Matthew_Mink Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 I should not be where I am at now. The next classification update should see me at 94.xxx in Production, the highest it has ever been. I should be at the top of my game, but I'm not. I am making mistakes that I didn't make 6 months ago. I am shooting worse than I did 3 months ago. Some of it is lack of practice due to short daylight, lack of time, and a 2 month old. Most of it is mental I am sure. A friend just reminded me that I went through 2 of the biggest life-altering events recently. (new baby, forced change of job, all within 2 weeks) Also, I know I am out of practice and that affects me worse than just being out of practice. The desire to be at the top is still there, but I am distacted as of late. Even during matches, I am just not focused. So.....how to get back in the saddle? I almost exclusively shoot Production, but have all the gear (or access) to all the other divisions. Do I need a temporary change of pace? Something different to get my attention? I have been plagued my whole life with losing focus if I get bored (and I bore easily), and I am wondering if that is not part of it. Do I need to shoot Revolver, just to focus on trigger control? Do I need to shoot Open, just to get the relaxation back? All of them? What has worked for you guys and gals who found yourself in a similar position? Or am I just being overly hard on myself? (another thing that I am prone to, and can't stop) Would/could the slump work itself out? I don't know because this is the first slump I have encountered since I debarked on this journey. And now, with the ultimate goal in sight, it happened, and I think that is the most frustrating part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 have some cheese! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detlef Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 just to clarify your state of mind, what is "the ultimate goal"? In IPSC, I would think that it's winning the World Shoot... Anything short of it may be an "ambitious" goal at best... Slumps are normal points in career development, shooting or professional. You get out by accepting that they occur, and by learning, from personal experience, how you best deal with them. Noone else can tell you how "you" can get over it. Still, this is what I and others have done: 1. Stop shooting for a few months and pursue another pastime, professional or personal goal. 2. Shoot something else (3 Gun, air pistol, Open Division, IDPA, Bullseye, steel challenge, Bianchi, you name it). Not just casually shoot it, become "really" good at it by training hard and becoming competitive! 3. Do whatever it takes to put the fun back into training. Don't get me wrong, you can't possibly just train when it's *fun*, but you also can't train well when there's no fun in it at all.... I'm sure Brian has his more substantial input to give.... --Detlef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Matthew - Man, do I hear you. My recommendation is to take a break. Perhaps a period of reflection is in order? My question to you is the same I asked of myself: In the grand scheme; what does it matter? I am NOT suggesting a give-a-s**t attitude, but rather an examination of the importance you place on these things and are they moving you more in tune with your goal - or farther from it? I hope this makes sense. I'm still working on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3quartertime Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Ok,,,because of this thread I have defined an new goal... I want to be classified at 94.XXX in production ( or any other class ), and then tell everyone that I'm in a slump!!! He He He Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDean Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I feel your pain Matt. Around here we call it the "GM jitters". For some reason once you get to a point where you "think" your pretty good, you start to slump. It's a mental thing for sure. You having lots goin on in your life sure doesn't help your shooting either, but what you've expressed has happened to LOTS of shooters. Have we forgot what got us there? Has all the effort we put into sight alignment and efficiency suddenly taken a back-seat to ego? Whatever it is, just talking about it and realizing it is probably a passing thing helps. It will pass..... I'm coming to realize that the fact that I'm a GM doens't mean things are easier, they're as hard as they've ever been. I need to remember that before every stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dunn Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Get rid of the kid. I've got two, and they're holding me back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 John That is the reason I didn't start shooting till I was in my 30's. I coached every junior sport known to man. When they got through with that I started shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted December 9, 2003 Author Share Posted December 9, 2003 Detlef, I wouldn't look at it as the ultimate goal in IPSC, but what was MY ultimate goal. The goal for me was to make GM. I am a Type A personality, if I do anything, i've got to go all the way. But you are right, winning the world shoot would be THE ultimate goal! I think you hit on something I haven't even considered. Practicing isn't fun anymore. I don't have many training partners, except for Larrys1911, but we seldom get to practice together. I had a blast the two times we practiced, but life is hectic for both of us right now. I have a 2 month old, he has a 2 week old. Still, I think you have an idea, I