Posted by Mark on December 23, 2001 at 11:41:10:
I've gained a fair bit of info from reading the postings, and was wondering if anyone has advice on how to overcome self-induced pressure during competitions. During the preparation stage, I'm relatively calm, but the minute the "Start" order is given, my heart has a nasty habit of beating too quickly for my sighting shots, and especially during my first series in air pistol.
Any advice greatly received.
Mark
Posted by Graham on December 23, 2001 at 13:01:58:
Avoiding self-induced pressure is a fundamental part of your training methodology/doctrine and you must train yourself into avoiding any jolt inducing moments.
Your posting says that you get anxious at the 'Start' command, and this gives me the impression that you have partitioned in your mental preparation one part of your shooting from other parts. We need to overcome this 'bump' and turn your path through a competition into a smooth path from start to finish.
When does a competition start? At the start command? At the beginning of preparation? Booking in/equipment control? Wherever we define the moment, we should remove it to some point before the shooting actually begins so that it is a moment that you are in control of - not an announced message from the 'anonymous voice'. Always be prepared for range commands, and never allow yourself to become like a slave to them; driven to act when prompted (Excepting the 'stop' command, of course).
Next, I would recommend that you remind yourself that even sighting shots are competition shots - they might not count but they have their place. When you have shot enough sighters, do not make a pause - get on with winning. Treat each shot as just another thing that has to be done. Go through the routine of shooting, don't count shots fired or remaining, concentrate on your technique.
Some folk have a mantra that they speak to themselves. I have mine: 'I deserve better' (It's not copyrighted, so you can use it if you want ;-)
This phrase acts as a conscious self control trigger, and I use it to calm myself whenever I put the pistol down after being dissatisfied with something e.g. sight picture.
What about that nasty 8 ring hit? Yes, you could see them as an unforeseen/unwelcome event, but just slide them by with 'I deserve better'. Don't get flustered by a shot that went where it shouldn't, just get on and do your shooting.
The psychology of shooting is a wide and deep subject. Everyone from expert to tyro comes up against it. However, the best shooters use it as a tool for winning rather than viewing it as an enemy.
Posted by mako on December 23, 2001 at 19:11:19:
Various shooting books say that you aren't going to "achieve anything" until you've done 50 to 80 matches. Since there are so few International style matches I've started to shoot bullseye matches in order to get more matches under my belt. Shooting these extra matches has helped make things more routine ....
I've Posted this quote many times on this message board ... the Chinese women's Olympic Gold medallist says to train as seriously as a match, but shoot your matches as relaxed as you are in training ...
Obviously you really shouldn't do anything differently with your match shooting as compared to your practice shooting ... which also means not placing importance on scores. The scores take care of themselves; the shooter just has to concentrate on fundamentals ...
Posted by Patrick Haynes on December 24, 2001 at 14:27:09:
Hi.
I was at a Lanny Bassham seminar and he said something very close to this, which I've adopted as my motto: "Champions work hard in practice and easy in matches. Everyone else works the other way around." He believes that the mental feeling of having a great time is very close to the feelings of "flow" or an "optimal performance state." When you're having a good time, you're not stressed out and you perform well.
He mentioned many good things for match pressure and how to deal with it. Things like a match plan, mental relaxation, visualization, etc.
I've put some detailed notes on Bassham's "Mastering the Mental Game" workshop on my website. I'd like to stress that this isn't as good as getting to see Lanny himself (and they are my impressions of the seminar content), but for those who have attended, or are thinking of attending, they're a good overview of the material.
There are some other aspects to mental training that I've compiled. Sections include:
1. Overview - a series of basic mental skills that the athlete has to learn.
2. Relaxation: Controlled Breathing Techniques (5-to-1 Count, Three Part Breathing, Visual Controlled Breathing,
Kinesthetic Breathing, Audio Controlled Breathing) and Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
3. Attention Control: Several short exercises aimed at developing your ability to concentrate - crucial skill for a shooter!
4. Competitive Training Exercises: Simulated/Adversity Training, Training Games, Competition.
5. Bassham Seminar "Mastering the Mental Game" Seminar Notes: Mental Programs, Mental Rehearsal, Match Strategies, etc.
You can find these by going to www.targetshooting.ca, select the Training link, and go to Mental Training.
I also have a good bibliography which may give you some ideas of where to look.
