School and illness have kept me out for a year now, and when I get back it will be a humbling experience; I miss it, and since I've missed so much with our local club fitting back in will take work, too. All you can do is make the effort to rebuild connection with the sport and expect it to turn out well this time, too.

Bob...You know we have saved your spot...get on out here and let us start humbling you again..lol..You've been gone almost to the point where we will give you another new dog when you come back.....


Kitty

jneihouse wrote:Bob...You know we have saved your spot...get on out here and let us start humbling you again..lol..You've been gone almost to the point where we will give you another new dog when you come back.....


Kitty

Great - since I managed to misplace the one in the photo!

All your replies, and six hours on a very good motorcycle, have helped me to see some things much more clearly....

I don't need to quit shooting; I don't even need to shoot better; but I do absolutely need some different reasons for shooting. That is the whole issue, and the issue is a simple matter of choice. I am still able to choose, I think.... we're gonna see.

OnaginOffagin wrote:All your replies, and six hours on a very good motorcycle, have helped me to see some things much more clearly....

I don't need to quit shooting; I don't even need to shoot better; but I do absolutely need some different reasons for shooting. That is the whole issue, and the issue is a simple matter of choice. I am still able to choose, I think.... we're gonna see.

Good to hear!!!!! Welcome back

OO...like the good open air ride, the smell of burning gunpowder is an addiction. Now another thing to consider is what the non shooting spouse thinks.
My spouse, though not competitive (hates competition) would not even think of asking me to quit going to matches, just as I would not think of asking him not to go prairie dog shooting, In fact I went through very intense stretch of time to help him get enough vision back to be able to go priaire dog hunting after 7 months of blindness. She may not want to come to the matches with you (although I know many that love the trips to see the local museums, shopping, sit a the range and do needlpoint...etc.) but she may also enjoy that time for herself and the obvious joy that you get out of shooting.
It's not about the winning, and in MS you will eventually shoot yourself into a class that you cannot compete in (even Cathy Winstead will find that outas she gets older and her child gets older, Lones Wigger has). Because of the rules (the way they are now), it is too much trouble to move down. We should have a two or three year (or set number of matches) running average, not the top 3 scores you ever shot in a two year period. So you may have reached your top game before the accident but on the flip side, this sport may push you to work on the Physical Terrisom enough to to be a better shot and then you have gained a lot more than the score!!
Mary

Mary, please let me clarify: my wife is a jewel, and has never complained about my shooting. In fact, had she been spotting for me last weekend, this whole thread wouldn't have happened... not that the guy who did spot for me did a bad job, he didn't... it's just that she has always had a calming effect on me when I run into difficulties. She's willing to come to matches; she's even willing to spot.....but I know it's not her favorite thing to do, and I feel selfish when I ask her to.... She refuses to shoot, saying it doesn't interest her, but the truth is she once picked up my air rifle and shot it so well that she knew instantly she could beat me without much effort, and so she put it down and never picked it up again....didn't want to "hurt" me, I think. I am the luckiest man in the world having her by my side, and so I even feel more guilty when I invest more in shooting than I should, both emotionally and financially.

I don't think I know you, Mary, but you must be one helluva coach.... every word you've written is spot on. I don't cut myself any slack on shooting, even though I'm beginning my seventieth year! I don't climb, ski, motorcycle, bicycle, or do anything else as well as I did twenty years ago; I don't know why I should expect to shoot as well as I did then. (Of course, having the phenom of Dennis M. in the neighborhood doesn't help! Lol....) Funny, I'm fine until there's a scoreboard attached....where others can see.... somehow, I need to learn to ignore the scoreboard..... which is exactly what Bassham, Tubbs, Pullen, and all other rifle coaches have always said. Perhaps I should just not turn in any scores....but that seems cowardly! I know what to do...but getting myself to do it? That is the issue..... But again, thanks everyone.... see you on the line. I''ll be the one in the garish red vest trying to ignore the scoreboard......

(You know, I actually need to do something about that damned Creedmore vest! Hardscrabble....where are you in my hour of need?)

When I last tallked to Hardscrabble (Chris Winstead) two days ago he was traveling with his son Chad, moving said son to Alaska. They were somewhere in British Columbia fighting over who was going to get the sleeping bag and who was going to get the blankets in camp that night lol.

He should be back in his shop in a week or so.

Kitty

Commander Kitty...RHIP, Chirs shouldn't even have the slightest argument from that smart mouthed brat! LOL See you next year at CBC Chad!
Innocent

And how do we explain the perfect weekend, clear skies, light breeze and evdryone shoots sub-par? Someone at the JAX match said: "when it goes away, you just keep, shooting until it come back" . I hope it's soon

I don't think I know you, Mary, but you must be one helluva coach.... every word you've written is spot on. I don't cut myself any slack on shooting, even though I'm beginning my seventieth year! I don't climb, ski, motorcycle, bicycle, or do anything else as well as I did twenty years ago; I don't know why I should expect to shoot as well as I did then. (Of course, having the phenom of Dennis M. in the neighborhood doesn't help! Lol....) Funny, I'm fine until there's a scoreboard attached....where others can see.... somehow, I need to learn to ignore the scoreboard..... which is exactly what Bassham, Tubbs, Pullen, and all other rifle coaches have always said. Perhaps I should just not turn in any scores....but that seems cowardly! I know what to do...but getting myself to do it? That is the issue..... But again, thanks everyone.... see you on the line. I''ll be the one in the garish red vest trying to ignore the scoreboard......

(You know, I actually need to do something about that damned Creedmore vest! Hardscrabble....where are you in my hour of need?)[/quote]

sounds like a bit of target panic? more importance on the out come than the exacution of the shot? had a similar issue while shooting 3d archery, tough to over come, but overcome it you can, dry fire is the most important thing.(NEVER WITH ARCHERY BLANK BALE INSTEAD) it would expain the droping of shots as well.
hard to get opver the mental side but get the physical memory stronger and concentrate on the shot. break well and any misses are the fault of fate.

glad you are not giving up the ghost.

To quote from Luis Bernardez "Concentrate on what you did right, not what you did wrong." You got 20 hits, that is what you remember.

This from a AA shooter to a AAA shooter, but when I apply this, I do better.

Good luck

wasa43 wrote:To quote from Luis Bernardez "Concentrate on what you did right, not what you did wrong." You got 20 hits, that is what you remember.

This from a AA shooter to a AAA shooter, but when I apply this, I do better.

Good luck

That is in essence what good shooting is all about, because if we knew for certain what to do to get the perfect shot down range all we would have to do is repeat that shot as many times as required and we would end up with perfect scores every time.

I am usually seen walking around after the match muttering " Stupid gun - stupid bullets - stupid silhouette "
Then something cold & wet is in my hand and I take a sip and it's all better. Cause your are only as good or bad as your next shoot.

Daisy

Hey dont give up the sport. Just because your not shooting up to "YOUR" standards. Keep shooting and you will probably suprise yourself from time to time.