It’s the off Season – Get That Journal Ready for 2022

Posted On: 11-28-2021

There are still a few warm days ahead to get out and shoot, but winter is close and soon the off-season will give all a chance to think back on the last year, assess where you are now and prepare for the future. 

I have noted this before but keep a journal of all your shooting in the coming year.  Now is when it comes in handy and lets you see and even mentally graph your high and lows.  The journal is the foundation block for your year-long shooting.  You can reflect and read your personal entries after each shoot and during the season.  Let me know if you would be interested in a pre-pared journal for your shooters.

Consider in that journal the following:

Dates

Time you went to bed and how much sleep your achieved

Travel Distance

Pre-shoot meal

Weather

            Sun, Clouds, Wind Direction and Speed, Rain, Temperature

Environment

            Event location, Distance to Background, Condition of Field, Color of Trap House, Caller type, Scorer

Emotional Status

            Write about your level of anxiousness, calm, sense of presence

            Did you do any mental concentration exercises?

Goals

            What were/are your expectations for success in this shoot

            Identify a score or percentage  before you shoot

Events entered

Round 1

            Position Start, Person Left and Right, People on your Squad, Shell Type used, Choke Tube

Round II

            Comments:

Round III

            Comments:

Round IV

            Comments:

 Summary of the Day

            Number of targets thrown/number of targets hit = %

            What were your distractions?

            What did you eat and drink during the day and when?

            How did you achieve focus?

            What was the high point of the day vs. low point?

Use the journal.  I assure you the benefit will improve your shooting, your understanding of your shooting and your ability to make changes and react to each outing.  Finally, while I speak here of an “Event” journal I highly recommend you keep additional entries for each day your practice.  Enter the rounds, things you worked on, people you shot with and include the instruction you received during your practice rounds.  This too will reveal more about your shooting then you might think. 

In closing, I have one book I suggest you read.  It is called Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell  ($6.79 on Amazon).  Gladwell wrote this book in 2011, but once you read it some things around you will make more sense.  It is an easy read and will help you better understand the journal and how you might see things that you do before, during and after a shoot that influence your success.  Many times, these are not recognizable to you without the journal, but are in your control.