BrainTrackers.com - Game Playing & Peak Performance

Before I began Action Shooting competition I thought all I had to do was practice hard and often and I would have a great chance against my competitors.  After all that's what all the sports psychologist say in their books and CDs.  Give a 110% and you will be a winner!  In the same breath, they would tell you to stay relaxed.  Well, what is it?  Give more than a 100% or stay relaxed?  I tried it and to tell you the truth, it's very hard to do both at the same time.  

I think the main problem with many sports psychologists, is that they have never played a sport let alone competed at a high level.  If they had, they would see that many of the ideas they teach players just don't work.  I have competed against the top 10-14 shooters (not 10-14 percent) in the world.  Action shooting takes strength, speed, agility and tremendous concentration. 

Percentages: Reduce the Stress from the Get Go
110%? Come on, that's impossible. Just take a little of the edge off, which automatically reduces the stress level.  I find that giving 90% works a lot better helping me and my athletes stay relaxed.  I'm not telling you to be lazy, but just don't try so hard or place the bar too high that you have no hope of achieving that goal.  There is a law of the mind called The Harder You Try to do Something the Harder it is.  Don't get into that trap. 

Relaxation equals smooth working muscles and smooth actions equals speed.  If you look at a sprinter breaking the tape at the finish line, you will see more winners with a relaxed facial expression than a face reflecting stress.  And you should work a lot on the basics, starting with slow deliberate movements while increasing the speed and maintaining control and smooth movement.

The stress you feel in competition can produce greater strength and speed, but at the same time a regression in your skill level.  To counteract this effect, I suggest practicing over and over.  In other words, over learn.  I have seen my clients/athletes use this technique and perform well under stress even if they regress a little in their skill.  

If you’re new to your sport, you will need to concentrate most of your time creating good muscle memory.  So please remember that speed will come later. Don’t be in a big rush to be as fast as people with a lot more experience.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect!
Practice makes better, but only if you’re smart in your practice sessions.  You will never be perfect.  It is unattainable.  But if you strive to be better in you workouts and learn from your mistakes, you will experience a wonderful progression of increased skill. Forget your competition. You are competing with yourself. Each event is a measure as to how well you did in your practice.

State of Mind/Your Brain Matters Most:
There is a big difference in the mind set of competitors. A true competitor will go out to practice under any circumstances, no matter what.  The student of the sport usually will not if there seems to be something else that they can do.  My situation was very different, because improving my shooting skills could save my life or the lives of others.  But in a way the principles remain the same.  Nothing got in the way of my practice sessions.  And the same is true for the serious competitor.  Many times I found myself practicing in the rain or snow. Does your sport require that kind of commitment? If so, then don't wait for the last moment to practice your skills under the most trying conditions.

Mental Conditioning:
I found that when you look at the physical abilities of the top players, they are almost even with regard to speed, strength, endurance and skill levels.  What makes the real difference among the players is their ability to control their mental capabilities.  Concentration, Confidence, and Focus.  So with that in mind, let's work on some mental conditioning.

Mental Exercises:
You hear a lot about visualizing what you will do at the competition.  But some players can’t see things in their mind.  But that’s okay.  If you can’t actually see it in your mind, just imagine what it would look like.  

Using a relaxation method is good for going over what you will do in competition.  And knowing your exact suggestibility gives more power to the suggestions you should give yourself when building your confidence so you maintain your focus and enter the “Zone”.  To find out what type of suggestibility you have, just go to my web site and take a free test.  If you find you are more left brain suggestible you can use more implied suggestions.  Examples would be seeing yourself after the competition smiling, feeling great, people cheering.  Of course that implies that you did great.  And to do great, you had to have great confidence, you stayed calm and followed your "game plan".  If you find out you're more right brain, you would give yourself more straight forward suggestions.  "I will stay calm, I am confident in my skills, I will enter the Zone."

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