Just finished up with the AZ 400 and picked up another match win for the season! Thanks to the guys and gals out at Cactus for putting on a great match! It was interesting the way they set it up. Eight stages all 32 rounds each. They did a good job at the mix of close targets, hard cover, steel etc. Taught an IDPA class on Friday had to change out the gear and shoot open the next morning. Hide behind stuff one day and the next run around and shoot everything!
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We are getting ready to film PSV 6 - The Ar-15! We go into production in just a few days. If you have any cool idea's or things you would like to see, drop me an email at matt@mattburkett.com
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Some random thoughts on the mental game:
It was interesting to watch some of the shooters and their mental game approach to the match. Most have the basic problem a ton of shooters have - blowing the first stage and then relaxing since the stress is over. There really is no logical reason for this other than the build up of expectations. We go to matches thinking we are going to do well, but, set ourselves up for failure by not preparing properly mentally. If we could just get back to the shooting and the important parts included in putting the bullets on the targets it would make the job a lot easier. There is a tendency to build up a match mentally and prep for it differently depending upon what level of competition it is.
We place different levels of importance on different competitions. It shouldn't be this way. The brown targets don't care what kind of match they are shot at and neither do the steel ones. One of the things I do is to take several matches and add them together into one big match. How I got the consistency I have now is to take an entire year of competition and treat it as a match. Helps me take the pressure off of any given event.
What we are looking for is the most important word in competition - confidence. You first need the ability to make any shot on demand. Once that is out of the way, it takes a significant level of stress off. If you have any weaknesses in your shooting, make sure that you develop them into strengths. If you stress about something at a match, most likely you are not the only one.
Remember that this is not a team sport. It is only you on the line. There really is no start line or finish line - the first bullet is of equal importance to the last.
If we can get rid of the need to "chase" other shooters, we are going to do much better than we expect. This is another thing that is a huge problem for more shooters. It shouldn't matter who is at a match and it has nothing to do with the way we shoot the targets.
A lot of shooters treat a club match flippantly and then take a big match seriously. You should take them all at the same level of performance and importance. This way you are shooting the best you can all the time instead of trying to just at a major match.
Ask yourself what is causing the tension and butterflies? Are they helpful to your shooting? Does getting pumped up strengthen your shooting or destroy it? What can you do to more effectively compete? Are you a positive or negative shooter in your mental approach?
Does your training include working on your mental game?
Check out:
http://www.lannybassham.com/
for more info on mental management.
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There will be more tips and advice in the future on the mental game but right now I have to get back to work on the rifle video quite a few have been screaming about!
Take care,
Matt
