clay shooting success

Clay Shooting Success Sports Science Handbook

Written by Phil Coley MSc ©2011

http://clayshootingsuccess.co.uk/clayshootinglinks.html

www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk

©2011 No part of this handbook to be reproduced without prior consent of the author, Phil Coley. 1

The Clay Shooting Psychology Handbook is an introduction into sport science in shooting.

The handbook is laid out in an easy to read format including forms that you can personally

use, plus actual research examples from years of working with top shots in all disciplines.

The handbook is a precursor to our Masterclass series which is available online and also by

attending our Masterclasses at Shooting Grounds in the UK and the USA. For more details

on our Masterclasses please visit www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk.

This Handbook is written by leading Mental Skills expert, Phil

Coley MSc. Phil has been researching within clay shooting for over

20 years, working with clay shooters of all levels from beginners

to Olympians and World Champions.

Phil Coley

Contents

1. Background

2. Goal Setting Page 3

3. Visualisation Page 5

4. Anxiety Control Page 8

5. Competition Preparation Page 11

6. Evaluation Page 14

7. Quick Tips Page 15

8. Forms Page 18

http://www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk/



Background

It is now commonplace at the top level of sport to find full backroom staff consisting of

physio’s, conditioning coaches, psychologists, nutritionists and a multitude of specialist

coaches. However in clay shooting it is far less common, although at international level

support is available. The clay shooting world has many great coaches, with only a relative

few adding mental skills to their coaching.

There are three main aspects to sport science; psychology – the mind, physiology – the

body, and technical – the skill. This handbook will cover psychology in the main and touch

on physiology. But why should we look at these aspects? The reason is that they all affect a

clay shooter. Many of you will have experienced days when it just doesn’t go right or, in a

winning position, you drop a crucial target.

Psychology is about the controlling and working with the powerful element that is your

mind. What makes the difference between a good shooter and a great shooter is the mind,

regardless whether that person is focussing on the mental aspects or not. The mind controls

the body and the decisions you make. In simple terms areas such as motivation,

visualisation, anxiety control, fear of failure, relaxation, coping with pressure, and negative

thoughts to name but a few.

Physiology is the body. Shooting may not be perceived as a physical sport, but the physical

element does play a part - this can be seen as physical training at the top level - shooting a

large number of rounds in a day, for example. However, for most shots this is not possible

so other training methods need to be looked at.

Psychological Physiological

Technical



Goal Setting

In driving terms if you don’t have a destination, you will drive around aimlessly. Goal setting

is written about for sport, for business and in life coaching. Goal setting is the crucial area

for any clay shooter. It is your very own plan of how far you really want to go in your clay

shooting. Some shooters just want to improve and have better days when shooting, others

are focused on a CPSA average and, at the top level, it is about winning.

Let’s look at the two most important aspects of goal setting; the first type of goal is an

outcome goal - this is a goal that only has one of two options to it – win or lose/achieved or

not. The second is performance goal. Always regarded as the ‘harder to define’ goal, it is

based on elements of the performance. Both types of goal are used - those at the very top

level will be very focused on outcome goals, with a mix of performance goals. Those moving

up through the ranks will be using performance goals and, less frequently, outcome goals.

In clay shooting there are too many shooters using outcome goals. If you solely use outcome

goals then negative times will occur as any unreached goals or bad days will lead to more

mental downers – only the very strong minded will ever succeed using this goal type. The

performance goal is based on all elements of your shooting; areas to improve on, areas of

focus and, ultimately, if all performance goals are reached then the outcome will be

achieved.

So let’s look at ‘Goal Setting’ rules.

Setting goals is based on a SMART principle:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Achievable

R – Realistic

T – Timed



So what does this mean for you?

The best concept is our Pyramid of Success model.

Outcome/Dream Goal 5-10 Years

Long Term Goals/Outcome Goal 3-5 Years

Mid Term Goals/Performance & Outcome Goals 1-3 Years

Short Term Goals/Performance Goals 6-12 Months

Micro Goals/Performance Goals 3 Months

Macro Goals/Performance Goals 4 Weeks

The task for you now is to write down some specific goals.

