I think the mental part of this game far exceeds the physical. At the High Plains Territorial I followed WildShot around for five rounds, he was either hand judging me or I he, or on the next lane. He shoots the long gun and he was on. In round four he put three shots in a dollar size circle. I figured he was the cowboy to beat.
In round five, WildShot, met Marshall Cooper. He put one in the ground 6 feet in front of the target, several over the top, don't remember him hitting the target once. After the round I asked him what happened, you were so accurate in the earlier rounds. He said well I shoot with Marshall every week and I always shoot different against him. I always try to go faster.
The mind affects how we shoot. Thinking about anything is bad. I was cruising along and really had found the target. In round three I missed an inch wide on the first shot then proceeded to walk the shots right to the middle on the next three winning in four shots. I was so pleased with myself that I bragged in between matches. Then I met Deacon, a 90% shooter. I never hit the target once. Mind set?
The next round I shot what I considered the near perfect adjustment match. Four rounds, first a miss light high to the left, then three shots walked to the middle in perfect horizontal line.
Next, I met Wildshot and my mind was right. Match over in three or four shots.
Then in round eight, I met Luckey O'Riley. He is faster than me but he also knows that when I am on he has to hit. He had just defeated Beaver Creek Kid, wearer of the black badge, in two consecutive matches so he was flying high. We both had our minds right! First shot he wins .434 to .436. The die was cast. He wins two on speed, I win two on speed. He hits 4 out of 5, I hit 5 out of 5. That is what this sport is about, a perfect match beween good friends, felt like a marble match.
I am a student of the game and the mind set. You would think I would learn. Met Marshall Cooper in the 10th round and I think (all thinking in bad) "Well, I can't beat him on speed just put it on the target" Marshall hits one out of the first five shots, I hit none. It was just as if I met Deacon again.
This game is not about who can shoot the best, but who can get or keep their mind in the proper set. As Little Bill explained, "Quick don't mean much in a gunfight."
Mindset is important, sure enough. I try to remember that it's just me and the target. You can't miss fast enough to win in this game. Two weeks ago at the BTB invitational in Slsbee, TX, I watched a guy (argualbly the fastest shooter in Texas) get beat by a 12-year-old newbie who had just passed his Level III test. The kid was hitting the target and the gunslinger wasn't. You can't miss fast enough to win.
ReplyDeleteMost important in mindset, is to remember to have fun. That's what this game is all about. Safety first, fun second, competition third.
See ya on the line in Odessa.
Major D, CFDA 3961