Its been a good week.

[I. J.]

Come on Ian, no excuses, get in that entry for the British Championships, entries close the 11th January.

Oh Ive plenty of excuses - I used to shoot HFT. As soon as I see a compt sticker on the card I have a mad desire to shoot like I was on a pogo stick. Some club members often remind me of this just before I compete against them.
No, I shall continue to get regular 50s in practice and flirt a flyer into the 9 ring to save my wallet.

[nickm marshall]

I have shot numerous 50/50 in training.
In fact some days it feels so easy.

Then come comp. time. It all goes out the window and I have shot 82/100 in the first 10 shots.

The answer is not to give up!
Enter every comp you possibly can.

Ask yourself.......

Why Am I Nervous?

It's probably due to being old. Knowing that if you can shoot like you know you can, you could win the British championships.

Your just not relaxed enough.
The worst you shoot in a comp at the start, the more stressed you get.

It doesn't make sense, but it happens.

Don't give up.

Keep Trying. Then one day you might surprise yourself.

[I. J.]

I have shot numerous 50/50 in training.
In fact some days it feels so easy.

Then come comp. time. It all goes out the window and I have shot 82/100 in the first 10 shots.

The answer is not to give up!
Enter every comp you possibly can.

Ask yourself.......

Why Am I Nervous?

It's probably due to being old. Knowing that if you can shoot like you know you can, you could win the British championships.

Your just not relaxed enough.
The worst you shoot in a comp at the start, the more stressed you get.

It doesn't make sense, but it happens.

Don't give up.

Keep Trying. Then one day you might surprise yourself.

Yes I am old and Ive got to that stage in life if I dont like doing something (e.g. working, being polite etc. ) I dont do it. I dont like competition so - I dont do it. I get enough enjoyment shooting for fun, competing against myself and winding up my fellow gun club members. Im sure even they will say Im to Gold Medal standards at the later and that gift comes naturally and easily unlike serious competitions. In a wind up contest I would easily score 51 ex 50.

[mikec4]

In a wind up contest I would easily score 51 ex 50.

You usually do ; and more

[RobinC]

Doing more matches is not the answer, thats just aversion therapy, and that does not work in shooting, a bad shot is not the same as being scared of a spider, it happens simply because your technique failed, learning to handling pressure is 99% about being totaly confident in your technique. You need to practice and train your technique in training, develop your discipline and concentration on sticking to your technique which you do when you shoot tens, thats why its then easy, the ability to shoot under preassure is in gaining a total confidence in your technique, then your match standard will improve, and only then test it in a match.

Nerves have very little impact on the placement of a bad shot, thats down to a technique failure, the nerves cause concentration and discipline failures and then a technique failure.

failures happen, and you need a recovery process, and you should train that as well, even the worlds tops make mistakes, but they rarely follow it with another, they use their discipline to return to concentration, and regain their technique. The rabbit follows the bad shot with another as they desparately want to "remove" it with a good shot, thats panic and wishfull thinking, the expert slows, thinks, and reverts to training technique and knows that if they do so a good shot will follow.

Fun game this!

[Rich]

......failures happen, and you need a recovery process, and you should train that as well, even the worlds tops make mistakes, but they rarely follow it with another, they use their discipline to return to concentration, and regain their technique. The rabbit follows the bad shot with another as they desparately want to "remove" it with a good shot, thats panic and wishfull thinking, the expert slows, thinks, and reverts to training technique and knows that if they do so a good shot will follow.

Fun game this!

I do so agree with you on this; it's a mark of the good shot to put any disasters immediately out of your mind, and it's something we try to teach all of our members who take part in competitions.

When you know your average is say 190 ex 200 and your first two cards have scored you a 92, you know you have to do two 49s now just to keep level. That takes some resolve to put out of your mind.

[I. J.]

Ive started to take every shot as an individual shot. I dont go for 50s - I go for 10s, five of them preferably. Plus routine, routine, routine to the extent I put my pellet tray (with rows of 5s) in the same place each time etc. My (shooting) fault is, and a lot of members tell me this, is follow through. Even the threat of a NORI on the back of my heed doesn't have the desired effect.

[RobinC]

That's perfect Ian, we coach elite rifle shooters, but the technique is still the same with pistol, and we say its 40 or 60 individual shots, 60 individual matches. What has gone, has gone, until you can find a way to return the shot and heal the hole, just forget it, move on emotionless, and start the process to build the next perfect shot.

But, follow through is a critical aspect, a good technique is to concentrate on the follow through "with" the shot and concentrate on getting the follow through as tight as possible, maintain the aim and the hold.

I had a coaching master class from "probably" the top coach in the world when he was coaching my wife, using life fire and a Scatt, he said, "I care not a jot where the shot goes, but I want to see a tight follow through (red trace) on the scatt". Her hold visibly tightened! What he had done was take the "stress" out of the shot, but of course you can't have a tight hold on the follow through with out one before, so it was a form of brain tricking.

Its a technique I use a lot now.

Have Fun.

[zooma]

., but of course you can't have a tight hold on the follow through with out one before, so it was a form of brain tricking..

I am certain Ian will already be making full use of this technique as he is certainly has a very tight hold

[I. J.]

What he had done was take the "stress" out of the shot, but of course you can't have a tight hold on the follow through with out one before, so it was a form of brain tricking.

Its a technique I use a lot now.

Have Fun.

And so open a flood gate for sarcastic comments. Not that Ive ever lowered myself to sarcasm.

Tis true - I know the after shot, or follow through, is just as important as the hold, grip, trigger squeeze etc. but knowing it and doing it are to different things. Even the threat of one of NORIs finest on the back on my bone dome only has a temporary effect.

[zooma]

And so open a flood gate for sarcastic comments. Not that Ive ever lowered myself to sarcasm.

This is certainly something I have noticed over the years as being one of your strongest points - and something I admire greatly

[mikec4]

And so open a flood gate for sarcastic comments. Not that Ive ever lowered myself to sarcasm.

Tis true - I know the after shot, or follow through, is just as important as the hold, grip, trigger squeeze etc. but knowing it and doing it are to different things. Even the threat of one of NORIs finest on the back on my bone dome only has a temporary effect.

Now you understand the need for repeated applications of the club housebrick

[I. J.]

Now you understand the need for repeated applications of the club housebrick

Luckili hits nut dun n e lastin damige.

[zooma]

luckili hits nut dun n e lastin damige.

Everything seems to be "as nomal"....

[I. J.]

I am more accurate with my shooting than I am with my words.