Lost it

pilon

pilon

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North of 9 in ON
Shooting some trap last weekend and then it happened.
First round was OK, second round was not and by the third and fourth round i couldn't hit a cow in the *** with a shovel.
Went beside the trap house and blasted 5 and then got kinda upset and inkballed the next 5 or 6.
Shot again a few days ago and am shooting OK again.
Man I have never lost my confidence like that since I started shooting trap.
Anyone else experience what I just went through?
I thought my eyes had gone south.:)
 
This sounds like a "6 inch miss." The miss is caused by the 6 inches between your ears. Shot well the first round and started to think it was easy. When you ran into trouble on the second round you started thinking "what the heck am I doing wrong?" Spending more time thinking about why you missed targets on your previous round you started dropping even more. After the round was over, you shoot a few practice targets and you are inkballing targets. This happens to everyone.

If it happens again think about the fundamentals not why you missed those other targets. They are gone, lost and you aren't getting them back. Put them out of your mind. Face on the stock and really look hard at the target.
 
Claybuster said:
This sounds like a "6 inch miss." The miss is caused by the 6 inches between your ears. Shot well the first round and started to think it was easy. When you ran into trouble on the second round you started thinking "what the heck am I doing wrong?" Spending more time thinking about why you missed targets on your previous round you started dropping even more. After the round was over, you shoot a few practice targets and you are inkballing targets. This happens to everyone.

If it happens again think about the fundamentals not why you missed those other targets. They are gone, lost and you aren't getting them back. Put them out of your mind. Face on the stock and really look hard at the target.
Click to expand...

If you have 6 inches between your eyes missing a few targets is the least of your problems. :)
 
It's the darndest thing isn't it. Things are going fine and it all goes away. You try harder and it gets worse until finally you feel like fixing bayonets and charging the d*mned things. Certainly the 6 inch miss is a big part of it like CB says. At the very least the wrong mental attitude can make it worse, and overconfidence could do it for at least some of us, though I haven't felt this myself. (I always adopt the appropriate humble, fearful attitude, truly I do :D) But what to do with it and why does it happen? So far, I have been feeling it can be due to many things. One is a change in conditions that catches me off guard and I get the wrong mental set going. The other day was a prime example. The birds started flying low due to a small change in conditions and I started to shoot over them. Two things happened; I didn't adjust to it (of course one can expect the same results if one keeps doing the same thing) and I got the wrong mental set going (get me my bayonet quick...;)) rather than getting interested and trying things). Finally I hit one and all the chips went straight down, which kind of bailed me out... Turns out you only have to hit me in the head with a brick four or five times before I start to pay attention...:redface:
 
So, I am not the only one with "Single Malt Syndrom"!:p:rockOn:

"If you think, you stink!" One of my better quotes relating to shooting clay targets. Instead of concentrating on the target, we get distracted by the miss and try to apply ourselves to make sure that the bead/target are properly in synch. Except, that this those not work! "Instinct is best"! This is the reason that we hit that flushing partridge. We don't think, we use instinct. We focus on the bird!

Regards from Vancouver, a most expensive place to park a car..........:confused:

Henry;)
 
Pilon, Maybe you need a new Caesar Guerini ;)

All seriousness though, Claybuster has hit the nail on the head. A miss, or two or more in a row plays with your mind. You try to correct your shooting to not miss, this in turn just made you change your tried and true method of inkballing birds. You are quite capable of inkballing 25 straights, as I've witnessed you do many times. But the mental game comes into play and you "change" to fix a problem that really isn't there.
You witnessed me this summer fail miserably on hard lefts from station 1, which again was a problem in my head. I kept trying to think my way through it, and change to correct a problem that really wasn't there. I know darn well that hard lefts on station 1 are targets I can inkball just like any other, but a couple of misses, it started a snowball that I couldn't stop.

Back to the new gun, sometimes a slump can be fixed by not necessarily buying a new gun, but just trying another from your collection. This makes you think about the different gun and its handling characteristics rather than your shooting fundamentals, which come totally natural to a seasoned shooter like yourself. Then your shooting goes into autopilot, because your brain is thinking about the "new" gun.
 
"If you think, you stink!"
I like that and opine this is probably the culprit.
Seems like a common theme with all the advice given thus. Thanks guys.
hey fire, new C.G. = black targets:)
 
One of the problems with catchy phrases is they don't tell one a heck of a lot unless much information goes along with them. (I guess they do help us commiserate and maybe they are decent reminders of something providing we already know it.) If one doesn't think about things like lead, gun hold point, point at which you intend to take the bird, which bird you're going to take first, what the conditions are, what the lead will look like, what the result was on the previous shot (to analyze where one is shooting), what the best body position and stance is for the site to be shot in, then I'll warrant there isn't much improvement on the horizon. Nope, I figure the only time one shouldn't think is just before and after calling for the bird (s), e.g. the magic 3 seconds. Now, if one has done all that thinking and is actually ready to call for the bird and shoot it, then probably thinking will interfere and a catchy phrase helps us remember that. "Pull" Just my $0.02.
 
