Terrible match last night ???

[mako]

I had my worst match in years last night ... even though we were shooting at the BEST lit range ... where people tend to shoot their PB's ... I was relaxed, had been practicing well, shot good sighters. My focus for this match was to concentrate on "perfect" trigger release and follow through. My shots LOOKED good ... but in fact where often off and scattered! Yes, I checked to make sure my sights were not loose ... been there ... :-)
I can only think that my vision was going from sight to who knows when the shot was breaking ... although I was consciously trying to not do that as I fought to get back into it. Usually this wandering eye happens if I'm not follow through ... but I was holding through. I took a long break ... dry fired ... but although I improved somewhat towards the end ... I was still "unpredicatable!?" 520!!! Even worse then the 535 that I shot a few days before ... when because of my good practice ... I felt I was going to shoot my first 560 in a match ... :-(
I was about to sell my Rika Trainer ... which I hadn't used in a long time ... I better hook it back up again ...
Any other suggestions ... other then training more instead of Posting so often ... :-)
makofoto-at-earthlink.net.47663.0

[Papadeas Panagiotis]

Perhaps you stresed yourself a bit too much just trying to make that first 560. I do it all the time and always fail terrible (and i thought that the LP10 was the culprit). I think that sometimes we mentally focus on other things instead of shooting like today i am superman and i will break my personal best. That brain is such a mystery. I have so many matches that i had so great sighter shots (i mean tight and on the 10 ring) and then poof all is gone with lots of smoke. adrenaline kicks in and the first shot lands off the mark without me even realizing it. then as the match goes on and its ruined i relax more and get more good shots ... anyway perhaps this is an view of what happened to you. perhaps we dont need to train more psysicaly but mentally trying to make ourselves see each shot individually.
I am writing this more as a reminder to myself mext i time i blow a match :)
Sometimes you have to start writing. thanks for the oportunity
Deep tens
Papadeas Panagiotis
greece
: I had my worst match in years last night ... even though we were shooting at the BEST lit range ... where people tend to shoot their PB's ... I was relaxed, had been practicing well, shot good sighters. My focus for this match was to concentrate on "perfect" trigger release and follow through. My shots LOOKED good ... but in fact where often off and scattered! Yes, I checked to make sure my sights were not loose ... been there ... :-)
: I can only think that my vision was going from sight to who knows when the shot was breaking ... although I was consciously trying to not do that as I fought to get back into it. Usually this wandering eye happens if I'm not follow through ... but I was holding through. I took a long break ... dry fired ... but although I improved somewhat towards the end ... I was still "unpredicatable!?" 520!!! Even worse then the 535 that I shot a few days before ... when because of my good practice ... I felt I was going to shoot my first 560 in a match ... :-(
: I was about to sell my Rika Trainer ... which I hadn't used in a long time ... I better hook it back up again ...
: Any other suggestions ... other then training more instead of Posting so often ... :-)

bm-ozpytx-at-otenet.gr.47664.47663

[mako]

thanks ... Actually that is WHY I Post so much ... by writing ... it forces me to actually think about these things ...
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[Papadeas Panagiotis]

By the way if youever sell that rika i will be the first to ask .. i think i need that rika badly :)))) and i just love new toys to mess around and have excuses for poor shoots.
: thanks ... Actually that is WHY I Post so much ... by writing ... it forces me to actually think about these things ...

bm-ozpytx-at-otenet.gr.47676.47665

[akihmsa]

Were the shots going where you were calling them?: I had my worst match in years last night ... even though we were shooting at the BEST lit range ... where people tend to shoot their PB's ... I was relaxed, had been practicing well, shot good sighters. My focus for this match was to concentrate on "perfect" trigger release and follow through. My shots LOOKED good ... but in fact where often off and scattered! Yes, I checked to make sure my sights were not loose ... been there ... :-)
: I can only think that my vision was going from sight to who knows when the shot was breaking ... although I was consciously trying to not do that as I fought to get back into it. Usually this wandering eye happens if I'm not follow through ... but I was holding through. I took a long break ... dry fired ... but although I improved somewhat towards the end ... I was still "unpredicatable!?" 520!!! Even worse then the 535 that I shot a few days before ... when because of my good practice ... I felt I was going to shoot my first 560 in a match ... :-(
: I was about to sell my Rika Trainer ... which I hadn't used in a long time ... I better hook it back up again ...
: Any other suggestions ... other then training more instead of Posting so often ... :-)

