Throwing in the towel

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Irishgunner

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 20, 2012
Messages
290
Any tips on how to stop this happening, if I have a bad stand an know my score is not going to be what I'd be happy with I give up I do it all the time if I start off strong I stay focused, when I give up I shoot the stands as fast as I can just to get the round over, but a few times iv realised that if I could have stayed focused my score would not have been that far off, don't seem to happen me as much on a 50bird but 100 birds are another story

 
Irishgunner - great question, I am going to move it to the Sports Psychology section...  I think there are experts there that can answer this. 

 
Not an expert but if it happens to me I make it a 90 bird shoot...and judge myself on that score and disregard the bad stand...No point worth making the other stands a waste of effort

Sure someone more qualified than me will have some big bang theory stuff to chuck in....

 
Any tips on how to stop this happening, if I have a bad stand an know my score is not going to be what I'd be happy with I give up I do it all the time if I start off strong I stay focused, when I give up I shoot the stands as fast as I can just to get the round over, but a few times iv realised that if I could have stayed focused my score would not have been that far off, don't seem to happen me as much on a 50bird but 100 birds are another story
Never give up, one of those gems picked up from an article by Phillip Thorrold years ago if memory serves that has stayed with me. Shooting to the best of your ability is accepting your own limitations and living with them. Obviously shooting a 5 on your fist stand feels like ....... but never give up. 

 
Step to one side.
Think about the losses and how the stand beat you then I forget it.
I work doubly hard on the next stand.
Really concentrate on the targets before shooting.
Make it a good recovery.

I've had a situation this year when I blanked a stand and shot a 72.
Actually loosing 15 in the first 3 stands.
It could have been horrendous but by digging deep concentrating on my targets and routine was placed in the class.


...


Sent from my mobile that's my excuse for typos and errors.

 
Over thinking it mate.

Take each stand at a time, do the best you can on that stand. If you start looking at the total score you will beat yourself.

Starting thinking I must shoot a 70 or 80 and you will put yourself under pressure when you miss.

Set yourself a realistic target, being in the top 10 or top three in class.

In two weeks shooting at wylye I won the class shooting a 82 and the next week I only shot a 68 but still won the class.

With sporting you never know what you are going to get, that's why we love it.

If you find it hard so will everyone else.

Find someone who shoots the same class who places in the top three of your class, watch their scores, if you beat them you are doing ok if they beat you, you know it was a bad day.

If the wheels fall off, take time out don't rush to the next stand. If you shoot badly for a couple of shoots take a week off. A break does help.

 
I've learned not to even flinch if I've had a bad round .....unlike some ....

 
When that happens I play golf for a few weeks, I realise how rubbish I am at golf, miss my shooting, then return to it with new hopes, but seriously, you have to think why you are losing focus, get to the root cause, don't let it become "a cycle " if you always think the same way, your always gonna get what you've always had, don't make shooting shooting a chore, or get bogged down in having a bad round, that is the quickest way to being demerolised, or do some DTL, concentration is required, it helps me focus, eventually you'll be able to turn your focus on and off like a light switch

 
I think you have to to remind yourself why you go shooting. Surely it is because you love the sport and want to do it every day of the week if you could? Everyone will at some stage have thought about throwing the towel in, especially after a disaster round. When disasters present themselves you need to remind yourself that you enjoy this hobby, you will now turn the round in to a fun practice round and see if you can finish off on a high, sometimes when things go off plan I say to myself, lets see how many clays you can ink blot, as an example.

 
Thanks ladies and gents it's like a switch in my head flicks off and I'm thinking to my self there's my score gone whats the point, when I shoot well I feel like I have worked harder but even at that I never feel like iv given my all at any shoot, on any 100 bird even when shooting well I will switch off and drop the odd bird cause of it I can live with that that happens every one bar the very best, it's the giving in all together that is annoying ( it's only after the shoot I think why did I do that)

 
It is simple.

One target at a time.

And if your set up is identical and you use your skills.....you will hit.

If you let your mind wander ...you will miss.

It is that simple.

 
Thanks ladies and gents it's like a switch in my head flicks off and I'm thinking to my self there's my score gone whats the point, when I shoot well I feel like I have worked harder but even at that I never feel like iv given my all at any shoot, on any 100 bird even when shooting well I will switch off and drop the odd bird cause of it I can live with that that happens every one bar the very best, it's the giving in all together that is annoying ( it's only after the shoot I think why did I do that)
First time I saw Richard Faulds shoot was at Brit open. He shot like a robot on a stand and when he missed one his body language and tempo were completely unchanged. People will have their own ways of managing their own head. For me, even with a hideous start (and I've sure had a few) I do get annoyed, but I turn that into 'let's rescue a reasonable score from this mess' . I would rather end up 1 or 2 below my average than 15 which is what happens if you give up. I remember a few years ago when I was desperate to hit 80 for the first time, I dropped six on my first stand, but went on to hit 84.

I even break the golden rule for many folk; I count losses as I go round. It doesn't rattle me, I use it to think 'that's enough lost, you need to work fully on the remaining targets'.

 
You have to learn to live in the moment (not an easy thing to do)not many can and that's one of, if not the thing that separates great shooters form the rest. You will never put a great score in unless you can find a way to only concern yourself wit the target in front of you. "How do I do this" I here you say well my friend when you find out let me know.

You will notice that a top shooters body language will never change if he misses or hits it. You will also notice on many occasions that when a shooter allows him or herself to dwell on the missed target guess what they miss another.

One thing that may help is do not count back on every miss.

 
Some good points in there thanks guys, Nicola nailed it with how simple it should be, think I might try breaking it in to two 50 birds, cause giving up with 4-5 stands to go ?, its after a shoot I think to my self I paid for that why didn't I let myself enjoy it why didn't I use it as Practice even if I played with them changed hold points break them in a different place but no my head go's down an I don't even look at them, I want to get this sorted before next season, will be shooting once a week thru the winter any drills Thant might help

 
Lots of great advice in here.... from a good question, thanks Irishgunner.

I was once told to break things up into very small chunks - each stand of English Sporting, or each time you visit the hoop on a FITASC Sporting Layout - and I find it really can work for me to think like that. Even on my odd, and rare foray into DTL, I try and think about each peg as a chunk of focus. 

A wise mentor once told me as I stepped out of the hoop on a particularly bad FITASC Sporting day, "that's 4 more Matt...just another 4 more will get you to your target" - I have tried to use that ever since...

I also remember a football team going into half time 5-0 down, and coming out a different team... losing the match 5-1 in the end - the manager said to the players at half time "you won't win the match now, but you CAN win the second half, play for that...". it applies in shooting - if you shoot below your average in the first half, you can salvage the day by resetting and smashing your average in the second half of the layout. 

 
I think keeping hydrated and your energy levels up are a big thing, drink lots of water even if you're not thirsty and eat a couple of banana's before you start and one after the first 50 birds and maybe a mars bar after your last banana - this will keep the brain and body ticking along to you gave finished 

 
The football is a good reference only my mentality seems to be I'm 5-0 down to hell with it they can beat me 10-0 that's what I have to change some how

 
The secret is to leave any negativity behind at each stand - that is the hardest thing to do sometimes.  That is what separates us in terms of what we can achieve - because you can be an excellent shot but if you lose it up top you might as well be me!

 

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