Confidence Food

Had more good targets than bad. Three pasters for the 900 - I’m saving money on those (finally).

The solo practice a couple of weeks ago and the wrist strengthening exercises I repeated daily during business trips to Brazil, White Plains NY and South Korea over the past three weeks are paying off.

In that solo practice, I was able to experiment, fail, try something else, write down what worked and then repeat it many times. Although I’m sometimes learning that the experts are right, I guess part of me must be from Missouri because I just can’t internalize something unless I prove it to myself. (Deep seated distrust of authority? Probably. But that’s my problem and I’m dealing with it. Now bug off, Ok?)

So here’s a new “rule” in my personal “how to get better at bullseye” book: When a really good shooter gives me some advice, write it down in the “To Do” book and plan some solo time at the range.

Once there, do the opposite first and write down what I did and the result I got. No more than a few rounds but enough to establish the effect. Then switch and do what was recommended. Do the same number of rounds. Again, write down what I’m doing and what was the result.

If the advice from the expert isn’t helpful, stop. Maybe it’s too soon to use that skill. Maybe it needs greater strength (in the wrist, for example). For whatever reason, it’s not working for me (now). If there’s an obvious reason why it doesn’t work, see if there’s a solution and plan how to do that. That’s how the recent wrist strengthening efforts started.

But if using the expert advice helps, then shoot several tens of rounds to cement the new skill.

Later, before the first competition thereafter, review only the “success” notes and dry-fire the new skill several times. Repeat the dry-fire new skill refresher before each Slow Fire target.

New skills used today? There were two, the rock hard wrist that, thanks to the exercise now has much better staying power, and second, yet another proof that thinking is bad.

Coach Pat always said, “DFT!” (Don’t F–ing Think!)

Oh yeah, thanks coach.

(Why is it so hard to get my head to just STFU and shoot?)