Shotgun Sports

Shotgun Sports – 2021 September Michael J. Keyes, M.D. takes the long way to get to the point he is trying to make and this month is no different. The gist of his dissertation this month is organization and its influence on our mental processes. We need to organize our thoughts and keep the goal in mind. Whether this is simply conquering the fundamentals of a shooting sport or learning advanced techniques, keeping the goal in view reduces the chaos of the process. Organization keeps us in a global view with the goal of improved shooting skills and better scoring on the horizon. It is easy to become lost in the minutiae of our present situation as we flounder through learning something new. We learn through experience and mistakes are part of that. Learn from the mistakes and don’t lose sight of the goal is the message. Seek out guidance and coaching when you need it, keeping the goal in view. When we finally see a clear path to the goal, we need to remember to stay on the path and not get sidetracked. Practice is the way to the goal and the more work you put in the closer the goal becomes.

Todd Bender is a Lanny Bassham adherent and his article this month on mental toughness takes most of its theorems from Mr. Bassham. First, being positive in your thinking allows the subconscious to act freely to shoot the target. What you think before a shot has a tremendous influence on the success of that shot. Any negative thinking will throw everything off track and your hopes of success diminish. Think positively before every shot. Follow your pre-station and pre-shot routine religiously. Variation from these routines will affect your positive attitude toward the shot and can distract from your effectiveness on a station. “Inconsistent routines encourage inconsistent thought.” Well said and very true. Be willing to hit the abort button if you find yourself distracted before a shot. The cause of the distraction isn’t important. What is, is the fact you have broken your routine and your normal pre-shot preparation. Now you aren’t as fully ready for the target as you usually are. Reset from the start and go through your pre-shot routine. Stick with the rhythm of your shooting and don’t break it. Abort when and if you need to and start over. Trust your shot. We do this by fully focusing on the target and trusting to our subconscious to move to the target. Trust the lead to the subconscious and let it make the shot. Conscious thinking leads to measuring leads and inevitable mistakes and a cascade of misses as you lose trust. Commit to the shot and let it happen. Focus on the process not the outcome. If you commit to shooting each target as they come, then the scores will take care of themselves. Don’t try to break a target, let the target break, watch the target break, as John Shima would say. Concentrate on the process, on seeing the target, and committing to the shot and the scores will take care of themselves.