A Recipe For Improvement

[BritinUSA]

I've taken a week (almost) to work through in my head why I had such a disappointing match. It had to have been the single most frustrating competition that I have ever shot.

I thought I would list out the reasons for my failure, others can contribute their own, but I'm working on a plan to correct all these so that next year I WILL do better.

1. Nationals was the only big match I shot this year. This seems to put pressure on me for some reason. I feel that I must do well because this is my only big match, so I TRY to shoot instead of SHOOTING.

2. I need to relax when I shoot. Before the match, they had a sighting in range set up. They had some paper targets and some steel (metric) targets. So I sight my gun in on the paper then after adjusting my Docter scope I switch over to the metal targets where it is easier to see my hits. The targets are 40 yards away. I'm hitting the head box with every shot, each splodge overlapping with the previous one. When I shoot the long-range targets during the match I can't hit them for love nor money.... RELAX

3. I need more confidence. I only shoot about 100 rounds a week on a 5 course match. This means I draw from the holster five times, maybe perform 2-3 reloads, so I don't really KNOW what I am capable of. So I have no confidence in my abilities. I THINK I'm pretty good at this stuff but it would be nice to KNOW. Some dry fire will help to pick up the sights quicker and do those reloads a little slicker but the lack of feedback that comes with making a piece of lead fly down the range makes dry-fire a little lacking.

4. I need to stop thinking at a match. I have an over-analytical mind. My job is to write code (I'm good at it) but it means that I breakdown everything in life to a series of problems and then I try to solve them, constantly. Once I have worked out a plan for a stage I just need to remember it. Instead I over-analyse my decision and think constantly about how to shoot the stage rather than visualise ACTUALLY shooting it. So I go to the line thinking, thinking, thinking instead of allowing my mind to just do it.

5. My best two stages at Nationals were the last two that I shot, I averaged 83% on the last two stages, when I had stopped trying. The other 16 stages had an average of 59%. If I had shot all the stages the way that I shot the last two then I would have had a top twenty finish, instead I came in 99th...uugh !

So for the rest of this year, I'm going to shoot every stage at my local matches as if it were the Nationals. I going to get a plan in my head and mentally rehearse the stage rather than thinking about HOW I'm going to shoot the stage. I'm going to shoot more big matches, may the three IPSC matches for WS selection, so I can be sure the top shooters will be there. I am going to RELAX and grow my shooting and stop TRYING.

[Nik Habicht]

In 2004, a few members of the Benosverse squad at Nationals poked a bit of fun at Anderson and Flex seriously warming up --- with a timer no less ---- before we shot the fixed time standards. I've never forgotten Anderson's response --- although it took a while for it to sink in: "They mock what they do not understand!"

Running the plan in my head, eyes closed, made a huge difference this year. I find the eyes closed part to be important ---- because I can't cheat coming into a position and not knowing exactly where the targets are. In other words, during the eyes closed portion, I become aware of holes in knowledge of the stage. Fill in the gaps, and rehearse again.....

[Al Capizzo]

It had to have been the single most frustrating competition that I have ever shot.

+ like 10 billion.

My only goal was to not suck as bad as I did last year. But it was much, much worse.

Some was equipment problems. My dot wasn't even close at 35 yds. When I went to the sight in range it was closed because there was no R.O.

My squad started on the long range stuff, and I didn't even try the sight in range until after I zero'd stage 10 and almost zero'd stage 11.

Roy (Shred) had asked me before those stages if I'd been to the sight in range and I really didn't think I needed to. Was shooting fine last week.

The rest of the match was missing, hitting no-shoots, or VERY hesitant about every shot.

The problem is, I'm not sure I should blame all this on equipment. My theory is -guns don't miss targets, people miss targets. I just didn't do my homework so to speak.

More than anything, I think I need to shoot more big matches, or more matches period.

I shoot one club match a month, and practice by myself 400 to 500 rounds a week.

Anyway, it was humiliating.

[davidball]

Some dry fire will help to pick up the sights quicker and do those reloads a little slicker but the lack of feedback that comes with making a piece of lead fly down the range makes dry-fire a little lacking.

In the movie "The Princess Bride" Vizzini keeps using the word "inconceivable" to refer to things that turn out to be completely conceiveable. Finally, his cohort, Inigo Montoya, says "I don't think you know what that word means".

With all due respect, I don't think you know what dry-fire means.

In training, dry-fire may not be EVERYTHING, but it is vitally important. One of the reason it is important, is because of the lack of feedback. Unless you call a miss in dry-fire, every shot is an alpha. This builds the self-image (confidence) which apparantly was lacking in your effort at nationals. So while you build crucial technical skills, you also build your self-image.

Edited October 20, 2006 by davidball

[Al Capizzo]

So for the rest of this year, I'm going to shoot every stage at my local matches as if it were the Nationals. I going to get a plan in my head and mentally rehearse the stage ...

This is something I struggle with at the few larger matches I go to. I end up hunting for targets, stuttering through the stages instead of smoothly moving. Oddly enough, this is one thing I did better at Tulsa than I normally do. I know there was recently a thread on this subject, but it is something else I need to work on for next year.

[moverfive]

The biggest killer of them all - complacency. As I had to learn twice - while practicing, shooting as many local matches as possible, and etc. is never bad......but if you are not constantly competing against better competition, or better yet, having to regularly fight head-to-head with stiff cometition and forcing yourself out of a comfort zone, you are usually going to suck at a real match with the top competitors.

