Ron Ankeny Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 This might sound kind of stoopid, but I am going to ask it anyway. When I was shooting PPC hot and heavy back in the early 1970's there was considerable study (both formal and informal) under way in an effort to determine some kind of causal relationship between peak athletic performance and such stuff as bio rhythms, moon phase, and the way a person holds their head as the earth rotates. I never did subscribe to any of that stuff, but I have always wondered why we all have days from time to time when we shoot way above our known on demand performance. It rained all day yesterday and it was a beautiful day this morning. I felt great, well rested and just happy as a pig in slop just to be alive. I spent several hours at the range blazing away and it was one of those days when everything just went right and I found myself in the zone and way over my head. Get this, a 4.43 second El Pres (open) with 9 A hits and 3 C hits. By comparison, the last El Pres I shot in a match as a classifier was in 5.2 seconds with a pattern that looked like a hip shot from a scattergun in cylinder bore. I was just amazed that I could watch the dot and call every shot with low teens for splits and high teen transitions. Why is it this type of performance only happens about twice per year? I had my carry gun along in an IWB holster. The pistol is a Kimber CDP Pro II. I had 3 targets set up one yard edge to edge for the El Pres so I walked up to five yards and ran the following drill. On the buzzer, draw and shoot 2 rounds of 230 grain Federal HydraShoks on each target. I had an Alpha Charlie on each target in 2.08 seconds. My first thought was wow, then I wondered if hell had frozen over. Seriously, I know we all have experienced days when we amaze ourselves and wish we had it all on video. I am curious, is there any definitive scientific data on why this happens or is it just a matter of good mojo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 Ron, I could be full of it, but I think this might have had a lot to do with it: "I felt great, well rested and just happy as a pig in slop just to be alive." Whenever I shoot really well in a match, I feel that way..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 here's what I dug up: From: Quackwatch Dictionary biorhythm: Pseudoscientific method developed separately by Viennese psychology professor Dr. Herman Swoboda (1873-1963) and Berlin physician William Fliess (1859-1928). It is a purported means of predicting human conditions and susceptibilities. Its postulate is that three fundamental biological cycles (biorhythms) are calculable from the date of one's birth. Swoboda and Fliess posited two cycles: (1) a "physical" cycle of 23 days, supposedly predictive of one's level of strength, coordination, immunity, and self-confidence; and (2) a "sensitivity" cycle of 28 days, allegedly predictive of emotional changes. In the 1920s, Austrian engineer Dr. Alfred Teltscher posited a third cycle, 33 days long and supposedly predictive of intellectual performance. According to proponents, "vital energy" is high on "positive" days and relatively low on "negative" days. George S. Thommen popularized biorhythm in Is This Your Day? (1973). I'm 99% sure that biorhythms as defined by it's practitioners is bunk. Unfortunately, I can't find a proper debunking offhand. However, I think there is a definite phenomena of being "in the groove." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vluc Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 There has to be something there. Maybe it is all in our heads, but recognize that the most well researched drug is "placebo". It clearly shows the power of the mind. If you think it works or does not work, you are right. I'm open minded enough not to swallow the total scientific information on everything. Example - therapeutic magnets. Now some will scoff, but for me, they work. that same magnet will not work on SWMBO, because she does not believe they will do anything. I slapped it on that injured shoulder and voila, pain is gone. magnet, mind or mojo - which is it? Don't know, not going to worry until it stops working. This kind of goes with SA's post on emotionless shooting. Having a lot of issues dealing with my continuing unemployment and have watched my shooting deteriorate drastically. I think i get the stuff out of my head before i go shoot, but when I get to the line it all comes crowding up and I can't shoot for crap. The gun no longer feels "alive" to me, it's just a hunk of plastic. Cannot read a stage to save my life, and I was at a point of shooting nice "B" level classiifers on a regualr basis, moving up 2% points a month and now, heck, they are all falling below the percentage to even count. So what's in the head is reflected in the heart and the spirit. (Sorry for the drift!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 At a certain level of physical skill, the mental game makes all the difference. You had a great brain day, and your body was ready for it. Beware of trying to duplicate it, you'll inevitably be disappoined. These things we want to do are really not that difficult, but we make them so hard in our little pea brains sometimes.... SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 I wonder if I could hoke up some charts in which my 'best performance' days line up with matches I'll shoot better just because I'm supposed to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now