Self Induced Pressure

[JThompson]

The last three matches I have attended have went pretty well... The nerve factor has fallen by 50% at least. I think the start of it was the Il Section match... I just didn't care, for lack of a better way to put it. I expected nothing, but decided I was going to be fleet footed and not think about the actual shooting. Stage planning still need a lot of work, but when I stepped up to the line i was loose and my hands didn't shake. This was rather a first for me not to be so full of tension that I'm shaking. It came from worrying what others would think or pressure on myself, "not to screw up." This was a huge load that was killing me before I ever fired a shot. I'm trying to put this into words to help newer shooters. I changed nothing in training or anything other than I let all the self induced stress go. For lack of a better way to say it... I just planned my stage and then didn't give a damn how I did on the stage. I'm usually a where of the RO, the shooters watching, and myself. As someone once said in a movie... to many minds. I was fighting all this stuff and not only did I have it on my mind before I got to the line, but the program I was running when I stepped to the line was the stress that I had just burned in by being concerned with all the other shit that doesn't matter. I'm finally getting a handle on letting all that go... The last three matches I've shot I was conscious of nothing around me... I didn't feel the guys... I didn't feel/see the RO. Yesterday at a local match I couldn't figure a solid plan for a stage. It was a tricky little mind freak with two drop turners two floppers and two hidden targets behind a door activated by a popper. Then it had four half targets on the back of the range. Shooting distance was about 45ft. I think the total was 10 paper and six steel mixed poppers. So I watched a bunch of shooters go through the stage and asked a few others what they thought of it and there were many ways to get it done. In the end, I decided on my start position and the first three targets and then the plan faded. I just walked up and let it rip. I'm conscious of the draw as I stepped forward and I think I remember hitting the first popper. After that, there is nothing. I know I took some extra shots, but not how many. The hits were pretty sloppy, but the time for the cof was 11s. I heard the time and was laughing... noway I shot that damn thing that fast. I did, but not consciously.

I rambled there a bit, but my point is this... I got all that other crap out of my head before I started and even though the program was incomplete, at least consciously, I was able to load it and execute because I didn't have all that other baggage in the way. As Lanny says... one thing at a time. My one thing has always been stress and not shooting related. I don't mean when I shoot... I mean in the program I loaded before I turn it over to the subconscious to run. The data I loaded was corrupted.... At the very least it was like have a high speed internet connection, but using a dialup for the important stuff and the high speed to upload the stress... Out of the two, which one do you think is going to get the most data through? Yep.

Okay, so it starts with the Sectional... I do pretty well there, but had a lot of little breaks as I was learning to deal with this more relaxed state. Then I shoot a practice match, and was very calm, but had a lot of little breaks. It didn't feel good, but what I didn't realize is I was shooting 15% above where I was before, so even with the form breaks I was still way ahead, but it didn't "feel" fast because I didn't have all that crap in my head and my sub was able to process data and a much greater rate. So those little bobbles that felt as bad as before, were in reality much smaller breaks with my senses turned up. At least that the impression I have of what's going on because I'm not consious of a lot of what's going on in real time... it kind of trickles in after the shooting is done... Where was I? Yes... the next match was out Sunday one and I shot with a couple of guys who, for no good reason, make me nervous. Add to that a very good M shooter who we asked to join us for another go. I had a sec of of crap... and that carried over to a slow first stage... it just felt jerky and slow... it was. By the second stage I had got back into don't give a damn, mode and settled right it. I was the class 06-04 and I was a little slow on it. I told the guys I wanted to give it another go at the end... something I never would have done with these guys before, and if I did the outcome wouldn't be good. I do the reshoot and pick it up by 1/2 sec and clean up the hits to down 1. That gives me a A score by Ohio. I still felt I left some out there, but I wasn't willing to try and push for it... hey, my A card hasn't arrived yet... I don't want to get into "thinking" to much about classifiers or you will blow them all to hell.

I shoot the last two stages and get a 2nd and a 1st. That puts me second for the match behind the aforementioned M shooter. I've made a 10-15% gain in my shooting and it was all about putting non shooting thoughts aside and not letting them creep into your programming. At least that's how I feel about it. What's more, is I now know I'm a better shooter, and as you get better you are less intimidated by anyone. You also realize, hopefully, you have to shoot your own match. If I went it trying to beat the M guy..... BOOM!

I don't usually type this much, but this wasn't so much of an AHA! moment as a cartoon one where the coyote gets it on the head with the mountain.

Jim

Edited September 8, 2008 by JThompson

[AlamoShooter]

I think that your post would help a new shooter or any shooter looking for the next level. Looking for the next level is what makes shooting worth doing.

The Coyote always had some gadget that was going to catch the Roadrunner. Roadrunner are good only for sprints if you don't give up a Roadrunner can be caught.

I most always have a bit of a shake when its my turn to shoot.

Edited September 8, 2008 by AlamoShooter

[JThompson]

I think that your post would help a new shooter or any shooter looking for the next level. Looking for the next level is what makes shooting worth doing.

The Coyote always had some gadget that was going to catch the Roadrunner. Roadrunner are good only for sprints if you don't give up a Roadrunner can be caught.

I most always have a bit of a shake when its my turn to shoot.

That's normal, but to have it to the point you can't hold the dot on the target during your sight picture is not.

Gotta love the ACME rocket company.

[Greg Bell]

Good post!

Yesterday was a decent performance for myself, I wasn't really trying one way or another as my attention was really focused on a brand new shooter that I had brought out to his first match. Hanging with him during the walkthrough, answering questions, watching shooters, etc. So when I'd hear my name called out as on-deck I'd step forward a bit and start to review my plan. When I was up I just stepped up and shot. There were some things that normally give me a bit of trouble but I just executed them well yesterday. I probably had a couple of things that cost me about 10 seconds on the match, if I had executed those well it would have been a very good day.

I will be in this same frame of mind at my next match, I'm looking forward to it.

[benos]

Nice post Jim. It's cool what happens when we allow all our skills to come out by not programming anything that prevents them from doing so.

be

[JThompson]

Nice post Jim. It's cool what happens when we allow all our skills to come out by not programming anything that prevents them from doing so.

be

I hadn't even given it a thought that I was putting that tension in the program. I don't think I read that anywhere, but it is something that I think every shooter needs to know... esp the newer guys. I see it all the time when running newer guys. Their hands are shaking real bad at LAMR. Some of that is to be expected, but you need to find a way to deal with it so it doesn't paralyze you. I think every shooter probably learns this in time, but it took me over a year to get there. Now I just need to keep it from creeping back in.

Thanks for the input Greg and Brian...

Jim

Edited September 10, 2008 by JThompson