When I am shooting less than I expect I stop and go home. The last thing you want to do is re-enforce bad habits,style etc.

It happens to everyone except Slavex so shake 'er off and get in the right mind frame for the next session.

PDB
 
Know EXACTLY what you're going through. I smoked a 9 this morning and put the gun away. I get too frustrated with myself and it continues to go downhill from there. The old boys at the club are very very helpful with their tips and telling me not to worry about it but.....................
 
BCFred said:
One of the problems with catchy phrases is they don't tell one a heck of a lot unless much information goes along with them. (I guess they do help us commiserate and maybe they are decent reminders of something providing we already know it.) If one doesn't think about things like lead, gun hold point, point at which you intend to take the bird, which bird you're going to take first, what the conditions are, what the lead will look like, what the result was on the previous shot (to analyze where one is shooting), what the best body position and stance is for the site to be shot in, then I'll warrant there isn't much improvement on the horizon. Nope, I figure the only time one shouldn't think is just before and after calling for the bird (s), e.g. the magic 3 seconds. Now, if one has done all that thinking and is actually ready to call for the bird and shoot it, then probably thinking will interfere and a catchy phrase helps us remember that. "Pull" Just my $0.02.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. "Think you stink" is just prior to calling for your target(s) and while following through.:)
When I shoot poorly I think it is because I have other things on my mind in that magic 3 seconds as you so aptly put it. Thanks:D
 
IMO the phrase "If you think, you stink" is about the dumbest thing you can say to yourself before you shoot. It's a negative statement and what your subconcious is going to here is, "You stink."

What you want to build is positive focus and clear your mind of anything other than the business at hand. Foot position, break point, gun hold point, eye hold point are decided in advance and then I think "Look at the leading edge of the target" and then call. If my plan is right and I break the presentation solidly I take a moment to replay the performance in my mind. I want it the positive performance burned into my subconscious. If I miss then I change something, not everything but something based on why I think I didn't hit.

Building the pre-shot routine is important to reduce the variables. I shoot more sporting clays than trap but even with trap I try and do the same thing before every shot. When I load, when I close the gun, when I mount the gun, where I put my barrel and eyes should all be the same from shot to shot. The shells are in the same place and I have more shells than needed so I don't count my shots. That's someone else's job.

I also have a between shot routine and do not look at everyone else's targets only the shooter just before me. Why should I watch all 125 targets when what I care most about is 25 I'm going to shoot. Watching the other targets potentially puts too much into your head particularly if it's windy and the targets are moving or someone else is missing a lot.

Develop a consistent routine. Stick with it, reduce the variables and take the thinking out of the game in favour of focusing on seeing the leading edge of the target.
 
Claybuster said:
IMO the phrase "If you think, you stink" is about the dumbest thing you can say to yourself before you shoot. It's a negative statement and what your subconcious is going to here is, "You stink."
Click to expand...
I think Henry meant this:
I don't shoot with a mantra. My mind is "pull" when I call.
:)
Think you stink is during that precise moment before and after "PULL"
Instinct after fundamentals is good no?
 
Pre shooting rituals are absolutely necessary! But, when you say PULL and start thinking, one is in trouble. "Am I ahead, how much lead, an I under" etc..... When things look like slow motion footballs and not minis, one concentrates ONLY on the target. One does NOT think as the subconscience takes over.

Regards,
Henry;)
 
Happened to me last weekend. Tanked big time.
One of the guys from work came out and I guess it threw me off my game. All other times, there was no one to worry about, no impressions to make etc... Stole m whole game from me. Next time I guess I will focus on relaxing more.
 
Yes, watch for negative thinking and do thinking before calling for the bird like CB says and good pre-calling rituals like Hynachi says. That's what I'm trying to get down and it's helping. The negatives that get me are when I've missed and start getting down on myself, or when I have a good string going and I start to tighten up. I've begun using "f*ck history just shoot" (I think this is Ralph Kline's thought stopper.) as a mind clearer when this starts happening and it seems to help me get back on task. The other thing that seems to help is breathing exercises a la Kline again. The 4 second intake, 4 second hold and complete exhalation helps me. In fact, it can become almost reflexive and it's a nice space to shoot in.
 
Always remember you own the targets, you paid for them, no rush, next dont think a hell of alot, let your mind relax do whatever, but when its your turn see the bird breaking, dont pull your gun up sit there and meditate, zone in pull gun up, and call for the bird. remember this game is almost 90% mental and the other 10% physical....Most of all, keep it fun, if you are getting worked up then you are no long having fun with this game...just my thoughts, im not a pro, and alot of this i havent yet mastered, when you think you have it figured out, you don't. one target at a time until they are gone.

Happy Shooting
 
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