10 m Air Rifle - how to hold steady under competition pressure?

[Mikes]

My sighters were always my best shots, so stopped now go straight onto the comp card at least now get 10x1

[hwtyger]

Only way to deal with match stress is: to shoot matches, OFTEN!
You cán train a bit of stress though, withthrowing in some competition during practise:
- match with yr shooting buddies
- time limit
- set a minimum score for shots or cards. If you fail? Costs you money..
etc..
Also, learn to, physically, step óver a bad shot/card.
Cause if you let it stick with you, the rest will suck too.
Bad shot? Sucks, next one will be good again.Like that.
DONT focus on bad scores!! Physical training states that you have to focus and train on what you WANT. You want bad scores?? No! Focus on what you WANT. If you go to a match with the wrong state of mind:'I will be nervous again. I'll probably shoot bad again', than the 1st steps to a bad score already have been taken without even shooting!
Some find relaxation techniques helpfull.
Goodluck.

[McTrucky]

I read an interesting thing in a golf mag today that addresses the little voice in your head that reminds you :
"This is not a sighter, these are for real!"
or
"You are wobbling too much, you are rubbish at this aren't you?"
or
"Your shoulder hurts/Your specs are dirty/The sights are out of adjustment.."
or even
"Did you leave the gas on?"
or any of the millions of thoughts that go through your head when you should be focusing on the shot.

The technique described was to think about the voice, who's voice is it? Is it your's? Is it your mother? Is it your boss?

Then think and very carefully work out where the voice is coming from - is it in your head? - where exactly? Some say it is thier chest, for many it is just by the ear; for me it seems to be just behind my forehead - everyone is different.

Now, you have the voice and where it is coming from - put a face to the voice - be that your boss or whoever.. But then put a silly wig on the face, or some makeup, or something that helps you feel superior or stronger than the face, something that helps you dismiss their opinion or comments

You are now creating a division between what is causing the distraction and what you are focusing on. Rather than a voice in your head telling you that you are about to miss - you have a seperate 'being' that you can choose to ignore. You are taking control, You know what you are doing, you don't need to pay any attenting to the little git who is trying to pester you.


I've just shot sixty shots outside, trying this technique, and the negative thoughts that popped into my head all came from someone I didn't like, didn't take seriously and could ignore. It really did work that easily; but I am sure with more practice at this it will become easier and easier.

McT

[BigAl]

My sighters were always my best shots, so stopped now go straight onto the comp card at least now get 10x1

I know you may think that this is a bit paranoid, but I will allways take a sighter shot if I have put the rifle down and walked away from it, as you often have to do when changing targets. You can never be 100% sure that something / someone hasn't affected the rifle while you were away! Paranoid I know but there you go.

Alan

[lwebster]

When you have confidence in your kit you wont feel the need to check it, you'll realise the biggest variation is you, thats where dry firing really helps. You can check your process and make sure that you are comfortable without the risk of becoming score focused!
The best advice I have ever had is to focus on the process not the score. The process will get you the scores! Focussing on the scores (or outcome) will not improve the process!

When coming back from a break (changing card etc) just try dry firing and if it was a good shot, tell yourself that was great! It does help.

[Amac]

I clearly have a lot to learn having just dipped my toe in the pool of the 10m target rifle. Fascinating thoughts chaps that I will try and recall myself Thursday night.
Andy

[Hemmers]

Another technique is to shoot more competition cards and very few sighters. The competitions could be internal club or even just a friendly with a mate for a choc bar! Just put a sticker on everything! Your approach will eventually treat all shots the same. I'd also recommend trying to shoot 60 to count in a session, as prep for shoulder to shoulder comps! Have fun.

Yes, at Southampton we sometimes used to run a club comp to ease people into match shooting. We did this by putting massive red stickers on the card that one could see through the sights, nevermind the scope! If you can ignore those, you can ignore any piddly little white stickers!

The trick is simply to get to a point where you hold all shots in equal regard, Where you're no more or less relaxed for competitions than you are for training. Easier said than done though!

I know you may think that this is a bit paranoid, but I will allways take a sighter shot if I have put the rifle down and walked away from it, as you often have to do when changing targets. You can never be 100% sure that something / someone hasn't affected the rifle while you were away! Paranoid I know but there you go.

Alan

Nice and very comforting to do if possible, but a lot of 10m AR is done to ISSF specs, where you can't go back to sighters after you've started the match (40 or 60 shots).
In that case, the thing to do after a break is to put a few dry shots down to make sure you and your position are totally lined up and settled.

[Rich]

I tried this mindset thing when I started LSR about a year ago. All cards would matter; all scores would be recorded. There would be no such thing as a practice card.

For the first few weeks I was averaging around 93 and I thought that wasn't too bad; then the cards arrived with their stickers on for the team competition, and almost instantly my average was hit by three 86s, one 87 and a clutch of 88s.

[RobinC]

Shooting matches helps, but the real answer is to learn to control your relaxion, there are specific techniques which I tried to put in a reply but it was too long and the system rejected it.
It basically involves using a GSR (galvanic skin responce) meter to learn to control your relaxation, dry firing, mentalising sight pictures whilst relaxing with the GSR, combining with dry firing, and ultimately shooting wired to record the levels. It takes several months, is hard work, but it works.
My wife was coached in these techniques 30 years ago by a top US team coach, and it changed her air rifle scores from 350's to 380's.
That, and learning to be disciplined in not taking moving shots, stress causes sharper vision and a higher perception of movement which you try and correct. Just accept that you are seeing movement always there, its a bonus, relax and don't try too hard. If your zero point is checked at every shot, and it should be, it should be correct, if its not, adjust position, don't move the rifle to adjust.
Good shooting
Robin