Mental Skills Philosophy

[LR1955]

Guys:

There is a saying that goes something like this.

Marksmanship is 95% mental, 3% physical, and 2% luck.

Your opinions on this saying? Look at it in terms of your own experience and please do state the conditions as I think the percentages vary according to conditions.

LR55

[Hoot]

Boy, if you work that theory backwards, I'm manic depressive.

Hoot

[RangerRick]

I could buy off on that. Most of the time when I screw up, it's lack of patience. That applies to the shooting end as well as the reloading end. If I get in a hurry reloading or get distracted, my groups suffer. When shooting the same happens, getting impatient for the wind to settle down, or squeezing off a shot without taking the time to position the rifle so it naturally settles on to the target. Or jerking the trigger when things line up trying to force the shot.

All of those are mental errors. When you get into doping for wind there is more skill involved. All that is assuming decent gear. If you have a crappy scope, there is only so much you can do.

[LR1955]

I could buy off on that. Most of the time when I screw up, it's lack of patience. That applies to the shooting end as well as the reloading end. If I get in a hurry reloading or get distracted, my groups suffer. When shooting the same happens, getting impatient for the wind to settle down, or squeezing off a shot without taking the time to position the rifle so it naturally settles on to the target. Or jerking the trigger when things line up trying to force the shot.

All of those are mental errors. When you get into doping for wind there is more skill involved. All that is assuming decent gear. If you have a crappy scope, there is only so much you can do.

Rick:

Good to see you back!

What is up with the patience thing? Twinkies and Soda for breakfast as a kid? He, he.

OK -- you said you know it when you get impatient so I am sure you have found a solution. What is your solution?

LR

[RangerRick]

Good to see you back too! Hey, I put Pepsi and sugar on my Fruit Loops when I was a kid.

Well, the impatience results from trying to cram 20 pounds in a 10 pound bag, schedule wise. If I go to the range with only an hour to shoot I tend to get rushed. Or if I get an unexpected break to go shoot and don't have ammo loaded, I might tend to rush the reloading.

I don't get to shoot as much as I would like, so I tend to jump at the chance when an opportunity presents itself.

The solution is just realizing that your messing up if you try to do that. It's better to take the time to reload properly and skip the range if you are short on time, and maybe reload 2 or 3 times as much. Then when you get a chance to shoot again, you have plenty of ammo, and you can spend the whole time shooting.

When I'm short on time, if I'm not careful, I tend to rush to load gear, rush to unload it at the range, rush downrange to set up targets, etc. By the time I can shoot, I'm hyped up and huffing and puffing. Not optimal.

So it's better to forgo the range time rather than use it badly. You can use that smaller block of time to reload, clean gear, etc. Then set aside a large enough block of time to do it right when you go. Then it becomes an enjoyable activity and you improve your skills rather than leaving the range pissed off because you rushed and shot poorly.

[bwaites]

When I began shooting, I knew that I was the weak link in the chain. My lack of knowledge, practice, and efficiency were the issues that caused me problems. There were so many things to remember just to get to the range! That list was difficult to arrange, and make sure that I consistently brought everything with me. It seems simple, but even today I find I repeatedly have to double check! I actually have developed a check list for trips!

I've found that getting all the things together I need takes quite a bit of time, and that if I have limited range time available, I'm better off either selecting only ONE thing to do, or using the time for reloading or some other task, as RangerRick notes.

That said, I've come to believe certain things, most of which have to do with the training I've received:

There are 3 major items that play a part in my shooting, 2 which are uncontrollable at the range, one which I can actually do something about.

The uncontrollables:

1) The rifle and ammunition. Once I arrive at the range, I am stuck with the rifle and ammo I have. (I realize some guys make their own ammo at the range, I can't and don't). This means that I have to prepare them properly ahead of time. The rifle has to be clean, the ammo has to be appropriate. If I have a well built and cleaned rifle, with appropriate ammo, that is the best I can do. The rifle is static, it doesn't change in a range session, short of something loosening up and if I did my prerange checks correctly, that shouldn't happen. Within the constrictions of normal wear or something breaking, nothing will change in a singe range session on the rifle that is significant enough to make a difference in my shooting.

2) Weather conditions. They will be what they are. Sure, I can wait out a gust or two in a competition, but most competitions are time limited to some extent, so I simply have to do my best. I actually enjoy practicing under tough conditions, because it makes less tough conditions much more enjoyable. If I know I've shot well in worse weather, then mentally I am better off.

