Mark Taylor

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Mark Taylor

• Mental Training
• The Triangle of Success

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The Triangle of Success
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FOCUS

• Athletes need to focus on those aspects of their
  performance that are within their control.
• Preparation
• Execution
• gt FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL!

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Preparation

• Tools used for preparation
• Goal Development
• Commitment
• Pre-shot Routine
• Shooting Diary
• Training Plan
• Visualization

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Preparation

• Develop a set of goals
• Long-term goals
• Short-term goals
• Outcome goals
• 2. Make sure the goals are very specific and
  bounded.
• 3. Write down the goals in the shooting diary

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FOCUS

• Avoid focusing on outcome goals that are beyond
  your control.
• Others Scores
• Winning
• gt FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL!

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FOCUS

• An athletes success depends on three factors
• How well they know where you want to go (are
  their goals well defined)?
• How much do they really want to get there (are
  they committed to their goals)?
• How strongly do they believe in their ability to
  succeed (have they aligned their self-image)?
• gt FOCUS ON YOUR SUCCESS!

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FOCUS

• Whether you believe you can or you cant, your
  probably right.
• - Henry Ford
• An athletes performance is largely a function of
  their expectations!
• An athletes expectations will guide their
  self-image
• An athletes self-image will guide expectations
• gt Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy!

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FOCUS

• When an athlete looks in the mirror what do they
  see?
• An Olympic gold medallist?
• An A class shooter?
• A local club champion?
• At what point does an athlete feel comfortable
  and at what point does an athlete get scared?
• gt FOCUS ON WHERE YOUR COMFORT ZONE IS NOT!

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PREPARATION

• 4. Goal Commitment
• What does it mean to commit to a goal?
• Who teaches athletes about goal commitment?

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FOCUS

• Goal Commitment (self-assessment questions)
• What do you expect to gain?
• What do you expect to lose?
• What will the gains be for the important people
  in your life?
• What will the cost the important people in your
  life?
• Is the effort worth it with no guarantee of the
  outcome?
• Why do you want this?

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FOCUS

• Goal Commitment (contd)
• Is there a price for having goals?
• Who pays that price?
• Are you prepared to pay that price?
• gt FOCUS ON THE GOALS YOU ARE COMMITTED TO!

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FOCUS

• Given an athletes current skill level is their
  commitment strong enough to take them to their
  goals?
• Become aware of what YOU want vs. what others
  want for you.
• gt FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT!

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FOCUS

• Coaches need to identify WHO committed to an
  athletes goals.
• An athlete not committed to a goal will never
  achieve it often not knowing why.
• Become aware of what an athlete wants vs. what
  others want for/from them.
• gt FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT!

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PREPARATION

• 5. Goal Re-planning
• An athlete needs to understand that it is NOT a
  tragedy NOT to meet a goal
• but it is important for them to understand why
  they did not meet that goal.
• Goal Re-planning can be more important than the
  initial goal planning.
• A temporary setback does not mean that you have
  to quit or give up your goals.

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FOCUS

• Goal Re-planning
• Stop
• Re-Plan
• Focus
• Go
• A temporary setback does not mean that an athlete
  has to quit or give up their goals.
• One of the hardest things an athlete has to do is
  let go of a goal not achieved.
• Focus needs to be on the new goals not the old
  ones.
• gt FOCUS ON HOW TO TURN A NEGATIVE INTO A
  POSITIVE!

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PREPARATION

• To excel in anything (sports, relationships,
  business) an individual must begin with a
  commitment.
• At some point the athlete must say
• Hey I want to be really good at this.
• Im willing to work and do everything I can to
  be as good as I can be.
• Im making it a priority in my life.

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FOCUS

• Commitment alone does not guarantee success.
• - BUT-
• A lack of commitment does guarantee a lack of
  success.
• Success is largely a dependant of how strongly an
  athlete believes in their own capabilities and
  how fully they are willing to commit themselves
  to their own development!
• gt FOCUS ON YOUR COMMITMENTS!