Good shooting,
Patrick
Posted by cecil rhodes on December 23, 2001 at 20:09:54:
I would sincerely love to here from some of the top shooter on this issue. I agree with Grahams comments about dealing with this.
You might try recording the range commands or getting a shot timer to help your training. By having the recording or timer as the start, just like a match, you will take the control out of your hands and you will have to perform on command. To me this is one of the core issues in match shooting, you have to be prepared to perform on command.
Posted by Warren on December 23, 2001 at 20:16:47:
If you can learn enough control to stop the adrenalin rush and extreme nervousness, you have my admiration and envy. I wasted years trying to "overcome" big match nerves, to finally lose them at one level and find they reoccur at the next step up. If you have the personality that can't become (and stay) calm at will, you'll have to try another approach.
Live with it.
Then tailor your shooting technique to work under those conditions. That way you will KNOW that even though your hold is not as good as it normally is, your technique will allow your performance NOT to fall through the floor.
Specifically, making a shot break unconsciously within a few seconds of settling into the aiming area. If you persist in trying to "make" the shot break when it "looks good" (and if we're honest, that includes the bulk of us), technique will crash and burn when the money's on the line.
Posted by Thomas on December 23, 2001 at 22:14:21:
Marko is right.
Shooters must learn to treat every practice session seriously, learn and correct every mistakes and get as much opinion from fellow shooters around as well as from the coaches.
Never be afraid to ask and experiment.
Try to compete with fellow shooters at the end of each practice. When the actual competition comes, treat every competitors as your usual fellow shooters during those practice sessions!
" Treat every training session as a competition and every competition as a training session"
Thomas
Posted by Danny Wells on December 23, 2001 at 23:33:23:
Mark,
One of the first things I would recommend is to read J. P. O’Connor’s articles on the "Shooters Omnibus" page of Pilkguns.com, especially the article about "8's are your friend". A lot of the pressure is pressure you put on yourself by expecting a perfect shot.
I'm just a novice, but one of the things recommended to me was to think of each shot as a match. When that shot is on the paper, that match is complete, so the next shot is a fresh start.
One of the things that most Olympic coaches of most disciplines stress to their athletes is that they are competing against themselves. Sure other competitors are in the match, but what the athlete should strive to do is beat their own personal best, and let that score fall where it will among the rest of the competitors. When you have done your personal best that is all you can do.
These ideas have helped me, hope they help you.
Danny
Posted by JP O'Connor on December 31, 2001 at 13:35:38:
"Competition Pressure"? That's always a fun one!
Before we look at it, let's share a little secret: Olympic champions perform very poorly under pressure - just like everyone else. "What? That can't be!" you say. Ok, what's going on then?
We tend to think about score quite a bit - after all, that's how we figure out who won the match! However, one cannot shoot a score. The athlete performs and the score is one of the outcomes of that performance. Regardless of where that score placed the athlete, the best athletes will then evaluate their performance - not their score - and use that evaluation to improve their game.
For example: I watched a medallist at an international competition choking back tears after the awards ceremony - not from joy - nor from missing out on the gold - but because of disappointment at missing their own internal performance goals by quite a bit. (Actually, there was initially a bit of self-directed anger added to the mix because of the internal cause of the "poor" performance.) The athlete dealt with the emotions, learned from their performance mistakes, regrouped, and far exceeded their internal performance goals in the remaining events.
"But it's still about score!" you might protest. Nope, it sure isn't!
Regardless of the "level" of the competition, match nerves and performance breakdown can be dibilitating. As long as we persist in thinking about our score, or about wanting to avoid embarrassment, or about wanting to bask in glory, or about what our parents or spouse or children or teammates or friends think, we will never achieve what we strive for.
It is our expectations that get in our way, just as with the athlete mentioned above. We must set them aside when performing! One can learn to do this... it is primarily a matter of making up one’s mind to do this. ...and of breaking old habits regarding one’s thought patterns. This takes time... make up your mind and start doing it. When you slip to old habits of thought catch yourself without punishing yourself and bring yourself back to the new thought pattern. In time, your habit will be the one you want - to focus on performance.
We must have an internally directed, present moment focus. Nothing more, nothing less.
It is the athletes who will allow themselves to let go of all the baggage that will do well in competition. Everything else is a distraction. Even the target is a distraction in many respects.
Does the musician, singer, or dancer concern themselves with what the audience will think? Do they worry about certain notes or moves? Of course not! They feel the music and perform. As one of my students says: "Just Shoot!"
"Feel Center!"
-JP
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