Observation, tip, or S.W.A.T. (scientific wild a$# thought)
12/25/07
Theory of a Miss: O.k. this is an old one, but a good one. Why do most people miss? (I am talking about the mystical miss, the one that the shooter never knew about, not a flier round) Is it mental or physical or both? Think about it for a second...... ALL physical actions are a result of a mental process. So the miss has to be mental right? Wrong! A miss is a physical mistake caused by a mental error. We must avoid trying to separate the two, because they work in coordination with each other. The point is that the metal process begins the physical action, thus, missing is a result of a mental error, and can be corrected there. If we correct the mental error, the physical mistake during the firing cycle won't happen. Unfortunately, most people train themselves to miss during their training sessions and drills. Suppose someone mistakenly thinks that "burning lots of ammo" is the way to shooting success. Rather than paying attention to quality, they use the quantity theory. Think about it in mathematical terms. Let's say they shoot 1000 rounds a week. During those 1000 rounds a week they practice...but practice only partially correct techniques. Lets say they neglect or practice some element of the firing cycle wrong during 600 of their 1000 practice rounds (firing cycle: find the target, point the gun at the target, verify sight alignment and picture, hold the gun aligned on target while pressing the trigger). How far did they move forward in their skill? They didn't! Here is how it breaks down: 1000 total - 400 correct, 600 incorrect. This equals a -200 in correct skill development! They trained bad techniques...and when the chips are down, will perform with bad techniques! They trained themselves to miss!
01/08/08
Quality vs. Quantity:I was recently (and have in the past) been asked some form of this question-How do you keep your focus in training? How do you keep yourself in the zone? How can I stay mentally connected when training? In addressing this question, I always try to point out the obvious tips to keeping a high level of focus, staying in the zone, etc., but the real question remains: Do people realize the danger they are in of creating bad habits with poorly executed training sessions? I don't think so, and if more people did, they would make every effort possible to follow therules ofexecution that I have outlined on this site. Remember, once a habit is created whether good or bad, it is incredibly hard to reverse the training effect. In essence, we have to DOUBLE the training repetitions to untrain a bad habit and retrain it with proper mechanics. I guess the point is, quality is ALWAYS more important than quantity when executing a training session. One of the single biggest mistakes that the best shooters I know made in their development was thinking that training more would compensate for a lack of quality. If they had it to do over, almost all of them have told me they would shoot half as much with twice the attention and focus. Remember, the point of training is to find that focused connection to the technique, and to perform it 100% correct as much as humanly possible. Here is something to try: Cut your training session times in half, and FORCE yourself to focus onsmall portions of the training, but with complete attention to the quality of the repetition or technique. You will learn twice as much, I promise!!
01/22/08
Mental Triggers: What the heck are mental triggers? Well, I am so glad you ask, because they are one of the true keys to performance under stress. I define a mental trigger as: something (usually a physical cue) that triggers a mini program (or portion of one) in my subconscious mind. This mini program may cause me to go through a thought, complete an action, or feel a pre-determined feeling. I work constantly on building mental triggers that force me to go through certain actions and processes, even when I am under stress. Here are some examples- Mental Trigger 1: When I feel the pressure from the trigger (the wall or prepped point)on my finger this triggers me to actively focus my attention on the sights (using whatever focus I need for the shot), and fire the shot by pressing to the rear. Mental Trigger 2: When I index my rifle on my cheek during the mount (bringing the gun to aim at the target), the sensation causes me to find the dot in my sight, verify placement and press the trigger to the rear.Mental Trigger 3: When I grip my handgun in the holster (this one is competitive oriented), prior to shooting a stage or event, the feeling of gripping the gun relaxes my mind, and immediately focuses my attention on the task at hand (all surrounding distractions disappear). How do we train these mental triggers into our subconscious master programs? Repetition with emphasis on the important items within the skill we want to perform. Re-read mental trigger 1...this one emphasizes the importance of having the discipline to pick up the sights BEFORE firing the shot during the draw or other process. If I train myself to visually locate the sights when the pad of my finger feels the pressure from the trigger on it, and I do this repetitively during my training sessions, it will occur at speed and subconsciously when I am under stress. Believe it or not this visual attention occurs in hundredths of a second! Designing your training with numerous mental triggers are a good way to build proper habits that will allow you to perform on demand under stress, give them a try!
