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vecdran
02-14-2012, 11:46 AM
So I am sure that most of us here are familiar with BEnos and his whole "zen" philosophy of shooting, something I am always trying to strive towards. Unfortunately, I seem to have a big hurdle in my way.

Relaxing.

Even during simple practice matches, I can't seem to chill the hell out before the buzzer. By the time I'm on deck, my heart rate is elevated, I'm a little jumpy, and nothing I seem to do relaxes me. Breathing exercises, air-gunning the targets mentally, etc. I end up just going through my admin load motions, visualizing my index, breathing deeply, and winging it once the buzzer goes off. Sometimes I do fantastic (95%-100% alphas, fastest time, stage wins), other times I appear to have forgotten how the whole "shootin boolits" thing works, especially when I make a mistake and the wheels really fall off.

Recently I have been trying to work with, not against my body's natural tendency. During practice sessions at the range, I'll pound out reps quickly, get a little flustered, get my heart rate up, just like what happens to me at matches, so that when I get there, I'm "used" to it. It seems to be working in some ways, as my speed and accuracy have been improving, but I also seem to burn out a fair bit faster. Also I end up angry at the end of every practice session.

I know this is not the road to success, especially if I want to reach my goal of USPSA Master in Production by the end of summer. It seems though that reaching that completely relaxed state is beyond me, at least at this moment. I'm not exactly inexperienced, as I shoot plenty of club matches and about 20,000 rounds of 9mm a year, so this isn't related to competition shooting being a "new" thing for me.

Any advice from those who have trodden the road before me?

DonovanM
02-14-2012, 12:29 PM
It isn't something to accomplish only between "make ready" and the buzzer. It has to be on your mind all throughout the match.

Day before yesterday I completely tanked my first stage. Pushed myself way too far past my talent envelope and it cost me. Came back and won the next stage, and the one after that, but a jam cost me the 4th.

What did I do? Decided I wanted to relax and wiggled my toes before I shot each stage. Something about it being the longest nerve in the body, and if you can't wiggle your toes, then some part of your body is tense. I've found that tension in the body directly follows tension in the mind, so if I relax my body, my mind usually follows. I let go of being attached to doing well, because really that's what it all comes down to. Being committed to doing well, I think, is a much better policy.

Watch videos of top shooters. Don't focus on their speed, or their accuracy, or their footwork, watch how methodical they are. Watch how they take only the time that is needed to do any particular task. Not pushing themselves faster than is absolutely necessary. These guys aren't tense. They go into a stage wanting to kick its ass, yes, but not in the hyper-aroused state usually associated with being attached to the result of doing well. I know you probably realize this, but do it - watch videos of top shooters and see how every action they take is a reflection of how relaxed and methodical they are.

Also if your heart rate is out of control and you're feeling jittery, try four-count/combat breathing. 4 seconds in, hold 4 seconds, out for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, repeat. It's a proven technique to overcome combat stress but it can certainly be applied here. It's roots are in meditation practice anyway :)

The Enos forum, and his book, really is the best resource for this kind of thing. Do some reading!

Magsz
02-14-2012, 01:23 PM
Vec, how long have you been competing?

A year as of today was my first match. I still get jittery prior to stepping into the shooters box BUT i know for a fact that my heart rate is not as elevated as it was when i first took "center" stage.

Something about stress inoculation and experience. I guess it takes differing amount of times per individual to really understand and deal with "stress" and the way your body releases endorphins.

I dont think you can EVER do away with the endorphin rush or the adrenaline dump but you can condition your body to get used to it. Perhaps you just need more time behind the wheel? I know i do.

jetfire
02-14-2012, 01:37 PM
If the butterflies before the first stage of any match ever go away, that'll be the day I hang it up. These days, the level of butterflies at a club match isn't what it was when I first started, but they're still there. And I love each and every one of their beautiful winged faces.

The idea here is to reach the state of "no-mind action" where I'm not thinking about my plan, the gun, or anything like that; I'm merely observing the gun go off and my surroundings as my body performs the manual operations. If I'm tense, I can't do that nearly as well. Hence, the pre-stage ritual. Sometimes I need a little bit more air, sometimes I need to wiggle my toes, but whatever it is I want to take myself out of "thinking" and into "observing" before the buzzer goes off.

ford.304
02-14-2012, 02:39 PM
Personally... and I know this goes against every piece of advice I ever read for the first twenty years of my life - I amp myself up. I get angry, I get intense. I think about crushing somebody with a tackle or punching them in the throat.

