Sometimes in comps you can just try to hard, instead of shooting instinctively, you start to "make sure" and try to follow the bird instead of seeing it and shooting it, trusting your eyes to bring your hands, and the gun to the clay.
Roger, I enjoy your videos very much. I started shooting about the same time as you, and would say we would be very close with our practice scores. We differ in that my competitive scores are typically higher than my practice scores. In my practice sessions, I always try to focus on improving a particular trap skill, usually trying to shoot the bird as soon as possible. In competitions, I do not focus in my fundamentals; that's what I do in practice. What I do while waiting for my turn to shoot, is to close my eyes and visualize the flight of the birds at the various angles from the post I am at. Hard left, hard right, straight away, quartering birds. and I picture my gun moving smoothly to the bird and visualizing firing my gun and breaking the bird. To avoid my tendency to 'aim' at quartering birds, I say in my mind, "Make an athletic movement", meaning move smoothly and try to avoid the tendency to just bring the gun up and cross the path of the bird. Track it, then shoot it! I sometimes do the same visualization in practice, but the 'social' part if trap shooting makes it difficult. When I am doing my visualization, I get into a trancelike state and it often takes me 30 minutes to regain my social graces--a small enough price to pay for good competitive scores. Try it at your next competition.
Haha this vid made me laugh, I've had those days aswell would of been better to take a bag of rocks and throw at the clays, I've just Brought myself a new beretta trap gun and the scores are looking good after the first shoot with it last weekend hopefully it stays that way, great vids btw👍
Beau ...I did a bit better last sunday ...won a box of cartridges in the 40 mixed targets events...glad you are happy with the beretta ...they are a good gun...good to hear from you ...stay well and happy shooting...Roger
No two days of shooting are the same, so consistency is a very hard thing to master. However what you can do is to do your best to keep things the same, wear similar clothes as you do in practice, keep the gun the same and cartridges. Also you keep your timing the same (even in bad weather). You need to keep your gun and visual holds in the same place every time (even in bad weather,don't ajust for the weather or it may ruin your fair weather shooting routine. And just concentrate on every target. Think, " i am going to hit the first bird out, when you have done so, focus on smoking the first 5 and then the first bird of the next peg and so on.
Hi Roger, I can relate to all of your video. As a competetive pistol shooter I found the more competitions I did the easier the mindset got at each comp. It is all a mind game.
Yes ...it is certainly a mind game...now i just concentrate on getting the basics right and let the score look after itself...you are very right its the mind...a few days ago at practice i shot 49 in a row ...i thought to myself this will be 50 and i do not need to tell you what happened to that target...its lying somewhere in the grass unbroken and laughing at me!
Agreed. I've been to several Go (an ancient board game) competitions, and as soon as competitive games become the norm, then the stress (cortisol level) evens out and one can play the same game regardless.
When I shoot with my son it seems the better he does , the worse I do as I feel under pressure to do as well , a guy at the club advised me to in between shots keep my head down and focus on something on the ground in front of me , not watching how good or bad the other shooters are doing and relax , it doesn't matter what the other shooters are hitting , only what I am hitting , raise your head just before your turn to refocus on the field , might be worth a try at practice .
+Nokharma Yes I need to relax...a good shot of scotch would calm the nerves but alcohol and guns do not mix... good to hear you shoot together with your son...yes in future i am not going to look at the other shooters when they take their shot... thank you for the input ...i have another competition next Sunday ...if I shoot badly my gun could be up for sale...thanks again...Roger
That's exactly my problem...i shoot very well in trainning ( 25-24-23 ) but when it comes to the competition i lose it....i think and do exact same rhings as you + i lose my concentration
Shooter Trap...good to hear from you...in my short experience I can say that pretty soon you'll be shooting the same scores in competition...you obviously can shoot...and things will definitely turn around...my problem was that i would worry about putting up a bad score on the board...now i say to myself you can do it at practice and you can do it now...who cares what score we post on the board...just "see bird...shoot bird"...good luck and stay well!
Roger Pace i'm very glad that you replyed me...it's great to share something with someone who actually understand what your talking about! Hope that i can maintain my scores in competition as well.
Do athletes practice? No they train. Do they train until they get it right. No they train until they can not get it wrong. What are you practicing - shooting below 100%scores. Forget that word practice. Train yourself. Good luck.
Rob ...the definition of practice is...the act of doing something regularly or repeatedly to improve your skill . The definition of training is...the skill knowledge or experience acquired by one that trains. What is the difference?.... and thank you for your interest and for watching !!!
Sometimes in comps you can just try to hard, instead of shooting instinctively, you start to "make sure" and try to follow the bird instead of seeing it and shooting it, trusting your eyes to bring your hands, and the gun to the clay.
100% true!