The controllable:

1) ME-- There are times that I simply cannot get my mind around shooting well. Sometimes its because I forgot to do something, or to bring something, and its distracting. Sometimes its other distractions like being time limited and wanting to accomplish something. Sometimes its because of some physical issue, like an injury, distracting me. (Though the match that I shot absolutely the best in was right after I had been injured fairly significantly in a basketball game. I had a black eye, an injured non shooting shoulder, and bilateral wrist sprains, with both wrists in splints. I could barely pick up my rifle. I had forgotten the bipod I intended to use and had to borrow one. BUT...I felt better on the rifle, more comfortable and relaxed than I ever had. Everything just felt right, and I shot like that, winning the small match, and having high X count. I really was shooting just for fun, because I had brought a friend to the match and he was shooting a match for the first time. I was injured and expected nothing, and thus I suspect I was very relaxed!)

But I have come to realize this... I can shoot better than any rifle made. I know, I'm a beginner, how can I say that? It is because the only variable I can control is me!

NOT because I am a great shooter, but because I can continue to improve. The rifle stays static, or even gets worse with use. I can compensate to some extent for that wear. The rifle itself makes none of its own adjustments. The rifle does nothing on its own, it requires me to make conscious efforts, and to make constant adjustments.

It took a long time for something LR1955 told me at the very first session I ever had with him to actually sink in. I had said that the rifle was capable of more than I was. He replied, "Why do you say that? Its simply not true. You are the one that runs the rifle. Its capabilities are completely based on your abilities." I was very green at the time, (I'm still pretty green in the competitive venue!) and I really didn't completely get it. But over the years I have come to grasp (slowly, I'll admit! I'm a little thick about stuff like this!) what he was trying to get at. I CAN IMPROVE. The rifle can't, short of correcting something broken, and even that requires me.

So this year I have goals when it comes to shooting and I intend on working on them consistently. The main goal is to develop a habit of continual improvement, I can and will become better.

I have subgoals based upon that, and I won't bore everyone with them, but I firmly believe that a systematic approach to improvement is all that will work for me, and those goals are necessary in order to do so.

[mtn_shooter]

I agree that mental is more important than physical, but not to that extreme, and the "luck" is dependant on how precise your weapon/ammo combo is.

I think if flinching and impatience magically disappeared one day, groups would shrink dramatically.

[LR1955]

I agree that mental is more important than physical, but not to that extreme, and the "luck" is dependant on how precise your weapon/ammo combo is. I think if flinching and impatience magically disappeared one day, groups would shrink dramatically.

MS:

Then how would you rate it? That saying is just a saying.

I think what they are talking about is more that gust of wind you didn't see that tosses your bullet into the middle when you made the wrong wind call to begin with.

Flinching and impatience are things we do consciously. If we do them, we sure can control them. That is part of the mental game as I see it.

So, lets say someone comes up to you and says he is flinching and can't control it. He or she asks for your 'hep'.

What would you do?

Anyone? What would you do and how have you gotten a flinch under control in the past? I bet there are ten guys on the forum who think flinching is a major training issue with them.

LR1955

[JASmith]

...What would you do and how have you gotten a flinch under control in the past? I bet there are ten guys on the forum who think flinching is a major training issue with them.

LR1955

Outstanding topic!

I've had my ups and downs with 'flinchitis' and here;s what I learned. One is a fair bit of dry fire practice, the second is practice with a firearm that isn't as brutual on the shoulder or hand, third is practice with reduced loads in the firearm you've been having the trouble with.

Most important of all: Make darn sure you're concentrating on sight alignment (or sight picture if not metallic sights) and trigger squeeze even after the shot breaks!

I see very little physical or luck in that process. I would say that physical starts to become important about the time one realizes that the steadiness of hold and precise sight alignment are aided by better physical conditioning (again, the mental part is dominant). As for luck, yes there are random events beyond our control, but the right mental state enhances our luck!

Cheers!

Is there any real difference between top flight shooting and other champion sports activities? (Other than which ones we like to participate in!!)

[GrantMan]

I have to agree mental has a lot with shooting. I find if I dry fire at the target and practice breathing and trigger control while doing so it carries over to the actual shooting.

