Clay Shooting Success by Clay Shooting Success

Clay Shooting Success Sports Science Handbook Written by Phil Coley MSc ÂŠ2011

The Clay Shooting Psychology Handbook is an introduction into sport science in shooting. The handbook is laid out in an easy to read format including forms that you can personally use, plus actual research examples from years of working with top shots in all disciplines. The handbook is a precursor to our Masterclass series which is available online and also by attending our Masterclasses at Shooting Grounds in the UK and the USA. For more details on our Masterclasses please visit www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk. This Handbook is written by leading Mental Skills expert, Phil Coley MSc. Phil has been researching within clay shooting for over 20 years, working with clay shooters of all levels from beginners to Olympians and World Champions. Phil Coley

Contents 1. Background

Page 2

2. Goal Setting

Page 3

3. Visualisation

Page 5

4. Anxiety Control

Page 8

5. Competition Preparation

Page 11

6. Evaluation

Page 14

7. Quick Tips

Page 15

8. Forms

Page 18

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Background It is now commonplace at the top level of sport to find full backroom staff consisting of physio’s, conditioning coaches, psychologists, nutritionists and a multitude of specialist coaches. However in clay shooting it is far less common, although at international level support is available. The clay shooting world has many great coaches, with only a relative few adding mental skills to their coaching. There are three main aspects to sport science; psychology – the mind, physiology – the body, and technical – the skill. This handbook will cover psychology in the main and touch on physiology. But why should we look at these aspects? The reason is that they all affect a clay shooter. Many of you will have experienced days when it just doesn’t go right or, in a winning position, you drop a crucial target. Psychology is about the controlling and working with the powerful element that is your mind. What makes the difference between a good shooter and a great shooter is the mind, regardless whether that person is focussing on the mental aspects or not. The mind controls the body and the decisions you make. In simple terms areas such as motivation, visualisation, anxiety control, fear of failure, relaxation, coping with pressure, and negative thoughts to name but a few. Physiology is the body. Shooting may not be perceived as a physical sport, but the physical element does play a part - this can be seen as physical training at the top level - shooting a large number of rounds in a day, for example. However, for most shots this is not possible so other training methods need to be looked at.

Psychological

Physiological

Technical

Goal Setting In driving terms if you don’t have a destination, you will drive around aimlessly. Goal setting is written about for sport, for business and in life coaching. Goal setting is the crucial area for any clay shooter. It is your very own plan of how far you really want to go in your clay shooting. Some shooters just want to improve and have better days when shooting, others are focused on a CPSA average and, at the top level, it is about winning. Let’s look at the two most important aspects of goal setting; the first type of goal is an outcome goal - this is a goal that only has one of two options to it – win or lose/achieved or not. The second is performance goal. Always regarded as the ‘harder to define’ goal, it is based on elements of the performance. Both types of goal are used - those at the very top level will be very focused on outcome goals, with a mix of performance goals. Those moving up through the ranks will be using performance goals and, less frequently, outcome goals. In clay shooting there are too many shooters using outcome goals. If you solely use outcome goals then negative times will occur as any unreached goals or bad days will lead to more mental downers – only the very strong minded will ever succeed using this goal type. The performance goal is based on all elements of your shooting; areas to improve on, areas of focus and, ultimately, if all performance goals are reached then the outcome will be achieved. So let’s look at ‘Goal Setting’ rules. Setting goals is based on a SMART principle: S – Specific M – Measurable A – Achievable R – Realistic T – Timed

So what does this mean for you? The best concept is our Pyramid of Success model. Outcome/Dream Goal

5-10 Years

Long Term Goals/Outcome Goal

3-5 Years

Mid Term Goals/Performance & Outcome Goals

1-3 Years

Short Term Goals/Performance Goals

6-12 Months

Micro Goals/Performance Goals

3 Months

Macro Goals/Performance Goals

4 Weeks Pyramid of Success

The task for you now is to write down some specific goals. What is your Dream Goal for your Clay Shooting? AWhat is an Achievable Outcome Goal for you in 3-5 years’ time? AWhat do you need to work on for this Season? AWhat are you going to work on in the next 3 months? AWhat will you do this month? A-

