TargetTalk

My name is jared miles and i have a problem with nervousness in a match, wich premotes me to shoot below average in my scores, like for example i went to 3xair and i shoot an average of a 580-585 and i wnt there thinking i was going to do really well, when the nervousness came to me and i started to drop the points. i have listened to relaxing mind tapes, which is really awesome, but when i step up to the line my heart rate goes up and i start thinknig ian going to do bad. if anyone can help this poor air rifle shooter that would be great.


Jared Miles

Miles,
It's all about expectation, if you are thinking that you might have a chance winning etc then you are placing yourself under lots of self-imposed pressure. This is especially so if you have just achieved the sort of skill level that will bring good scores etc. This newly aquired skill level can/will desert you when it comes to competitions. You actually have to focus on the performance aspect of each shot rather than any results.

Incredibly hard I know but if you know how to shot one 10 then you "just" have to shoot 60x one shot matches. After a while you know when the "feel" is right and you will start to get good shots. Many times that feel will be missing for the first half of the match and then suddenly appear and off you go, shooting well again.

A lot of the feel comes from those almost subconcious actions that nerves and excitment seem to inhibit. So your frame of mind beforehand is very important, you must have a easy go lucky, go get 'em approach. You mustn't actually care at all about the result before or during the match. You shouldn't confuse this easy go lucky approach with your approach to your shot making, it must be exactly the same as at training etc. However this way you do get to enjoy your shoot (remember we do this because we enjoy it) and I will bet that your scores will start going up.

Another way is to enter as many competitions as you can, this way you do become acustommed to shooting matches rather than just training.
Hope this helps
Martin

thanks i appreciate it, if anyone has anymore responses please share

Shoot lots of matches! My coach started me shooting League matches around our region, sometimes 2 nights a week, just to get me off my home range and used to traveling and competition. This was 30 years ago, so coaching methods may have changed, but it seemed to work well back then.

KG

Jawed,

I used to get very nervous when I first met my wife. I felt light in the head, my hands would sweat and shake and I could feel my heart pounding on my rib cage. Sound familiar??

Then I married her. No more shakes or pounding of the heart. Just a nice warm, comfortable and safe feeling knowing I am with someone I care about.

Learn to marry your matches/competitions. It will take awhile but after you have been there many times, you will also start to have that safe and comfortable feeling.

Good luck to you.

What you are feeling is match pressure and it happens to every shooter. The difference is how you handle and apply that pressure to your advantage.

1. Match preparation. The simple act of arriving at least 1 hour before commence firing can save you a lot of jitters. Pleanty of time before a match allows you to set up and register at your pace, rather than in a panic mode.

2. Don't look at the score board. Who cares what the winning score is currently! You can't change it, so focus on what YOU are there to do, not what someone has done already. If you think numerical score instead of performance, you have essentially already lost the match. Your focus is not where it belongs.

3. Take your time when shooting. When shooters are nervous, they tend to do one of two things....accelerate the pace or slow down so much that they are totally out of their normal practice / shot execution rhythm. Outdoor conditions (wind, mirage, etc.) can affect your pace, but remember that they affect every shooter on the line. If things are not going well, break position and relax a while.

4. Develop your own system and do the same thing every time. As a example, if you set up your rifle as the first piece of equipment in practice, do the same in match conditions.

5. Some shooters practice. Champions train. There is a huge difference between training and practicing. Don't go through the motions....learn while you are on the range.

6. Shooting diary is critical to future successes. Record what works and what does not. Don't record a numerical score..that has little bearing on the facts (example, if it really windy the score will be lower..does it matter - no. what is important is what you noticed, what worked for you and what did not.).

7. Enter as many matches as possible. You only learn to cope with match pressure in match situations. One can only simulate this to a small extent in training sessions, so get out there and go "shoulder to shoulder".

That is just some thoughts on how to defeat match pressure. Remember that every person is different. Some of us can relax listening to Guns N Roses before a match while others need almost complete silence to focus themselves.

