Music, Mantras and Mind Games

Having a musical bent, I often have songs running through my mind, like a personal radio station.  (Yes, sometimes it gets stuck on an unappealing song, and the skip button is broken.)

I have discovered that sometimes I can use those musical snippets to reset my mind when I am shooting.  It lets me block out pretty much everything.

At Atterbury, when I needed to calm myself, these were the two songs on my mental playlist:

• Serenity by Godsmack
  
• Something Better by The Broken View
  

Back in February, when I was in a Viking/Norse/Metal phase, I used this one during an indoor match when I had 

• Lyfjaberg by Wardruna ("healing mountain" in Norse)
  

When I was checking out all the boxes last year, I noticed there were a lot of stickers, symbols, sayings and the like which no doubt had a lot of meaning.  I created my own list of sayings for the matches this year including:

• Sport shooting isn’t a war;
  it’s a challenge to be faced
  with a clear mind,
  relaxed body, and
  controlled intensity.
  

• It's how you recover
  when something happens
  that makes you good.
  

• You're gonna be fine
  Just keep your head
  

• It feels scary
  because it’s unfamiliar,
  not because I’m incapable.
  

• Leave the misery of mediocrity
  to those cold, timid souls
  who gave up when the going
  was difficult.
  

What kind of music, mantras and mind games do you use to reset or remain focused during a match?

I visualize shooting X's when dry fire training, at a match, when relaxing, or especially when I wake up at night and can't get back to sleep.

I used to shoot at an indoor range long ago and during a match everyone was stuck to the window worrying about how the other competitors were shooting. (only had five lanes for the matches)

I'd be back relaxing on the couch with my eyes closed visualizing. 

Shoot your own match and everything will fall into place!

It don't mean $#'+!

Whether you miss the target, someone says/does something, you shot nine X's in a row, the gun malfunctions, the wind blows your shell catcher down - it don't mean $#'+.

The only thing that matters is the shot you're working on now.

I've seen people get upset, shot worse and worse, and even take a dnf and leave.  Champons can focus in harder the more pressure they are under.  With practice you can manage your mental state for peak performance. Lanny Bassham's book has some info on how to do this, as does the MEC sports psychology book.

Me too!

Here is one:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2dvg4Bbrb0

For perfecting that grip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDXi4yqVd9g

Here is one for remaining centered: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7t7cGwN7_0

Visualizing your ex:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63nlhoda2MY

I mainly have this song going through my head.

There was a time years ago I couldn't get the Beatles 'You really got a hold on me' out of my head.  But maybe it did work????
I think it was a Motown song at first

john bickar wrote:I mainly have this song going through my head.

Good to see an old school shooter doing it the old school way

Wow this must be my problem ....Eddie Van Halen's Eruption..

One of the best stickers I saw on a gun box simply said,  "Don't Panic"

-- Scott

Ego shooters define themselves by their score, their reputation. they always seek their average ( and seldom improve)

I’m very “lucky” in this regard. Mechanical aortic valve.

Plugs in, muffs on, all I hear is “tick… tick… tick…”

I time my breathing to that, get settled, and think the words “straight back” over and over and over again as I squeeze.

Hello,

Being lucky enough to shoot next to some AMU shooters, some of whom are national champs, I've asked if any would share their mantras (if they had one). One has. That mantra was, "sharks are born swimming." If you go to advanced SAFS at Camp Perry (something I'd recommend for those who are at the level where they are trying to de-clutter the bullshit they've been told, read, seen, and tried to perform in order to actually ask folks who are accomplished about these things- and help others with your questions and subsequent answers), that shooter will probably be on the stage as an instructor for the class.

Now, in and of itself, that doesn't mean too much. One shooter happens to have something that works and has shared it, but that doesn't mean if you say that particular mantra, or any mantra at all, that you will end up in the same high performing position. Same for music, or any other mental device you use to help coach you and settle your anxiety.

I could probably write reams about qualia for our particular sport (and did write about qualia quite a bit in another life; I'm in Dennett's camp and believe the hard problem of consciousness is contrived). However, I don't think that particular discussion is fruitful for us here. What is more important isn't what mechanism you use (if you use one at all), but rather that you are able to key into your present subjective state in a way that compels high performance. And when I say "key into," what I mean is that you are both able to understand the present state, and in some way, alter such to maintain/increase your performance.

However you are able to keep yourself stable, and also stable during high intensity moments of a brief duration, is the real secret. As you can imagine, there are all sorts of ways to do that. Try multiple approaches, and let success be your guide.

Best,
Chase

I have never found that I could concentrate on whatever task I had to accomplish if I had a distraction such as music live, recorded or memorized.  I had to have my mind as clear as possible.