Shooting performance anxiety

[ryle]

Here's a strange one.

Today I shot with a few friends at clays. After recently getting back into the sport after a 7 or 8 year break I have been mainly going with one friend of mine. He is a novice shot and we have a good laugh. 

I have been largely happy with my scores after returning to the sport with the odd tricky stand here and there letting me down little but nothing major.

I always used to get a little nervous when i went shooting for the first stand. I usually subsided after the first stand or even first few pairs. Id find myself literally shaking as i mount the gun and shaking as i pop cartridges in. 

Today as i said i shot with a few friends, these are chaps i used to shoot with regularly but have not shot with for years.

I found myself uncontrollably nervous for the first 3/4 of the shoot. My shooting was terrible, the nerves causing me to clench up, miss, and pull the trigger when the gun wasnt even pointing anywhere near where its needed. 

Has anyone else ever suffered with this? I find it really strange as im not a nervous person. You can drop me in an unfamiliar place with strange faces and its no deal to me. Hell, I'll happily stand infront of a room full of people and waffle on as i am now! 

This only happens when im around people I know and have shot with previously, its like a feeling of expectation to perform to a certain standard... and that just messes my head up! If i shoot somewhere where i dont recognise anybody or with just one other shooter, this just doesn't happen.

Hats off to people who perform at high levels and manage to deal with the pressures!

[scarecrow243]

your over thinking things before you even start  don't care what anyone else thinks of your shooting scores etc we can all shoot great one day the next time out we can miss more than we hit my mate is 75  after i zeroed my .243 at the range i set two targets up for him one was a wooden skittle at 100 yards he hit that the other was a golf ball at 100 yards he hit that also no problem so like us just bother about your own shooting and and let your  mates think what they want

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Ryle, what level and what discipline?

I will presume you are shooting English Sporting at Registered level. If so what class are you in and what is your average?

I thrive on competing against myself and shoot far better when I am buzzing.

I endeavour to maintain my average and thoroughly enjoy exceeding it.

In the past I reached AAA, but currently am an A class shot.

 

If you are just shooting a few clays with Mates then you really are overthinking it.

 

[DUNKS]

Unlike TC I shoot for fun and companionship We dont even score. Relax enjoy just being there and let others get al twisted up over scores.

JMHO.

[ryle]

Ive always shot sporting. Usually at the smaller clubs, and usually at around a B class. Im no absolute hot shot, and already know i never will be, i dont care either because i just love getting out on a sunday morning! Thats not why I do it. Im not a naturally competitive person... unless i think i can win ha ha :p

A good average score for me personally would often be around 75% with my best scores reaching 82% ish.

The group i shot with yesterday are great guys. There's no pressure, no bad vibes, nothing like that. Thats why I find it so strange i know its the head, but I suppose like going to the dentist for some people, its just silly nerves. 

I have no idea why its there. I can remember 10-12 years ago bieng behind a chap who appeared to be looking in a similar state. I remember thinking the exact same thing as you guys "what the hells he looking worried about" 

Its all in your head I know ha ha! But its hard to switch off

[GHE]

You could try going to a commercial shoot where nobody knows you, just take a non-shooting friend with you to press the button. As nobody will see you shoot badly there will be no pressure on you to shoot well, making it much easier for you to relax and enjoy it.

 

I shoot very regularly and don't suffer from nerves, but even I prefer not to have a lot of people watching me while they wait their turn.

[Rewulf]

On 07/05/2023 at 21:20, ryle said:

Today as i said i shot with a few friends, these are chaps i used to shoot with regularly but have not shot with for years.

I found myself uncontrollably nervous for the first 3/4 of the shoot. My shooting was terrible, the nerves causing me to clench up, miss, and pull the trigger when the gun wasnt even pointing anywhere near where its needed. 

Peer pressure, the thought of looking sub par , is making you shoot sub par.

Calm yourself , and talk yourself into believing your scores dont matter.
Not only will you enjoy it more, your scores will likely improve, dont beat yourself up if you miss a sitter, we all do it sometimes, and what youre feeling isnt unusual.

