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cclaxton
10-21-2014, 07:03 AM
I have been re-reading Lanny Bassham's book, With Winning In Mind. I am surprised at how much I forgot, ignored or missed. Maybe I wasn't ready to hear some of the things he writes about.

He has a dedicated web site for shooting sports at: http://www.mentaltrainingshooting.com/pistol-and-action/

I am going to blog on some of my own mental challenges (no laughing) to competing.
I will start where I began in competition:

My first few IDPA Matches and one NSCA sporting clays match I really didn't care where I placed, and wasn't expecting to win anything. I was just having so much fun that it really didn't matter. When I was able to go up to a sporting clays stand and push the button without knowing the path of the clays, and actually hit the clays, it was very satisfying and fun. Similarly, when I shot my early IDPA matches, I was happy to see the correct number of bullet holes in the down zero...time didn't really matter then. When I remembered the COF and made no procedurals and didn't hit non-threats, it felt great. That is when I got the passion for shooting sports. At the time I had not even thought about the mental aspects of shooting. When I completed the match people would ask me how I did and I reeled off all the things I did wrong, and rarely said something positive.

I will leave it there for now. Share your story of how you became passionate about competing in shooting sports.
Cody

NETim
10-21-2014, 07:28 AM
Coming from a hunting background, trapshooting was the family game. I shot a fair amount of registered trap before I got burnt out on it (and the constant bitching and moaning that seems inherent to the sport. See also "The 5001 reasons it's someone else's fault I missed the target.")

Having just got into handgunning, I naturally had to feed my somewhat competitive nature. Enter Steel Challenge, IDPA, local "Rock Your Glock" matches and a little bit of USPSA. The handgun games are wiping me out presently. When I was shooting my best trap, I had supreme confidence that there wasn't a target they could throw that I couldn't break.

I was also younger, and had access to a trap range where I could shoot with my wife. I would lock the trap down on hard rights or lefts, she'd push the button and I'd stand on post 1 or 5 at 27 yards and shoot boxes and boxes of ammo. :)

What gets me now is the mental aspect of the games. I feel overwhelmed at times and don't concentrate. USPSA stages, with what feels like approx 5K round counts per stage and just about as many targets, really intimidate me. Once that buzzer goes off, it's like what do I do first, even though I THOUGHT I had a plan. :)

So, I mostly shoot IDPA 'cause of the simpler stages. But even they get me. I haven't yet gotten the mental aspect and mental discipline down just yet.

I have been reading Bassham's book as well. And some of Stoeger's books in hopes they will help.

But mostly I practice and work on a variety of skills and work on the fundamental stuff to build up more confidence. I try to shoot some kind of competition 2x a month. Folks tell me I need to shoot more USPSA to get the trigger time but sometimes I feel it's counterproductive 'cause I walk away, shaking my head at all the things I'm doing wrong. At least with IDPA, I feel like I'm limiting my mistakes to some degree and don't feel so bad when it's all over. :)

It's such a sad story. :)

Clusterfrack
10-21-2014, 10:49 AM
Check out Steve Anderson's books--kind of like Bassham specifically for USPSA.

Alpha Sierra
10-21-2014, 02:37 PM
I love the mental challenge of the shooting sports.

My first competitive shooting sports were skeet leagues and highpower rifle. HP rifle showed me how much one had to concentrate and yet be mentally relaxed to perform anywhere near well even at the club level.

I shot IDPA for a couple of years but it never got me passionate. I tried USPSA earlier this year and I am hooked by the higher expectations, more and less complexity, and the freedom to work out my own plan and live or die by it.

I haven't read any books, though I have a couple from Stoeger on the way.

To me, the mental game is simple in concept:
1. Ingrain the mechanical skills until they begin to be subconscious
2. Empty the mind of worry
3. Concentrate the conscious on one skill so the subconscious does all the others

Easier said that done

cclaxton
10-23-2014, 10:28 PM
"Mental Management is the process of improving the probability of having a consistent mental performance, under pressure, on demand," according to Lanny Bassham. PRESSURE is what hurts my mental performance.

What is notice is how I put myself under pressure just before I shoot a stage. Sometimes I still get butterflies when I here "Cody is on deck!" That is when I have to work on myself to prevent me reacting to the pressure. I remind myself that my subconscious mind will shoot the stage, and I know I can succeed because I have enough experience and training to get through the stage. The other times I feel the pressure is when I screwed something up on the last stage and it has shaken my confidence. What helps me a lot is to do the Steve Anderson thing: visualize the stage in my mind while I am waiting..and make sure I know the stage so I am visualizing it correctly. By working on visualizing it also keeps my mind from wandering and my emotions from kicking in. The other thing that will get me out of my zone is when I see a stage with fast movers. I think this is left over from earlier months when I wasn't very good at them. Over time I have been getting better and better at movers, and now I have the confidence that I know I can do it...that is why shooting matches with movers is good for me...it builds that confidence. And, when I get it, and get it down zero...it takes me back to that "zing" I get that is so personally rewarding. Then, I am not just performing, but having fun.
Cody

Lomshek
10-24-2014, 06:29 PM
Like so much else experience helps a lot.

My competitive sport was/is bicycle road racing. In the 90's I was racing against the best guys in the nation (and some of the world's best) in pro/am races. By the time I was racing at that level I had the experience (and cockiness) to not be nervous. I can honestly say I was more nervous in my first "big" race against other Cat 4 riders than the first time I lined up in a Pro/1/2 event against Lance.

If you train such that you are reasonably prepared and get some positive feedback at events then the nerves quickly diminish. Success helps that.

dbateman
12-26-2014, 07:27 AM
With winning in mind is a real good book, I have read three or four times.

But you can also get it in an audio version, I listen to it on long trips(I drive a lot for work)