Another thing I have found is that I can psych myself when I am trying to shoot good groups, I might have a good group going and on the last shot I get nervous trying to keep it going and pull the last shot.

[mtn_shooter]

To counteract flinching I tell myself, its going to recoil, it'll be loud, but it wont hurt, and force myself to take it steady, sort of a" let it happen" approach. Some people say the shot should surprise you-- once you become familiar with a weapon, you know exactly when its going to fire. I think its better training to deal with recoil than to psych yourself out of it. If I had to put numbers to it, 65% mental, 30% physical, 5% luck. Physical training is very important, imho. I like to tense my hand and try to move only my trigger finger, its also good practice to aim in and dry fire, and produce good muscle memory. That said, if you can't convince yourself that you don't need to counteract the recoil, all of that physical training is no good to you.

[louieprkr]

This is an excellent thread! Its funny how much thought, effort, and money we will spend on our equipment, and overlook the most important variable... us! Patience has been one of my biggest enemies also. Funny enough, I would say the strongest correlation to group size for me is my schedule. If I have been busy, my focus is severely dampened in all tasks but shines through on targets. I just can't seem to take one task at a time. I will find myself behind the rifle not just thinking about the shot, but the following shots, the ammo I need to load, the drive home, how I need to get groceries, that guy that cut me off, etc... I just can't get them out of the back of my mind. This is a major mental weakness that should be easy to avoid. Matter of fact its just plain stupid. After going through the effort it takes to get out and shoot, I decide to let things that are 100% out of my control (at the moment) ruin my trip to the range.

I like some of the methods that were previously stated and will do my best to employ them in the future. Great thread! Thanks to those with the experience and the willingness to share.

haha just realized I pulled this up out of the catacombs... Its still just as relevant so I guess it wont hurt

[LRRPF52]

If I find myself stressed out a little with my schedule, getting to the range, posting my targets, worrying about someone with a muzzle break nearby, and other range distractions....I just lay my head down on the gun and take a little nap, if just for 15 or 30 seconds, and let my heart rate and breathing slow way down.

Then I go into my shooting sequence, where the focus on the sight picture throughout the shot is all I concentrate on, which I give credit to LR1955 for summing up the fundamentals with. I've also started to let my AR's free-recoil a bit more, and I'm shooting more consistently in the .5 MOA or less range that way with rifles that can do it.

[stokesrj]

The mental aspects of shooting are more than any of us can comprehend. I've learned this the hard way with many tens of thousands of dollars spent on the match circuit. I began shooting High Power competitively in 2008, quickly moved from marksman, to sharpshooter, to expert, to master, and now I'm pushing into high master territory shooting my service rifle. The only thing keeping me from making high master with my service rifle is my mental control. The discipline to control my body when it counts, not taking that shot that would result in a nine.
Along the way I began to notice that when I shot in important matches my scores dropped, not much, maybe .5% to 1% but that is all it take to keep you from winning leg points, or the rocker patch for Presidents 100. What I found was that I couldn't settle down to the fine level of muscular control required to perform at the levels required. The difference was 100% mental, and a friend helped me to understand this. His name is Sam Yarosh, a former CIA sniper, and multiple national record holder in high power rifle disciplines. Sam gave me some spooky material supplied to the CIA snipers to help them maintain mental control.
I won't share specifics because I don't have permission from Sam to do so, but I will say that the tapes basically teach self hypnosis techniques, ones that work. I can now move to the firing line and slow my heart beat, gain a connection with my muscles that let me identify any muscle group that is not totally relaxed and relax them. This is all done with my mind, not with my muscles.
This helped me move from the mid 180's in 200 yard slow fire off hand to the mid 190's. This means I'm hitting a six inch nine ring 100% of the time with 50% or better in the 3" ten ring. This is done from the unsupported off hand position with metallic sights.
Almost any load will shoot 100% so it is very much mental control that determines the outcome.
I used to spend countless hours making sure my loads were perfect, my rifle was tuned to perfection, all my equipment was the best that could be had. I've finally learned that my wisest use of time is in mentally training myself to shoot tens and X's.
Larry Basham has a book that has helped many in this respect called "With Winning in Mind".
Bob

[txgunner00]

Great info. I've learned same thing about mental control in some of the challenges in my life but not nearly to the level you have taken it. It's amazing what your mind can make your body do. Thanks for sharing.