Shotgun Sports

Shotgun Sports - 2021 October How do you reduce Match Stress? Michael J. Keyes, M.D has sug gestions this month that are very relevant and helpful once you distill the article. Two important ways of dealing with match stress are shooting competitions to inure yourself against it and to simulate it thru you practice routines. Both help immunize yourself against it, but they are not an end-all solution. Other solutions are improving your physical fitness, improving your shooting fundamentals, and adding mental tools such as self-talk, visualization, and relaxation techniques to your mental game repertoire. These boost your overall confidence. Also revisit positive shooting experiences to aid in that effort. Much of match stress is due to dealing with variations in conditions and a lack of consistency in your pre-shot approach. A consistently applied pre-shot routine can eliminate distractions and inconsistencies in your technique. A well prepared and followed preshot routine should aid you by focusing your attention to the job at hand, the shooting process. Focused, deliberate practice builds consistency and confidence. Full application of your pre-shot routine during these intense sessions is paramount. The pre-station and pre-shot routine mean different things to different people. This could mean relaxation exercises, visualization, footwork, look point, hold point, break point determination, shot planning, and timing your breathing. Whatever you do, do it during practice too. Rushing through 100 targets in 20 minutes isn’t as beneficial as 25 targets carefully planned and shot in the same timeframe. Michael says the “pre-shot rituals induce an altered state that helps shield you from the doubts that match pressure brings”. He is exactly right. Give yourself to the shooting process and wipe everything else off the mental slate. Tabula Rosa. The moment of truth as defined by John Shima is when the shooter settles their vision into soft focus and calls for the target. Going into soft focus “Quiet Eye” allows you to go into Quiet Mind mode, which is what you need for a successful shot, one from the subconscious level. Michael broadens that time frame to the point where you no longer have a choice and you have to perform. Isn’t it better to create the best conditions for this moment whether it is Michael’s or John’s. Build consistency into your shooting process and work on building overall confidence in any way that fits you.