Your Personal Map to “The Zone”

In the shooting box too many times to count, odds are, you and I have experienced the same feelings of frustration along with the joys of success. The following comes to you from my own personal journey of skill development, including all the disappointments and learning detours. None of this came from a book. Probably older than you, maybe I’ve had a few more tournament experiences than you? If you have a moment, I’ll share with you what I’ve learned, the hard way.

The mental game in sports…you know…Flow…being in the Zone…executing a Peak Performance…I’ve had the pleasure of competing in that ethereal state of mind. Very good things happened…in the shooting box…and on the scoreboard. The very bedrock under our mental game, consider this important step in building your own Peak Performance.

Chambers loaded, gun closing…

thinking about what you can’t control

will interfere with what you can control.

Generally speaking, we can have “outcome” goals and in-the-box “process” goals. If our attention is on an outcome goal, then we’re thinking about a future result we wish to accomplish, maybe a victory of some kind, a personal score not yet achieved, or maybe just “don’t miss the next target.” Maybe seconds, minutes, hours or days from now. Future outcomes. If we wish to have any control whatsoever over that outcome, in my experienced opinion, someone has to have their awareness inside the shooting box, paying non-stop attention to a proper set-up and the correct swing process.

This process is what’s happening right now, step-by-step, in the shooting box. Gun control. Micro-managing our swing? Please. Of course not. Let’s not go there. The process is about one shell…one target…one swing…execute correctly. Repeat. And, again, please. If our final scores matter, and they do, where is our attention? In the shooting box on our shot process, which we can control…or out there on the shot outcome which we can’t control? Because we cannot control what takes place outside of the shooting box.

When the X matters,

what takes place down range…

will depend on what happens inside the shooting box,

behind the muzzle of the gun. 

Here’s why.

As mentioned in my books….once the shot string leaves the muzzle by one-thousandth of an inch, how much control do we have over the shot now? That’s right, none. Outcome thinking puts our attention downrange where we have no control. Process thinking keeps our attention in the shooting box, tightly focused on what we can control, the same control that puts indispensable precision into our swing. XX XX XX. 

For many shooters, understandably, somewhere along the way, the joy of shooting begins to fade. XOOXOX creates frustration and anxiety, an inward pressure to try harder. Why? Because shooting has now become all about outcome thinking. And where is our shooter’s attention? It’s moved “out there” on results only, head-long into unmet expectations. Typically, from the fear of more missing.

When this happens, many are told they are not trusting their swing enough…to bear down, try harder and trust their swing more. And this sounds right? Really? You’re being asked to trust the same, inconsistent swing that you know only breaks targets sometimes? And where does all this “trying and trusting” take the shooter? To more outcome thinking. Asked respectfully, inside the shooting box…who is correctly guiding the gun? With all the attention focused “out there”…no one.

As for trusting a swing in the shooting box…this Coach agrees wholeheartedly. But, only after the skill ladder has been climbed…and our shooter’s swing consistency and X dependability have both been firmly established…not before.

All too often, missing generates disappointment which in turn leads to more missing and exasperation. Right on schedule, here it comes, the overwhelming, desperate “need” to break the next target. Say hello to outcome thinking, now in the shooting box. Attention on the process…what it will take to break this next target? Consistently? Sorry, it’s gone. Who is guiding the gun? No one. Gun control? Absent. All the attention has moved out there, downrange where he/she has no control. Predictably… OOXOOXOX. And here, now, we have a true learning opportunity.

When you learn to control what you are thinking,

you can control what you are doing.

When you control what you are doing…

XX XX XX XX

To summarize, when we want the X out there…when breaking the next target really, really matters and has all our attention…because missing just isn’t an option…our mentally staying in the box…attention on the process sets up a more consistent swing and XX.

Come tournament day, steady “process thinking” walks you right up to the front door of the Zone. By keeping all your attention on that process, that door will open to truly profound experiences. Ask me how I know that!

Thanks for joining us here today. Be safe and let your focus on the process guide you to XX XX XX.

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XXXX

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,  Skeet, Trap 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)