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Thread: Smiling when shooting

  1. #11
    Member Peally's Avatar
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    Mar 2014
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    N....no I haven't.
    Semper Gumby, Always Flexible

  2. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by 1911Nut View Post
    George: You absolutely must write a book about shooting
    I hope he mentions me in acknowledgments. I mentioned the smiling thing to him after my observations from Stoeger's class.

    Dunno how smiling fits into cause - effect thing, but shooters who seem to be enjoying it as they go through a stage generally do better than those who are visibly pushing hard.
    Doesn't read posts longer than two paragraphs.

  3. #13
    Site Supporter SeriousStudent's Avatar
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    Every time I am spotted smiling while shooting, people start using words like "Psychopath".

    And words hurt.

  4. #14
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    East Greenwich, RI
    Quote Originally Posted by SeriousStudent View Post
    Every time I am spotted smiling while shooting, people start using words like "Psychopath".

    And words hurt.
    Psychopath no...dangerous yes!

  5. #15
    Let’s see: Marine, former medic, nerd herder, revolver snob.

    In his case..... at least a touch of psychopathy.
    Last edited by David S.; 08-24-2018 at 11:19 PM.
    David S.

  6. #16
    Site Supporter Clobbersaurus's Avatar
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    This is an interesting concept GJM, but I am going to submit my hypothesis on why it seems to work, rather than just relieving tension.

    You’ve given your conscious mind one goal: to smile while shooting. Your subconscious mind is then responsible for the rest of your shooting.

    Apparently the conscious mind can only deal with one thought at a time, and subconscious performance, or being in the zone, is where you want to be, especially when you want peak performance on demand.

    I learned all of the above from Steve Anderson. Other reading I have done about the conscious mind, and subconscious performance in sport, seems to back up his thoughts on the subject.

    I follow Anderson’s teachings and say to myself just before I shoot a stage ( at matches only) “I’m here to see my sights on every target”, essentially giving my conscious mind one job before the timer goes off. It seems to work and allows me to remain very calm throughout stage planning and the load and make ready process.

    I credit much of the meager success I have had in this sport to the mental game strategies taught by Anderson.

    This is a great topic GJM. Looking forward to the responses here.
    Last edited by Clobbersaurus; 08-24-2018 at 11:22 PM. Reason: Clarification
    "Next time somebody says USPSA or IPSC is all hosing, junk punch them." - Les Pepperoni
    --

  7. #17
    "I can pick, or I can grin," some country guitar player.

    Just came to mind when reading this thread.

  8. #18
    I have been through a lotta sales training that has cost my various employers a lotta money, and one early tip/technique was to smile while you are waiting for someone to answer the phone or come out to meet you. I have done this for years and can notice when I am not doing it. It puts a positive spin on your mood.

    And while I was typing this, I recalled a recent event that might back me up. For a variety of reasons, mostly inconsistent participation because of work travel, I have been shooting skeet very poorly this summer. Last Wednesday my first three rounds were par for the course, missing options, missing more than one target on a given station, missing targets I typically crush, yada, yada, yada. While we were BSing after the third round it became known that a guy we were shooting with grew up as childhood friends with another friend. He kept me rolling in laughter the whole round telling stories about the friend that was not there to defend himself, and I went 25/25. Coincidence?...

  9. #19
    Hoplophilic doc SAWBONES's Avatar
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    Interesting idea, at any rate.

    Will definitely try it.
    "Therefore, since the world has still... Much good, but much less good than ill,
    And while the sun and moon endure, Luck's a chance, but trouble's sure,
    I'd face it as a wise man would, And train for ill and not for good." -- A.E. Housman

  10. #20
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    I have Resting Bitch Face. It would require too much effort to smile. I do usually joke with the RO before I start.

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