Small spot focused, technique?

[Twilk73]

I’m pretending that I can see the “A” on my cardboard target so that I don’t focus on the red dot and so far it’s helping. 
 

I feel like I’m A.D.D. or something as soon as I look at that spot my eyes immediately wonder off or catch the dot. The longer I’m on target the more likely I am to pick up the dot. The further targets I tend to focus on the dot or I’ll go back and forth, target, dot, target. 
 

Why is this working? Maybe because I actually can’t see the “A” most of the time and mentally I’m forming an “A” on the cardboard which is distracting enough to keep my eyes from wondering around the cardboard or onto the dot?
 

Makes me wonder is target focus a mental action. 
 

Anyway I thought id share that pretending to see the “A” has been helpful. That might change once there are paster’s to distract me. 
 

I’ve been thinking of different ways to work this in dry fire. I don’t like the occluded dot or black paster’s because I feel like ultimately those are crutches leading to a solution. But people seem to always go back to those crutches to keep themselves fluent.
 

Any tricks anyone else has for practicing small spot focused? This has been the hardest hurdle for me to clear yet and it has single handedly made me a worse shooter this year. I’m constantly reminding myself I’m sucking to get better! But mentally this season has been brutal.

[WFargo]

Honestly, even though you don't like it. Just occlude the dot for training. You can then train "free" and let go of the thoughts of you constantly having to go back and forth between dot and target focus. 

I am sure it will help you out a lot. At least it will keep you from worrying about this in training, as it completely takes away your possibility of constantly "going back and forth". 

It will enable you to push during training without worries. It will "set you free". 

Edited August 15 by WFargo

[Twilk73]

6 hours ago, WFargo said:

Honestly, even though you don't like it. Just occlude the dot for training. You can then train "free" and let go of the thoughts of you constantly having to go back and forth between dot and target focus. 

I am sure it will help you out a lot. At least it will keep you from worrying about this in training, as it completely takes away your possibility of constantly "going back and forth". 

It will enable you to push during training without worries. It will "set you free". 

I see people occlude the dot both in practice and matches and I don’t want to be that guy. To me that’s a training scare. If I can occlude it in practice and not feel like I need it during a match I’m willing to do it in practice. 

[shred]

Occlude in practice part of the time, then not part of the time, then back again.  If you find yourself staring at the backside of your lens tape, you know you need to practice that more.