Visualisation or Mental Imagery Imagery is the use of your mind to imagine being in a situation. For clay shooting this is a key area for preparation, training and success. So why is imagery so important? The simple explanation is that imagining a situation can reinforce, and improve, the same real-life situation. Let’s look at this in more detail for clay shooting. There are two types of ways to imagine yourself in a clay shooting perspective – the first is internal imagery, and the second is external imagery. To explain this more – Imagine you are shooting, think of yourself now doing it – what do you see? Are you seeing yourself as if watching yourself on TV, or are you seeing targets on a range as if you were holding your gun? If you see yourself as if watching on a TV, then that is external; if you see targets as if you are holding your gun then this is internal. Both are effective, but internal imagery is widely regarded as the most successful.

Below is an exercise to help you see the effectiveness of Imagery. 1. Think of a ground you shoot at.

2. Pick a target or what you are going to shoot (for Sporting pick a target, for Skeet pick a stand, for Trap think of a target).

3. Now think how it feels to shoot it. a. When you think about it, what do you see?

b. What do you feel?

c. Did you actually move when you were thinking about it?

4. What do you think?

The reason we have done this is so that you can experience - mentally - what it is like to shoot a target. But for this to be effective it needs to be the right thought process. You should have felt your body twitch (or you may have even been moving your arms anyway), you should have seen the ground, maybe even seen others shooting too. But when you actually shot the target you should have gone through a routine that you normally do: called for the target and shot it. www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Imagery helps you in so many ways, especially when using ‘dry mounting’. If you are not able to shoot every day, as many are not, then dry mounting is a great way to use both imagery and technical ways. The best form of dry mounting is to do this in a dark room – the reason for this is so it has some element of realism - if you imagine a target, stand up and dry mount, then you don’t see anything you don’t need to see, so you can then imagine the targets you want to. Imagery is a huge part of psychology. It is used to improve techniques, and to help enhance your performance through developing a strong mental focus. Elements such as dealing with anxiety, relaxation and many other aspects begin with imagery. In the ‘Forms’ section of this handbook are some working forms for you to use.

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Anxiety Control Feeling nervous is a feeling of anxiousness or getting stressed and is common for any sportsperson - most experience ‘butterflies’ or sweaty palms, but how to cope with them can make the difference between coming first or last. Most people experience a rise in heart rate -research that has been conducted across all sports, and the specific research we have done in clay shooting, shows certain patterns or traits across all subjects used. Let’s look at some background into this. When someone is to take part in a sport at any level of competition then there is a rise in their heart rate, even in a static sport. The rise in heart rate is caused by anticipation as the individual subconsciously prepares the body for an appropriate response. Example Think of your favourite food. What is it? Can you imagine it? What does it taste like? - You should have experienced increased salivation – a bodily response to your thoughts. So what about nerves or anxiety in practice for you? Example Think about a situation in your clay shooting (use a bit of imagery) – you are on a straight and hitting the next 2 targets mean you beat a widely renowned top shot, or even someone you have never beaten before. These two targets are not your favoured target – how do you feel? Is your heart rate up just thinking about it? Your heart rate will have increased almost definitely in this exercise and that is good – it shows you are able to imagine correctly. The key is controlling your heart rate through controlling your mind. To explain this we need to be technical to help you understand what is really going on. The mind controls everything we do; it computes information in milliseconds, makes split-second decisions and can act without conscious human thought. It is truly amazing.

Nerves are positive and negative The Inverted U principle helps to describe this: The Top of the Inverted U is a place of optimum performance, the bottom right demonstrates a state of excessive alertness, the bottom left the complete opposite – passive, lethargic etc. In clay shooting terms this means you need to find the optimum for you, this is where you are “in the zone”. Optimum Performance Zone

Not Alert (passive)

Too Alert (excessive) Inverted U principle to demonstrate optimum performance levels of alertness.