And if I work myself up enough, I get into this angry calm where I'm just DOING instead of THINKING and observing, and I perform well.

The whole relaxed calm thing never worked for me - always gave me too much chance for my inner monologuing play-by-play analyst to distract me from what I'm actually doing. Gave me time to think about being nervous.

Don't know if that works for anyone else, though - I mean, it's still the essential concept of the Inner Game of Tennis (*awesome* book, btw, for any competition), but using an entirely different method to get there.

DonovanM
02-14-2012, 06:43 PM
it's still the essential concept of the Inner Game of Tennis (*awesome* book, btw, for any competition), but using an entirely different method to get there.

Except instead of training the ego to focus on seeing the seams of the ball as it flies through the air, I train it to focus on the serrations in my front sight :)

beltjones
02-14-2012, 07:05 PM
Personally... and I know this goes against every piece of advice I ever read for the first twenty years of my life - I amp myself up. I get angry, I get intense. I think about crushing somebody with a tackle or punching them in the throat.

And if I work myself up enough, I get into this angry calm where I'm just DOING instead of THINKING and observing, and I perform well.

The whole relaxed calm thing never worked for me - always gave me too much chance for my inner monologuing play-by-play analyst to distract me from what I'm actually doing. Gave me time to think about being nervous.

Don't know if that works for anyone else, though - I mean, it's still the essential concept of the Inner Game of Tennis (*awesome* book, btw, for any competition), but using an entirely different method to get there.

Oh yes, this.

There is certainly too much stress/nervousness/anxiety, but a heightened level of adrenalin will absolutely help your performance. As far as your mental edge goes, knowing you can use your nervous energy to your advantage will be very helpful in the long run. Let's examine two quick cases.

Shooter 1 gets very nervous before each stage. When he feels the nerves creeping up he starts to go through relaxation exercises to try to calm down. When those exercises don't work he gets even more nervous. All the while he's distracted from his preparations, and knowing he's not as ready as he could be makes everything even worse!

Shooter 2 gets very nervous before each stage. When he feels the nerves creeping up he knows his body is getting ready to perform at a very high level. He keeps his hands dry with pro-grip (or my favorite, Mitchum non-scented roll on deodorant), and he lets his nervous and heightened sense of awareness augment his normal visualization routine. He tells himself that his body is simply gearing up for his best possible performance, and he crushes any negative thoughts that come into his head with his pre-stage affirmation routine.

The point is, nervousness will become what you make of it. You can let negative self talk convert nervousness to destructive energy, or you can expel the negativity and let the nervous energy carry you much higher than you could if you were relaxed. It's all in how you perceive the nervousness, and how you program yourself to respond to it.

If up to this point you haven't programmed yourself well, it's not too late, but it will take some preplanning. Write your affirmations now, before you get on the range. Have a phase change activity where you do something physical that tells your body that it's time to go to work (mine is putting my ear muffs on over my in-ear hearing protection). Think of a few mental cues to run through your brain as you're waiting for the beep (I use "frontsighttriggercontrol frontsighttriggercontrol" for accuracy stages and "B in beep B in beep" for hoser stages).

jetfire
02-14-2012, 07:13 PM
You left out shooter number 3. The relaxation techniques actually work for that guy.

KeeFus
02-14-2012, 07:58 PM
If anyone ever finds out how to chill out before the beep please let me know. I shot the NC Ironman this weekend and got my a$$ handed to me on mental errors. Without the errors I would have finished first in the division (CDP/SS) and got a bump. :mad:

Then, on the day the shooters shot I SO'd a stage. Relatively simple stage (stage 9). I can not tell you how many people screwed the pooch on that stage. Essentially, dont leave P1 before drawing your weapon and dont stop walking until you get to low cover...engaging targets as you move. We had 1 DQ, 1 FTDR, and countless procedurals. I remember someone stating once that the beep on the shot clock was an instant eraser...and it's true.

Here's a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4RM4S1TDTk) of the match. Stage 9 starts at 3:03 with yours truly as the SO.

