The Mental game

kevinbear · Post by **kevinbear** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:01 am

The steel chickens forum is mostly comprised of details about equipment which is alot of fun however by most advanced shooters admission this a mental game.
I start preparing myself mentally and physically for the match the previous day.
Get closure on little things hanging over my head,bills,kids problems,ect.
Get a moderate amount of exercise, don't strain anything.
I could lay out my entire routine but that would be boring, anyone want to pickup with what they do?

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:40 am

Regular rifle handling, meditation, walking and then, on a match day, nothing but smooth jazz. No news, rock, or serious subjects.

kevinbear · Post by **kevinbear** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:43 pm

Keeping that blood pressure down,very good.

1armoured · Post by **1armoured** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:18 pm

I think for most of us silhouette 'hackers', shooting is just a fun release from the everyday grind, and not to be taken too seriously.
My main struggle is just making sure that I am actually alive today, and it's not just a dream !

I don't change anything in my normal routine, unfortunately, or not,
and then muck around at the match when I should be focusing on getting ready,

but for the serious competitors,
if you want to condition yourself, and your mind, and perform at your best, then there are certainly a host of things that you should be doing leading up to match day, and on match day itself.

I've attended a few courses and seminars on 'Sports Psychology', and 'Coaching' and this gives one quite an insight into the mental game.

As kb said, putting any problems or worries to bed is important, in that you can then concentrate better on the task in hand, and any shot execution routine that you have.
(I was told once, that if there is anything worrying you, just before you shoot, or you need to remember anything important, you need to switch it out ! Write it down on a piece of paper, and put it in your pocket, with a mental note to come back to it after the shoot !)

When you leave home, make sure everything is switched off, closed, put away or locked ! Alarm on, etc (less things to worry about !)

Watching your diet and exercise is always good for a healthy and fit body and mind.

Getting all your gear prepared,
and making sure that you have everything ready to go up to the firing line.
(last minute panicks don't help !)

As BB says, getting your 'shooting' muscles tuned to handling your rifle in the offhand position, and esp before you step up to the plate , is a must.

Eating sensible food on match day, and keeping up your liquid intake.
Keep away from stimulants, coffee, alcohol etc , they don't do you any good ! And get a good night's sleep.

You need to be confident in your gear, so if you're not happy with your settings, your ammo, your scope height, your trigger release, etc 'Get it sorted !'

Some people like to play relaxing music.
Others have affirmation notes to remind them of whatever.

The lid of your ammo box might contain a reminder list of your shot routine to follow.

I'm sure there's plenty more,
but be wary of any drastic changes to anything just for the match.
Preparing for, and shooting a match should fit smoothly into your life's routine.

cheers,
Sean in 'Godzone'

kevinbear · Post by **kevinbear** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 3:28 pm

I like that note on the inside of the lid idea.
When I arrive at the range in the morning I know that I have to fire a minimum of ten shots to foul the barrel to get it to settle down. I use these shots to sort out any issues with the clothing/vest tthat I'm wearing that day.

lone ringer · Post by **lone ringer** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:09 pm

I believe top shooters are mentally tougher and more confident in their abilities than the rest when it comes to actual competition. If you do not agree with me just go to a competition and see people practicing before and after the match seems nobody can miss and everybody is in the Master or AAA classes but as soon as the match starts that concentration and focus they had during practice goes out the door and they go back to perform within their comfort zone.

Learn to increase your comfort zone by practicing shooting with your mind like some basketball players do when they practice shooting free throws with their minds. When you practice mentally to do it correctly do not allow for any misses and trick your mind in accepting the high scores you are getting so that when you do it in reality you will not panic because you've never been there. That is what I mean by comfort zone. If your comfort zone is to get scores between a 25-30 and you have three poor stages in a match and go to your last one with a score of 15 to 20 X30 you will more than likely do well on the last stage to bring you up and well within your comfort zone. On the other hand if you go to the last stage with 25 or more hits out of 30 you will not do well on the last stage until you learn to increase your comfort zone and accept scores well beyond 30 which is the highest number you feel comfortable with.

The idea is to practice like you shoot matches and shoot matches like if you were practicing. Pick the biggest match of the year to be your goal and the rest are just practice. Repeat to yourself that you are there to have fun. Pay attention to detail so that you will not be making errors that will cost you points.

Stay in the present and shoot one shot matches. The past and the future will not do anything for your scores. Learn to run a mental program or mantra or to have the same thought for every shot. And most important learn what it takes to make one perfect shot because if you know how to shoot one perfect shot there is no reason you can't duplicate that shot and then do it five times, or ten or forty.

