Turning Os Into Xs

Trust me, I was there and it was ugly. Angry and out of control, OO OO OO OO. He turned and scolded the scorekeeper, blaming what he thought were poor target presentations. Let’s talk about tournament pressure and steering clear of costly scoring consequences when our composure is being sorely tested.

Like it or not, sooner or later, our missing targets is inevitable and will be forever. No exceptions. That’s the hard truth, so don’t shoot the messenger. Fun? Not hardly. And when our negative emotions take charge? There are alternatives aplenty. My views are based on decades of coaching and competition experience – a little common sense – the doctorate in psychology conspicuously absent.

“Going the wrong direction…

you might just get there.”

            ~Tommy Lasorda

Staring at a disappointing score on the master scoreboard – looking back and regretting those Stations where anger surfaced and more targets were lost – in hindsight – is the final score now worth what happened? To lose control and allow our frustration to provoke more missing goes against every reason we compete. What’s absent is our commitment to not letting any negative emotions steal our best score today.

Yeah, agreed, keeping that commitment’s a lot easier said than done. But there it is and that commitment gives us a choice. First choice – cave to the pressure and lose control, putting more O’s on the score card. Second choice – stay focused on what really matters in the shooting box. Speaking of which, have we had that brutally honest conversation with ourselves about what it is that matters to us today? Really, truly matters, as in our primary mission – every single Station – first target to last? Just as importantly, how strong is our commitment to that mission? Fair questions to ask before stepping into our tournament where pressure waits, and score will matter. 

Honestly now, OO – always at the worst possible time – can we unconditionally let it go, move on and put all our undivided attention on our mission? Because hope is not a plan. And when our performance in the box stumbles? Badly? 

“Be a little careful with setting up expectations.

They often produce disappointments and, sometimes, worse.”

More than just wanting to shoot well, is it fair to say we typically ‘expect’ ourselves to shoot well – as in, not miss? And when those expectations (reasonable or otherwise) are not met? Hoping for XXXXXX and scoring XOOXOO – some feel not only disappointed in themselves but are worried about what others think of their performance. Those distractions are a heavy burden to carry in the shooting box. Now what? Let’s go back to the mission stated earlier and our commitment to that mission. Here we can choose to either ‘react’ or ‘respond’ – because our thoughts by themselves are not the problem. It’s what we do with those thoughts.

Reacting skips the much-needed ‘time-out’ with predictable outcomes. Possibly compounded by anger, predictably, the imploding performance is followed by more penalties on the score card. Responding, however, opens the door to ‘accepting’ what just took place – realizing that we can’t go back and change what happened. Remembering our commitment to our mission – we intentionally don’t let the missing negatively affect our actions. Let’s not forget – our score in this box – AND later – will depend on the decisions we make now and the ‘responses’ we choose. Commitment? 

Here’s an example. 

“Some people want it to happen

Some people wish it to happen.

Some people make it happen.”

            ~Michael Jordan

Last two hours of play on Sunday, the leaders were tied. Tiger Woods had a delicate, 30-foot chip up a steep bank, onto a treacherous green. Swing executed, we all watched his ball go 7 feet, drop like a brick and roll back to Tiger’s feet. For 3 seconds, Tiger was stunned. But not 1 second longer. Not 1. No look of anguish, no body language of failure, only self-discipline! He then put his ball 6” from the hole and escaped with a par. Damage contained. Commitment made – commitment kept. Two holes later, he birdied and won the Major. Or maybe what happened earlier on this hole had something to do with that win?

Surrendering to negative self-talk – self-criticism – upsets both our cadence and swing precision. In other words, more missing. Because shooting skills cannot make up for the loss of self-control. Wasting vital time condemning ourselves or blaming other outside influences – right there’s our warning sign – we’re in the wrong place. And, right on schedule, here comes the ‘reaction’ that will be regretted.

“The difference between the successful person and others

is not a lack of strength…

not a lack of knowledge…

but a lack of will.”

~Vince Lombardi

Once the negative self-talk becomes physical, our shooter now faces the grim task of undoing all the anguish and tension to regain lost confidence – to find and bring back the trusted swing – all while missing more targets. This competitor has given up the mission and caved to the painful, stressful emotions – instead of managing expectations – letting go of mistakes (prompt self-forgiveness) – enforcing the commitment when things haven’t gone as planned. The other competitor – using both positive and negative emotions – never waivers and keeps full attention on what needs to get done. Commitment made – commitment kept. These are ‘coping’ skills, well worth our time and attention to build.

And one last friendly reminder. If we’re facing a target presentation that might be above our skill level – and our performance falls short of expectations – consider being honest about why it fell short, and how we respond.

When score truly matters (when doesn’t it?) – what sense does it make, working hard to create shooting skills – only to undermine those skills with a failure to control oneself under pressure? IMHO, building X’s out of O’s should be on our shortlist.

Thanks for stopping by, always appreciated. Cheryl & I look forward to seeing you out on the course.

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About Dan Schindler

Dan Schindler is one of only 60 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and is one of the most highly respected Sporting Clays and Wingshooting Instructors in the US. Dan is an NSCA Level III Instructor (since 1995) and founded the Paragon School of Sporting with one goal in mind. Whether it be for the advanced competitor or providing the basics to the entry-level shooter, Paragon provides the simplest, most practical and most effective Instruction, Coaching and Mental Training for the Sporting Clays & Wingshooting enthusiast. Dan Schindler helps shooters alleviate a lot of their frustration by taking the mystery out of breaking targets, calling their own misses, and make their own corrections. Lessons are fun, enlightening and our clients learn to shoot better in minutes!  

Dan Schindler's Books

"Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, Coaches, Instructors

and parents of youth shooters."

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition is THE Gold Standard Primer It's all about the fundamentals, a requirement for good shooting. This book is used by high school and college shooting teams, recreational and competitive shooters from around the world. Solid, valuable, concise information that has helped thousands of shooters shoot more consistently with higher scores.

To The Target (Book II) Builds on the steps outlined in Book I. Emphasises Gun Management skills when the trap fires, creating a consistent, reliable, trustworthy swing.

Beyond the Target (Book III) is for shooters of all levels, filled with valuable information, clay target truths. Entertaining and a culmination of 3 decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.

Here's what Shooters, Coaches and Clay Shooting USA saying...

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition

To The Target (Book II)

Beyond The Target (Book III)