I try to treat all shoots as practice even the big comps and look at it as a exposure exercise to different venues and conditions
Roger, I enjoy your videos very much.
I started shooting about the same time as you, and would say we would be very close with our practice scores. We differ in that my competitive scores are typically higher than my practice scores. In my practice sessions, I always try to focus on improving a particular trap skill, usually trying to shoot the bird as soon as possible.
In competitions, I do not focus in my fundamentals; that's what I do in practice. What I do while waiting for my turn to shoot, is to close my eyes and visualize the flight of the birds at the various angles from the post I am at. Hard left, hard right, straight away, quartering birds. and I picture my gun moving smoothly to the bird and visualizing firing my gun and breaking the bird. To avoid my tendency to 'aim' at quartering birds, I say in my mind, "Make an athletic movement", meaning move smoothly and try to avoid the tendency to just bring the gun up and cross the path of the bird. Track it, then shoot it!
I sometimes do the same visualization in practice, but the 'social' part if trap shooting makes it difficult. When I am doing my visualization, I get into a trancelike state and it often takes me 30 minutes to regain my social graces--a small enough price to pay for good competitive scores.
Try it at your next competition.
Pynckone...it works for you...stick with it...and good on you!
Haha this vid made me laugh, I've had those days aswell would of been better to take a bag of rocks and throw at the clays, I've just Brought myself a new beretta trap gun and the scores are looking good after the first shoot with it last weekend hopefully it stays that way, great vids btw👍
Beau ...I did a bit better last sunday ...won a box of cartridges in the 40 mixed targets events...glad you are happy with the beretta ...they are a good gun...good to hear from you ...stay well and happy shooting...Roger
No two days of shooting are the same, so consistency is a very hard thing to master. However what you can do is to do your best to keep things the same, wear similar clothes as you do in practice, keep the gun the same and cartridges. Also you keep your timing the same (even in bad weather). You need to keep your gun and visual holds in the same place every time (even in bad weather,don't ajust for the weather or it may ruin your fair weather shooting routine. And just concentrate on every target. Think, " i am going to hit the first bird out, when you have done so, focus on smoking the first 5 and then the first bird of the next peg and so on.
I think the last is the most important. If you can get in 'the zone' at will, then you will have the same performance in practice and in competition.
John...that is very true!
Hi Roger, I can relate to all of your video. As a competetive pistol shooter I found the more competitions I did the easier the mindset got at each comp. It is all a mind game.
Yes ...it is certainly a mind game...now i just concentrate on getting the basics right and let the score look after itself...you are very right its the mind...a few days ago at practice i shot 49 in a row ...i thought to myself this will be 50 and i do not need to tell you what happened to that target...its lying somewhere in the grass unbroken and laughing at me!
Agreed. I've been to several Go (an ancient board game) competitions, and as soon as competitive games become the norm, then the stress (cortisol level) evens out and one can play the same game regardless.
When I shoot with my son it seems the better he does , the worse I do as I feel under pressure to do as well , a guy at the club advised me to in between shots keep my head down and focus on something on the ground in front of me , not watching how good or bad the other shooters are doing and relax , it doesn't matter what the other shooters are hitting , only what I am hitting , raise your head just before your turn to refocus on the field , might be worth a try at practice .
+Nokharma Yes I need to relax...a good shot of scotch would calm the nerves but alcohol and guns do not mix... good to hear you shoot together with your son...yes in future i am not going to look at the other shooters when they take their shot... thank you for the input ...i have another competition next Sunday ...if I shoot badly my gun could be up for sale...thanks again...Roger
just BE HAPPY and laugh when u loose a bird... easiest way to stay calm
That's exactly my problem...i shoot very well in trainning ( 25-24-23 ) but when it comes to the competition i lose it....i think and do exact same rhings as you + i lose my concentration
Shooter Trap...good to hear from you...in my short experience I can say that pretty soon you'll be shooting the same scores in competition...you obviously can shoot...and things will definitely turn around...my problem was that i would worry about putting up a bad score on the board...now i say to myself you can do it at practice and you can do it now...who cares what score we post on the board...just "see bird...shoot bird"...good luck and stay well!
Roger Pace i'm very glad that you replyed me...it's great to share something with someone who actually understand what your talking about! Hope that i can maintain my scores in competition as well.
Shooter trap...I try to reply to every comment...good luck and i'll look forward to hearing from you again...stay well
Do athletes practice? No they train. Do they train until they get it right. No they train until they can not get it wrong. What are you practicing - shooting below 100%scores. Forget that word practice. Train yourself. Good luck.
Rob ...the definition of practice is...the act of doing something regularly or repeatedly to improve your skill . The definition of training is...the skill knowledge or experience acquired by one that trains. What is the difference?.... and thank you for your interest and for watching !!!