What is your Dream Goal for your Clay Shooting?

A -

What is an Achievable Outcome Goal for you in 3-5 years’ time?

A -

What do you need to work on for this Season?

A -

What are you going to work on in the next 3 months?

A -

What will you do this month?

A -

Pyramid of Success



Visualisation or Mental Imagery

Imagery is the use of your mind to imagine being in a situation. For clay shooting this is a key

area for preparation, training and success. So why is imagery so important? The simple

explanation is that imagining a situation can reinforce, and improve, the same real-life

situation.

Let’s look at this in more detail for clay shooting.

There are two types of ways to imagine yourself in a clay shooting perspective – the first is

internal imagery, and the second is external imagery. To explain this more – Imagine you are

shooting, think of yourself now doing it – what do you see? Are you seeing yourself as if

watching yourself on TV, or are you seeing targets on a range as if you were holding your

gun?

If you see yourself as if watching on a TV, then that is external; if you see targets as if you

are holding your gun then this is internal. Both are effective, but internal imagery is widely

regarded as the most successful.



Below is an exercise to help you see the effectiveness of Imagery.

1. Think of a ground you shoot at.

2. Pick a target or what you are going to shoot (for Sporting pick a target, for Skeet pick

a stand, for Trap think of a target).

3. Now think how it feels to shoot it.

a. When you think about it, what do you see?

b. What do you feel?

c. Did you actually move when you were thinking about it?

4. What do you think?

The reason we have done this is so that you can experience - mentally - what it is like to

shoot a target. But for this to be effective it needs to be the right thought process. You

should have felt your body twitch (or you may have even been moving your arms anyway),

you should have seen the ground, maybe even seen others shooting too. But when you

actually shot the target you should have gone through a routine that you normally do: called

for the target and shot it.



Imagery helps you in so many ways, especially when using ‘dry mounting’. If you are not

able to shoot every day, as many are not, then dry mounting is a great way to use both

imagery and technical ways. The best form of dry mounting is to do this in a dark room – the

reason for this is so it has some element of realism - if you imagine a target, stand up and

dry mount, then you don’t see anything you don’t need to see, so you can then imagine the

targets you want to.

Imagery is a huge part of psychology. It is used to improve techniques, and to help enhance

your performance through developing a strong mental focus. Elements such as dealing with

anxiety, relaxation and many other aspects begin with imagery. In the ‘Forms’ section of this

handbook are some working forms for you to use.



Anxiety Control

Feeling nervous is a feeling of anxiousness or getting stressed and is common for any

sportsperson - most experience ‘butterflies’ or sweaty palms, but how to cope with them

can make the difference between coming first or last. Most people experience a rise in heart

rate -research that has been conducted across all sports, and the specific research we have

done in clay shooting, shows certain patterns or traits across all subjects used.

Let’s look at some background into this. When someone is to take part in a sport at any level

of competition then there is a rise in their heart rate, even in a static sport. The rise in heart

rate is caused by anticipation as the individual subconsciously prepares the body for an

appropriate response.

Example

Think of your favourite food. What is it? Can you imagine it? What does it taste like? - You

should have experienced increased salivation – a bodily response to your thoughts.

So what about nerves or anxiety in practice for you?

Example

Think about a situation in your clay shooting (use a bit of imagery) – you are on a straight

and hitting the next 2 targets mean you beat a widely renowned top shot, or even someone

you have never beaten before. These two targets are not your favoured target – how do you

feel? Is your heart rate up just thinking about it?

Your heart rate will have increased almost definitely in this exercise and that is good – it

shows you are able to imagine correctly. The key is controlling your heart rate through

controlling your mind. To explain this we need to be technical to help you understand what

is really going on. The mind controls everything we do; it computes information in

milliseconds, makes split-second decisions and can act without conscious human thought. It

is truly amazing.



Nerves are positive and negative

The Inverted U principle helps to describe this:

The Top of the Inverted U is a place of optimum performance, the bottom right

demonstrates a state of excessive alertness, the bottom left the complete opposite –

passive, lethargic etc. In clay shooting terms this means you need to find the optimum for

you, this is where you are “in the zone”.