I just threw a bunch of thoughts that may help some of you get a handle on your game during competition. I have read more than a few books on the subject and recommend you do the same but remember that is doing and not only knowing what does the trick. In other words if you decide for instance buy Lanny Bassham mental management CD's to get the full benefit of his advice you need to practice for months running the mental program he invented. Listening to the CD's one time is entertaining and informative but if you do not apply the advice he gives you into your training and competitions will not do anything for you.

I will ask you to do one more thing, advice and help other as much as you can because it will reinforce what you know and besides very few will go through the trouble of actually working hard at getting better. Most of them will not mind spending $3000 on a new rifle thinking that is going to get them better scores but if you tell them to instead invest that money on buying practice ammo or an air rifle and to train shooting or dry fire at least one hour a day they will not do that.

So now you know the big secret top shooters have its called hard work, dedication, determination, concentration and focus.

I hope you know I am saying those things to inspire some of you into getting better. I am not interested in debating others that do not agree with what I said. Tony Tello

kevinbear · Post by **kevinbear** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:43 pm

I paid 40.00 for Lanny's video and you pretty much nailed it here.
I would still recommend the video, I try to review it once evey couple of years.

Joaquin B · Post by **Joaquin B** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:51 pm

I agree with Tony. The word listo seems to immediately create head space problems...

durant7 · Post by **durant7** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 1:54 am

I second Tony. Lanny's book is a must. I have ONLY read his book..three times. As a rule it is good to read it each spring to ensure nothing is forgotten. For me, I think too much while shooting. His "don't miss" chapter is great, I just wish I could fully push it out of my mind. The best way for me is to develop the SUBCONCIOUS. Make the shot execution as subconcious as the reaction time to put your foot on the break when car pulls in front of you. Beautifuly put even if I did paraphrase him a bit. And how do you get to this level? Quality practice practice practice practice...and then some more quality practice.

After talking with some of the top shooters, it is pretty clear that as Tony said, they have put in the hard work. One dryfires 100 spent shells every lunch hour. One has a range at home and shoots cases of ammo every month. One goes to the range 5 days a week to practice. The shooters who shoot 37 and up consistantly...they put in more hours than I suspect many of us fully appreciate. I wish I was disciplined enough to make the time but I always find excuses, job, three kids, older mom, house, yard work...etc

So. Having read the book, are there other formats of Lanny's work that I should soak up? Is the video better? Are there other books? One year I saw a shooter with a book on the mental game of golf. I wrote it down but promptly lost piece of paper.

Here is a must read for $9.50..as well as what Tony said!

http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQprZ23 ... pidZ325184

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:09 am

Very well said Tony !!!

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:12 am

Thanks Tony! I forget about mental imaging for the shot itself - for some reason that's hard for me - but it has helped a lot to practice preparations, building the stance and preparing the shot. It becomes automatic.

Innocent · Post by **Innocent** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:38 am

On the other hand if you go to the last stage with 25 or more hits out of 30 you will not do well on the last stage until you learn to increase your comfort zone and accept scores well beyond 30 which is the highest number you feel comfortable with.

Tony, this part of the comfort zone is often overlooked. Convincing yourself that you are capable of shooting a perfect score is one of the most difficult things to do. The flip side to consider is when you do break the into a higher score zone, staying at that level is another mental challenge.

Mary

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:02 am

Innocent wrote:
On the other hand if you go to the last stage with 25 or more hits out of 30 you will not do well on the last stage until you learn to increase your comfort zone and accept scores well beyond 30 which is the highest number you feel comfortable with.
Tony, this part of the comfort zone is often overlooked. Convincing yourself that you are capable of shooting a perfect score is one of the most difficult things to do. The flip side to consider is when you do break the into a higher score zone, staying at that level is another mental challenge.

Mary

And the people said "Amen".

silhouette13 · Post by **silhouette13** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:36 am

i have read lannys book 3x my self fist when Jud loaned it to me prompting my own purchase, worth every penny

every one knows HOW to shoot and HOW to hit an animal thinking about it too much is what wrecks it. in theory if you can hit one there is no reason to shoot less than 40

for me too much quiet time prior to a match lets me THINK too much, i have an easier time shooting well when in competition in balance with a sprinkle of banter to distract the negitive vibes

Jud, i for some god forsaken reason have monday off , a day with out work is like a day with out sunshine, want to shoot, or is the man(Job) keeping you down?

this may sound wishy lefty washie new agey but the secret is also a good read for letting good results happen by eliminating negitive reinforcements

dave

kevinbear · Post by **kevinbear** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:41 am

Here's a FYI for any seasoned shooter out there having trouble, in the late 90's I went into a "slump" in my shooting. Any one that's experienced this knows that it can be devasating to your psyche. Lanny's video brought me out of it almost immediately.
Thanks for the great post Tony.