need to make it fun again. But having said that, I still have a blast at matches, even club level. I just need to refocus. Having fun at practice may be a step in the right direction. BigDave, I will consider the period of reflection. I will probably have that forced upon me anyway as Arkansas Winter gears up and dumps 4" of ice every week or so. And you are right, what does it matter? I have known that it does not matter since day one. Except that I want to excel, and that does matter to me. Ego maybe? TDean, I like that phrase! GM jitters. Man how it fits! But here is the funny part. I don't think I am all that good. I know this is probably coming from my being overly hard on myself, but I am always comparing myself to the people I perceive as better than me. And I can always find fault in myself. But that is also part of the Type A personality thing. It will pass I am sure, that is the definition of a slump, it goes back up. But man I suck lately. And to the rest, the humor is appreciated and needed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 matt, no reply to my suggestion? oh! i see it now. byw, i'm sure 93% of the others would like to have the same slump. lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Hey...Nancy...if you are done wimpering, get to work on improving. Work on you movement. It sucks canal-water. You move like a teenager on his first date. Watching you shoot is like watching kids play red-light/green-light. Your about as smooth as a bed made of rocks. Seeing you shoot is like listening to the ref at a NFL game when his microphone cuts in and out. Get to work...you have a long ways to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 GM jitters? I don't know about that, but there was a moment after my first post-GM-card match where I realized the damn card wasn't going to shoot the match for me. I think after we reach a big goal, (as you are close to doing) we are naturally inclined to want to coast a bit...no harm in that, but we must remember how we accomplished the goal in the first place. Hard work and execution of fundamentals. I have found a new joy in practicing without worrying about the times, just focusing on the hits,shooting As. I shot my first post GM classifier on Saturday the most relaxed I have ever shot one. It was 34 degrees in the sun, and I shot it at (only) 88% but was only 3 points down out of 24 shots on three targets in 3 strings. Some of my previous classifiers,including several 100 percenters were due to sheer speed, not perfect hits. I went back out Sunday and spent 2 hours shooting groups, including rested shots on steel out to 100 yards, just reveling in controlling the gun. My point is this: I changed gears a little a found some new joy. I have have been a speedster for awhile, now I want to be an A-zone surgeon, too. You might be shooting your same style without the presence of mind you used to have, perhaps thinking that you have somehow eclipsed the need to do ________ anymore. I know I have gone thru that recently. You'll figure it out. After all, you are the third best prod shooter in USPSA for another few months. SA I just read Kyle's reply and want to change mine: suck it up and get back to work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I have a 2 month old You have less than a year to complete your goal. Once the kid becomes more interactive you will spend lest time shooting and more time playing witht he kid. Better practice your pattycake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detlef Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 true, but then it's only another 17 y until you can go shooting again! --Detlef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skywalker Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Mattew, try to turn your training sessions in research sessions. I mean, experiment, try and learn from errors, always come up with a new idea and compare a training session based on the new idea to a training session with your old techniques. It worked for me: it gave me the boost I needed to go on practicing when I was getting tired of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Practicing isn't fun anymore How can you be(come) very good at something you do not like at all? You might want to take three minutes and try this (An Olympic sports psychologist taught me this trick): Visualize yourself not being able to shoot anymore, ever. Visualize a life without guns, without competition. Picture yourself never being able to shoot again ever in this life.....and try to make the pictures, sounds and smells in your mind feel and look as realistic as you can. If you want to, you can go to a practice session with that thought on your mind. Make it feel as if it was your last practice ever. How does that make you feel? Bring back the fun and the results will follow. What made you love this game when you decided you wanted to be the best? I think that's your ticket out of Slumpville. A GM card on your mind while you're shooting will not make you shoot better. The card will come when you start having fun again. Take care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted December 9, 2003 Author Share Posted December 9, 2003 A GM card on your mind while you're shooting will not make you shoot better. The card will come when you start having fun again. I could be too focused on getting the card. I never even thought about that. I could be so focused and working so hard that I am figuratively shooting myself in the foot. And I didn't say shooting wasn't fun. Practicing isn't. The last time I did it, it was boring. Shooting matches with my buddies