Why Mental Training? A few thoughts...
It was very encouraging to see that during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, there were many athletes working with a Sport Psychology professional as they prepared for the games. It has also been noted that many golfers on the major tours work with a Sport Psychology professional. Slowly but surely athletes, teams, coaches and managers are not only saying that they feel most sport is mental, but that they are doing something about it. They are hiring Sport Psychology professionals, reading books, and devoting time to team building and mental training.
Successful service rifle marksmen generally agree that the discipline of this type of shooting is 75% mental and 25% physical / training / method, etc... I have observed proficient shooters (myself included) lose mental focus while in competition resulting in demoralizing defeat, and in some circumstances, disqualification. The ability to shoot proficiently requires good form, technical ability, familiarity with the weapon, record keeping and good physical condition however the over-arching limiting factor that will define success is mental discipline. Mental discipline allows the shooter to focus on what they are currently doing but also allows them to visualize the next series of steps, movements and precautions before they are required to carry them out. To compound this all of these mental processes must be carried out while the shooter is under stress. Mental discipline is not something that can be learned in an afternoon, it is a type of conditioning that can often take years of training.
Some emphasis should be placed throughout your training regime to recruit a mental marksmanship discipline. Achievements are not solely based on talent and hard physical training, but on mental focus, establishing a clear vision of what the shooter wants to achieve and the desire to obtain it.
We do this by re-enforcing Relaxation, Using Imagery, Setting Personal Goals and using Positive Thinking in all aspects of our Marksmanship Training Regime.
Safety: All exercises will be performed under direct or indirect supervision by experienced RSO’s and ARSO’s. Safety is of utmost importance and is an over-riding focus for your training event. Range commands must be correct in order to avoid confusion on the firing point. Be consistent and assume that every range session is a practice for CFSAC. Make it real.
Physical: include physical exertion as a portion of your regularly scheduled range sessions. Morning warm-ups, stretching exercises and running should comprise a small component of your training regime once your shooters have the fundamentals of marksmanship principles established. Shooters should also be required to perform these physical exercises while carrying their service rifle, just like they would be required to do during Service Rifle competitions. Combine this stress with shooting and engage targets after physical exertion. Start small and work your way up.
Realistic Training: The intention is to be able to simulate service rifle and realistic field situations as closely as possible. The intention of the material and practicum are intended to have great training value in recruiting service rifle shooters and bring home more trophies.
Components of a Mental Conditioning Program: Identifying your unique requirements provides the biggest impact to your shooting performance. However, there are ways you can begin to improve your mental performance and here are a few suggestions on where to start:
Autogenic Relaxation – autogenic also known as self-generated training has the power to actually alter your neural pathways as you change your behavior. Autogenic relaxation is a kind of self-hypnosis that enables you to root positive phrases and mental images in your unconscious. It brings your mind and feelings into harmony with your body as you take on and adjust to new behaviors.
Visualization – visualization is your ability to imagine in your mind certain situations. It not only includes visually seeing the events happening but also allows you to feel like you are almost in the situation. All five senses are present in the visualization including sound, smell, touch, etc. Visualization is a powerful tool when used in a positive matter. However, in many cases shooters replay negative events causing a negative effect on performance. The more vivid the visualization the more it attaches to your memory.
Affirmations – Affirmations are positive statements that you can use to replace your negative mind-chatter. Using affirmations can be a powerful way to transform many of your old attitudes and expectations into positive and vibrant ones.
Muscle Memory – muscle/brain imprinting through controlled plyometrics, body and motor control training helps "train the brain" to react naturally and unconsciously when brought into a real shooting situation. Slow motions that imprint movements that are consistent with the shooting sport will improve overall efficiency