PRS Talk Mental Game

[427Cobra]

I recently posted this is the Rimfire Section

The ize will greatly help in the mental game
Analize
Strategize
Memorize
Visualize(hint spend most of your time here)

That got 2 likes. I stopped shooting PR matches when my baby girl went off to college, I simply couldn't afford it, she graduated in 5 years with a Bachelors, a Masters Degree, and is off on her own paying her own bills, in those years I took up pistol matches, at first with a Glock 35, and a 9mm Conversion barrel, then I saved up for a STI double stack, and then I was lucky\unlucky to order and receive a Infinity 9mm/40sw sight tracker(my employer took away my vacation and paid me off so the Infinity was free), the 4 "ize" helped me greatly in my local pistol matches. I have helped out Ro-ing at Rifles Only, and few other matches to stay in the game, I see the top guys doing it in both sports, and only the new guys in pistol not doing it, the vast majority of you spend all your time before shooting looking thru your binos and screwing around with your Kestrel, and no time at all visualizing hitting targets, hell if you just would memorize the 10 shot stage description you could advance in the rankings a lot .

So my question is why isn't the mental game pushed harder in the precision rifle game, Mr Lanny Bassham has taught many of us that these things are beyond super important, and has even giving us the road map to success? Why aren't you doing these things, buying the latest greatest gear hasn't helped you advance, switching calibers every barrel isn't helping, the most badass expensive scope isn't helping, why not do something cheap.

 

[Mormegil87]

I would suspect most guys in the sport just do it to have fun and winning isn't even a thought that crosses their mind. Which is what the sport needs. It's a weekend with the guys.

For those of us that are competitive, whether on the local, regional or national level; Mr. Basham's book is a must. I've read it once already at the end of our season and will work through it again this off season.

The mental game will make or break everyone.

 

[wpeach1912]

Mental game is definitely just as if not more important than the gear used. The Vortex nation podcast talked about it with Jim See one time. I have some friends that are pretty successful in the competitive shotgun sports and they stress the mental game a lot too.

 

[dumbbell]

Cobra, I respect your question and your emphasis on the mental game. I 1000% agree that the mental game is way more important than we realize, and at the top of the game, may be the most important thing.
I disagree with what I think you are saying, about visualizing as being more of a priority than glassing before a stage. I definitely memorize my positions and targets before I shoot, but I have been down the road of visualizing a clean run, or visualizing hitting targets. What I found for me, is that refining my wind call puts more bullets on target than visualizing hitting the target. I can visualize center impacts all day, but if dont hold the right wind, it doesn't really matter.
I have read 25 plus books on the mental game, listened to Lannys and Daniel Horners presentations on shooting sports, and actually studied the mental game for tennis and golf as well. The one thing that I think is unique to PRS, that is not really found as a significant factor in other shooting sports, is the luck/skill of the wind. If visualizing was as important as it is in other sports, than I would think you would see guys like Doug Koenig, Rob Latham, and Todd Jarrett come in and dominate PRS. They all have better visualizing skills and abilities than probably any PRS shooter, and they are all good shooters, but you don't see them doing as well as their visualizing skills would suggest they should do. Pistol, shotgun, and Olympic air rifle absolutely benefit from all the ize u listed above. PRS shooters can benefit from those ize as well. But my argument is its an apples and oranges comparison because of the unpredictability of wind, and how much that skill of reading wind is arguably the number 1 factor that affects every single impact.
I do realize your post was about more than visualizing. I think most above average shooters do your first 3 ize, but I wanted to respectfully give my view on the importance of visualizing.
My own journey in the mental game changes and improves from match to match. I think that "with winning in mind" is the foundation for every aspect of a mental game in PRS. But I think its just the foundation to build on and advance from. For me, the next step was a light bulb moment when i started applying Jake Vibberts shot process of breathe, trigger control, followthru on every single shot. From there, once I had that ingrained, I found the most lacking part in my shooting was paying attention to exactly where each shot hits: left, right, or center. So now, my whole mental focus is only on that. That won't work for everyone, but has tremendously helped me. And I acknowledge at the same time, I could be 100% wrong in my thinking.
Anywho, as evidenced my way too long post, I enjoy discussing the mental game, and hope my post was respectful and helpful. Greg

