Can you learn from your mistakes?
Posted On: 02-18-2025
For all of us Chiefs fans the loss was a tough one indeed. Afterwards, we heard Patrick Mahomes saying he would learn from his mistakes that day and grow stronger and better. So, I ask how does one learn if one makes shooting mistakes? I had the opportunity the other day to watch a youth shooter at the collegiate competitive level shoot. They twice ran 25 then dropped targets in between. So, what begs the question of learning is, can we learn on the line or is all learning after the shoot?
Let’s start with on the line. A miss evokes so many emotions and conflicts with our mental psyche. We often have no idea why we missed in our heads, but often when I am near someone that does miss, they are willing to offer to me why. I was ahead of the target, below, behind or never really saw the target. Things must get corrected quickly at this point. One miss will not destroy a round, but a series of misses one after the other will indeed cause havoc to scores. Most often in the next few minutes the shooter loads the gun and goes after the next target but not reconciling with the miss in a way that they learned anything. Here is where having a rhythm can pay off. Take a step back and start all over. Clear your mind, with a quick breathing exercise, set your feet, check your motion, get your soft focus, load the gun, find a hold point and call pull. The rhythm will bring you back to hitting targets.
On the line, how you learn is based on what you practiced, how you practiced and how much you practiced. One will always struggle reading if they do not know the meaning of the words they are reading. If a shooter cannot quickly and mentally process a miss, the misses will continue until even subconsciously a rhythm reoccurs. All the things one has learned are called into use quickly and accurately. One knows the lead on a hard right on station V and they know the lead on a hard left on station I. They must know the lead on a straight away! Understanding why you missed really becomes simple when you can draw on a routine to create a remedy.
After a round the process takes on a different approach. We see our scores and at this point know there is nothing we can do about it. But we could. I always wonder why coaches do not film shooters. We film most other sports and then watch the film afterwards. A debriefing would be useful too as a chance to discuss what happened helps in the learning process. Also, coaches might see what was going on with a shooter, were they out of synch, confused, talking to themselves, looking around and providing body language that shows frustration? How does one learn after they shoot, they discuss and share their personal interpretation of their shooting. After every 25 targets a chance to learn presents itself for coaches and shooters. Missing this opportunity is not what coaches do. How often as a coach are you hobbled on the sidelines knowing your shooter is consistently raising their head off the stock, blocking their body and swinging with their arms, or off balance.
I have said this before, don’t coach kids right before they shoot. That is why you practice. On the other hand, coaching during is a subtle reminder of correcting things within the realm of that rhythm. Feet, motion, soft focus, hold point, pull. I had coaches that were masters at repeating things during games that helped me learn. Vaught, you need to square up to the basket, get your rear into the opposing player to get rebounds, and hustle. Not really detail coaching, just reminding me of the basics. Everyone needs the basics to draw upon to learn.
David R. Vaught, Ph.D.
Executive Director