The jitters

[** Pending Removal **]

1. People are not looking at you, they are looking at the targets that they have to shoot when they are up.

2. Don't confuse nerves for just being 'up' for it. Nerves can easily be confused with the excitement of getting on there and having a great time.

3. Bad stands happen....unless you are Big George.....or a AAA class shot. So shoot to enjoy...remember the good stands....forget instantly the bad ones....and don't get yourself in a tizzy in between.

 

[Guerini Guy]

And when you have that inevitable stand where you hit a disappointing 2/10 . . . . . . . just turn around with a big smile and say proudly "that's another PB in the bag" and walk on  :biggrin:

 

[Nick Selby]

And when you have that inevitable stand where you hit a disappointing 2/10 . . . . . . . just turn around with a big smile and say proudly "that's another PB in the bag" and walk on  :biggrin:

Haha....I'm going to try that one.

 

[SIMON-B]

Well have been invited to shoot tomorrow and be part of a team, I'm going to knuckle down, suck it up and focus. Forget the bad stands and enjoy the good ones. Onwards and upwards.

chicken curry no worry

 

[ehb102]

Good man! I avoid shooting with people who go into a sulk, who like too much smack talk, or who claim that they had a really bad day EVERY time they shoot. That last one doesn't make anyone believe you. However, being happy and pleased with what you get, regardless of how bad it is, will give you a reputation as a good person to shoot with. 

 

[RobertBeard]

I have suffered with nerves for ever whatever I have done now and in the past. It's like an actor being terrified of forgetting his lines when he walks on stage. On Sunday at Podimore I made myself shot the pool shoot to get 25 shots off and into the rythym and flow of shooting, picking the hold and kill points but I still panicked in the first cage for the first report pair and didn't even see the second bird let alone shoot at it! It's the mind going blank moment. You watched the targets, you selected your points but when it came to it you didn't take it in because of all the other things to think about and the panic. This has to be down to having a good pre-shot routine that you go through to focus the mind on what is important. Other people watching me miss or shoot clays is not a problem.

Other people watching when I took up pistol shooting was a big problem and I can still get the shakes. It's putting shots in the white on the target when everyone else is in the black. You get you can't pull the trigger because of the fear of the shot being in the white and your arm and hand start to shake uncontrollably. But keeping at it and it all becomes second nature and I shoot in the club's A team now and for the county.

Establish your routine and get focused and in your zone and all you think about are the targets and you'll break the clays you can and miss the ones you can't. Just don't miss the same target the same way 4 or 5 times - do something different which also gives you something to think about.

 

[Jaykaysea]

Nick Don't worry about everyone watching you....come and shoot with me and then everyone will be watching me!

Then when I have finished they will be telling me what I did wrong and you can sneak in and shoot your birds and no-one will even notice....

You will soon realise with a few more Registered shoots under your belt that really no-one is in the slightest bit interested in anyone else, they are all completely focussed on their own performance, you soon learn to only watch people better than you and you can learn so much from them...just get out and do more shooting that is the only cure....!!

 

[Nick Selby]

Thanks Jen.... I will try to get out and shoot more reg. just need to stop the wife organising things for Sundays....

 

[Skeet UK]

Thanks Jen.... I will try to get out and shoot more reg. just need to stop the wife organising things for Sundays....

Heh!  Yeah, i had that at first.  I had to tell her, that Sunday is a special day and she should assume that I will be shooting.  If you have a calendar in the house, write "Shooting" on every Sunday

Jen and KentSkeet are right.  Nobody is really worried what you are doing...yeah, they might watch for a bit.  You have to learn somewhere, so unless you are acting a fool with the gun, nobody cares.  If you are shooting with others, then they should tell you if you are doing something obviously "daft", that might affect your scores.

 

[ehb102]

Nick Don't worry about everyone watching you....come and shoot with me and then everyone will be watching me!

This is all too true as a woman shooting. I mean, obviously Jennie's gorgeous so gets stared at anyway, but the novelty value of women on a clay ground is huge for some poor chaps. The extra X chromosome also appears to render some speechless. 

Then when I have finished they will be telling me what I did wrong 

 
Cheryl Hall says that men still do that to her, so it ain't about the shooting! 

 

[Bebo]

I'm quite happy for people to tell me why I've missed something. Was missing the second of a pair of driven birds on a stand at Greenfields yesterday and someone pointed out I was about a foot behind.  Smoked the last two.

 

[Chris Pratt]

Simple.....put more lead in the air and enjoy it! Just like anything in life.....bet you were nervous when you first started driving. The more you do it the less daunting shooting a comp will be. You'll always have a little feeling of nerves (excitement) however that can really help you to focus once you learn how to use it!

 

[ips]

I still have an adrenalin rush before and during every shoot, I do not consider it to be nerves its just adrenalin and excitement before another day participating in a sport that I still love after 28yrs. The day I don't feel it is the day I take up gardening on a sunday instead.

Embrace it do not consider it to be a negative or it will become so.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

+1

 

[Les53]

I still have an adrenalin rush before and during every shoot, I do not consider it to be nerves its just adrenalin and excitement before another day participating in a sport that I still love after 28yrs. The day I don't feel it is the day I take up gardening on a sunday instead.

Embrace it do not consider it to be a negative or it will become so.

Yes I agree! For me it's no different to getting up on stage at a gig, it is indeed excitement and adrenalin, perfectly normal!!!

 

[ips]

Yes I agree! For me it's no different to getting up on stage

Yes Les but you are used to people looking at you on stage so the nerves don't effect you as you have been a male stripper for a very long time

 

[Les53]

Yes Les but you are used to people looking at you on stage so the nerves don't effect you as you have been a male stripper for a very long time

Well Ian it's a tough job mate.................but somebody has to do it! :bb:

 

[Guerini Guy]

"Cheryl Hall says that men still do it to her"

Lucky Cheryl . . . .  :maninlove:  

 

[SIMON-B]

Well had a good day today and was part of the winning team. Almost kept it together all the way round only one little melt down, but had a walk about and let the red mist clear, lots of deep breaths and back to the preshot routine. I have noticed if I keep smiling my eyes open wider and can see more, start to frown and I'm looking through the top of my eyes. Must remember YEEAHHH and not GRRRRRR.

chicken curry no worry

 

[Hamster]

I still have an adrenalin rush before and during every shoot, I do not consider it to be nerves its just adrenalin and excitement before another day participating in a sport that I still love after 28yrs. The day I don't feel it is the day I take up gardening on a sunday instead.

Embrace it do not consider it to be a negative or it will become so.

Spot on, what's wrong with a tingly stomach anyway, I get that the night before and during the shoot itself. You just have to accept it means enough to you to do that.