 

[morganlamprecht]

from my experience personally and other shooters...the mental game, pre match (rifle and dope in good working order), and stage prep...basically everything that happens before actually needing to pull the trigger is 90% of what is stressed among the top 10% of shooters...the further you get from the top, it seems the more that % drops

and thats fine for guys who are just out having a good time and looking for a relaxing weekend...but for guys who say they want to get to the top, thats the first step they gotta make IMO

 

[427Cobra]

So Greg(dumbbell) I respect your words on the subject, and have not considered pistol guys coming over and dominating, the visualization process may be more a newer shooter need, and as skills get better the need to do it lessen, Mo I have watched you shoot many times, you have a process and it works.

 

[dumbbell]

I definitely appreciate your perspective sir. It's something that I've thought about alot more today after reading your post. Without geeking out too bad, its why I enjoy any discussion of the mental game, because Its something that can't be mastered, only further improved and refined.

 

[MakeSawdust]

Many/all people in this thread are focused on the same thing. You are all correct. The lengthy, detailed, posts in my respectful opinion only differ in wording.

I have read Mr. Bassham's book many times. There is a heavy emphasis on visualization, for sure. So much so that I think many miss the other important parts of the formula. I am sure I will be missing something, but here is what effects my success in both the mental and physical game. It is all connected. NO GEAR DISCUSSION.

1. Practice/dryfire/larp 4-6 days per week. Lanny claims that less than that is actually detrimental.

2. Break the physical process down into small steps. Perfect them all and become subconsciously competent at them. Put them all back together.

3. Create a process to focus your conscious attention on. It NEEDS to focus on PROCESS NOT OUTCOME. This focus is what keeps your conscious mind occupied and allows your subconscious competence to work.

4. Visualize - Visualization allows your brain to trust your subconscious competence and keeps your conscious mind from meddling in the process and screwing it up.

The Vibbert shot processe is discussed in Lanny's book, he just doesn't lay out the details for you as they apply to PRS shooting. He leaves it up to you to apply the details to your specific activity and personality.

I am not Jake Vibbert, nor am I in the same league as Jake. I will not say his process is flawed. I think there are some elements that are missing. I'm sure he does them, but they are not part of his btf process.

I put a ton of focus on completing the course of fire correctly and identifying and acquiring targets quickly. Those alone will make you "fast".

One of the things that makes PRS so difficult is that rarely are two stages the same. It is also what makes it fun. It is hard to tailor an effective process to something that is different every time, but it can be done. Much of the process must be subconscious because there is only a little time to complete a lot of steps. Too much conscious thought about too many steps will cause problems completing the stage.

I personally have a pre-stage checklist. It works. People should develop their own based on what works for them. I change things if I identify problems. Once the clock starts I build the first position, acquire the first target, hold wind, most of the shot is subconscious. What I personally have to focus hard on is pinning the trigger to the rear and staying on the gun until I see the result of the shot. I make the correction and shoot. During target or position transitions I am using the bc method and doing the math to modify my wind call for the next shot. When I get in position I dial my elevation, acquire the target, apply the hold, and focus on the follow-through.

Sometimes I have to modify things especially if I haven't practiced enough to be subconsciously competent. Honestly, that is the difference to me between a 10-15 place finish and a podium finish at the regional level. That, and the pre-match prep, which is also a process. Sometimes work gets so busy that I don't have time to take it seriously. Other times I can do what is necessary to finish high. The process works. I have tracked my success over the last few years. When I implement the process I consistently finish at a much higher level than when work is busy and I just zero the gun and show up at the match and shoot.