Hat Cam (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-FRCyiia-s) video of stage 9.

JodyH
02-14-2012, 08:58 PM
One of the guys I RO'd last year would throw up after every stage.
His hands would be shaking as he made ready.
He'd shake on reloads.
He'd be shaking bad when he unloaded to show clear.
Then he'd go throw up.
He was a really good, safe shooter, but adrenaline was messing him up bad.

CatsEye
02-14-2012, 10:00 PM
One thing I have learned to help me to relax before shooting is to stay focused on the process and not the outcome. I'm not worried about going fast or winning I just want to perform the fundamentals correctly. Working through my mental routine helps keep me that way. I already know how I'm going to shoot the stage and maintaining visual patience isn't really something that makes my heart race. Now I'll admit that my hand often shakes a little after a stage but going into the next one I'm back to my routine and process focus.

JConn
02-14-2012, 10:20 PM
As a performing musician this is something I work on and struggle with constantly. For me, it never gets easier. I believe the body's response to a perceived high stress situation is different for everyone. I've seen people do well with relaxation techniques and meditation, personally that does nothing. I have found that embracing the adrenaline as a positive and getting really amped and excited is the only way to succeed for me. I have also experimented with beta blockers and while they block some of the adrenal response, they also seem to dull my mind a bit. The bottom line is we have no control over the sympathetic nervous system and in a situation where you want to do well, you will always have nerves. So you can try and fight it, or you can embrace it and use it to your advantage. For me, fighting it just makes it worse.(I tried this for years and still catch myself doing it sometimes.) On another note, I am a huge believer in positive self talk. This can be as simple as, I'm the best, I'm going to crush this. You can also say things like, I'm prepared and ready for anything in this stage. It really doesn't matter as long as it's positive, about the event at hand and most importantly, you believe it. I know a lot of this is over simplified. If anything needs more explanation just say so.

Side note: unless your some sort of ninja jedi that can slow his heart rate, the only part of the fight or flight response we can control is our breathing. So deep breathing exercises do sometimes help in controlling heart rate. Alone though, I have found them to be insufficient.

PPGMD
02-14-2012, 10:55 PM
I always take a moment from loading my gun, before I indicate I am ready. I close my eyes, go through my plan in my head just once more. Finally take a moment clear my mind, breath in, hold breath for a moment, breath out. Indicate I am ready. On the beep I unleash hell.

That seems to work for me.

ford.304
02-15-2012, 08:40 AM
You left out shooter number 3. The relaxation techniques actually work for that guy.

Indeed, Caleb. Obviously it works very well for a *lot* of people, or there wouldn't be so many top competitors who do it and recommend it. I just never got it to work for me, and when I found an alternative way to get into that zone, it was like a light bulb clicking on. Because I used to think that relaxation exercises were the only way.

I think it may, to a degree, depend on what your natural reaction to things is. If you get frustrated or lose your cool easily my way sounds like an awful idea. My problem is always that my brain is running a million miles a second, and I end up over-thinking instead of reacting, so I have to find some way to turn on the animal end of my brain instead. But I don't in any way think it's the best or only way - just something to maybe try if relaxation exercises aren't able to turn off your inner Statler and Waldorf.

beltjones
02-15-2012, 10:43 AM
You left out shooter number 3. The relaxation techniques actually work for that guy.

He must live in the woods of the Pacific NW with bigfoot.... :p:p:p

DonovanM
02-15-2012, 11:41 AM
I don't live in the woods :) but it works for me. All of my best performances have been with nothing going on in my head prior to the beep. No self talk, no nervousness, no nothing. And then the buzzer goes off and it's nothing but the shooting and executing my plan. That isn't to say I'm bored or something, or not enjoying the experience. It's just... zen. Presence. Very nice feeling.

Usually it happens best after overwhelming evidence that I wasn't relaxed on the previous stage. Yes, I have been tanking at least one stage each match due to nervous tension. The first stage is always the hardest for me. I have to work on getting it to work in my favor.

Edit: I realized I'm just talking about club matches here. A major would tear me apart!

