Multi Tasking

[Antek1]

MULTI-TASKING
Definition;- The ability to perform more than one task simultaneously.

I bet most of you consider yourselves to be good at multitasking.
Well, I don’t want to burst your bubble, but it is a myth, a fable, nie prawda, unrechtig, not true!

So what is the truth?
The truth is, we are serial processors. We time share our tasks, switching from one to another, to another, very quickly. The best we can do is to concentrate on two tasks using split focal attention.
I will explain more on this later.

Let’s try a simple test. With your left hand, draw the numbers 1 to 5, while signing your name with your right hand. Can’t do it? Well surprise, surprise and you want to be a top pistol shooter.

From the time we began shooting we have always been taught to “Focus on the front sight” and align it perfectly in the middle of the rear sight notch. Now hold those perfectly aligned sights in your aiming area and squeeze the trigger! Simple, yes?

So here I am, I’m on the range, just as confident as ever. I have gone over my script and mentally rehearsed, I am now ready to shoot.

I’m concentrating so very hard on perfectly aligning my sights, while holding them in my aiming area.
My brain tells the trigger finger muscle to squeeze the trigger, but there’s something wrong, the trigger won’t go off! HANDS UP, anyone who has experienced this problem. You’re not alone!

I lower my arm, and unload. I dry fire the trigger just to prove it isn’t broken! I reload and try again, same problem! Panic sets in! What do I do? My confidence is shattered!

For us to be able to solve this problem, we have to understand how the brain works!

I was concentrating so very hard on sight alignment and area hold that my brain just ran out of oomph! In reality, I had consumed so much of my focal energy on sight alignment and area-hold, that the signal from my brain to the trigger finger muscle was just too weak to fire the muscle.

I could feel the trigger finger pulling, but the trigger was just not going off. The problem here is, I was trying to multi-task three functions simultaneously and failing miserably.

When we concentrate on only one thing, we give it 100% of our attention. Like aligning our sights. Our brain can do this all day without any signs of stress.

Our brain’s concentration capability, when multitasking, is subject to the “Attention Focal Split Rule of 80/20” What this means is our brains ability to focus is shared. That is, 80% on the main focus and 20% on the secondary focus.

If we concentrate primarily on aligning our sights, and secondly, on area hold our brains ability to concentrate is divided roughly 80/20. 80% on sight alignment, 20% on area hold. Our brain can do this all day too!

If we now introduce a third function like squeezing of the trigger, the available energy to the trigger finger is also subject to the 80/20 focal rule, but it is 20% of the 20%, which is only 4% of the total. Not enough to fully activate the trigger finger muscle.

Usually what happens here, is we momentarily switch our concentration from one task to another, e.g. from sight alignment or area aim to trigger control. But in the time taken to release the trigger, either the sights or the arm have moved and the shot placement is less than desirable.

When an Athlete is asked;- “What happened to the sight picture with that last shot?”
The answer usually is;- “I don’t know, I momentarily lost it.”

Subconsciously, the brain has robbed Peter to pay Paul. So how do we solve this problem?
The answer is ASSIMILATION. What we have to do here is learn to group several actions into one action and use our available resources more efficiently.

We have to align our sights and then lock our wrist. Now with the sights perfectly aligned and the wrist locked, all we have to concentrate on is holding the arm in our aiming area.

Were back to focusing on only two tasks, instead of three. USING SOFT FOCUS, we hold the arm in our aiming area, while concentrating primarily on the smooth release of the trigger.

At this point, you’re probably thinking “What is soft focus?”

What we’re trying to do here, is turn off our brains Auto-correction mechanism and allow the action to flow from a sub-conscious level, being mindful of the arms position, but not consuming a lot of energy in keeping it acutely aligned.

The arm is now smoothly traversing inside our area of acceptability.

Our primary goal now, is to concentrate on the smooth release of the trigger, without deflecting the arms position.

Where back to our brains ideal 80/20 Focus ratio.

The brain can easily handle that. 80% on trigger control. 20% on area aiming.

