The Mental Game of Shooting

At the highest levels, shooters have similar technical skills. What separates winners from the rest is mental game—the ability to stay focused, manage pressure, and perform consistently when it matters.

The 90% reality: Top competitors often say shooting is 90% mental and 10% physical. While the exact percentage is debatable, the importance of mental skills is not.

Why Mental Game Matters

Consider what happens under pressure:

Without Mental Training

• Mind wanders to score or standings
• Past misses create future doubt
• Muscles tighten under stress
• Rush through important shots
• Performance drops when stakes rise

With Mental Training

• Focused on current target only
• Each shot starts fresh
• Relaxed, fluid movements
• Consistent pre-shot routine
• Same process regardless of situation

Core Mental Skills

Focus

The ability to concentrate on what matters (the target) and ignore what doesn't (score, other shooters, external noise). Focus is a skill that can be trained.

Present-Moment Awareness

Stay in the now. Not thinking about the target you missed or the targets coming up. Only this shot exists.

Emotional Regulation

Managing frustration after misses and excitement after good runs. Both extremes disrupt consistent performance.

Confidence

Trust in your training and abilities. Confidence isn't arrogance—it's the quiet certainty that you can execute what you've practiced.

Routines

Consistent pre-shot routines create automatic behavior that performs under pressure. When thinking fails, routines take over.

Building a Pre-Shot Routine

A pre-shot routine creates consistency and focus. It should be the same for practice and competition:

Step 1

Visualize: See the target line and break point. Watch it in your mind before calling for it.

Step 2

Settle: Take a breath. Release tension. Feel your feet on the ground.

Step 3

Ready position: Mount or low-gun position. Eyes on hold point.

Step 4

Commit: Fully committed. No doubt. Ready for the target.

Step 5

Call: Call for the target with conviction.

Handling Misses

How you respond to misses determines whether they affect subsequent shots:

Accept It Quickly

The shot is done. Dwelling on it changes nothing and harms future shots. Acknowledge it and move on.

Brief Analysis

If useful, take one second to note what happened (e.g., "stopped swing"). Then let it go. Save detailed analysis for after the round.

Reset with Your Routine

Your pre-shot routine is your reset button. Entering it signals your brain to return to the present.

Physical Reset

Some shooters use a physical action—touch their hat, deep breath, look away—to mark the transition to the next shot.

Managing Competition Pressure

Pressure is perception: The target doesn't know if you're in practice or competition. Your body does what your mind tells it. Control the perception, control the response.

Reframe the Situation

Instead of "I have to hit this target," try "I get to shoot this target." Competition is an opportunity, not a threat.

Focus on Process, Not Outcome

You can't control whether you win. You can control your preparation, routine, and focus. Commit to the process.

Embrace Arousal

That nervous energy is your body preparing to perform. It's not fear—it's readiness. Channel it into sharp focus.

One Target at a Time

Whether it's the first target or the last, the approach is identical. This target. Right now. Nothing else matters.

Training Mental Skills

Mental skills improve with practice, just like shooting skills:

At the Range

• Use your pre-shot routine every shot
• Practice with simulated pressure
• Add consequences to practice (pushups for misses)
• Shoot mock competitions

Away from the Range

• Visualization: mentally shoot targets
• Breathing exercises for calm focus
• Review past successful performances
• Read sport psychology books

The Long View

Mental game development is a journey, not a destination:

Progress isn't linear. You'll have setbacks. They're part of the process.

Competition experience is irreplaceable. Enter shoots to learn, not just to win.

Mental skills transfer to other areas of life. The investment pays dividends beyond shooting.

Even elite shooters work on mental game continuously. There's always more to learn.

The Mental Game