The key to dealing with anxiety is to be in control. When starting out in shooting you are learning all the time and you are very conscious of what you’re doing. The more competent you become the less you think about each stage of the motions you go through to shoot a target - it becomes natural. The reading of targets and your own backing does become easier. So using a combination of shooting more targets, getting coached on more challenging targets and then backing up with dry mounting/imagery techniques will increase your confidence and reduce nerves as well as helping you to improve. At a top level nerves can be calmed through a range of options. These include positive imagery, relaxation techniques and prepared mental routines. Our research showed that, across the board, the more competent clay shooter will always have a calmer heart rate there will be spikes in the heart rate on more difficult targets or nearing the end of a straight round, but the consistency of the heart rate pattern had no erratic peaks. The heart rate of less competent clay shooters showed a greater number of spikes and erratic readings. www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ©2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Top Tip Get on the range and think what you do when you go into competition (this exercise is not to do in competition and is meant only as a training exercise). Think how you feel. What do you usually do? What you focus on? How do you feel on a difficult target? Speak with your coach on reading targets. We work very closely with clay shooting coaches and, using a range of heart rate monitors to give us an indication of mind thoughts, we can then evaluate them in our in-house computer programme to observe variances in heart rate traits. Our research covers all levels of clay shooter.

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Competition Preparation One of the key areas is competition preparation. Crucial as you are progressing in the sport, it is just as much so at the very top level. Preparation is very personal - so there is no magic solution, but there are principles to follow. Depending on which discipline you compete in there are certain areas we suggest. Days leading up to a competition: Mental Imagery – imagining the shoot you are going to, coupled with dry mounting. Night before: Do whatever you normally do prior to a competition. Or: change this to a meal – no caffeine, then some visualisation, relaxation exercises and then bed. Bedtime is not always crucial many sportspeople struggle to sleep prior to a big competition. The following day they are up for the competition as adrenaline and positive nerves aid ‘getting in the zone’. Competition day: Wake up, breakfast, and then head to the ground. Avoid caffeine and drinks with excess sugar; drink lots of water. Do some visualisation during the day, and rehearse a few targets in your mind. One thing we recommend is not to watch how others are shooting targets time after time – focus on you. Watch a few targets by all means but remember people use different techniques and watching behind someone holds no ‘true sight’ picture (particularly aimed at sporting shooters). In competition: There are so many things to cover for “in competition” we have listed just a few here – these will be covered, in depth, in the Clay Shooting Success Masterclass series both online and at shooting grounds across the country. We have researched this area comprehensively using feedback forms, heart rate monitors, eye blink and video analysis.

The principle we have developed is the Traffic Light principle – Red Orange Green (RAG). The reasons behind this are as follows: When you are ‘red’ then you stop, you don’t do anything at all to do with your shooting, your mind is, in effect, switched off. When you are ‘amber’ you are becoming more alert and starting to think about what you are going to do. When you are ‘green’ you are go. You are fully thinking about what you’re doing. Now one can expand on this massively to suit each person, but to give you a framework for your competition then here are some pointers, regardless of discipline. When you get to the ground, you need to have a walk around. Take time to look at the background, the sky and just get a feel for the day ahead. You only need a short time to do this, but the aim is to make you comfortable in your new surroundings. This is all in the amber stage. Once you know your start time go through your routine, get your gun out; get your vest on, cartridges, cap etc. – whatever you do. It is crucial at this stage to stay in the amber zone still think about what you are going to do, use a little bit of imagery, but no great thought process. The reason for this is the effect this will have on concentration levels. Most people lose concentration after approximately 15 minutes, therefore focussing too hard prior to the competition (or between rounds) will increase your chance of mental tiredness. Returning to RAG: when you walk to the stand it is at this point you go to green; you are alert, you know you are ready. Prior to your shot you should be in an amber state, you are ready but not involved in someone else’s shooting – how many times have you seen someone miss a target and then the next person misses too? Prior to your shot, you should be aware, but not shooting their target.