Now that’s not so hard to do, is it?

Good Shooting
Anthony Markowski
Coach

[shaky hands]

I tried to google Attention Focal Split Rule of 80/20 to see what psychologist established it, but, admittedly, did not find anything.

[Rover]

Yes Lord....I BELIEVE!!!

[therider]

Very interesting.... It gives a theoretical explaination to what I am doing since a month with very good results.
1) during first exhale my subconscious progressively puts a bit of tension in the arm muscles which control the joints.
2) during the second exhale I slowly pull the trigger , telling myself that I don't care of anything else
3) I trust completely my Cesare's grip , in that front and back sights are perfectly aligned. So I don't even watch them.
4) when I am at about 90% of trigger weight, and 1-2 seconds from release, I focus on front sights and Bang! I ignore where I am aiming at completely!

I guess that when I start the new task, I.e. focusing on front sight, because it is for a very short time my finger keeps moving by itself....it's like if the message to the finger muscle has been delivered.
If I delay too much then the finger blocks.

Since I am doing this 98-99% of my shots are horizontally within 9.5 ring. Sometimes even most of them within the ten. However vertically I have spread....so that I score 366-370/400.
I just hope it continues!!!

[Gort]

I am not sure I agree with the theory. We can multitask in different systems. For example, I can sign a clip board, while walking, while I am speaking. The vestibular apparatus (balance), visual input and trigger control can be accomplished simultaneously, but it is not easy, that's why we work for years to develop these skills. The brain and brain stem can control many systems at once, look at Linsey Sterling who plays the violin, while vigorously dancing, while have full visual input of her surroundings, while listening for a cue. Don't give up so easily, ask Jin Jongoh or Keith Sanderson if they give up on the sights.
Gort

[Gwhite]

I agree with Gort. You want to train your trigger squeeze so that it becomes "muscle memory", and does not requires conscious thought. That leaves your brain to focus on your sight alignment. I believe Keith Sanderson mentioned doing 100 dry fires for every live fire shot.

If people can't multitask, how come I can hold a conversation while tying my shoe laces with both hands in motion?

[therider]

I am not sure I agree with the theory. We can multitask in different systems. For example, I can sign a clip board, while walking, while I am speaking. The vestibular apparatus (balance), visual input and trigger control can be accomplished simultaneously, but it is not easy, that's why we work for years to develop these skills. The brain and brain stem can control many systems at once, look at Linsey Sterling who plays the violin, while vigorously dancing, while have full visual input of her surroundings, while listening for a cue. Don't give up so easily, ask Jin Jongoh or Keith Sanderson if they give up on the sights.
Gort

In all the example of multitasking you made one task is accomplished by the subconscious: walking, dancing. Not speaking ....and in fact if you try to speak and try to watch/read something at one stage either you don't understand what you are reading or you stop talking.
Driving a car or riding a bike and talking on the phone works because you drive/ride with the subconscious (unless you are a beginner,in which case i am sure you don't manage to talk)....and this is exactly why you get fined!

As long as one task is performed by the subconscious you can do the other one with conscious. Of course the trigger can be pulled by the subconscious. However I guess that if you do that, the conscious tries to take care of something bad, I.e. that not only sights must be alligned but they must also be aiming at 10.9! And the subconscious stops working and trigger finger does not pull any more. It's like when during driving and talking, the person on the other side tells you something extremely important and/or shocking.....driving does not work very well any more.

I think this is why at the moment doing the other way round works for me.

[therider]

By the way Sanderson trains in my club when he comes to Munich....I will ask him!

I don't give up on sights completely. In that split second I check that they are not bad. If the are obscenely bad I stop, but usually are ok and then I change task and just watch the front.... Al in a second or so where I "distract" my conscious from trigger squeez

[scerir]

Now there are interesting papers, about multi-tasking (in general, not about pistol shooting specifically)
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2 ... brain.html
http://www.livescience.com/health/brain ... 00415.html
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80bea ... two-tasks/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... -two-tasks