Think about it - how many people are happy winning their class at a local match? Who did they really beat and what did it really take to win? Nobody and not much in many cases. And they stay in that cruise control thinking things are going somewhat okay. Then when a real match comes along - they crash in most aspects.

Solution - If you are in C class, why aren't you beating the top A shooters? If you are a M, why is that A shooter getting within 15% of your score. Make a competition within a competition - constantly push yourself, because I guarantee you that winner of future matches is doing that right now. Doing so will make the "tense" and "competitive situations" more familiar and thus you will be able to relax and KNOW you can do these things on demand.

[BritinUSA]

I end up hunting for targets, stuttering through the stages instead of smoothly moving. Oddly enough, this is one thing I did better at Tulsa than I normally do

I noticed this too. I put that down to the backstop. At all the ranges that I shoot at the backstop is sand, the same colour as the targets. With that green grass backstop at Tulsa the targets just popped out and were really easy to pick up.

[XRe]

If you guys are having problems picking out targets on similarly colored backstops, get different eyewear, and work on your visualization - if you *know* where the target is, already, in your mind, its much easier to pick up visually.

Here's the thing - how many of you guys regularly shoot at 35 yards and beyond? How many of you shoot in anything that's not a match? How many matches do you shoot that have truly challenging shots?

I've found that shooting local matches is a poor practice system for most anything but hosefest stages. Rarely do you find much else, for various reasons. Occasionally, you'll find a stage or three that make you have to think about tactics. Rarely will you find a stage that challenges your shooting ability in the way that the Nationals did this year. PRACTICE those things on your own - the confidence will be there, and you'll find the thinking, over-analytical mind will occupy itself on other things.

Al - you gotta know exactly where the gun hits at all distances you are likely to encounter - and I would submit that that means out to 50 and beyond. If you have the opportunity to double check your zero before a match begins, do it. Period. "Shooting fine last week" does not mean "shooting fine now". My windage was off a couple of inches to the left at 35 right before the match

Dry fire helps a bunch - even without breaking a shot, you can still work everything from skill essentials, to stage breakdown and visualization. All in your house. I spent a good amount of time in dry fire in the couple of weeks before Tulsa setting up, walking through, visualizing, shooting, and then tearing down various field courses in my house. Don't underestimate the power of this form of practice. If you do it right, with a good amount of intensity, you'll even get that "pre-stage" feeling in your gut, and everything else.

I'm a lot like you, Brit... my head gets in to everything, and I tend to over analyze, etc. Learning to shut that down took me figuring out that confidence born of practice and proving things to myself was the only way out of it for me... Maybe that'll work for you, maybe not - everyone is different. But, you don't have to suffer with that affliction, if you don't want to

[Steve Anderson]

You can also practice shooting the nationals at home. There is a different feeling there, and once you've experienced it, you can conjure it up at will.

Maybe while dry firing, imagine that the super squad has come up behind you and you're up. They're watching you shoot and discussing the timing of the activators. This might bother you, but not if you've visualized it.

Nervousness is anxiety is fear. Fear is simply a lack of experience. We can gain some experience with visualization.

Plus, we all need to make practice harder. I had no trouble with the distant targets, but had I known they were there i would have practiced differently and been able to shoot them more confidently. Thank goodness we shoot a bianchi match here locally.

I had no anxiety at the match, I was just underprepared. I can fix that too.

SA

[BigDave]

Thank goodness we shoot a bianchi match here locally.

SA

Oh, how it warms my heart to read that.

[Steve Anderson]

I KNEW that was coming...almost typed a reference to you in there.

SA

[Jake Di Vita]

Well excluding the fact that no practice usually leads to shooting a bad match. I've come to some realizations about what it takes to be a champion.

The biggest thing (and what I will be working on for the next 6 months) is that you can't be a champion without being in top condition across the board. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. If those things aren't working with you, they are working against you.

[BigDave]

I KNEW that was coming...almost typed a reference to you in there.

SA

Well...you know...I couldn't help it.

All kidding aside, I think comments like your's reinforce the positive pressure that the Bianchi matches put onto shooters. Tony Holmes (and Kimberkid, and SRT Driver, and ActionPistolero, and...) said to me very early on that Bianchi will do nothing but make all of your other shooting better. They were right.

[drift off]

[aerosigns]

Maybe while dry firing, imagine that the super squad has come up behind you and you're up. They're watching you shoot and discussing the timing of the activators. This might bother you, but not if you've visualized it.

Steve,

I have to say I really understand this feeling. On Day 2 of the L/L10/Revolver Nats I was On Deck to shoot a stage. I looked behind me and saw Robbie Leatham standing behind me. Now I know he didn't come there to learn what I was doing, but it didn't matter.

I tried to put him out of my mind, tried to step inside my stage prep. It didn't help. I got the heebie jeebies, and had a less than stellar stage. I felt really bad that I let that bother me. I know better.

The next day I was getting ready to shoot a different stage. I look over and Jerry Miculek was standing there watching me shoot the stage. I told myself that the previous feelings were not going to happen again. My thought was that I had experienced this before so don't worry about it. Heck Jerry is so far beyond mortal man, that he must be here to admire the color of the paint, so forget about him. I actually did forget he was there until I was walking back after completing the stage.

There was a clam shell just inside the door. Everyone kept trying to beat the clamshell and shooting it right in the head. I decided I can't beat it so let it close, and then shoot the piece that's still showing. When I got back Jerry said "That's the way I'm going to shoot that". I'm sure I didn't influence his decision, but I took it as a victory that I had made the same decision under pressure, that Jerry did. As Lanny Basham says "Feast on your victories".