When it is your turn to shoot, you need to go green – you may even use some “self-talk” in your head – literally talking yourself through from amber to green. Green can become a keyword for you if you so wish, which tells you you are ready. A note of caution: everyone is different, everyone has different routines, many top shots approach things differently and they equally have time to practice most days, some not. But all top shots are able to switch on and off easily; one minute laughing, the next in the zone (green) and ready to shoot. If you do nothing else when you are in competition, learn to use RAG – red you don’t think of shooting, listen to music in the car, have a drink of water, chat with someone – the important thing is not to focus on shooting or the competition. As you get you gear together you enter an amber state - conscious what you are going to do (your heart rate may increase but this is a totally normal, and often beneficial, response, as you arrive at the stand you are still in amber, and only when you step up to shoot do you go green. When you come off the stand you go back to amber (even red and completely switch off - more likely with Sporting, if you are queuing at stands). We recommend staying amber as much as possible, only going green when you get on the stand and step-up to shoot.

Evaluation It is important to be able to evaluate what you do, what works for you and, most importantly, learn the best technique for you and understand why it works for you. The brain is able to take in a huge amount of information. Any information it takes in is stored in your short term memory, however, if you reference it often enough it becomes stored in your long term memory. Many people refer to this as their ‘memory bank’ – lots of shooters store target information in their memory bank. Although each discipline is different, it is fair to say that the most variance in targets is Sporting and FITASC, and course builders challenging the clay shot which is great but all disciplines carry different pressure, so evaluation is important. For Skeet, the pressure is repetition - getting it right every time. For trap, there is a variance in some of the disciplines, and in Olympic Trap it is the speed of the target and angle that present the challenge. Whatever the challenge you need to learn to cope with it. Those at the very top of their sport will constantly be practising to be the best - they practice to stay in the groove, also working on the psychological pressures, relaxation, visualisation and much more. Those progressing in their sport will be (or should be) working on the elements of technique and psychology. Evaluation should occur every time you shoot whether it is in practice or competition. Use our evaluation form to help you keep a record. From this you can build a picture of your strengths and also those areas you need to develop more. The reason being the more times you do and activity, the better you get at it (only if you concentrate on the right aspects). How many top shots do you see that make it look easy; that have plenty of time when they shoot; that make it look easy? They, too, started at the beginning and they had to learn both the technical and psychological skills.

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Quick Mental Tips

Positive Mental Attitude - PMA If someone says to you “don’t think of an egg white!” you automatically think of one. Quick tip: Use positive words to describe the opposite of the negative. Every time you say ‘don’t do ‘x’’ or ‘don’t think of ‘y’’ you highlight and reinforce the negative. In the case of the egg scenario use “think of the white of an egg” (instead of ‘don’t think of it’) – now what do you see? The choice of language encouraging you to think of the egg white instead of not thinking about the egg white is simple and effective in discouraging negative thought patterns. Goal Setting The phrase “no pain no gain”, and “set yourself high targets” are not always correct. Goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed. This approach is known as SMART and is very common for setting goals. The simple tip with goals is to make sure you have building blocks in place to reach your end goal. Training From a mental point of view, training must not only be physical, but you must have mental sessions. Include positive mental reflection and reinforcement of what you have achieved in every training session. Go over in your mind what you have done, what it felt like, what the specific elements were and try to do all of the above in slow motion in your mind. Visualisation “Imagine the smell of chips from the chip shop” – what does that do to you? Can you smell the chips, maybe the vinegar and are you salivating? Visualisation is about experiencing something without being there; giving yourself the chance to train and know the feelings you associate with training without leaving the comfort of home, the chair, the train or in the bath. It is scientifically proven that visualisation plays a major part in skill acquisition and