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[Mako]

:>>>Were the shots going where you were calling them?
No ... that's what I meant when I said: "My shots LOOKED good ... but in fact where often off and scattered!" :-(
makofoto-at-earthlink.net.47690.47689

[Warren]

1. Do you have more weight on the first stage than the second?
2. Does your "perfect" trigger release involve a complete surprise release?
If your answers are yes and no, it's understandable (have been there myself).
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[Michael]

I am an expert at crashing and burning when I think that I should soar! I usually can trace back the failure to placing too much emphasis on score and not enough on performance of each shot or string of shots. To get back on track, I usually try to focus on the shot I'm about to make and then call the shot. I also try not to think too much. I seem to do better when I just do it. I also seem to do better when I shoot at a fast pace. When I slow down I tend to start worrying the shots off. Well I'll quit rambling now.
: I had my worst match in years last night ... even though we were shooting at the BEST lit range ... where people tend to shoot their PB's ... I was relaxed, had been practicing well, shot good sighters. My focus for this match was to concentrate on "perfect" trigger release and follow through. My shots LOOKED good ... but in fact where often off and scattered! Yes, I checked to make sure my sights were not loose ... been there ... :-)
: I can only think that my vision was going from sight to who knows when the shot was breaking ... although I was consciously trying to not do that as I fought to get back into it. Usually this wandering eye happens if I'm not follow through ... but I was holding through. I took a long break ... dry fired ... but although I improved somewhat towards the end ... I was still "unpredicatable!?" 520!!! Even worse then the 535 that I shot a few days before ... when because of my good practice ... I felt I was going to shoot my first 560 in a match ... :-(
: I was about to sell my Rika Trainer ... which I hadn't used in a long time ... I better hook it back up again ...
: Any other suggestions ... other then training more instead of Posting so often ... :-)

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[mako]

Interesting that you mention the trigger weight ... I started to wonder about that during the match ... WHAT's correct ... my first stage IS heavier. But isn't that the way the Morini comes set-up?
I'm pretty good at not consciously releasing the shot ... concentrating on the front sight and sight alignment ... TRYING to Sub-Six area aim ...


makofoto-at-earthlink.net.47706.47693

[Mako]

I usually shoot too fast ... in fact I came in first last night ... First FINISHED ... even though I had a note next to me saying SLOW DOWN ... SLOW TRIGGER ... FOLLOW THRU! Took one long-ish break. I follow the Ragnar Skanaker method of putting the pistol down after every shot in order to force myself to slow down and rebuild for each shot. So that I emphasis that each shot is it's own match.
I think my problem is that I DO think about it too much ... and try too hard. Last time I set a personal best (553) ... I was late for the match ... decided, what the hell ... just go for it ... and I think for the first time really got in the ZONE. It was just very mechanical but focused ... ?

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[Richard]

It's good to analyze it if you feel there is something you could have done. But there comes a time to forget about last nights performance. What did you do right last night and think about that so you can repeat that part of the performance. Even the worst performance has something good in it. Are you coming to up to the Cnd. Grand Prix this year?
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[tck]

