Match Concentration After You Fubar A Stage

[Cjblackmon]

I shot a match today and screwed up on the last stage really bad. Luckily I shot decently in the first 4 stages so it didn't kill my overall score, but had that been my first stage or in the middle of the match I would've melted down!

How do you guys get back on top of your game and get your head right, after something like this happens?

Edited January 9, 2006 by Cjblackmon

[JakeMartens]

I try to block it out by heading back grabbing some pasters and watching the rest of the squad shoot the stage and help paste.

After a couple of minutes I start thinking about the next stage thinking about shooting it.

Works sometimes, sometimes it doesn't

[Sixgun]

I look at as, it's in the past. There is nothing I can do now, except try to learn from it. It does me no good to dwell on a bad stage. I talk to the better shooters when that happens and make a learning experience from it. Most of the time, it's not as bad as you thought.

I like the idea of throwing yourself into helping out and analyzing others runs. I'm still a rookie at this game, so I learn from everyone.

Set yourself up positively for the next stage. I've noticed that when I concentrate on my sight and call the shots, that I don't "screw up". I'd rather click it down a notch in speed and have an extremely smooth run with great hits. There's nothing like the RO calling out "2 Alpha, 2 Alpha" after your run. That's what gets me psyched back up and back onto my game.

Ray

[basman]

Ever notice how after you fubar a stage (or two!) you just say, what the heck lets just have some fun.

And what happens? you NAIL the next stage! Hmmmmm, this needs some thought.

[hopalong]

CJ,

At this years Nationals I totaly trashed the 3rd from last stage of the match effectively putting me out of the running for top 4 overall.

I knew after I did it that I had pretty much ruined a good match but did not let it get to me, I just totally temporarily forgot it, picked up the pieces and went to the next stage....which I ended up Second overall and then the last stage of the match I won.

When you do this, and we all do sooner or later, accept it as a fluke and something you don't normally do then forget it and get on with the rest of the match. (easier said than done, and it takes one or two)

Big matches are harder on us than club level matches (we do this to ourselves, as it is still the same shooting) and it helps to have done it once or twice in the past. (FWIW)

Good luck and good shooting.

Hopalong

[CSEMARTIN]

I don't look at my scores until the match is over. I sign my sheet, fold it and put it in my pocket. One stage doesn't really matter. I think everyone tanks a stage at a major match.

[ong45]

Sometimes i think having really bad short term memory is the key to being a champion.

James

[shred]

I don't look at my scores until the match is over. I sign my sheet, fold it and put it in my pocket. One stage doesn't really matter. I think everyone tanks a stage at a major match.

That's what I try and do when I tank a stage-- take the scoresheet, carefully write on it what I messed up and will practice later, then fold it up and put it away. That writing-it-down-saving-it-for-later lets my brain get back on track... most of the time.

[AlamoShooter]

I try to think about and remember what other shooters did to make my match good and fun to be at.

If you make yourself into an ass over a few seconds or 20 points down. you need to remember that Most of the shooters at the match may never get close to your times and scores. like having a fit about 3 seconds off on a 10 second run and most of the 'normal' shooters do it in 20 seconds.

I bet your blown stage is still better than 1/2 of the shooters present.

It is easy to screw up = it is how you deal with it that make you nice to be around.

I had a blown stage today paper and steel =12 steel 8 paper, run and gun should have ben 15 seconds turned in to 40sec = on the time one of my felow club shooters said

'Welcome to my world' how could I act up after that

It is almost always the averag guy that suports a club and give you a place to shoot, and the chance to 'Sqrew up'

[BigDave]

As Mr. Ong put it - forget it and move on.

Focusing on the past, and in this case it's negative aspects (which makes it infinitly worse), rarely pays you anything in return and can set you up for another stumble. Effectively you need to focus on the task at hand, the task about you at this very moment, while simultaneously knowing what you want to do, not on what you don't want to do.

But again, I divert to the distinguished gentleman from Nevada - find yourself a short term memory.

[Cjblackmon]

Thanks a lot for your feedback guys!

I have such a competitive mindset that I hate screw ups and I have a hard time dealing with them! I used to be on the Florida Tae Kwon Do Team and if I did something stupid and took a hit, I'd get angry at myself, fight harder and madder and it usually went to hell from there. My teammates knew when I was done. If I was able to catch and compose myself and then become aware and focused (I've been reading Brian Enos' book and this just came to me like a ton of bricks as I was writing this) of the situation, I could correct myself to win the match.

Ironically, my thanks to all of your responses and my little story really helped clarify a lot of things for myself as well as all of your comments did. I totally forgot about my experiences in tournaments back then and how to get my head back in the game, until I opened up to tell you about them. My reply to you guys finally gave me clarity to my question. Wow! Thanks!!!

Edited January 9, 2006 by Cjblackmon

[AlamoShooter]

Thanks a lot for your feedback guys!