The interesting thing is, it doesn't matter if I apply part of the prep and practice, or none of it. Unless I apply it all I finish in about the same place.

Now, visualization vs. binos. When I am watching through binos, I am going from target to target and visualizing the stage. I am going through my dope and wind calls. That is when I visualize at the match.

 

[Dthomas3523]

Cobra, I respect your question and your emphasis on the mental game. I 1000% agree that the mental game is way more important than we realize, and at the top of the game, may be the most important thing.
I disagree with what I think you are saying, about visualizing as being more of a priority than glassing before a stage. I definitely memorize my positions and targets before I shoot, but I have been down the road of visualizing a clean run, or visualizing hitting targets. What I found for me, is that refining my wind call puts more bullets on target than visualizing hitting the target. I can visualize center impacts all day, but if dont hold the right wind, it doesn't really matter.
I have read 25 plus books on the mental game, listened to Lannys and Daniel Horners presentations on shooting sports, and actually studied the mental game for tennis and golf as well. The one thing that I think is unique to PRS, that is not really found as a significant factor in other shooting sports, is the luck/skill of the wind. If visualizing was as important as it is in other sports, than I would think you would see guys like Doug Koenig, Rob Latham, and Todd Jarrett come in and dominate PRS. They all have better visualizing skills and abilities than probably any PRS shooter, and they are all good shooters, but you don't see them doing as well as their visualizing skills would suggest they should do. Pistol, shotgun, and Olympic air rifle absolutely benefit from all the ize u listed above. PRS shooters can benefit from those ize as well. But my argument is its an apples and oranges comparison because of the unpredictability of wind, and how much that skill of reading wind is arguably the number 1 factor that affects every single impact.
I do realize your post was about more than visualizing. I think most above average shooters do your first 3 ize, but I wanted to respectfully give my view on the importance of visualizing.
My own journey in the mental game changes and improves from match to match. I think that "with winning in mind" is the foundation for every aspect of a mental game in PRS. But I think its just the foundation to build on and advance from. For me, the next step was a light bulb moment when i started applying Jake Vibberts shot process of breathe, trigger control, followthru on every single shot. From there, once I had that ingrained, I found the most lacking part in my shooting was paying attention to exactly where each shot hits: left, right, or center. So now, my whole mental focus is only on that. That won't work for everyone, but has tremendously helped me. And I acknowledge at the same time, I could be 100% wrong in my thinking.
Anywho, as evidenced my way too long post, I enjoy discussing the mental game, and hope my post was respectful and helpful. Greg

I think the wind + mental game are two sides to the same coin.

Most people don’t have a good system in their head in place for correcting for wind. The simplified answer is “see it, measure it, adjust. However, under time and depending on terrain and such, it’s not always as easy as that.

How many times do we see someone miss off the downwind side of a plate, then either barely correct to the downwind edge or still miss a second shot? All the time. Instead of making a big correction and being in he center or upwind side of the plate on the 2nd shot.

How many times do we see someone hitting and swing a plate left or right. And since they are hitting the target, they continue to do that instead of correcting to center. Then they eventually make a bad trigger press or get a gust or let down on wind that sends a round off the plate. All the time.

Had they spent some time at home and on the range making a plan and visualizing “when I miss downwind my minimum correction is 3/4 of the target or more” “when I see the target move left, I will adjust .1 or .2 right to get to center.”

If you ingrain some mental cues in your mind with regards to wind instead of “I’m on plate don’t change anything” then your scores will pick up quite a bit without needing to be a wind wizard.

On non “switchy” wind days, the reason people miss more than a shot or two on a stable prop is not doing the 90% stuff before pulling the trigger Morgan was talking about earlier. As your first shot gives you the wind answer on normal days.

Would people win major matches if they just missed 1 or 2 shots per stage with a bad initial wind call? Probably not. But they’d finish in the top pack for sure.

Wind reading isn’t what makes shooters continue to miss in the same spot or slowly walk rounds onto or off of a plate. Not paying attention and not having a plan is.