Optimum Performance Zone

Not Alert (passive) Too Alert (excessive)

The key to dealing with anxiety is to be in control. When starting out in shooting you are

learning all the time and you are very conscious of what you’re doing. The more competent

you become the less you think about each stage of the motions you go through to shoot a

target - it becomes natural. The reading of targets and your own backing does become

easier. So using a combination of shooting more targets, getting coached on more

challenging targets and then backing up with dry mounting/imagery techniques will increase

your confidence and reduce nerves as well as helping you to improve.

At a top level nerves can be calmed through a range of options. These include positive

imagery, relaxation techniques and prepared mental routines. Our research showed that,

across the board, the more competent clay shooter will always have a calmer heart rate -

there will be spikes in the heart rate on more difficult targets or nearing the end of a

straight round, but the consistency of the heart rate pattern had no erratic peaks. The heart

rate of less competent clay shooters showed a greater number of spikes and erratic

readings.

Inverted U principle to demonstrate optimum

performance levels of alertness.



Top Tip

Get on the range and think what you do when you go into competition (this exercise is not

to do in competition and is meant only as a training exercise). Think how you feel. What do

you usually do? What you focus on? How do you feel on a difficult target? Speak with your

coach on reading targets. We work very closely with clay shooting coaches and, using a

range of heart rate monitors to give us an indication of mind thoughts, we can then evaluate

them in our in-house computer programme to observe variances in heart rate traits. Our

research covers all levels of clay shooter.



Competition Preparation

One of the key areas is competition preparation. Crucial as you are progressing in the sport,

it is just as much so at the very top level. Preparation is very personal - so there is no magic

solution, but there are principles to follow.

Depending on which discipline you compete in there are certain areas we suggest.

Days leading up to a competition:

Mental Imagery – imagining the shoot you are going to, coupled with dry mounting.

Night before:

Do whatever you normally do prior to a competition. Or: change this to a meal – no caffeine,

then some visualisation, relaxation exercises and then bed. Bedtime is not always crucial -

many sportspeople struggle to sleep prior to a big competition. The following day they are

up for the competition as adrenaline and positive nerves aid ‘getting in the zone’.

Competition day:

Wake up, breakfast, and then head to the ground. Avoid caffeine and drinks with excess

sugar; drink lots of water. Do some visualisation during the day, and rehearse a few targets

in your mind. One thing we recommend is not to watch how others are shooting targets

time after time – focus on you. Watch a few targets by all means but remember people use

different techniques and watching behind someone holds no ‘true sight’ picture (particularly

aimed at sporting shooters).

In competition:

There are so many things to cover for “in competition” we have listed just a few here –

these will be covered, in depth, in the Clay Shooting Success Masterclass series both online

and at shooting grounds across the country.

We have researched this area comprehensively using feedback forms, heart rate monitors,

eye blink and video analysis.



The principle we have developed is the Traffic Light principle – Red Orange Green (RAG).

The reasons behind this are as follows:

When you are ‘red’ then you stop, you don’t do anything at all to do

with your shooting, your mind is, in effect, switched off.

When you are ‘amber’ you are becoming more alert and starting to

think about what you are going to do.

When you are ‘green’ you are go. You are fully thinking about what you’re doing.

Now one can expand on this massively to suit each person, but to give you a framework for

your competition then here are some pointers, regardless of discipline.

When you get to the ground, you need to have a walk around. Take time to look at the

background, the sky and just get a feel for the day ahead. You only need a short time to do

this, but the aim is to make you comfortable in your new surroundings. This is all in the

amber stage.

Once you know your start time go through your routine, get your gun out; get your vest on,

cartridges, cap etc. – whatever you do. It is crucial at this stage to stay in the amber zone -

still think about what you are going to do, use a little bit of imagery, but no great thought

process. The reason for this is the effect this will have on concentration levels. Most people

lose concentration after approximately 15 minutes, therefore focussing too hard prior to the

competition (or between rounds) will increase your chance of mental tiredness.

