned that this attitude is counterproductive in competitive shooting. Some people need to gear up to shoot well. I need to calm down. I also had to accept the fact that I couldn't show up and immediately outshoot these guys. I've had to look for things other than trophies for encouragement. As long as I get better each match, I count it as a "win." My USPSA classification is improving, and even though the same guys are still beating me eight months later, I'm getting closer to their percentages. I figure it's just a matter of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vluc Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 "The wish is father to the deed" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanLock Posted October 9, 2005 Author Share Posted October 9, 2005 Ok, Just to let you all know how it went... Badly Very Badly.!!! Monster jam on the very first shot of the match. And only had one stage of the 12 when i didnt have to clear at least 2 james per stage. Im talking 15 to 25 second jams here. turns out that my shells unbenown to me where 2mm too short to work the action reliably. You live and learn. never guna shoot that ammo again. So by the second stage i kinda new it was guna be a waste of a day, so i just consentrated on my planning and tactics, and my mental game. Put some particualy violent tunes in the ipod. Stuck to my planes and ignored everyone else this part went very well, started to see it as a serious of target sequences rather than a whole load of plates al over the place. and because of this when the gun decided to function, i was smokin!!!, but then bam... a jam. But i can pull some positive things from the day, like my planning and mental stuff. Im guna take this to my next big match in 2 weeks and and try and kick some ass. With proper ammo this time. Thanks for all the advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 Ian: What the heck are you shooting? It might be time to look into a different shotgun. I know it is down right hard to find the "right" ammo in England. I think that knowing this is what started your mind in on the original part of this post. Shell length by a few MM shouldn't be that important, if it is, your shotgun is too finicky. It is hard to have a good mind set when things don't work because your mind is waiting for the thing to mess up, instead of on what it should be. KURT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanLock Posted October 9, 2005 Author Share Posted October 9, 2005 Kurt, Browning golds mate, mike built it, its is a carbon copy of his. I didnt know that they dont like 65 mm shells. I do now.!!! I think it was just nerves about shootung at an unfamiler ground and not really knowing were i was going and all that kind of stuff. Im only a young pup remember, sometimes these silly little things get the better of us. I have much to learn yet obi one Guess i should clean the thing ready for the next one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike.45 Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 Yep them Golds sure dont like short ammo - you should have bought a Benelli !! You didnt do that badly as you won a trophy ! You won top open grade and there were 5 ungraded shooters - stop beating yourself up amigo ! The weather was terrible and the conditions underfoot were awful so it wasnt an easy day to perform well. We will chat about this post when we meet up next - perhaps you can pop over for a beer one night if you are near. The nerves thing is antcipation of wanting to do well and the fear that you will not live up to your expectations. This actually prevents you from performing at your best - I know as I went through it for years ! Its all about confidence in yourself - and I know you have plenty of that ! I have your trophy - its kinda cool. Give us a shout mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 I would add that when I counsel new shooters probably the 3rd sentence I say is "Your equipment needs to work and if it doesn't I would not even show up for the match and get it working" Even TGO can't win with a malfunctioning gun. After that is corrected then the "mental"stuff counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamBam Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Ian - Are you saying you went to a match with ammo you never shot out of your gun before???!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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