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Questions and Answers for week ending:
February 20th, 2004
| Submitted By: |
Tom Dean of Seattle, Washington |
| Category: |
Match Performance |
| Question: |
The answer to this question is different for
everyone, I'm sure, but as YOU step to the line on a high-pressure
stage, what thoughts usually put you in your comfort zone? |
| Rob's Quick Response: |
Confidence and focus allow one to
concentrate on the shooting task. Comfort comes later at the
awards banquet, hopefully. |
| Rob's Complete Answer: |
This was a very good question and one
that really got me thinking. I'm not quite sure how to define "comfort
zone". As different events require different skills and levels of
concentration, I will have varying points of focus. What I want
done will determine which state of focus I wish to be in. An event
that is very quick generally requires execution without consciously
going through a series of thoughts. I like to be tense physically,
but relaxed mentally. This is not a goal but a by-product of
intense concentration. Focus and confidence are more important
here than anything else.
Take any stage at the Steel Challenge, for instance. They are all
too quick to think through. The buzzer goes off, you start, and
within a few seconds, you are done. You will only have time to
think proactively about one or two things, if you are fast. Of
course, if you are slow you will have lots of time to think. You
must be very sharp and quick to be competitive and there is absolutely
no time to be relaxed.
Your muscles work by tensing and relaxing. You are constantly
pressurizing and de-pressurizing. This is not a state of
relaxation. Do not expect it to be or try to make it that way.
In an event at an IPSC match, I may want to feel a little tight. I
am usually focusing hard on many things, such as the multiple parts of a
stage. I know from my own experience that when I am really sharp,
I feel a little tense. Many try to relax at this point, but
I see tension as an indicator that I am focusing hard. In this
case, being in my comfort zone is not at all relaxed. I require
"tension" to recognize I am ready, making a tense state my "comfort
zone".
Above all else, I find confidence the major contributor of being able to
stay in my "comfort zone". Many spend countless hours trying to
find a way or process to relax, in a situation where that is nearly
impossible. Accept tension and nervousness as a condition that you
can be comfortable with and you can then focus on the real problems at
hand. The shooting test, not your emotional state, should be the
center of your attention. RL |
Top of
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| Submitted By: |
Unknown, but it's a pretty good question! |
| Category: |
Match Performance / Training & Practice |
| Question: |
Why, so frequently, do my match scores not reflect my
practice abilities? |
| Rob's Quick Response: |
Expect to shoot in a match what you do on your cold-turkey
runs in practice. |
| Rob's Complete Answer: |
How
often have you heard a shooter come back from a stage in a
match and say, "I'm better than that. I never do that in
practice."? The answer to this is, they probably do make
similar mistakes, the first time, every time they practice.
So, if you're shooting well and are happy with your match
performances, then carry on.
If
not, then you're like the rest of us, and you need to break
practice into two categories: Testing and Skill
Building: The two are not the same, however,
testing is the same as the match. You are testing your
abilities at that time, under those circumstances, to do
whatever task is asked of you. If in practice, on your
first run, you make mistakes, then you can expect that to
happen in a match, because in essence, they are the same.
If however, you make 10 runs through a drill in practice,
and do not remember your worst runs, only your best, then
you should not be disappointed when your match run is not
equal to your best practice runs. This form of practicing
is skill building, not testing, but you must work on your
problem areas.
When
you do a drill over and over again, trying to improve your
performance, you will make mistakes and should build off of
them to improve your next run. The trick here is to shoot
your first run in practice as though it were the World Shoot
(testing). The two hold equal importance, as the
cold-turkey run is always the one that counts. When I
practice, I shoot one run on a drill. If I do not
make a mistake, I do it again, faster. I repeat this until
I make a mistake. Once I've made a mistake, I analyze it
and then break down my practice to perfect that one item
(skill
building). If you practice enough different drills
and perfect each and every weakness in your ability to
perform them, soon you will have no weaknesses. Avoid
practicing what you're good at, and instead, work on what
you're not. RL |
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