preparation. Visualisation is used for preparation and also for rehabilitation work. Tip: Think what it feels like in the changing room or as you get ready for a competition – what feelings are you experiencing? – If they are positive then try to use those each time, but also prepare in your mind for the times you need to change that - arriving late or not having all your kit may be such times. Relaxation Take a ‘pressure situation’: your heart is pumping faster, you are getting so close to winning, but you feel slightly out of control – the answer: Get more pumped up! Most understand that would not be an effective solution. It is a question of calming and refocusing yourself relaxation plays a major part in this. Relaxation is not always ‘chilling out’; it is about getting the body to relax for a split-second, to focus getting blood to the right areas of your body and for the mind to take control. Simple tip: When the pressure is on and you want to slow yourself quickly, take a few deep breaths, imagine you are breathing in through your tummy button and focus on a point about an inch behind it. This will slow your heart rate briefly & also focus your mind. Motivation If your coach tells you “you’re rubbish. Is this all you can do? You are useless” this will hardly motivate you to improve, yet this is all too common. Motivation is about a ‘Motive for Action’. Motivation is intrinsically linked to your goals, to your confidence and most importantly to your own self-belief. You need to know why you are competing, what you want to achieve and the reward you will get. Reward yourself for achieving the goals you set out to reach, making sure you have smaller rewards for smaller goals on the way. Anxiety Control We all become anxious. This can be through fear of failure, poor performance, nerves or lack of confidence. Anxiety control is the control of a combination of many different elements, meaning there is no ‘quick fix’. It is all about hard training, physical skill and mental application. There are many techniques to work on for this, see our Masterclasses for more information. www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ©2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Decision Making Decision making is a topic that is worked on more and more often with individuals and also with teams. The level of pressure in sport has increased through higher levels of expectation and performance. There is a much finer line and closer margin between those in the top 10 or 20 of a competition. Those that win do so through practice in their focus, preparation and decision making.

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Forms On the following pages there are some example forms for you to use. These can then be kept in a folder for you to refer to and keep a record of. The forms are simple and will form a part of our Clay Shooting Success Masterclasses. The forms are: Goal Setting Target Reading Evaluation Form(s) Training Competition Coaching

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Goal Setting – Date: Outcome

Performance

Dream Goal

Long-term Goals 3-5yr

Mid-term Goals 1-3yr

Short-term Goals 12m

Micro Goals 3-6m

Macro Goals 4 weeks

Write down your goals as you see right now, and then relook at them in a month.

Target Reading Target Type

Coaching Keywords

Mental Keywords

Performance Goal

Left to right crosser

pick up-swing

pick-smooth-bang

Keep head straight

through-pull away-

and shoulder high

keep swinging-bang

Use this form to make quick notes on all targets; this reinforces the positives of what you are doing.

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Training Evaluation Form Training Goal

Keywords

Performance Goal

Improve sharp left climbing

call-focus-pick up-flow

To move smoothly with the

trap target

target, to ease back on the swing

Use this form to track your training progress, plus add elements you want to work on.

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Competition Evaluation Form Date:

Score:

Weather: Evaluation: 1 poor 5 excellent

Competition:

Notes

Technically Preparation Mental Awareness Mental Imagery Keyword Use Drinking Water Overall Feeling Add your own here â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as negative thoughts, certain targets, link to your performance goals

Use this form for your own evaluation www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

Coaching Form Target Type

Coach Notes

Mental Tip

Keyword Notes

Other Notes

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.

We hope you have found this handbook useful and we encourage you to read through it, make notes on it and use it. The handbook is a taster into Clay Shooting Success and we are running a number of Masterclasses, plus publishing our Masterclasses online so you can grow as a clay shooter. Our Masterclasses held at shooting grounds in the UK and the USA give you the chance to work on your own mental elements, work on the psychology of clay shooting and the opportunity take part in our research, and plug into our experience. For more information please go to www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk.

With Thanks to:

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk ÂŠ2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley.