Involvement vs Commitment
February
2008
Shooting
Tip
by: Dan Schindler
I commonly
hear stories of my student shooting a station very well, or a course
very well, and suddenly concentration is gone. Result: 00 or worse. It
is frustrating and usually occurs without notice. Why does this happen?
First, it’s simply a matter of our attention moving somewhere else, away
from the task in front of us. It can happen when we are distracted, or
when we take a target or pair for granted. Our attention moves or our
focus intensity slips.
The difference between involvement and commitment? Riding in the
passenger seat of a car is involvement. Driving the car is a commitment.
Dating is involvement where marriage is a commitment. Good shooting
requires that we be committed to the shot before the gun closes, not
just involved. Commitment means your attention is fully present—all of
it—before you call for that bird.
This is why a Pre-Shot Routine is so important. I think of your PSR as a
toll booth of sorts, one you must go through mentally before every call.
Going through that booth, every time, on purpose, safeguards that your
attention is present and accounted for—and your commitment to the shot
is firmly in place.
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