Returning to RAG: when you walk to the stand it is at this point you go to green; you are

alert, you know you are ready. Prior to your shot you should be in an amber state, you are

ready but not involved in someone else’s shooting – how many times have you seen

someone miss a target and then the next person misses too? Prior to your shot, you should

be aware, but not shooting their target.



When it is your turn to shoot, you need to go green – you may even use some “self-talk” in

your head – literally talking yourself through from amber to green. Green can become a

keyword for you if you so wish, which tells you you are ready. A note of caution: everyone is

different, everyone has different routines, many top shots approach things differently and

they equally have time to practice most days, some not. But all top shots are able to switch

on and off easily; one minute laughing, the next in the zone (green) and ready to shoot.

If you do nothing else when you are in competition, learn to use RAG – red you don’t think

of shooting, listen to music in the car, have a drink of water, chat with someone – the

important thing is not to focus on shooting or the competition. As you get you gear together

you enter an amber state - conscious what you are going to do (your heart rate may

increase but this is a totally normal, and often beneficial, response, as you arrive at the

stand you are still in amber, and only when you step up to shoot do you go green. When you

come off the stand you go back to amber (even red and completely switch off - more likely

with Sporting, if you are queuing at stands). We recommend staying amber as much as

possible, only going green when you get on the stand and step-up to shoot.



Evaluation

It is important to be able to evaluate what you do, what works for you and, most

importantly, learn the best technique for you and understand why it works for you. The

brain is able to take in a huge amount of information. Any information it takes in is stored in

your short term memory, however, if you reference it often enough it becomes stored in

your long term memory. Many people refer to this as their ‘memory bank’ – lots of shooters

store target information in their memory bank.

Although each discipline is different, it is fair to say that the most variance in targets is

Sporting and FITASC, and course builders challenging the clay shot which is great but all

disciplines carry different pressure, so evaluation is important.

For Skeet, the pressure is repetition - getting it right every time. For trap, there is a variance

in some of the disciplines, and in Olympic Trap it is the speed of the target and angle that

present the challenge. Whatever the challenge you need to learn to cope with it.

Those at the very top of their sport will constantly be practising to be the best - they

practice to stay in the groove, also working on the psychological pressures, relaxation,

visualisation and much more. Those progressing in their sport will be (or should be) working

on the elements of technique and psychology.

Evaluation should occur every time you shoot whether it is in practice or competition. Use

our evaluation form to help you keep a record. From this you can build a picture of your

strengths and also those areas you need to develop more. The reason being the more times

you do and activity, the better you get at it (only if you concentrate on the right aspects).

How many top shots do you see that make it look easy; that have plenty of time when they

shoot; that make it look easy? They, too, started at the beginning and they had to learn both

the technical and psychological skills.



Quick Mental Tips

Positive Mental Attitude - PMA

If someone says to you “don’t think of an egg white!” you automatically think of one. Quick

tip: Use positive words to describe the opposite of the negative. Every time you say ‘don’t

do ‘x’’ or ‘don’t think of ‘y’’ you highlight and reinforce the negative. In the case of the egg

scenario use “think of the white of an egg” (instead of ‘don’t think of it’) – now what do you

see? The choice of language encouraging you to think of the egg white instead of not

thinking about the egg white is simple and effective in discouraging negative thought

patterns.

Goal Setting

The phrase “no pain no gain”, and “set yourself high targets” are not always correct. Goals

need to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed. This approach is known as

SMART and is very common for setting goals. The simple tip with goals is to make sure you

have building blocks in place to reach your end goal.

Training

From a mental point of view, training must not only be physical, but you must have mental

sessions. Include positive mental reflection and reinforcement of what you have achieved in

every training session. Go over in your mind what you have done, what it felt like, what the

specific elements were and try to do all of the above in slow motion in your mind.

Visualisation

“Imagine the smell of chips from the chip shop” – what does that do to you? Can you smell

the chips, maybe the vinegar and are you salivating? Visualisation is about experiencing

something without being there; giving yourself the chance to train and know the feelings

you associate with training without leaving the comfort of home, the chair, the train or in

the bath. It is scientifically proven that visualisation plays a major part in skill acquisition and



preparation. Visualisation is used for preparation and also for rehabilitation work. Tip: Think

what it feels like in the changing room or as you get ready for a competition – what feelings

are you experiencing? – If they are positive then try to use those each time, but also prepare

in your mind for the times you need to change that - arriving late or not having all your kit

may be such times.

