Worry, Worry, Worry!

Levi thinks I am slow because I worry too much about hitting. His thinks I am so fanatical about accuracy that I don't try to go fast.  My take on it is just the opposite.  I have always said never, ever, slow down.  Your quickest should be your most accurate.

I don't know why I am slow. Maybe I am just old.  Maybe I sleep on the line.  I don't know.  I do know I don't worry about hitting too much (normally). I do know we lose most matches because we worry.  We worry about hitting, we worry about the draw, we worry about speed.  When I am in the "zone" like at Texas, at Oklahoma, at World in the resurrection, I have no worries.  I don't think about missing, hitting, losing on speed, my opponent, or anything.  I just know, "I ain't missing, bring me the next shooter."

A couple of our Champions are talking about developing another draw.  They seems to think there is a need to have at least two draw so they can change up against different shooters.  Cal tried to tell me that at Texas and I would not listen to him.  Makes no sense to me.  A 4 flat shooter at 80% will beat a .36 at 30% shooter with a .45 at 100% second draw ever time.  The problem with a "go draw" is not the draw but the "going to".

Levi's problem at World and my problem was the same.  We both worried about hitting.  I was in between my new stance and my old stance and began to worry about hitting. Levi lost to some slow shooters and he began worrying about hitting. I got over it quicker than he did.  When we both made it to the top ten of the resurrection shoot, I was in my "bring me the next shooter zone," he was still worrying about some shooter that he should dispatch in three under normal circumstances. He never got to me.  In the final match I did lose one match to Red Ryder, but that did not take me out of my zone.  Just another match, bring me another shooter!

I attended ten titled events this year.  I can only say that quickness mattered in only one.  At the Great Plains Territorial, Slow Poke was matched up against two other ladies that had fewer x s than her.  Slow Poke was 10 mls faster than the other two.  I think she won four byes in a row because she was quicker.    

We get this impression that quickness is more important than it is because most of the winners are quick.  What really matters is mental toughness.  Nationals was a perfect example.  Powder Keg beat Marshall twice even though he is on average 50 mls slower.  You might think those two matches were won on accuracy, but they were not!  Marshall is a .34 shooter at better than 60%.  He should handle Powder Keg with ease under normal circumstance.  But finals are not normal.   My bet would be that Marshall worried more than Powder Keg.

"If you wish to survive you need to cultivate a strong mental attitude" Col Quaritch.

Mental toughness wins matches and events.  You can practice mental toughness.