# Mental management



## skeeter (May 14, 2008)

My shooting scores have been slightly down lately. Does anyone know of any books that I can read to work on not letting things get to my head?
Any sugestion helps.:uhh:


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## car (May 14, 2008)

Yeah. Paint faces on the books, stand them up at 25m and shoot at them.

Trigger time with someone who knows how to shoot.


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## skeeter (May 14, 2008)

I'm shooting 200rds. per week and i'm being coached by one of the best trap coaches in the nation. I usualy shoot around the 96 out of 100 area but i've started to hit a slump and hit around a 93 out of 100.


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## pardus (May 14, 2008)

Take a break. :2c:


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## Typhoon (May 14, 2008)

This isn't directly related to shooting, but an excellent book on mental performance techniques is Flow in Sports by Susan A. Jackson and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It will give you some good ideas for improving your mental performance, and I believe that it would be applicable to shooting as well as any other high performance physical activity...


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## skeeter (May 15, 2008)

sounds good    I would take a break but, I can't because were gearing up for State.


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## RackMaster (May 15, 2008)

skeeter said:


> sounds good    I would take a break but, I can't because were gearing up for State.



It doesn't have to be a long break, just as long as it's a break; clear your head and don't think about it.  If you're gearing up for State, it's probably what's weighing on your mind and dropping your performance. :2c:


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## Diamondback 2/2 (May 15, 2008)

Having the right mind set for shooting. 
Posted 02-02-2008 at 01:03 PM by J.A.B. 
Updated 03-04-2008 at 11:27 AM by J.A.B. 
In all aspects of life, everything is driven with success and failures or good and bad days. Well it is the same in shooting. Shooting is a thinking mans game, it is said to be 95% mental and 5% skill. All though I do not agree with the percentage break down, I do agree with having a mental edge to become a more proficient shooter.

 So what is the mental aspect’s of shooting?
 What is having proper mindset? 
 How will it affect my shooting? 
 How do I put it all together?

The MENTAL aspects of shooting is nothing more then having a mental plan of what you want to accomplish in shooting. Either for a day at the range, or a long term goal. Telling your self what you want to accomplish (in a realistic manner) and achieving it. Nothing more then a goal in shooting. Preparing your self to achieve your goal.

For an example: Tom has been shooting for a few years, he has never had any formal training other then his friend Bob showing him something’s at the range. Well Tom is getting more involved with shooting and had watched a IPSC match on TV. He did some research and found a local club, he decided to attend a match and see how well he could do. Well as the match started, he realized that he was way out of his skill setting. He was discouraged and left early. Tom calls his Friend Bob and tells him of the disappointment, and Bob tells Tom not to worry those people are ass holes. (As most friend will do) Tom and Bob go back to there once a month range day, and forget about the shooting club.

Well what was the problem? The problem is Tom was never taught proper fundamentals, he never planned for the match. He did not research the type of match it would be and the different stages, he did not have a realistic goal of performance. He just showed up and tried out, with out even being a where of what he was trying out for. After realizing he was not able to perform to the level of the other competitors, he simply gave up and never looked back.

Proper MINDSET is having a positive attitude toward the mental goal. In most cases a person will make a goal, and mentally be focused on that goal, but has no idea how to keep a positive mindset to achieve the goal. A positive mind set covers a large portion of every thing you do in shooting. (i.e. how you prepare for the range, how you set up at the range, and how you view you performance) Mindset is easily disrupted by anything and everything. Something as simple as a phone call on the range, your wife says little Johnny is acting up. You say I will deal with when I get home, and go back to shooting. Well before the phone call you were meeting your goals for the day, and after you are performing worse and worse. Thus making you more upset, and sending you in to a downward spiral from that point forward. Another example, would be firing 10 shots at your target and 1 of the shots are out of the group or off the target. As you see that nice tight group you are happy, but as soon as you realize you through a shot. You start wondering how you did it. (now you just changed your focus) You were focused on a great group and thinking how well you did, positive thinking. But now you have started to focus on a bad shot, negative thinking. When you return to the firing line and fire your next 10 shots, they are no where near the group you fired before and now you are upset.

When anything negative is allowed into your preparation, you will receive less then positive results. 

So how will it AFFECT your shooting? It will make it or break it... The best shooters in the world will always tell you, stay focused, positive, have a plan, and stick to what you know. The more mental preparation you do, the more focused you will be. The more you focus on the positive, the less you allow the negative to affect the mental goals and preparation. If you have that god awful day at the range, forget about it. Tell your self about what went good, and just forget the rest.

How to put it all together, is the most important piece of the puzzle. As always keeping and open mind, and being able to put the ego, or cockiness away is step one. Then giving your self a realistic goal (i.e. 10 shot’s in a 3-inch group at 10 yards) Now preparing to achieve the goal, finding the proper training. Be focused on the goal, and planning the steps to achieve the goal. Keep a positive mindset in all the aspects of the preparation of achieving the goal, reinforce the positive and get rid of the negative. Allow your self to progress in the most positive sense. STAY POSITIVE!!!

This is just a quick few words of wisdom from opinions focus preparations and me. There are many good books on the subject.


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## pardus (May 15, 2008)

gdamadg said:


> It doesn't have to be a long break, just as long as it's a break; clear your head and don't think about it.  If you're gearing up for State, it's probably what's weighing on your mind and dropping your performance. :2c:



X2.

Go see a sports shrink :2c:

Try some meditation.

Get drunk


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## skeeter (May 15, 2008)

I'll try everything but getting drunk.;) I'm not a big drinker. You're proably right about thinking too much about state. We ranked number 1 when we looked at all the regional scores, but I don't want to lose it at the state. Thanks for the help


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## skeeter (May 15, 2008)

Wait a shrink?   thats a little off the wall:uhh:


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## The91Bravo (May 15, 2008)

if you are not a big drinker. getting drunk will be cheap and easy....

