Philip Hepler #deadeyenc I have been a field target shooter for some years now. Over that time I have become aware that often the mental part of the game is overlooked. At the same time I believe the mental state of the shooter can make or break their performance. Recently I stumbled upon a book by Raymond Prior, PhD entitled Bullseye Mind, Mental aspects of competitive shooting.
MINDSET
Dr. Prior has worked with shooters and shooting teams from the college, professional and Olympic level, exploring mental techniques to improve performance. He describes two different mindsets of shooting. A Thinking Mindset and a Trusting Mindset. A Thinking Mindset is best used in practice and training. It is constantly evaluating performance and ways to improve. A Trusting Mindset is best for competition. It is completely focused on the shot in the present moment and nothing else. Being in the wrong mindset during competition can lead to frustration and performance issues. Too often I have seen shooters (and myself on occasion) focus on a missed target and let that disappointment effect my next shot. Doing so keeps your mind in the past (Thinking Mindset) instead of forgetting it and focusing on your present target (Trusting Mindset).
CHECK YOUR EGO
Another pitfall explored in his book is Ego shooters vs. Mastery shooters. The Ego shooter is concerned with what others will think of their shooting and score. This leads to fear of disappointment which distracts the shooter. A Mastery shooter is not concerned about what others think of their performance but rather is focused only on the performance itself. Mastery shooters have less fear, perform better and enjoy competing much more.
GET IN A ROUTINE
Bullseye Mind also covers how critical a good shot routine is for a successful shot. A good shot routine relaxes your body, settles your mind and sharpens your mental focus. This results in a trusting mindset. Dr. Prior gives strong advice on how to develop a good shot routine and make it work for you.
PROGRESS VS PERFECTION
Some of us are perfectionist. We want everything to be just right- our hold, body position, trigger control, follow through, etc. But too much focus on perfection can be destructive. In his book, Dr. Prior argues that there is no such thing as a perfect shot. He encourages shooters to strive to make progress instead of perfection.
There is much more covered in the book with practical advice to become a better mental shooter. Many of the tips are quite simple but often overlooked. We often blame equipment or a bad pellet for our performance. Perhaps the issue between our ears! I recommend you give it a read to improve the mental side of your game. At 124 pages it is an easy read and well worth your time. Heres to becoming a better mental shooter!
Bullseye Mind Mental Toughness for Sport Shooting/ by Raymond Prior, PhD Copyright © 2016 by Raymond Prior, PhD ISBN 978-0-9961448-1-0
I saw an article once where the researchers took eeg of the shooters’ brains and discovered that less effective shooters had lit-up prefrontal cortex brain activity, “thinking.” Whereas the effective competitor had a black (inactive) prefrontal cortex and the only brain activity was in the cerebellum, i.e. the part of the brain that humans share with predator sharks!
I like it!
The obvious joke would be that shooters with ‘less brain activity’ are better shooters!
But it makes sense that a ‘Trusting Mindset’ would result in different brain activity.
Thanks for sharing!