I used to shoot competitive air rifle (FT) in national comps, we used to do a practice course first , where I could shoot 90%
Then move onto the competition course , which was was no harder, and under the watchful eye of some of the best shooters in the country, fall to pieces with nerves !

Just say to yourself , that it doesnt matter, there are no prizes, so no pressure.

[Poor Shot]

I feel your pain OP. 

Its wholly a psychological thing with me. I can happily attend a local Sunday club shoot where I know I am comfortably within the top 3 shooters on the day and more often than not put in a high gun or within the top three scores without a worry. Yet, when I attend a registered comp where I am squadded with unknown shooters or a non squadded event where shooters may be queued up behind me to shoot and I will go to pieces. I am struggling to get out of C class a result. A 40-43/50 on a Sunday shoot should equal a low 70's to 80's score on a registered comp but I can't seem to crack it. 

For yourself OP I would suggest going to a ground that have the claymate stands and shooting a 100+ on your own using the delay function. For good or bad this should give you an indication of where you are at. While there will be no one around to feel intimidated by there will also be no one there to whisper over your shoulder to say your behind or whatever.  

[ryle]

Thanks for the input guys.

Its such a mind game. As you say, when im with strangers, it doesnt bother me. Hell, 70-80% of the time it doesnt bother me.... its just when it does, it does!

The point to me rambling has kinda been answered, its nice to see other people who have this issue from time to time. 

I know of the odd person who can suffer with not bieng able to pull the trigger too. I know of people who've had guns modified so the triggers work differently to combat it. 

I'll be going somewhere where I dont know anyone this weekend coming and I'll most probably do better as a result, but its nice to see familiar faces for a chat too! 

Next time im in that situation, I'll take on the advice and really try to relax

cheers guys

[discobob]

On 11/05/2023 at 19:12, ryle said:

Thanks for the input guys.

Its such a mind game. As you say, when im with strangers, it doesnt bother me. Hell, 70-80% of the time it doesnt bother me.... its just when it does, it does!

The point to me rambling has kinda been answered, its nice to see other people who have this issue from time to time. 

I know of the odd person who can suffer with not bieng able to pull the trigger too. I know of people who've had guns modified so the triggers work differently to combat it. 

I'll be going somewhere where I dont know anyone this weekend coming and I'll most probably do better as a result, but its nice to see familiar faces for a chat too! 

Next time im in that situation, I'll take on the advice and really try to relax

cheers guys

If it is Catton that is your problem - part of it is Catton - I love the place but don't seem to be able to get on with it for some reason - same for a buddy as well. I can go other places and put in half decent scores but Catton just seems to hate me

[TIGHTCHOKE]

2 minutes ago, discobob said:

If it is Catton that is your problem - part of it is Catton - I love the place but don't seem to be able to get on with it for some reason - same for a buddy as well. I can go other places and put in half decent scores but Catton just seems to hate me

Now then, that is one of the better excuses I've heard recently!     

[ryle]

Not been catton for a little while. I dont mind it.

Went to kingsley moor last sun, i dont know anyone there and had no issues. Its just when I see people I know, call it stage fright if you want. Such a strange thing.

[Yellow Bear]

3 hours ago, discobob said:

If it is Catton that is your problem - part of it is Catton - I love the place but don't seem to be able to get on with it for some reason - same for a buddy as well. I can go other places and put in half decent scores but Catton just seems to hate me

Is that the downhill part or the uphill

[ryle]

Downhill part throws you a bit. Shame they're having to use those cabins now, but at least you're dry.

[discobob]

17 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Now then, that is one of the better excuses I've heard recently!     

It is found on Page 19 of my self published book "Reasons for Missing!" - do you want the Amazon link 🤣

13 hours ago, Yellow Bear said:

Is that the downhill part or the uphill

Starts on the Uphill, and then goes downhill from there 😂

12 hours ago, ryle said:

Downhill part throws you a bit. Shame they're having to use those cabins now, but at least you're dry.

it isn't as claustrophobic as Mickley though.