JV_
02-15-2012, 11:51 AM
Side note: unless your some sort of ninja jedi that can slow his heart rate, the only part of the fight or flight response we can control is our breathing. So deep breathing exercises do sometimes help in controlling heart rate. Alone though, I have found them to be insufficient.In competition, I've struggled with trying to calm myself before the beep. I'm more able to feel/hear my heart rate when I wear plugs and muffs, I've considered wearing my ANT+ heart rate strap for a match so I can gather some data points. My rate is definitely raised before the beep, and I can't slow it with breathing.

Taking 15-20s before giving the ready nod helps clear my mind. I used to feel obligated to give a nod when asked, now I make 'em wait until I'm actually ready. I think it's helped me become a bit more consistent.

Shellback
02-15-2012, 01:36 PM
I'd like to suggest a really good book that might help a lot. With Winning in Mind: The Mental Management System (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1885221479/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details)

This is a great book for anyone interested in having a consistent mental performance under pressure. The book will give you an introduction to Mental Management and is packed with techniques for competitors. Learn how performance is a function of three mental processes, how to control the mind under pressure and how to train for competition.

About the author:

Lanny Bassham, founder of Mental Mangement Systems, is the driving force behind the creation of the mental strategies presented in the seminars and products offered by the company. Lanny not only developed the Mental Management System but also used it personally to win 35 medals in international rifle competition for the USA including 22 world individual and team titles, setting 4 world records and winning the coveted Olympic Gold Medal in Montreal in 1976. This ranks him third in medal count for the USA among all shooters. Lanny is a member of the USA Shooting Hall of Fame. For the past 30 years, Lanny has been teaching Mental Management® to Olympians, business owners, Fortune 500 Corporations and the elite of sport and business community. The Mental Management® System is a recognized performance enhancement program that is taught to and used by World and Olympic Champions throughout the world. Lanny Bassham is recognized as a teacher of the world's best in the area of mental preparation for sport and business. His clients include the PGA, Fortune 500 companies, The United States Secret Service, The US Navy SEALS, The United States Army Marksmanship Unit, The US Marine Corps Marksmanship Unit and Olympic teams of USA, Canada, India, Japan, Republic of China, Korea and Australia.

dravz
02-15-2012, 03:15 PM
I'd like to suggest a really good book that might help a lot. With Winning in Mind: The Mental Management System (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1885221479/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details)

Lanny's book helped me way more than anything from Enos. Once you understand what's going on with your conscious/subconscious/self-image it makes everything easy. You know why you get nervous and how to combat it, how to train and build confidence, how to visualize and stay positive. I keep notes from my multiple readings of With Winning in Mind on my phone at all times to periodically review and stay mentally sharp.

The book really clicked with me and I took a large step forward in my performance because of it. It'll all sound hokey at first, but once you start doing it you realize how powerful it is.

jetfire
02-15-2012, 03:33 PM
He must live in the woods of the Pacific NW with bigfoot.... :p:p:p

In all seriousness, the best thing I've discovered for relaxing at a match is getting 8+ hours of sleep the night before. If I'm well rested and have been exercising regularly prior to the match, my ability to control my breathing and nerves gets much better. I still certainly get the adrenaline surge, but it's not a wild surge of energy that pushes me to the edge.

CatsEye
02-15-2012, 10:52 PM
Lanny's book is a very good read that I would recommend to anyone. My mental routine and focus on process instead of outcome comes from his teachings. I know it has helped me.

cutter
02-17-2012, 09:29 AM
Of course you can use Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation.


The 20 minutes I spent hitting targets [with a rifle] while electricity coursed through my brain were far from transcendent. I only remember feeling like I had just had an excellent cup of coffee, but without the caffeine jitters. I felt clear-headed and like myself, just sharper. Calmer. Without fear and without doubt. From there on, I just spent the time waiting for a problem to appear so that I could solve it.

http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2012/02/09/better-living-through-electrochemistry/

BaiHu
02-17-2012, 09:53 AM
I am not a competitive shooter, but as martial artist I spend a good amount of time discussing/preparing for stressful situations. Like JCONN or the OP, performance anxiety is performance anxiety.

I approach it from two opposite angles when shooting and doing martial arts. Some of my practice is always dedicated to getting the 'adrenaline dump'. So when I am practicing or someone I'm teaching seems to 'have it down', I add a new stressor. In the military it is typically yelling and gunfire. Other times, it is all about teaching someone how to calm down.

