Shooting without emotion

[YVK]

Confusing name of a thread, G. Shooting without emotion is probably a terrible idea. There's a classic century long science on relationship between arousal/anxiety and performance, it says "just right is the best". "Pushing hard" is clearly more than just right, coming and just expecting shit to happen because we all here have put some work is probably not enough. There's some level of emotional investment that is required with landing a plane or a stent correctly 100% of the time, and I think that is what we need to emulate in the sport too.

[Clobbersaurus]

GJM is describing Match Mode - as Steve Anderson coined it.

I’ve said it before, but a strong (and still developing) mental game is responsible for much of the meager success I’ve had in practical shooting. Executed properly, it’s an incredibly less anxious way to shoot. I was going to say relaxing, but shooting matches is NOT relaxing. For me it’s an incredibly taxing day mentally, as following my process doesn’t really allow any time to rest mentally until the match is over.

For me, being in control mentally means controlling the process and exciting with a detached confidence in my current ability.

It’s not easy, which is why most people don’t do it.

[Clusterfrack]

Shoot fearlessly and learn from your mistakes. But fearless doesn't mean out of control.

On the other hand, always having to be in control leads to fear.

When you have the balance, you're in the Zone, as Brian Enos calls it. Also, see Enos' post on the Set.

There was a Ben Stoeger podcast a whileago where Ben said something like: "Don't shoot like a pussy, but don't shoot like an asshole either. Shoot like a dick. You know, that guy who finishes first on a tough stage all calm and confident, and you're thinking "what a dick"."

[BN]

I've had some of my best matches when I shot "with no expectations".

A couple of examples: My first ever match win was a local USPSA match. I had been out late the night before and didn't really care how I shot. I was just having fun shooting.

The year I finished 8th overall at the IDPA Nationals, I had been having some sort of heart palpitations and thought I was going to have to have heart surgery or something. I was thinking about who I was going to give my slot to. Turns out I had a potassium deficiency and I needed to drink orange juice every day. I was just glad to be alive and shooting. I was surprised at my results.

If I go into a match "expecting" any certain kind of results, my performance suffers.

It's kind of interesting watching someone after they have had their first major success. They always crash at the next match. Expectations.

[HCM]

Confusing name of a thread, G. Shooting without emotion is probably a terrible idea. There's a classic century long science on relationship between arousal/anxiety and performance, it says "just right is the best". "Pushing hard" is clearly more than just right, coming and just expecting shit to happen because we all here have put some work is probably not enough. There's some level of emotional investment that is required with landing a plane or a stent correctly 100% of the time, and I think that is what we need to emulate in the sport too.

I agree with YVK. Steve Fisher has been talking about this for a while on the tactical timmy side. He refers to it as "emotional control" which I think better describes what is going on in both venues.



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[GJM]

The trigger discussions often get confusing because different people understand words differently, and I suspect that will also be a factor here.

I frequently tell friends to shoot under emotional control in matches, and by that I mean for them to see their sights and feel their trigger, rather than go cyclic with predictably bad results. I am discussing something different, and that has nothing to do with control. It is getting my mind free of outcomes and expectations, and allowing me to shoot like when I practice match mode, where I am solely in the present and not in either the past or future.

[awp_101]

There was a Ben Stoeger podcast a whileago where Ben said something like: "Don't shoot like a pussy, but don't shoot like an asshole either. Shoot like a dick. You know, that guy who finishes first on a tough stage all calm and confident, and you're thinking "what a dick"."

And that's why I listen to his podcast even though I'm not a competitive shooter. It's fun to listen to someone who's a bigger jackass than I am.

[Duelist]

The trigger discussions often get confusing because different people understand words differently, and I suspect that will also be a factor here.

I frequently tell friends to shoot under emotional control in matches, and by that I mean for them to see their sights and feel their trigger, rather than go cyclic with predictably bad results. I am discussing something different, and that has nothing to do with control. It is getting my mind free of outcomes and expectations, and allowing me to shoot like when I practice match mode, where I am solely in the present and not in either the past or future.

Ah. Mindfulness.

[Alpha Sierra]

Confusing name of a thread, G. Shooting without emotion is probably a terrible idea.

I think you're equating emotion with stress/excitement when he uses the word emotion to define a mental state in which the conscious part of the brain tries to control the outcome of the performance. Instead, the conscious part of the brain should be given something to do that is a small part of the correct shooting technique (in clay shooting I force myself to bore a hole in the target with my eyes) to keep it occupied while the subconscious is freed to take care of everything else.

[Wondering Beard]

To paraphrase Tuco:"When you gotta shoot, shoot. Don't emote"

;-)