I have such a competitive mindset that I hate screw ups and I have a hard time dealing with them! I used to be on the Florida Tae Kwon Do Team and if I did something stupid and took a hit, I'd get angry at myself, fight harder and madder and it usually went to hell from there. My teammates knew when I was done. If I was able to catch and compose myself and then become aware and focused (I've been reading Brian Enos' book and this just came to me like a ton of bricks as I was writing this) of the situation, I could correct myself to win the match.

Ironically, my thanks to all of your responses and my little story really helped clarify a lot of things for myself as well as all of your comments did. I totally forgot about my experiences in tournaments back then and how to get my head back in the game, until I opened up to tell you about them. My reply to you guys finally gave me clarity to my question. Wow! Thanks!!!

The important ansers to questions about yourself come from within. = its nice to have friends with mirrors.

[rtr]

What a coincidence this thread is up.

Yesterday my worst stage finish (16 of 16 limited shooters) was followed by my best stage finish (1 of 16 limited shooters). I'm still not quite sure how I did it mentally, although I do remember being rather annoyed after the bad stage, but just shooting like I know I can shoot on the good stage.

[eerw]

What a coincidence this thread is up.

Yesterday my worst stage finish (16 of 16 limited shooters) was followed by my best stage finish (1 of 16 limited shooters). I'm still not quite sure how I did it mentally, although I do remember being rather annoyed after the bad stage, but just shooting like I know I can shoot on the good stage.

Chris..

you shot some solid points on that stage...especially one with a lot of shooting on the move..nice shooting..

I crashed on stage one ( my first stage )..just not paying attention to what I needed too and put one in the black and another into thin air..

it works best for me to move on and forget it...I ususally will jot down in a notebook the error I made and use it as a practice point.

[iweiny]

First a disclaimer, I am by no means a world class shooter. However, I do get really upset when I mess up. What really helped me was finding out that you don't have to win every stage to win the match. The old saying of losing the battle but winning the war...

This really hit me when I was watching Shooting USA, I forget the match but I think it was the nationals or something. I was surprised as they were going through the stages and TGO did not seem to be winning any.[*] I thought to myself "man he is not doing so well in the match." Then at the end they announced his win of the match! I was like, WOW, I don't think he won a single stage. I suppose they could have not shown some of the stages which he won. This helped me to think about the fact that even if my screw up put me down a few points it does not mean the match is lost. Also if the stage had some particular difficulty there might be others who will have trouble as well.

I hope this helps,

Ira

[*] yea TGO is my hero. So sue me... And yea I know this points more to consistant match performance but it still helps me...

[BigDave]

Another thing I've found is that it is amazing what I don't worry about when I focus on the front sight. I noticed that yesterday.

[John Dunn]

I like to shoot with folks who can laugh at a disaster. I wouldn't be shooting if I couldn't have fun after trashing a stage. In fact, I still laugh at the Pueblo reload and Sam's beartrap debacle.

[Flexmoney]

This is pure Mental Management. Pick up Lanny Bassham''s book, With winning in Mind...through BE (forum host) or Steve Anderson (forum dealer).

Quick response...any time you beat yourself up, pitch a fit, etc....you are re-enforcing negative behavior.

[Steve Anderson]

Allow me to state what you should NOT do after a bad stage.

Think about it.

Talk about it.

Let anyone ask you about it.

Re-live it.

PLay it again in your head.

Your brain doesn't know the difference between something real and something and something vivdly imagined. (pictured)

If you re-live the bad stage in your head, your sub-conscious REALLY BELIEVES you want to do it again.

"How'd you do on the last stage?"

"I had a pretty good time and shot a lot of alphas."

Move on. On the drive home, you'll realize why it happened and it will ususally be attributable to trying.

Also, If your close competition thinks you did well, they might TRY on the same stage and you'll have an advantage.

SA

[Cjblackmon]

Allow me to state what you should NOT do after a bad stage.

Think about it.

Talk about it.

Let anyone ask you about it.

Re-live it.

PLay it again in your head.

Your brain doesn't know the difference between something real and something and something vivdly imagined. (pictured)

If you re-live the bad stage in your head, your sub-conscious REALLY BELIEVES you want to do it again.

"How'd you do on the last stage?"

"I had a pretty good time and shot a lot of alphas."

Move on. On the drive home, you'll realize why it happened and it will ususally be attributable to trying.

Also, If your close competition thinks you did well, they might TRY on the same stage and you'll have an advantage.

SA

Steve,

That's a great Paradigm! Very crafty on the strategy as well!! Thanks a lot!!!!

[vluc]

Like taking a test, once it is handed in, nothing you can do about it.

Let it go and move on.

[caspian38]

I don't have bad stages ...(at least in my own mind) if I tag a no shoot my next shot is an alpha...having a problem only gives me the chance to do better afterward ...

last week I forgot to reload my gun on a stage with strings ... and had to do a reload on the clock ... my time was only .52 slower than without the reload ...I watched another shooter with the same problem ... yell out... OH $%#@ and then start his reload ... 2 SEC later ... he was still dealing with that same little mistake/challenge !

alphas before and after .. and you don't have a bad stage !

Si