To counteract this effect, I suggest practicing over and over. The stress you feel in competition can produce greater strength and speed, but at the same time a regression in your skill level. And you should work a lot on the basics, starting with slow deliberate movements while increasing the speed and maintaining control and smooth movement. If you look at a sprinter breaking the tape at the finish line, you will see more winners with a relaxed facial expression than a face reflecting stress.

Relaxation equals smooth working muscles and smooth actions equals speed. There is a law of the mind called The Harder You Try to do Something the Harder it is. I’m not telling you to be lazy, but just don’t try so hard or place the bar too high that you have no hope of achieving that goal. I find that giving 90% works a lot better helping me and my athletes stay relaxed. Just take a little of the edge off, which automatically reduces the stress level.

Percentages: Reduce the Stress from the Get Goġ10%? Come on, that’s impossible. So let me give you a little insight into what has worked for me and my clients. Action shooting takes strength, speed, agility and tremendous concentration. I have competed against the top 10-14 shooters (not 10-14 percent) in the world. If they had, they would see that many of the ideas they teach players just don’t work. I think the main problem with many sports psychologists, is that they have never played a sport let alone competed at a high level. Well, what is it? Give more than a 100% or stay relaxed? I tried it and to tell you the truth, it’s very hard to do both at the same time. Give a 110% and you will be a winner! In the same breath, they would tell you to stay relaxed. After all that’s what all the sports psychologist say in their books and CDs. The Psychology of Peak Performance: Focus to Get in the Zone, Practice Makes Perfect, Forget the Competitionīefore I began Action Shooting competition I thought all I had to do was practice hard and often and I would have a great chance against my competitors. For more self-improvement articles visit his other blog which is associated with J’s Good Habit Company. THE 231 CLUB, a CIA memoir nonfiction book was written by J Bartell with Ginger Marin and it is currently available at .īelow is one of J’s therapy self-help articles about peak performance in sports. J Bartell worked with Chauncey Holt and Michael Harries in black ops (covert espionage operations) for the CIA and more information about CIA exploits may be read at 231 – the main site.

The 231 Club by J. Bartell