X2 what Pardus said...

take your mind off shooting for at least 24-48 hours and do something that keeps you busy and distracted... Then start fresh, and start back at the fundamentals.... Smooth is Fast...


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## pardus (May 15, 2008)

skeeter said:


> I'll try everything but getting drunk.;) I'm not a big drinker.



Well that's your problem right there!  



skeeter said:


> Wait a shrink?   thats a little off the wall:uhh:



What, You think athletes don't use sports psychologists? OK...


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## Typhoon (May 15, 2008)

> Get drunk


Two thoughts:
First, that would be my first thought.

Second, a really good friend of mine had a boss who'd go up into the attic of his house in the summer time and start drinking. The combination of heat and alcohol would get him very inebriated. Then he'd start shooting at the yellowjackets that got into the attic with a .22 pellet gun. And yes, he was a good enough shot that he'd hit 'em... 

But no, I don't recommend shooting while intoxicated... :)



> What, You think athletes don't use sports psychologists? OK...


Recently the football team at USMA were taking advantage of the latest in mental imaging techniques developed by the Academy's military psychology department...


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## Marauder06 (May 15, 2008)

Typhoon said:


> ...
> Recently the football team at USMA were taking advantage of the latest in mental imaging techniques developed by the Academy's military psychology department...



Sweet, maybe they'll win a game this season


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## The91Bravo (May 16, 2008)

Marauder06 said:


> Sweet, maybe they'll win a game this season



LMAO!!! :doh:

now that is wishful thinking...


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## P. Beck (May 16, 2008)

Skeeter,

As previously stated, shooting is primarily mental.  I find visualization to be key.

My personal drill is, prior to the event, to sit quietly, close your eyes, relax, breathe and do a complete mental walk-through of the entire event from start to finish.  Every stage, every position, every shot. I visualize myself performing the entire event perfectly.  If you find your concentration slipping, distracting thoughts interfering, don't get frustrated.  Acknowledge the distracting thought, then put it aside. The get back to your perfect performance.  Either start over or pick up where you left off, it's up too you.

The only shot that matters is this one.  The last one is past and the next one isn't here yet. The only thing you can effect is right now.


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## skeeter (May 16, 2008)

After reading what you all said yesterday I went to practice and I focused on every bird telling myself to focus on this bird. Shooting one bird at a time helps. I shot 94 strait and missed the 95th but hit the next four to come out w a 99.:eek: Thanks for the suggestions.


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## pardus (May 16, 2008)

Would've been 100 if you'd been hungover, I'm just saying


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## skeeter (May 16, 2008)

Maybe


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## TheShootist (May 30, 2008)

Skeeter-

I don't know if you've worked out your problem in the last few weeks, but there's a great book that helped me out a lot with my sporting scores- it's called

_With Winning In Mind_

It's written by Lanny Bassham who has a gold medal in rifle shooting, and I want to say he was with the USAMU. It's a good program, and was initially written for the shooting game, but has grown in popularity with golfers, business folks, and I can see where it'll help me with SFAS...good luck!


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## skeeter (Jun 2, 2008)

Alright, Went to state and my squad shot like shit but I ran all one hundred and got in a 8 person shoot out for state champ.    shootout took place at night and we went to the farthest line possible. I came in second overall and took high male varsity.:cool:  I was so estatic!


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## pardus (Jun 2, 2008)

Excellent, well done!


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## skeeter (Jun 2, 2008)

I took the advice from earlier.More trigger time and focus on each shot in the last 2 weeks I have shot 3 perfect scores and out of the last 425 shots I have missed 6.:eek:


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## Gypsy (Jun 2, 2008)

Good for you, congrats skeeter!


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## RackMaster (Jun 2, 2008)

Congrats!


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## pardus (Jun 2, 2008)

skeeter said:


> out of the last 425 shots I have missed 6.:eek:



Useless fuck!


LMAO!! 

You are doing very well, my advise to you is to work on some mental focusing techniques, get some tools from a sports psychologist etc... it could be the difference between you being a good shot in your local club and an Olympic contender. :2c:


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## RackMaster (Jun 2, 2008)

I think Pardus has shares in Sports Psychology.   lol  He's just trying to get you to help pay for another tank of gas.


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## pardus (Jun 3, 2008)

That's right, I need the gas to ride up to Canada and drink some strange brew with someone eh 

Aboot


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## RackMaster (Jun 3, 2008)

A slight hijack. 

You'll need more than a tank.   I filled up the truck yesterday and I rolled over the $100 mark for 79Litres; it only holds 85. :doh:  So that works out to $4.80/Gallon.

At least the brew is cheaper. ;) I might have to start brewing that myself just to save a few bucks. lol


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## pardus (Jun 3, 2008)

My bike gets 50 MPG, at the moment thats about $16-$17 for every 150 miles or so.

You buy the first round.


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## RackMaster (Jun 3, 2008)

I'll make sure the first round is worth it then.   Pints or pitchers?


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## pardus (Jun 3, 2008)

Kegs mofo!


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## RackMaster (Jun 3, 2008)

I'll see if I can find a pub with La-Z-Boy's at the bar. ;) We may be there a while.


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## pardus (Jun 3, 2008)

Perfect! lol


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## skeeter (Jun 3, 2008)

I'm going up for the state shoot saturday (not the school state shoot)  And then i'm going to tryout for the junior olympics in Paris, Tennessee.


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## car (Jun 3, 2008)

Well done, Skeeter!


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## P. Beck (Jun 3, 2008)

Great job skeeter.

Don't get cocky.


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## skeeter (Jun 4, 2008)

Thats the hardest thing to do! lol:cool:


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