 

[PJT]

Having read the previous posts, I'd like to say thank you to all; I have only recently taken an interest in PRS and mainly shot at ranges below 300m, albeit I regularly go stalking. In order to try to familiarise myself with the discipline I attended a couple of matches as a spotter, unfortunately Covid intervened and all subsequent matches were cancelled, so taking part is on the shelf for the minute.
The posts above have, to my mind, shone a light on a process that will help to develop an individuals' shooting skills. Whilst there are differing opinions aired in the posts they all appear to agree on one point, there needs to be a process. My take on it, is the process needs to be tailored to the individual and it needs to encompass the whole event from the initial reading of the course of fire, to unloading and proving clear after the last shot of the Day.

Thanks

 

[Mormegil87]

@Dthomas3523 hit it pretty close to the head. Understanding what your seeing and adjusting to that is key. Furthermore, keeping calm and staying focused when things don't go as planned is extremely important.

 

[Fig]

from my experience personally and other shooters...the mental game, pre match (rifle and dope in good working order), and stage prep...basically everything that happens before actually needing to pull the trigger is 90% of what is stressed among the top 10% of shooters...the further you get from the top, it seems the more that % drops

and thats fine for guys who are just out having a good time and looking for a relaxing weekend...but for guys who say they want to get to the top, thats the first step they gotta make IMO

I always get there a day ahead to check zero/shoot at that elevation and check dope. Going to sleep that night KNOWING the rifle is 5X5 helps my mental game.

 

[Bb214]

@Dthomas3523 hit it pretty close to the head. Understanding what your seeing and adjusting to that is key. Furthermore, keeping calm and staying focused when things don't go as planned is extremely important.

This used to be a huge problem of mine. If I had a misfeed or any little bobble that entire stage was cooked for me. I’ve gotten that under control for the most part now. Thankfully

 

[308pirate]

I think where visualization might help more is when training to become more efficient at building your position.

 

[Dthomas3523]

I think where visualization might help more is when training to become more efficient at building your position.

This.

In theory you should be visualizing every step and every movement for the stage. You should have trained enough that you won’t be surprised too much when something doesn’t work and adapt to it fairly quick. Without your whole plan going to shit.

Your internal dialogue should be “I’m going to take two steps and kneel, fire two shots, I will have one round left, but still need more for the stage. I will drop that mag as it’s faster during the transition to do the exchange. I need to fire one shot, then dial, and take another. I will use my right hand to dial as I’m already running bolt so I won’t have to break my position except to see turrets” etc etc.

 

[MakeSawdust]

This.

In theory you should be visualizing every step and every movement for the stage. You should have trained enough that you won’t be surprised too much when something doesn’t work and adapt to it fairly quick. Without your whole plan going to shit.

Your internal dialogue should be “I’m going to take two steps and kneel, fire two shots, I will have one round left, but still need more for the stage. I will drop that mag as it’s faster during the transition to do the exchange. I need to fire one shot, then dial, and take another. I will use my right hand to dial as I’m already running bolt so I won’t have to break my position except to see turrets” etc etc.

I agree with this 100%. I shoot a lot of self ro one day matches where there is a lot going on all the time. I usually don't have a lot of time to visualize at those matches. When I shoot matches with designated ROs I usually shoot a lot better. The guys I shoot with also have the same tendency. I think it is because of the ability to better mentally prepare for each stage.

 

[todd]

Applying Jake Vibbert's shot process of breathe, trigger control, follow through on every single shot... (and) ...paying attention to exactly where each shot hits: left, right, or center.

This is where I am right now, slowing down the world and engaging the brain as part of the shot evaluation process, and working on developing and refining these steps on every single shot, and not rushing to the bolt for the next shot. This, and the mental aspect of staying "in the game" and forward-focused after each stage. As others have mentioned, pre-stage I spend a lot of time pre-visualizing my plan for the stage, trying to memorize target locations, dope, SWAG wind calls, and movements.