By Shari LeGate
“My ritual is the same before every game…. Maybe I play cards with
the guys or watch a movie on television, but all day I’m going back and forth
between thinking about those things and thinking about the game. I start
picturing the way I want to play…..” Michael Jordan, NBA All-Star
No matter what sport we compete in, we have to prepare ourselves,
and so we do all the exercises that prepare our bodies. In shooting, we do
stretching exercises limbering up our arms and legs, twisting our backs and
waists to be able to rotate to that hard left or right. But while it’s
important to physically prepare, it’s just as important to mentally to prepare.
I know most of us say we do it, but seriously ask yourself ….do you…..really?
Too many of us think mental preparation will happen automatically,
because we want it to. What separates the good shooter from the great shooter
is those who purposely prepare both their mind and their body.
“It’s hard to separate the mental and the physical. So much of
what you do physically happens because you’ve thought about it and mentally
prepare for it” Dan Fouts, NFL Quarterback.
Ask any shooter and they’ll tell you they have a routine to get
them ready to walk out on the line. Whether it’s listening to certain music,
planning their strategy, reviewing their shot sequence, looking at targets,
etc. But is this really a
purposely-developed warm up? Most
times it’s been developed by chance and when things start to go south, what do
you have in place to draw on to get out of trouble? Worry, failed expectations
and negative thoughts. Not a good mental game.
So what is a good mental game? A consistent routine of specific
thoughts, images, words, feelings and behaviors that prepare your mind for
competition. You want to reach that ideal mindset or “zone” and that takes
practice and preparation. So, while your preparing your body with stretches and
twists, prepare your mind at the same time.
But what kind of mental preparation routine do you need. I can’t
answer that for you, but I can offer some advice on what to work on:
1) Attain the appropriate energy level.
2) Attain the appropriate focus.
3) Rehearse your competition strategy.
4) Develop a competition focus and refocusing plan.
5) Prepare for distractions and unexpected events.
6) Develop a strategy to work through discomfort, fatigue and
frustration
7) Keep on task.
Do these things over and over again, the same way every time. This
isn’t going to happen overnight. You didn’t get to be the good shooter you are
now, overnight, did you? In order for any mental game to be effective, it takes
practice, just like it took shooting practice on the range. But with honing a
mental routine, you don’t have to be at the range. You can work on your mental
game at home. The more you practice it, the better you’ll be.
So, start practicing and show up at this competition with a
competitive edge no one is expecting. That alone will get you a few more
targets!
I look forward to your thoughts.
Shari
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