1. Mark Mebes Sergeant First Class
Sports Psychology
Mark Mebes
Sergeant First Class

2. Sports Psychology
Once you have mastered the fundamentals, shooting is a MENTAL Sport
Mental training begins with proper goal setting (separate class)

3. Sports Psychology Building and managing self-confidence
The realistic belief that you are capable of accomplishing the task at hand
Knowing that you are capable of replicating your practice scores under match pressure
Self Confidence must be managed

4. Sports Psychology Self Confidence
Don’t use self confidence to focus only on “winning”
Produces cockiness which is easily beaten
Use self confidence instead to focus on the steps required to win
Don’t let your ego get ahead of you

5. Sports Psychology Positive self talk
Self talk is the running self conversation that goes on in your head 24 hrs a day
You are already doing it
Need to learn to manage it
Has an influence on your mood, attitude, self-worth, determination attention and performance

6. Sports Psychology Are YOU: An Optimist? A Pessimist? A Realist?
What’s the difference?

7. Sports Psychology When something goes “wrong” do you:
Focus on what happened?
Focus on what you will do different next time?
Hope it won’t happen again?

8. Sports Psychology Personal Affirmations
Self-Talk statements that create an image, thought, or positive mindset
They may sound “corny” when you say them out-loud, but if you say them to yourself over and over, you begin to believe them and they work
Examples:
“I perform well under match conditions”
“I love to perform under pressure. It brings out the best in me”
“I am mentally inside the 10-ring”
“I shoot 10’s”

9. Sports Psychology Managing Stress All athletes feel stress
Successful ones learn to reduce it to controllable levels and manage it
Stress:
Increases heart rate
Increases blood pressure
Increases muscle tension
Increases sweat
Increases adrenalin
Narrows attention and focus
Increases worry and doubt
Increases confusion
Decreases ability to concentrate

10. Sports Psychology Managing Stress
Figure out at what level of stress YOU shoot best
1-2?
3-5?
6-8?
9-10?
Most people shoot best under some stress. Everyone is different

11. Sports Psychology
Managing Stress
Relaxation
Imagery
Physical training

12. Sports Psychology Managing Stress Relaxation Techniques
Progressive relaxation
Tensing and relaxing
Cue words
Head to toe
Biofeedback
Machine driven
Imagery relaxation
Go to your “happy place”
Self-directed relaxation
Similar to progressive but does not involve tensing and relaxing, only self-talk

13. Sports Psychology Managing Stress Imagery
Imagine the “perfect sight picture”
Create the “perfect shot” in your head according to your shot plan
Imagine shooting your first “record shot” on a target. Do this over and over
Imagine yourself shooting the final 3 shots in a Postal
Imagine yourself shooting in the finals at the National Match. Visualize all 10 shots
Imagine yourself shooting a perfect 10 shot after realizing you are shooting better than you ever have shot before
Imagine yourself shooting a 10 after shooting 3 10s in a row
Imagine yourself shooting a 10 after shooting a 7

14. Sports Psychology Managing Stress Physical Training Endurance training
Aerobic
Keep your THR up for 20 min or more
Strength training
Weight training
Without weights
Core training
Martial Arts
Yoga
Boxing
Tai Chi

15. Sports Psychology
QUESTIONS?