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Write down what you
can recall |
Start
by writing down every step you can recall of your own shot routine,
from foot position check (if any!) to the end of the shot. [This
bit is useful in that it starts you off on mental rehearsal
- because that's what you did in recalling the shot!]. However,
not many people get everything in the first time round, so... |
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Go and try it out |
Get
down to the field and follow your own written instructions.
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Correct the written
sequence |
When
I said 'not many people get everything in the first time round..',
I should probably have said 'most people leave out nearly everything...'
;-) So, fill in any gaps, with very close attention to anything
that you see as 'critical' to the shot.
Incidentally, this process often shows up gaps where you simply
don't know what you should be doing ("where the hell is
my elbow supposed to be going?"). That's useful
too; make a note to check and improve that part of the sequence. |
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Rehearse |
Armed
with your written sequence, practice it - mental cues and all
- until it almost runs itself. If something keeps dropping out,
insert a cue word to remind you, and write that into the sequence. |
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Summarise |
After
a while, the shot can be boiled down to just a simple sequence
of maybe four or five critical actions/cues which act as signposts
for your entire shot. Learn that routemap and engrave it on
your heart. That set of cues is the thing that you take into
competition; it keeps you on the straight and narrow, shot after
shot. |
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Rehearse and update |
Your
shooting may change with time and practice, or to develop, so
every so often you should go back to your shot routine and check
it over, correct it and re-check your 'signosts'. |
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