Relaxation

Take a ‘pressure situation’: your heart is pumping faster, you are getting so close to winning,

but you feel slightly out of control – the answer: Get more pumped up! Most understand

that would not be an effective solution. It is a question of calming and refocusing yourself -

relaxation plays a major part in this. Relaxation is not always ‘chilling out’; it is about getting

the body to relax for a split-second, to focus getting blood to the right areas of your body

and for the mind to take control. Simple tip: When the pressure is on and you want to slow

yourself quickly, take a few deep breaths, imagine you are breathing in through your tummy

button and focus on a point about an inch behind it. This will slow your heart rate briefly &

also focus your mind.

Motivation

If your coach tells you “you’re rubbish. Is this all you can do? You are useless” this will hardly

motivate you to improve, yet this is all too common. Motivation is about a ‘Motive for

Action’. Motivation is intrinsically linked to your goals, to your confidence and most

importantly to your own self-belief. You need to know why you are competing, what you

want to achieve and the reward you will get. Reward yourself for achieving the goals you set

out to reach, making sure you have smaller rewards for smaller goals on the way.

Anxiety Control

We all become anxious. This can be through fear of failure, poor performance, nerves or

lack of confidence. Anxiety control is the control of a combination of many different

elements, meaning there is no ‘quick fix’. It is all about hard training, physical skill and

mental application. There are many techniques to work on for this, see our Masterclasses

for more information.



Decision Making

Decision making is a topic that is worked on more and more often with individuals and also

with teams. The level of pressure in sport has increased through higher levels of expectation

and performance. There is a much finer line and closer margin between those in the top 10

or 20 of a competition. Those that win do so through practice in their focus, preparation and

decision making.



Forms

On the following pages there are some example forms for you to use. These can then be

kept in a folder for you to refer to and keep a record of.

The forms are simple and will form a part of our Clay Shooting Success Masterclasses.

The forms are:

Goal Setting

Target Reading

Evaluation Form(s)

Training

Competition

Coaching



Goal Setting – Date:

Outcome Performance

Dream Goal

Long-term Goals 3-5yr

Mid-term Goals 1-3yr

Short-term Goals 12m

Micro Goals 3-6m

Macro Goals 4 weeks

Write down your goals as you see right now, and then relook at them in a month.



Target Reading

Target Type Coaching Keywords Mental Keywords Performance Goal

Left to right crosser pick up-swing

through-pull away-

keep swinging-bang

pick-smooth-bang Keep head straight

and shoulder high

Use this form to make quick notes on all targets; this reinforces the positives of what you

are doing.



Training Evaluation Form

Training Goal Keywords Performance Goal

Improve sharp left climbing

trap target

call-focus-pick up-flow To move smoothly with the

target, to ease back on the

swing

Use this form to track your training progress, plus add elements you want to work on.



Competition Evaluation Form

Date: Score:

Weather:

Competition: Evaluation: 1 poor 5 excellent

1 2 3 4 5 Notes

Technically

Preparation

Mental Awareness

Mental Imagery

Keyword Use

Drinking Water

Overall Feeling

Add your own here – such as

negative thoughts, certain

targets, link to your performance

goals

Use this form for your own evaluation



Coaching Form

Target Type Coach Notes

Mental Tip Keyword Notes

Other Notes



We hope you have found this handbook useful and we encourage you to read through it,

make notes on it and use it. The handbook is a taster into Clay Shooting Success and we are

running a number of Masterclasses, plus publishing our Masterclasses online so you can

grow as a clay shooter.

Our Masterclasses held at shooting grounds in the UK and the USA give you the chance to

work on your own mental elements, work on the psychology of clay shooting and the

opportunity take part in our research, and plug into our experience.

For more information please go to www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk.

With Thanks to:

http://www.clayshootingsuccess.co.uk/

clay shooting success

Documents