As a matter of fact, if you ever watch little kids 'battle', they scream like crazy. This is a pretty autonomic way of dealing with stress. You have a long exhale, you have a tension and a bit of 'taking the edge off' all at once. This is the 'battle cry' that is encouraged in the military-the 'war face'.

Unfortunately, as adults, this is seen as inappropriate and you might be seen as a psycho, so I have a few fixes for this:

1. Visualization in practice. When you are practicing at the range, spend some time visualizing and inducing your 'freak out' moment. Then, pick up your gun and shoot it while still concentrating on the freak out. If you don't feel the adrenaline dump in your belly and your shoulders stiffening, etc, you're not sufficiently 'freaking yourself out'. Get those hands feeling cold and your legs feeling heavy and then perform. Practicing in this environment will allow you to become familiar with it so that it is 'not such a big deal' in the future.

2. Visualization at competition. At a performance, you may want to do the complete opposite. When you are waiting, start to disassociate yourself from the situation, don't get 'caught up' in the previous shooter's performance or 'the game' about to be played. Start to go inward and lose sight of why you are there. Slowly eliminate the crowd and become friendly (real/imagined) with the RSO timing the event. Your goal is to make this experience/performance just like practice. You are never really competing against anyone anyway. You are competing against yourself. Trying to beat your best time in practice, not beat someone else's time.

3. Making adjustments to your psychology/physiology. If you find that using 1 and 2 doesn't work, then you need to go back to a simulated 'war cry' status. While standing around, tense your entire body from toe to head and then again from head to toe. Keep your breathing like a 'hiss'. In the nose and then 'hiss' out your teeth while your top and bottom teeth are touching. Your body will heat, your hands will warm and you'll start burning a bit of the adrenaline off so that your fine motor skills aren't so sloppy. You might even start to yawn, b/c you need to get more oxygen, b/c you've burned some off.

At first, you might have to move away from people to feel comfortable doing this, but over time, you'll be able to do this exercise quietly and with very few people noticing. This too should be practiced at the range.

I look at stress and calm just like dry firing and live firing-easier said than done at first. You need to believe that when you fire a live round, it is just like a dry fire and vice versa. You MUST practice the ability to turn things on and off. Once you can turn stress on and off in practice, it will be easier to achieve in competition.

Again, I am NOT a competitive shooter, but my life's work has a huge component to stress management and this might help you.

Good luck!

beltjones
03-02-2012, 11:21 AM
I found this and thought it would be germane to the thread. If you don't mind old advice (from 2004), then it's probably still good.

My question to Rob:
The answer to this question is different for everyone, I'm sure, but as YOU step to the line on a high-pressure stage, what thoughts usually put you in your comfort zone?

Robbie's response:
This was a very good question and one that really got me thinking. I'm not quite sure how to define "comfort zone". As different events require different skills and levels of concentration, I will have varying points of focus. What I want done will determine which state of focus I wish to be in. An event that is very quick generally requires execution without consciously going through a series of thoughts. I like to be tense physically, but relaxed mentally. This is not a goal but a by-product of intense concentration. Focus and confidence are more important here than anything else.

Take any stage at the Steel Challenge, for instance. They are all too quick to think through. The buzzer goes off, you start, and within a few seconds, you are done. You will only have time to think proactively about one or two things, if you are fast. Of course, if you are slow you will have lots of time to think. You must be very sharp and quick to be competitive and there is absolutely no time to be relaxed.

Your muscles work by tensing and relaxing. You are constantly pressurizing and de-pressurizing. This is not a state of relaxation. Do not expect it to be or try to make it that way. In an event at an IPSC match, I may want to feel a little tight. I am usually focusing hard on many things, such as the multiple parts of a stage. I know from my own experience that when I am really sharp, I feel a little tense. Many try to relax at this point, but I see tension as an indicator that I am focusing hard. In this case, being in my comfort zone is not at all relaxed. I require "tension" to recognize I am ready, making a tense state my "comfort zone".

Above all else, I find confidence the major contributor of being able to stay in my "comfort zone". Many spend countless hours trying to find a way or process to relax, in a situation where that is nearly impossible. Accept tension and nervousness as a condition that you can be comfortable with and you can then focus on the real problems at hand. The shooting test, not your emotional state, should be the center of your attention. RL