Dear Mako,
Don't take one match result too seriously, I had experienced the same situation before. Have a good series of training scores through out the week and went to the match on week end. Had good sighting series at 95, 93 and started the match also expecing to have something good the evening. Right on the first shoot the trigger seems to have one ton of pull. After 15 seconds I decided to give up and start all over again. Finally I spent 5 minutes just to make the first shot and it was an 8.
This would happen when 1. you are too concentrate to socre a ten. 2. The excitment of the match makes you too sensitive on the fingers and your pull becomes too light, after several times that you cannot finish a shot you start jumping the trigger, making the sighting and alignment totally meaningless. 3. Too conscious on the score so after making a bad shoot you always try to make up with the after shot and making you nervous. 4. Concentration diversified by other shooters near by, either by their score or by their motion. (That is why you had scored best the time you were late and have no time to scan the shooters nearby, That was exactly what I also experience once. I arrived 15 minutes late and have no chance to check who was standing beside me. The other time was I returned from a trip and had not been practising for one whole week, when I shot the next morning I had little expectation and hoping just to keep a 540 score. I just keep on reminding myself on all the basics from stance, holding the grip, hand angle, sight alignment, concentrate on the front sight and trigger pull, I finally got a 549.
Just relaxed a bit and keep yourself in control, I believe as an experienced shooter like you, skill is not a problem but everything remains inside the mind.



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[Mako]

Won't make it to the CGP this year ... works been very slow ... got to conserve ... well at least I have a lot of time to practice ... if I would just get off the computer. LOL

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[Larry]

When you seek the perfect trigger release you loose track of the front sight. Yes grasshopper, I have been there many times. The trigger finger works just fine if we pay attention to the sights and let it do its job... Now if I could just remember that when I decide I should work on my trigger release!!
: I had my worst match in years last night ... even though we were shooting at the BEST lit range ... where people tend to shoot their PB's ... I was relaxed, had been practicing well, shot good sighters. My focus for this match was to concentrate on "perfect" trigger release and follow through. My shots LOOKED good ... but in fact where often off and scattered! Yes, I checked to make sure my sights were not loose ... been there ... :-)
: I can only think that my vision was going from sight to who knows when the shot was breaking ... although I was consciously trying to not do that as I fought to get back into it. Usually this wandering eye happens if I'm not follow through ... but I was holding through. I took a long break ... dry fired ... but although I improved somewhat towards the end ... I was still "unpredicatable!?" 520!!! Even worse then the 535 that I shot a few days before ... when because of my good practice ... I felt I was going to shoot my first 560 in a match ... :-(
: I was about to sell my Rika Trainer ... which I hadn't used in a long time ... I better hook it back up again ...
: Any other suggestions ... other then training more instead of Posting so often ... :-)

.47715.47663

[Craig E.]

: By the way if youever sell that rika i will be the first to ask .. i think i need that rika badly :)))) and i just love new toys to mess around and have excuses for poor shoots.
: : thanks ... Actually that is WHY I Post so much ... by writing ... it forces me to actually think about these things ...
Hi Mako et al.
Posting is akin to the shooter's diary....reflecting and putting down thoughts and observations about what goes right/wrong. Just today I happened to make a late afternoon pot of coffee (50% decaf) and proceeded to keep warm in the shop with a mug. Then, the workweek being over, I thought I might have some fun and get in an early practice session. Needless to say, I had an excuse for the rather random performance....but didn't think about it until after I tried to figure out why the sudden abberant shooting. If I had a "trainer", the thing would have been a solid color displaying the erratic and constant movement in my hold. More practice tomorrow ....and no chemical excuses. But it is nice to have a reference for the impact of indiscretion about a bit of java. Additionally, a previous thread talked about sub-six hold. That is most comfortable for me v. the center hold, but I seem to have difficulty keeping the space of the front sight uniformly beneath the bull. A number of times, my shots are perfectly centered from left to right and make a very pretty vetical dotted line. Got to figure that one out. Good shooting and good practices with even better matches to all. Craig
alance2002-at-yahoo.com.47717.47676

[akihmsa]

I agree with other poster that said don't worry over it too much. If calling the shots persists to be a problem get someone to watch you shoot who knows what to look for. They might spot a minor thing and you can correct it. Can't fix what you don't know about ;~) My shooting benefited greatly from having an old pistol shooter watch me for just 15 minutes. Taking his advice and working on his suggestions improved my scores more in a few months than years of struggling along alone. Now instead of working on putting all my shots into the black I am working on putting them all into the 9 and 10 ring (still get those pesky 8's too often but it is getting slowly better ;~) : Won't make it to the CGP this year ... works been very slow ... got to conserve ... well at least I have a lot of time to practice ... if I would just get off the computer. LOL

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