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FOCUS

• You must become aware and focus of only those
  things critical to your performance.
• Block out everything in the world except you and
  that target.
• gt FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND!

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PREPARATION

• 6. Pre-Shot Routine
• The BEST form of preparation an athlete can do
  prior to execution is the development of a
  pre-shot routine.
• A pre-shot routine is an established set of steps
  that an athlete goes through before each shot is
  taken.
• The intent of the pre-shot routine is to
  eliminate negative thoughts from entering the
  conscious mind and let shooting become automatic
  from the subconscious mind.

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PREPARATION

• 6. Pre-Shot Routine (contd)
• A pre-shot routine (for the current shot) starts
  at the moment the prior shot is completed
  (Evaluation Phase) and continues through
  completion of the current shot (Execution Phase).
  
• The pre-shot routine often uses pre-determined
  Key-Thoughts (i.e., words, phrases, pictures,
  etc.) to keep the conscious mind focused on a
  positive outcome or shooting fundamental.

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PREPARATION

• 6. Pre-Shot Routine (contd)
• Pre-Shot Routine Phases
• Evaluation Phase prior shot has just completed
  - heartbeat breathing are returned to normal.
  The shooter evaluates what went RIGHT with that
  shot and uses positive self-talk to reinforce it
  (e.g., good swing, smooth follow-through,
  quick target acquisition, etc.) and NOT what
  went wrong.
• Neutral Phase time period between shots
  Shooter goes into neutral eyes and mind
  remain still calm, soft focus is used to gaze
  into distance. At this time the Conscious mind
  focuses on Key Thought.

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PREPARATION

• 6. Pre-Shot Routine
• Pre-Shot Routine Phases
• Preparation Phase preceding shooter or two is
  firing at target - targets are observed for
  abnormal flight patterns or any affect of
  whether. At this time the Conscious mind focuses
  uses self talk to focus on fundamental review
• I will set up in the proper position, execute a
  good gun mount, see the target clearly and make a
  smooth movement to break the target.
• Execution Phase shooter is now ready to call
  for target shooter goes through on-station
  check-list (e.g., eyes physically adjust to focus
  point, breath is used to relax body, call for
  target).

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FOCUS

• An athlete must use positive keywords to get
  themselves in their state of focus in order to
  prepare to execute at their best.
• An idle mind is the devils workshop.
• - Mark Taylor
• gt The best preparation focus is STICKING to a
  pre-shot routine.

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FOCUS

• Pre-Shot Routine
• Needs to be the same EVERY time.
• The best way to re-focus when things are going
  bad.
• Wont allow you to focus on bad shots.
• The best way to maintain focus and ensure that
  when things are going good they will stay that
  way.
• Will keep you from counting score(s).

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FOCUS

• An athletes keywords need to be centered on
  their execution not on their outcome.
• An athletes keywords should re-assure them
  that they have trained and are ready.
• Use self-confidence building phrases like You
  have done this 1000 times before and are very
  capable.

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FOCUS

• What are the three properties of a pre-shot
  routine
• 1. Focus
• Not the past!
• 2. Focus
• Not the future!
• 3. Focus
• Not being somewhere else!

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PREPARATION

• 7. The Shooting Diary is the best physical
  preparation tool available to shooters
• Range Information (lighting, background)
• Facility Information (food, bathrooms, shade).
• 8. The Training Plan is contained within the
  Shooting Diary and is by definition a set of
  pre-prepared goals used to remove
  indecisiveness from an athletes training regime.
  
• When stored in plastic sheet-covers they are less
  likely to be changed and more likely to be
  followed.

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The Winning Mind-Set The culmination of
Preparation Focus

• Winners Expect to Win
• Winners Set the Stage for Success
• Winners Know They Can Only Control Themselves
• Winners Make Winning Part of Their Comfort Zone
• Winners Know What Makes Them Perform Well
• Winners Know How to Control Anxiety