Good luck!
Ken

I agree with everything said above, especially to shoot as many matches as possible. If you don't have a lot of international matches, you may need to "cross train" and shoot NRA matches, leagues etc.

Have a plan for the days, weeks and even months prior to a big match.

- Physical training should taper down.

- Decide what brand/type/load of ammunition you will be shooting a couple of weeks before the match

- Clean the guns and test fire them once or twice in the week prior to the match.

- Do a lot of dryfiring in the weeks and especially days leading up to the match.

All of the above is used to show yourself that you are ready. Have a plan and stick to it. Do not make the plan too busy or hectic. Keep lots of slack so you stay on plan.

Positive self talk and affirmations can help. I recommend Lanny Basham's video tape.

Self talk can be used to help keep your focus where you want it. Say "I am ready" or "I like showing what I can do." This helps me get to sleep the night before a big match.

As I raise the gun, I often say "one good shot." Or, if I am having trouble with the trigger I might say "Just align the sights." If I am trying to perfect the sight alignment too much I might say "smooth trigger pull".

Affirmations are things you say or write over long periods of time. It may be a sentance or two, or it can be longer. Keep it positive and keep it as if it is already true. "I am a great shooter" "I like to compete" "I am a champion" etc.

Good luck,
Steve

Jared,

Use positive thoughts. If you step up to the line and tell yosuelf you can't do it, you won't.

We teach our shooters to say "It's like me to shoot 10's" Think in positive terms.

Also practice like you would shoot a match, then shoot the match like you practice. Use your check lists and diary to maintain a routine.

Don't watch the score board or try and count your score through the scope. Your job as a shooter is to fire one perfect shot, the one you are shooting, fire it, then move on and fire another perfect shot. In a recent match my daughter fired a 94 in International Air. It was her best ever, she was so excited about it her next target was a 78. She wasn't focused on her shooting she was thinking about her score. She learned from that experience.

Just relax and enjoy the match, in the end it's just another match, there will be other matches to shoot.

Good advise from everyone. And remember: those rings on the target are not there to count the score after each shot, but to assist in determining how many clicks you must adjust your rearsight.

Albert
(The Netherlands)

Excellent advice TWP............ I agree completely.

i had this same problem. i would phych myself out and shoot poorly (usually towards the end of a target). you need to teach yourself how to not think in words. words are a distraction.

during practice, only think in shapes (preferably concentric circles), and keepin your position the same.

i drop 95% of the points that i drop when words enter my head.

just my 2 cents.

-curt

1) Just think about shooting tens. Think about how you love to shoot them and how great it feels. If all you think about is shooting tens and what you need to do to shoot them, then you'll shoot them. Don't worry about your score. Let the other guys worry about your score.
2) Shoot lots of matches. You'll get used to the atmosphere of the match and it won't be a distraction.
3) Think about why you shoot. I'm guessing it's because you enjoy it. So go ahead and enjoy yourself. One of the greatest feelings in life is to pour everything you have into something you enjoy...win or lose.... So have fun and no matter what, at the end of the day you'll be smiling.

Added to all the great advise, here are a couple to help you:

Sleep well the day before the match, have a good/balanced (but not heavy) breakfast/lunch (depending on match time), skip coffee and caffine products the day of the match and drik water during the match. Take long breath after every shot to relax you. Lack of oxygen, sleep, food and water contributes to nervousness during the match.

Go to the match with a game plan - with established goals and objective. Do not focus on the end result (winning) but rather on the means to get there. Nervousness can also result from lack of focus or concentration and due to neagtive thoughts. Never lose focus and if you do or score below par - start counting from 25 - backwards and skip alternate numbers. This will help you to relax and regain your focus as you will be concentrating on the numbers. Once done, tell yourself you are now ready to score a 10 and would not settle for anything less.

If everything else fails, shout loudly inside yourself - SERENITY NOW!!! - Like the one from the episode Seinfield.

Good shooting!!

Raj