After several years of insistent questioning, there came a time when I realized one after the other told me pretty much the same thing. Each one emphasized the need to master the fundamentals first.
I finally understood what they were trying to say. In that instant, it might best be described that I had a “moment of clarity.” I was faced with a revelation that didn’t produce joy but instilled overt disappointment. Because my conscious mind was telling me there’s got to be some tips—secrets—just something else, to give me an edge.
Are there tips that are both ginchy and useful? Sure, but they might be better used with a solid foundation.
It’s not news, we’ve all started here and been told from day-one that mastery of the fundamentals was extremely important.
Over the past few years I’ve noticed a large number of very good shooters stuck in their current classification (with me being one of them), and it was mostly due to some really dumb reasons. Most of these shooters can generally score way above their current ticket’s rating, to only crash and burn somewhere along the way, and then eventually dust themselves off and shoot at much higher levels again before the day’s end. If you think about it, that’s a lot of points to give up.
The up-side is these shooters have mastered the fundamentals. Unfortunately, they don’t trust in them or themselves to consistently apply them.
This may very well explain why the Expert classification is commonly referred as “the vast wasteland,” or “Expert purgatory.”
Well, what does this cloistered group have in common?
Revisiting the fundamentals isn’t all that sexy, cool or advanced; it’s like selling someone a steak without giving them the darn sizzle. During a match, be it in the beginning, the middle or near the end, these shooters will deviate from things that actually work. They doubt their skills and become complacent or loose track of what they’re suppose to be doing. And if by chance one substantial error is delivered during that match, they’ll momentarily revert to their former shooting selves by unintentionally abandoning the fundamentals.
I’m certain many of you can recall a moment when you had a good run—then suddenly struggled—only to morph into a disembodied spectator watching in disbelief as your target became mangled by jerked or heeled shots. It’s almost like someone else was shooting for you, someone who didn’t know how to shoot and you had a front row seat.
Now, I’m not going to suggest you should revisit the fundamentals with a novice’s eye or perspective, but simply give yourself some time to think about how long you can consistently utilize and apply them during a target, or for that matter, a match.
Can you apply the fundamentals over nine consecutive shots, or even better, ninety?
For those of you who’ve investigated the process of writing one’s own shooting diary, few authors’ on this subject really tell us how to write meaningful goals and observations. At this point you might now be a little more enlightened when they give an example, such as: “I’ll strive to perform my shot routine 95% of the time.”
Abstract? Yes. But I’m certain it’s a little more insightful given the current perspective.
It’s an excellent example of the mental aspect of the game. It’s not about fixing or overcoming errant problems, or for that matter developing new techniques.
Let’s face it, coaches and instructors have always preached to us about the “performance” aspect of the game rather than concentrating on shot values or scores. My best guess is many of these so called ensnared wasteland shooters successfully perform their routines very well, as a percentage of application. It’s probably very similar to their current rating’s percentage. (SS: 85% to 89%, Exp: 90% to 95%)
For a lot, it’s shouldn’t be about becoming better and certainly not about fixing wayward problems; it’s about consistently applying more of what you do well now.
Work on the secrets of the universe later, much later, after making a commitment to perform better with the skills you currently have.
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