Heart Pounding - Head Spinning

[grantwomack]

Purposely think about something different...
What do caterpillars make into butterfly wings? *click* Ten.
Why don't chicken breasts have teats? *click* Ten.
What is the speed of dark? *click* Ten.
Does anything actually exist when I close my eyes? *click* Ten.
Who really invented the question mark, if not Dr Evil's father? *click* Ten.
That's five tens in a row, this could be a sixty! *click* Seven.

Why think about shooting - we all know how. Just do it.

[Little Miss Purple]

Originally Posted by grantwomack

Purposely think about something different...
What do caterpillars make into butterfly wings? *click* Ten.
Why don't chicken breasts have teats? *click* Ten.
What is the speed of dark? *click* Ten.
Does anything actually exist when I close my eyes? *click* Ten.
Who really invented the question mark, if not Dr Evil's father? *click* Ten.
That's five tens in a row, this could be a sixty! *click* Seven.

Why think about shooting - we all know how. Just do it.

Nicely put Grant

[robbo]

i must confess to a mental collapse at a fita 18 comp last december.
My practice sessions for the last few weeks had not gone well so confidence was a bit low.

It was gonna be my first H2H after the qualifying round so i was nervous about that all day anyway and to make it worse i had simon terry on my detail standing behind me and chris white on the boss to my right coupled with a very high seeding lady recurve on my boss.

the company was just too much and i felt so overwhelmed, my form disentegrated and i was just not mentally 'there', needless to say my score was tat.

I knew that they weren't really paying attention to me as they should be concentrating on their own form but it didn't help.

hopefully i'll be mentally stronger in the future...

[BillM]

Originally Posted by Murray

I used to get very nervous, particularly at indoor competitions for some reason.

I don't understand that comment as you have not been seen at an indoor comp for some time now. Haste ye back. I use them for training as much as for competition. I too get a wee bit nervous before the start but keep myself busy and chat to others nearby, you get to know lots of nice people the more comps you attend. Once the shoot is underway the only thing I have to worry about is the score I get with my first 6 arrows. 10,10,10 etc and it is downhill all the way, so I sometimes think that starting with 8's there is definite room for improvement.

BillM

[Murray]

Originally Posted by BillM

you have not been seen at an indoor comp for some time now

Last one was at the squad weekend. I don't do too many during the season (only that one this year) as I'd rather spend the time at the club, training.

[caveman]

Originally Posted by Anna K

No you're not a freak! Cos I don't get nervous at competitions either, I absolutely love them. This meant that shooting compound has come as quite a shock - I don't quite understand why, but I get really sweaty palms when i shoot it, but yet I never do for recurve. I also have to work a lot harder at keeping calm and slowing my heart rate down, two things I never worry about with recurve. It's very frustrating, and I know the sweaty palms affects my shooting, cos I'm worrying about the bow slipping. Does anyone have any suggestions....?

i use climbing chalk costs like £3 and lasts for years and that's with lot's of other archers useing it to really go's down well.

can get a little messy if your not wearing white's

[oncea]

you shouldnt worry about what everyone else looks like just go out and enjoy the sport try to pick up hints and tips to improve yourself the rest will follow. If you feel pressured just take a step back and remember that you are there because YOU want to be there and you enjoy shooting.
Shaun

[Moose]

I dont give a S***, I do get annoyed when I shoot badly but not nervous.

I am there to shoot, inveriably there are some of the big guns at most comps that I attend so I do not win, I just look to come somewhere near these guys.

Beat Jonathon Mynott at Lilleshall last year (Saturday only, v v v windy and by 2 pts) felt great but on the Sunday he anilalated my score to show why I just go for personal improvement and why he shoots for GB, hence no nerves as I have nothing to proove to anyone else

[hypertigger]

oh my word, i was so nervous on sunday.

i'd been shooting quite well recently, and i was hoping for quiet confidence and poise when shooting.

but no, i got there, and nervous as anything. so i sat down, and did my black box technique and shoved everything in, including being nervous, expectation, everything except shooting.

i also kept my head firmly occupied with a scuba instruction book (i have an instructor exam soon). to be honest, i don't remember thinking anything while on the line except 'expand'

i did have one of my coaches blowing kisses at me when we were left facing each other, but that just brought a smile to my face (and him shooting 9s and me shooting 10s ha ha) and i relax better physically if i can have a bit of a laugh as well.

the elimination matches were even worse. i panicked at matt (webb), and he just got me to do some visualisation. i think you just have to breath slowly and fully, and just shoot the arrow, as you know how to. going to more and more competitions/h2hs will improve your 'immunity' to nerves at big tournaments.

i think it's been mentioned before, and that's expectation - i shot fantastically at the indoors on sunday, and felt that it was expected that i'd perform similarly in the h2hs, and therefore i put pressure on myself, and i expected to do well too, came unstuck in the quarter finals though. d'oh!!

the one thing that i need to get used to now, is expecting to finish near the top, something that i didn't think was very realistic, but the past couple of months have proved (to me especially) that i can, and i will!!