Actually it needn't be like that at all. Yes it's true many people shoot their better scores on their own, including myself, but you can still have a good laugh in between stands. You need a switch. My own routine is to let out a deep breath as I'm stepping into the platform and wipe off any smile residue /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif. You'd be surprised how effective this kind of thing can be, it also allows you to relax and not stress yourself out too much in between. Talking and sharing jokes with people is a great benefit in reality.
You can't trick yourself
- Thread starter jake.keeling
- Start date
Help Support Clay, Trap, Skeet Shooting Forum:
philpot
Well-known member
Hamster said:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I agree with you and yes I love to have a laugh and a chat with other shooters but in response to David BI am refering to staying in my own world whilst on the stand shooting. I recall situations when I could hear people talking about how to shoot the target I am about to shoot or suggesting that the poor sod shooting did'nt mount the gun properly which are the things I don't want to hear. I love this sport and I want to shoot as well as I can, then thoroughly enjoy the fluffy rabbits afterwards.Phil
hmm senior moment there !! forgot to finish my thought processes such as they are and posted three words !! Anyway to get back to the topic I think the the two are directly related How does one turn it on and off i.e. still socialise and relax mentally whilst waiting to shoot then somehow get in the zone in the space of a few seconds I havent found a way to do that readily and consistently yet !!!
psych4shooting
Well-known member
There is no magic formulae, however it is possible to switch on and switch off, but it takes time practice and also trust in a system. Too many shooters try to concentrate continually when they shoot, be that in the zone or not in the zone. This leads to mental fatigue and dropped scores.We have all seen the top shots and top sportspeople have what seems a huge amount of time in what they are doing, whereas you may seem to feel you have so little time. Routine is key - try this weekend to work on a routine of thinking of something you like - be it a lovely place for a holiday, your children, a place you like to go and see the view - something relaxing. Then when the person infront of you shoots, start to imagine how it will feel to shoot those targets when you get on the stand - the thoughts need to be relaxed, comfortable, in control - positive words. Then step on the stand, go through your routine of how you stand, seeing where the target comes from, then close the gun, call and shoot the target.Try it and stick to it for the day!!!
WELL Phil I tried your advice of thinking of something relaxing /calming from previous experience whilst waiting to shoot.The visualisation of such a memory was not a problem I chose a fanatastic holiday I had quite a few years ago with a nubile nymphet I was escorting at the time. We were laid out on sunbeds in the Maldives pure heaven blue seas as far as the eye could see brilliant sunshine and crystal clear waters and a beautiful young woman at my side how good can it get ???The visualisation was fine until I stepped into the stand!! Then I got really teed off because I was at Weston Wood on a bloody cold December Morning and the comparison was very irritating !! No offence Steve but your ground is not a patch on the Maldives !!I am sure I am obviously missing something in terms of mental preparation but it did seem to me that it made my situation worse rather than better? If what you visualise is far better than the situation you find yourself in how does this help you perform better???I have to say my scores were well down from previous shoots so obviously I am doing something wrongor more likely I am just a crap shot anyway !
Will Hewland
Well-known member
No wonder you couldn't shoot well. That wasn't your barrels knocking against the front bar in the cage!/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif
David B. said:
Try this David B. http://www.gatorskeetandtrap.c.....Eye001.pdfStudy and memorise and I will test you at the next shoot. /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-smile.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-smile.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-smile.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-smile.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-smile.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-smile.gif
psych4shooting
Well-known member
David B. said:
The visualisation that you are doing is potentially distracting you. I can see that your post is slightly tongue in cheek, but visualisation is more than just trying to visualise about a different place to be, it is more about how your personally approach a stand and a competition. Posts are a help, but does not beat the real working together on a one 2 one basis.You really need to shoot better, it is more about you working on a routine. The red amber green process that I use as part of the Success System forms the framework to getting better scores.
EdSolomons
Well-known member
David B. said:
The mental side of shooting is no different to the technical side. You cant implement a procedure without knowing where you are starting from. The key is learning to reconginse your mental state at the time and using the correct mental excercises to put yourself in the right place for shooting your best. Different people need different excercises at different times.... £50 please.