[Jega]

Personally I don't shoot because I'm good at it, I shoot because I enjoy it.

[Westley]

9 hours ago, discobob said:

It is found on Page 19 of my self published book "Reasons for Missing!" - do you want the Amazon link 🤣

Starts on the Uphill, and then goes downhill from there 😂

it isn't as claustrophobic as Mickley though.

Yes, I went to Mickley for the first time last week.  I normally shoot reasonably well at Catton,  Worsley etc., but had a disastrous day at Mickley, only just cleared 60. I did find the 'sheds' a bit off putting , but I can sympathise with the reasons for them. I intend to go back and try again, just a bit of a traffic nightmare on the M6 at present. Probably stick to A49.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

11 hours ago, discobob said:

It is found on Page 19 of my self published book "Reasons for Missing!" - do you want the Amazon link 

I was hoping to have a signed copy of a first edition sent to me!  

[ryle]

Ive attended a few shoots recently now where I know only few, if any faces

Ive found its really helped, infact I feel as i did when i first started shooting many years ago i.e no pressure. Even though as i said ive never had pressure from others, its something i end up doing to myself. 

[discobob]

I had a better day at Catton yesterday - I would have come first in class if I had gone Comp - on a layout that everyone agreed was a tougher than normal one. 

[Agriv8]

After a sunny afternoon at EJ Churchills at Swinton today me and the shooting buddy have now resorted to mind games and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses - he got in my head the last stand after we swapped clay guns for game side by sides for the last 25 !

he will normally have me by a 5 % but today I screwed the first stand up and a wobble at the second but I had a word with myself and shot my socks of I think I was a couple in the lead 75 clays in !

the main thing is to enjoy it and try and work on improving every time out we score for bragging rights nowt else and I ain’t going to chance loosing a shooting buddy of 40 some years over the scores at the end of the day !

if I dare and think about scores while in the stand my prep goes to poo and I start to tighten up and then usually rush my shot! 

all in all we had a cracking afternoon finished of with a pint in our local 

not sure I would enjoy shooting competitions regularly 

Agriv8

[discobob]

18 hours ago, Agriv8 said:

if I dare and think about scores while in the stand

On the Sporttrap on Saturday - clear going onto the 5th stand - cleared the single, thought right take the E bird (low looper) there so my gun is in the right position for the on report C bird (Springing Teal) - and went and missed the E bird by stopping my gun.....Finished on a 24 - I should have just shot it....

[Agriv8]

DiscoBob - I feel you pain - one stand on the sporting at Churchill is 5 high incomers all  differently speeds / heights and possibly a mix of normal and midi. My shooting buddy eats stands like this for breakfast usually with balls of dust ! And usually a crowd complimenting him on his shooting prowess!
 

his turn to shoot first and he had lost his usual form. I am thinking blood and sand if he’s hitting 33% - 50%  I am going to end up with a duck ! It’s a presentation that is my weakness usually !?!? 
 

so we shot

A B on report 

C D on report 

G G on report 

G G on report

Did my prep worked out hold point etc ! The first 4 we’re good clean kills the 2 extra high (G) also broken not smoked em but a kill is a kill - the shooting buddy says bet your going to ace this stand while re loading first g hit second g a miss because I am thinking about the clear round on the score card on a stand where he would have easily had me !

I had him by 1 on 75 clays before we swapped to the side by sides for  last 25 .

if you like your sportrap Swinton has 5 we shot them as a stand from middle pen again AB on report BC on report…

Mondays are 1/2 price or it would be well outside our budget.

Agriv8

38 minutes ago, discobob said:

On the Sporttrap on Saturday - clear going onto the 5th stand - cleared the single, thought right take the E bird (low looper) there so my gun is in the right position for the on report C bird (Springing Teal) - and went and missed the E bird by stopping my gun.....Finished on a 24 - I should have just shot it....