Unforced Errors in C-Class

“I’ve been shooting for two years and should be shooting better than C class. I have too many unforced errors. Thoughts on my dilemma?”

 

This shooter has been shooting for two years. He practices three times a week, but he’s got too many unforced errors, and he’s stuck between 68 and 75 in C class. He wants to know if it’s focus? Is it routine? Is it commitment to the breakpoint? Is it overthinking? Is it confidence? What exactly is it?

We’ve answered these questions many times, and we’ve witnessed this many times. We’ve seen this throughout process and evaluation so many times that it becomes a signpost to direct the shooter to become much more deliberate in their practice.

The first two years, you’re developing gun mount, swing speed, nose on the target, breakpoints, transitioning between pairs, targets on pairs, lead perceptions, registration at the tournament, sleep cycles that complement your physicality, when to eat on game day, when not to eat, how much to eat and what not to eat on game day.

Basically, you’re developing an approach to the game based on how much commitment you can make physically and financially to achieve whatever it is that you want to achieve. So, in the first two years, you’re immersing yourself in everything from gun mount to choke. You’re experimenting all over the map.

Please remember that what I’m describing is a very normal situation. I know if you’re in the middle of that situation, you have a few choice adjectives to say to me about by calling you normal. But it is. We see it everywhere, and you’re going to experience this plateau two more times, but the solution is going to be the same.

To change your results, you must change your approach to developing your new game. Everything must become more deliberate with specific goals that are achievable, because you will be judging your process based on how well different parts of your game progress.

Now, there are some good things. But the underlying thing that creates the inconsistencies are unforced errors. They can be target presentations, as well as lack of preparation or getting out of your routine, random thoughts toward outcome. It won’t help to talk to yourself about anything (positive or negative), or even verbal encouragement on the course.

If you’re talking to yourself, you’re in short-term memory. You do not have access to your long-term memory, regardless of how positive it is.