Can the game of golf help your shooting?
Mix up your game to get on target!
By Liz Rymill
At first glance, the golfing green and the shooting range have little in common.
But beyond the manicured fairways, many shooters are teeing off with the goal of improving their performance back on the range – including five-time Olympic gold medallist Vincent Hancock, one of America’s most successful athletes.
The ISSF skeet shooter is known for his mental toughness in one of clay target shooting’s most gruelling disciplines.
Hancock told Golf Digest he plays golf regularly to sharpen his concentration, build his routine and improve emotional control. “I grew up playing golf. It plays a pretty important role in my skeet shooting,” he explained. “Skeet shooting is known as golf with a shotgun; the reason being is that we have a very similar process in the way we address a target and the way we execute a shot.”
Hancock says pre-shot routine is a key element of both sports. “You’ll notice in a golfer, before they ever hit a shot, they go through a pre-shot routine, and that’s exactly the same for competition shooters.
“It’s all about the process; trying to get into the zone to block out everything else. Being able to harness that process allows you to take your shooting to the highest level.”
So, should you take to the driving range if you’re looking for improvement in competition rifle, pistol or shotgun events?
Good golf in theory and in practice
Author of The Inner Game of Golf, Tim Gallwey, introduces the concept of the ‘inner game’ – the game that takes place in our minds – and emphasises that mastering the inner game is crucial for improving performance in the outer (physical/technical) game.
According to Gallwey, the key to success in golf, as in any sport, lies in overcoming the mental obstacles that hinder performance. Top of the list of mental obstacles – to which many competitive shooters can relate – are self-doubt, anxiety or nerves and overthinking. Self-sabotage, outcome-related thinking patterns and negativity are also mental pitfalls. Gallwey argues these mental states are often the result of an overactive mind, which he terms ‘Self 1’.
“Self 1 is the voice in our heads that constantly judges, instructs and criticises. It is responsible for the majority of our mistakes on the golf course, as it disrupts the natural flow of our game,” he explains.
To counteract the negative influence of Self 1, Gallwey introduces Self 2; our more intuitive and natural self. “Self 2 possesses all the knowledge and skills required to play a great game of golf. However, it is often suppressed by the constant interference of Self 1.”
Relaxed concentration
In practice for shooters, this mental self-talk sounds like the following:
- ‘I always miss this type of target.
- ‘I never shoot well in the afternoon.’
- ‘If I clean this stand/hit this pair/make this shot I’ll be in the prizes.’
In practice, it looks like shooting your best when you’re at your most relaxed, carefree and having the most fun. Gallwey’s goal is to help us silence the critical voice of Self 1, allowing Self 2 – the instinctive, free, inquisitive ‘good child’, to take over and guide our game.
One of the techniques Gallwey suggests for quieting Self 1 is to focus attention on the present moment. “By focusing on only the task at hand, we can prevent Self 1 from interfering with our game.”
Cross-training brings benefits
Like Vincent Hancock, Gebben and Karen Miles, Lanny Bassham and countless other top-level shooters advise, using visualisations to improve the shot routine – and using self-awareness to identify and overcome mental barriers – shooters can tangibly and dramatically improve their performance whether on the practice layout or in high-level competition.
If golf is not par for your course, then you might look to another hand-eye sport or pastime. George Digweed uses snooker to hone his fine motor control, block out distractions and bolster strategic thinking to train his mental endurance for long shooting events. Kim Rhode goes fly fishing and hiking to improve her ability to stay in the present and remain in a calm but focused state, which carries over to attributes required at high-level competition.
Next time the golfing green calls, you can consider the benefits of a good walk and your shooting!
