Note taking

Working on keeping notes after a training range session.  I had a tough time. My “old” instinct would have been to make a note about what went wrong and why.  

I am resisting that urge. My mantra is to stare at the good shots and admire them. 

On the other hand, how do I write down areas to train without dwelling, to some extent, on what the target tells me about other shots?

For example. The prior range session targets had an eerie consistency - center shots and a pleasing number for me - but when they weren’t center shots, the holes landed upper right or lower left. I dwell on what felt “right” but the less than good shots indicated that I may have been anticipating/ forcing shots. 

I want to erase that thought. But how do I capture the need to work on improving without noticing the weakness?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

Keeping a journal is important. It's important not to think about errors when you're shooting because that's how you repeat the error. But do note it in your journal. You're right handed so shots will fall on a hi right to low left diagonal line. Forced triggers and pinkie participation get the low left. Healing gets hi right. 

Be sure to note all details of what did work. There's many things going on at once. Re reading will help you figure out what's more important. 

Fine details on grip and trigger feel make a big difference. I put it all together today with the best results I've had in wuite a while, eliminated the things that only worked on an inconsistent basis

Why not try what's been recommended here before.  

Write down everything you saw, felt, and thought about before and during the "good" or acceptable shot(s).  In particular what you saw as the shot progressed in related to your wobble pattern, grip consistency, visual focus (what you saw) and trigger process.  (And you do that during the range (training) session as it happens. Make the actions and thoughts positive in nature. 

That takes a lot less time than figuring out all the "wrong" things you've done or are doing.  (You keep from having "negative" thoughts by having "positive" ones.)  There are very, very, very few times you shot write down what you want to "keep from doing", but you should always write down what you want to do and what worked well.  

If you have a less than acceptable shot process, then simply review the basics you want to achieve and mentally review the last "successful" shot in your mind (mentally seeing and feeling what that was) before the next attempt.  

As a matter of fact, you should do that before every shot / string anyway. And make a note that you did that to help reinforce the habit.  Then later you can review the overall results and even dryfire with the same perspective and mental images of the "acceptable" shots. 

AND isn't repeating the successful shots what you really want to do?


CR

Thanks to both of you. Cecil, I think I’ve read almost everything you wrote in the new Treasury, lots by Ed Hall, Dave Salyer and others.  Following it as best I can as I learn and train, including your note taking recommendations. Just wondered if there’s ever a place to note something to work on, and if so, how to do that without writing “don’t do that”.  I did add several additional pages of notes on training to get my grip the same and successful (based on good shots), stance and sight alignment, lowering into my aiming area while keeping the trigger moving until the bullet leaves, etc.

Basically notes to train to do the good shots the same again and again. Thanks as always.

RodJ wrote:. . . Just wondered if there’s ever a place to note something to work on, and if so, how to do that without writing “don’t do that”. . .

Of course! Just learn to write in the positive mode.  Rather than, "Don't look at target!" write, "Focus on sighting system."  Instead of, "Don't highlight white shots." use, "Focus on shots in black."  You can come up with many examples.

One thing to watch, though.  You are what you believe.  This means that if you believe you're having trouble with a particular fundamental, then you ARE having trouble with that fundamental and the best way to get over it is convince yourself you have it mastered.  That's where visualization and mental work come into play.  If you wish to improve your slow fire, you need to mentally work with, "My slow fire is great!" rather than "My slow fire sucks."

One of the things I suggested in the past, for those negatives that seem to persist, is to go ahead and write them down, if you must.  Then look at them briefly and tear the page up and throw it away, symbolically suggesting that you no longer recognize that negative as part of your process.

Got it!

Lanny Bassham’s With Winning In Mind has been insightful as to learning how to be able to reproduce good performance on demand under any conditions. That combined with your “brain switch” on how to write notes is going to be a great help, Ed.

You all are great internet coaches. Can’t wait to get home and do some dry fire training on my grip consistency.

+1 to Ed's post.  Avoiding the use of not and any conjunction of it is a great way to specify what to do.  There are a lot of ways to not shoot a 7 high right, including shooting 6s and 5s high right.  

Writing down what you saw and felt combined with what you focused on will help you identify a pattern of things that make you shoot well.  And you'll find it often whittles down to only a few things you do right to execute a good shot.  For pistol, listening to the smart ones on this forum, it whittles down to grip, front sight, and trigger.  A well built grip holding the sights aligned with a smooth trigger break will put the shot where you want it!

I coach tennis full time and come across TONS of parents who struggle to focus on the positive rather than what is wrong with their child's game.  I spend a lot of time coaching the parents to adjust their thinking too!  It's easy to get the kids thinking the right way!

Soupy44 wrote:I spend a lot of time coaching the parents to adjust their thinking too!  It's easy to get the kids thinking the right way!

Reminiscent of retriever training, a la Richard Wolter’s book “Water Dog”… as there is as much - or more - focus on the dog owner, as there is the dog. 

You all are real coaches and teachers. How else could you read the same questions, phrased slightly differently, over and over and still patiently reply?

At the end of the day, it’s really pretty simple if a person can get out of their own way. Thanks.