is still a lot of fun. But all these good suggestions from you guys will change that I think. I just need to focus my attention elsewhere, away from the goal, and the goal will come. spook's visualization trick just gave me goosebumps. I'll use it again when I think I can find the time to go practice. skywalker, all of my past practice sessions have been spent finding my limits and experimenting, with one exception. The last time I practiced, I just went through the motions. I need to refocus during practice, I see that now. Steve, I know a lot of people coast after achieving a big goal. I am not one of those people. When I made Shodan in Shotokan (1st black belt for the layman), I never coasted. I trained even harder, because the next goal was on the horizon. I can make Nidan (2nd), I just need to train hard for another 2 years or so. I am not one that coasts. That is why this slump was so perplexing to me. I didn't know what was going on. I knew what I was in, but didn't know how I got there or how to get out. But you guys have helped me see a few things a little differently, and I think that will make all the difference. Kyle 'toughlove' flexmoney, who are those dudes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Matt, It sounds like you hit on what might be the reason. Seems like you went to your last practice without a goal, or something to work on? "The last time I practiced, I just went through the motions. I need to refocus during practice, I see that now." I don't know who those guys are in the pictures. I have heard them both speak from the podium at Barry. They both kinda talk funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted December 9, 2003 Author Share Posted December 9, 2003 Ok, now that rings a bell. When they were speaking, were they holding a glittering shiny object that everyone coveted? Yes, it seems that is part of the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I had a similar problem in the late 1970's and I got the following advice (as near as I can recall) from one of the coaches at the Olympic training facility in Colorado Springs, "Highs, lows, stuck in a rut, hitting the wall, they are all part of any sport...and life in general. You will either get over it or quit. The choice is yours." At the time his advice seeded totally worthless, but in retrospect he was right. Being in a slump is a very personal thing and only you can do anything about it. Recognizing the problem and looking for a solution is a pretty good start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Mattew, My gut-level vibe, after reading your post but not thinking about it, and not reading other responses as well, is that you might benefit from taking a break from any shooting or gun handling whatsoever. Think about it all you want. And watch where your thoughts go as the days go by and you're thinking but not shooting. stick with it, be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.J. Norris Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Matt, I know the exact place you're in right now, I was there right after FGN. Didn't dry-fire, practice, but shooting matches was still fun. It went on for a month or so. What helped me get out of it was A, watching some old and current videos of myself shooting to see what I was and what I am, and some of the top shooters, which helped me to remember who I wanted to become And B, seeing how my shooting had dropped off when I hadn't practiced, os I got mad at myself and practiced more...... Lay off for a few weeks and you should be back to your old self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted December 10, 2003 Author Share Posted December 10, 2003 Hmmm..... I am torn between taking some time away from shooting, to continuing to dry-fire and live-fire. I am so close to my goal of making GM. At least I will have some time off, due to the fact I think I have caught the flu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus The Bum Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Matthew: Do you have a friend who shoots revolver? Ask him if you could borrow his 6-shooter and just have fun. A GM card means squat.......The old lady had a kid plus the other stuff you mention just has you in a different state of mind, theres no getting around it. Just take a break and have fun for once (At least a month) Then get back to your goal of getting a GM card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Matt, yours is a definate case of the glass being 94.XXX% full. I'm not just talking about the shooting either. Spook made an interesting point about visualizing yourself with out it. Now picture that beautiful bride and baby backing down the driveway, never, never, to return. It is so easy for us guys to get obsessed with "success" in one form or another. That is when we fail to realize that true happiness comes from wanting what we have, not getting what we want. You'll make GM sooner or later, of that I am certain. But, please remember that eveything has a cost. Several years ago, I was in a position of new "high stress-high status" job, new baby, and new house. I didn't come to find out until years later how close I was to driving the one true love of my life away. Like you, I'm a shooter in search of optimal experiences. I also have the advantage of being half way to 90 years old. There are many short cuts, fast tracks, and get there quick schemes. They can leave amazing damage in their wake. Settle down. Take account of yourself. There is a time and a season for everything. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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