Competition - Nerves Or Excitement

[Hamster]

Well not so much anger management as acknowledgement that others have a relative right to be looking from behind you . Most people are sensible enough to respect personal space but what I learnt to do is absolutely block out what's behind. Over the space of the next few shoots make it your routine to treat stepping into the stand as a signal to shut off from others including noise from casual, loud talk which can be very distracting.

Your focus should be so intensely directly towards your task for the next 2 minutes that you really ought not to even notice others movements up the side of the cage. If you watch the very best you'll notice they get angry only with themselves, some hide even that extremely well, accept that only you can miss the birds, then it becomes a lot easier to live with others thoughtlessness. One trick I use is to study each and every pairs break so as to leave less room for my mind to wander off onto negative routes.

 

[Salopian]

Very well put Hamster.

I wear foam ear plugs & Sordin ear muffs. When I shoot well I am only aware of the field of vision out front where the clay flies. I have no idea of when I have shot all the targets on a stand until the referee/ someone says 'Unload your gun' 'Get off', 'Thank you, unload'.

When Trap shooting, I see the Gun on my left close their gun, I then focus on the clay that they are shooting, hear their shots, and then I go into 'the zone' and like an automaton I look at the heads of the shells in my gun, close the gun, mount to my pickup point, call, see, move, shoot, follow through, gun down, open, shells into bin.

I then relax into a thought process where I would not be able to describe or tell you anything about because I have no idea about, until the Gun on my left closes his gun and prepares to take his next shot. Then I go into' the zone' all over again.

The time between my shots I have no real thoughts at all, no negatives about why I missed the last shot, no positives or thoughts about what my score is or in fact anything.

I have no idea of my score at all until I check the card. I treat every card as an individual and don't worry about scores ex 100 until it's all over.

Then I moan and myther about why I missed this one or that one in my head for what seems an age, until someone snaps me out of it with a bit of abuse.

 

[ExSCA]

Seems like an excellent process for staying completely focused. Thanks for sharing Salopian.

I heard an interesting and related story at the weekend about a top shooter who was 90ex100 at a registered with a stand of 10 to shoot - he shot 3 pairs, all good - and then dropped one shot - without a trace of emotion or even recognition, he unloaded, reloaded, went through his pre-shot reouting and killed the last pair for 99ex100.

To have that level of focus and mental capacity seems to me to be the real skill of a top-class shooter - as many people say, ALL competitors are able to hit every target out there - technique and practice will get you a lot of the way to the top scores - but mental capacity and discipline like Salopian outlines is what will take you to the top level.

 

[40UP]

A shooting pal was watching John Stafford when he missed for the first time in 1,800 DTL targets. A little cartridge throwing would have been appropriate - he said John's eyelids didn't even flicker.

 

[40UP]

A question for Peter the Salopian - are you able to compare the Sordin with or without the gel pack to Sportacs?

 

[Maxum]

A question for salopian

How come you miss when I'm stood behind you. ;-))

 

[Salopian]

40UP sorry I do not know?

Maxum, That is easily explained, lack of focus. I am the same everytime I shoot with Mr. Pitt , him just standing behind me does my head in.

But not at Trap either of you, because to me it is a totally different discipline. Sporting for enjoyment, Trap for dedication.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

40UP sorry I do not know?

Maxum, That is easily explained, lack of focus. I am the same everytime I shoot with Mr. Pitt , him just standing behind me does my head in.

But not at Trap either of you, because to me it is a totally different discipline. Sporting for enjoyment, Trap for dedication.

I like that phrase Salop......I am going to use that one......... 'Sporting for enjoyment, Trap for dedication'...... :wink: Thank you.

 

[jasper]

thanks hammy.

 

[40UP]

A question for Peter the Salopian - are you able to compare the Sordin with or without the gel pack to Sportacs?

I'll take that as a no then

 

[TobyM]

post 26, 40UP

 

[40UP]

Huh, seen 26 but took that as a rebuff. Mr Salopian moves in the same circles but mustn't have been introduced. How about the UT mr wan.

 

[TobyM]

Ah ok., I just thought he didn't know the answer!

UT is on the list of things to do. With the work I have at weekends it looks like the Berks champs on Aug 1st will be my initiation!

 

[40UP]

If that means nutty, then standing in a hammock.

Sneak up on it and get a few tips from Martin beforehand. He knows what he's talking about.

 

[TobyM]

NCSC but I have been to Nutty once and Martin introduced me to the horror/joy of OT.

 

[40UP]

ok then, I can see you never got over that. I've seen Dave Kirk, Rod Gould and Carl Exton all shoot 17 or 18 in the same weekend there. Joe Neville ranted and raved then shot 13 himself. It can be a hard discipline but it's the real thing, got hooked when I was 17 and never recovered.

 

[Salopian]

40UP,

I didn't quite understand your question about the gel pack Sportacs????

I have spoken to a number of people who have had Sportac's but now use and prefer Sordins.

Others who haven't tried Sordins love their Sportacs. I just find the Sportacs a little bulky and they catch my comb.

 

[ROBERT6500]

I often have to set up a routine for a shooter for them to follow to keep them focussed or "in the zone"

The routine is very full and takes up the whole of the time the shooter is in the cage to stop other negative thoughts creeping in.

If there is a no bird the shooter goes right through it all again.

I also do a routine for being out of the cage as well, right down to walking around the ground if that is a problem for the shooter.

Often slightly different for the individual shooter but the results are the same.......more targets broken.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Robert have you taught your technique to anyone on current GBR teams and if so, in what discipline?

 

[40UP]

Hi Salopian, I use solid plugs and muffs for trap but Sportacs for coaching say. Sordins come with and without gel packs and I wondered if you could made a comparison with Sportacs

David