Phil Coley said:
Phil Tongues and cheeks nothwithstanding, I am slightly puzzled and not a little bemused by the plethora of "mental state" concepts that are out there i.e. traffic lights, quiet eye etc. they cant all work surely?? do I have to go through each one to find the one that works for me is that the way it goes ??Ed Solomons gently suggested I was mentally confused and tried to crowbar £50 out of me !!!I dont pay that much on the couch in Harley Street!!!
The visualisation that you are doing is potentially distracting you. I can see that your post is slightly tongue in cheek, but visualisation is more than just trying to visualise about a different place to be, it is more about how your personally approach a stand and a competition. Posts are a help, but does not beat the real working together on a one 2 one basis.You really need to shoot better, it is more about you working on a routine. The red amber green process that I use as part of the Success System forms the framework to getting better scores.
Phil Tongues and cheeks nothwithstanding, I am slightly puzzled and not a little bemused by the plethora of "mental state" concepts that are out there i.e. traffic lights, quiet eye etc. they cant all work surely?? do I have to go through each one to find the one that works for me is that the way it goes ??Ed Solomons gently suggested I was mentally confused and tried to crowbar £50 out of me !!!I dont pay that much on the couch in Harley Street!!!
psych4shooting
Well-known member
David B. said:
Phil Tongues and cheeks nothwithstanding, I am slightly puzzled and not a little bemused by the plethora of "mental state" concepts that are out there i.e. traffic lights, quiet eye etc. they cant all work surely?? do I have to go through each one to find the one that works for me is that the way it goes ??Ed Solomons gently suggested I was mentally confused and tried to crowbar £50 out of me !!!I dont pay that much on the couch in Harley Street!!!The key to all of this is finding something that works for you as an individual, in very simple terms it is finding firstly a routine that you can follow and feel relaxed with. The add more elements to it through time, so techniques dealing with anxiety, with distractions and more. With a mental skills system the routine is key. It is so hard to just use a thread on a Forum to go into the routine for an individual - however the Red Amber Green is a process which does give you a routine, plus it gives you something to work on. In all the years I have been working, the RAG process has key points to it, this then studied with a heart rate meter and long studies shows that addressing the stand, then the target will have an impact, but only if worked on over time, just like learning to shoot technically - if I could make a dramatic change to someone after a few lines on a Forum then I would be a miracle worker. If you have not already, then get my free handbook, it starts to go through these elements.
The visualisation that you are doing is potentially distracting you. I can see that your post is slightly tongue in cheek, but visualisation is more than just trying to visualise about a different place to be, it is more about how your personally approach a stand and a competition. Posts are a help, but does not beat the real working together on a one 2 one basis.You really need to shoot better, it is more about you working on a routine. The red amber green process that I use as part of the Success System forms the framework to getting better scores.
Phil Tongues and cheeks nothwithstanding, I am slightly puzzled and not a little bemused by the plethora of "mental state" concepts that are out there i.e. traffic lights, quiet eye etc. they cant all work surely?? do I have to go through each one to find the one that works for me is that the way it goes ??Ed Solomons gently suggested I was mentally confused and tried to crowbar £50 out of me !!!I dont pay that much on the couch in Harley Street!!!The key to all of this is finding something that works for you as an individual, in very simple terms it is finding firstly a routine that you can follow and feel relaxed with. The add more elements to it through time, so techniques dealing with anxiety, with distractions and more. With a mental skills system the routine is key. It is so hard to just use a thread on a Forum to go into the routine for an individual - however the Red Amber Green is a process which does give you a routine, plus it gives you something to work on. In all the years I have been working, the RAG process has key points to it, this then studied with a heart rate meter and long studies shows that addressing the stand, then the target will have an impact, but only if worked on over time, just like learning to shoot technically - if I could make a dramatic change to someone after a few lines on a Forum then I would be a miracle worker. If you have not already, then get my free handbook, it starts to go through these elements.
