It’s been about a year and a half since I dove head first into the world of competitive shooting, and while I’m making some progress with my speed and accuracy, there’s something holding me back, and I can’t seem to shake it. I’m no stranger to the stress, anxiety and pressure present when participating in sports (especially since my nature is to be ridiculously competitive), but there is an element of practical pistol shooting that I have never experienced before, and it’s making me look like more like Jerry Lewis than Jerry Miculek when I’m shooting a match.
Some call it the Red Mist. My better half has referred to it as bezerker. It is an indiscriminatory and unrelenting force that is laser-focused on sabotaging your performance. Ridiculously clever and devious, it will allow you to build up your confidence just until you step up to the line and into the shooting box. And then the timer goes *beep*, the red mist appears, and all careful planning and strategy disappears as if it never even existed.
If you’ve been watching Top Shot on the History Channel, you may have noticed that the Red Mist makes a cameo appearance in almost every episode. During episode two of season 3, it appeared during the elimination challenge and prematurely knocked my favorite contestant and WOMA home girl, Sara Ahrens, out of the competition.
During Sara’s commentary at the end of the show, she recognized the role the red mist played in her loss when she said, “I’ve had practice in friend and foe targets, it’s just a matter of I’ve never done that next to another person. I’m kind of being overcome by the intensity of the situation.”
Yep, that’s the unmistakable mark of the red mist. It doesn’t just effect your performance on the range, it also leaves a trail of amnesia and dumbfoundedness in its wake, making it that much more difficult to overcome.
So, is it possible to defeat the Red Mist, and if so, what’s the secret? Watching shooting greats like the Leatham’s and the Miculek’s make it pretty darn obvious that it can be overcome, but how does a mere mortal like me fend off this unwelcome creature that has the power to take over my brain at will?
I recently had the opportunity to ask World Championship competitive shooter, and all-around awesome woman, Eva Micklethwaite how she deals with the pressure and anxiety that builds up when she’s competing in a big match. Eva was kind enough to explain to me what she did to conquer the Red Mist when she found herself a bit “freaked out” by one of the stages at the recent USPSA Area 3 match:
It’s the preparation I do BEFORE I even step on the range that helps me with that. At this particular stage, though, I told myself to take your time and get through it. Don’t rush it, stay focused, and be patient with myself and the trigger. Basically a mental talk off the ledge. Once the buzzer goes off, instinct kicks in as well.
Experience helps a lot, you’ll get there. Mental strength is also a BIG part of this game. And if all else fails….breathe!
Looks like I’ve got some dues to pay to the Red Mist. If you’re looking for me, check the local ranges. I’ll be the one trying to reload my left thumb into the magazine well.
There’s been some interwebs chatter about the Ammo waitresses provided by LuckyGunner.com at their 2011 Memorial Day Weekend Blogger Shoot last weekend. Since I was there, and I have lady parts, I believe I am Uniquely Qualified™ to put my two cents in about this contrived kerfuffle.
A fellow female gun blogger (who was not present at the event) recently took some shots at LuckyGunner and the ammo waitresses they provided us. Said blogger likened the young ladies to booth babes, opined that LuckyGunner created an “optics problem” by including the attractive ammo ladies as part of the event, and then speculated that these ladies are a deterrent to attracting women to the shooting sports.
Hogwash!
The only thing I’ve seen relating to this event that might discourage a woman from learning to shoot has been uninformed commentary from another blogger that couldn’t possibly have come to their conclusion if they had attended the shoot.
Since I started shooting two years ago, I’ve attended two Babes With Bullets camps and several classes and practices with HerHandgun here in Arizona, where I’ve listened to upwards of 70 ladies tell their story about how and why they started shooting. Not once have I heard a story of reluctance to learn to shoot because of good-ol-boys, booth babes or women dressed in sleeveless polo shirts and skorts. The overwhelming majority of these women cited intimidation of firearms (ranging from generalized fear to downright phobia), a lack of confidence (think the opposite of empowered) and physical issues that they thought would impede their use of a firearm.
The three ladies that assisted us with our ammo needs were no different. I overheard one of the girls say that she had never shot before, and she was considering taking the plunge. I was so glad to see that they not only took the plunge, they did it with some of the most intimidating and rare weapons around (you rock, ladies!). I can see why someone might be a bit jealous that they missed out on shooting these fine firearms, I know my shooty friends were.
The LuckyGunner ammo girls were an asset to the event and I am most appreciative of their hard work, dedication and professionalism at the Blogger Shoot. They spent the better part of two days schlepping ammo up and down hills, across the approximately 150 yard wide firing line in heat and humidity so high it should be illegal. I know I couldn’t have done it (my lawn – you. off. now.), and I am very grateful that they were there to enhance the already epic experience.
I completed my second Babes with Bullets Practical Handgun 101 camp two weeks ago, and once again, WOW, what an amazing experience!
For those not familiar with Babes with Bullets, it is an almost all inclusive (instruction, room and most meals included) two and a half day hands-on shooting class for women (sorry guys) held in several areas around the country each year. The Babes with Bullets instructors are among the top women shooters in the world. Yes, I said world. It’s the equivalent of taking golf lessons from Tiger Woods, learning to QB from John Elway or taking a NASCAR driving course with Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as your instructors.
In addition to learning safe gun handling skills and basic shooting techniques, Babes with Bullets camps also teach the art and skill of USPSA competition style shooting. What is USPSA? It’s a run-and-gun type of sport, where your score is based on how quickly you can shoot through a “stage”, as well as the accuracy of your “hits”. Here’s an example of Babes with Bullets senior instructor shooting a stage at a match in Florida this year:
Last year, I walked in to my first Babes with Bullets camp just a few months after deciding to learn to shoot, and I was still very uncomfortable holding and firing a pistol. Three days later, I walked out a safe and competent pistol shooter, comfortably drawing from a holster, and I had completed a USPSA style mini-match (where I surprisingly came in third).
And now I’m completely addicted to competitive shooting.
I jumped at the chance to attend another Babes with Bullets camp this year, and during my second camp, we once again worked on many of the physical and mental aspects of shooting. This year, I was able to work on fixing some bad habits I had picked up while improving my speed and accuracy, smoothing out and speeding up my choppy and painfully slow draw and resetting my stance, which had somehow become strangely exaggerated. We also received some great mental tips, including concentrating on getting the sights properly aligned before squeezing the trigger, rather than just trying to shoot as quickly as possible. This one was particularly important for me, as I have become very proficient at missing quickly.
And did I mention it’s only $675.00? I know that’s a pretty good chunk of change (especially in the midst of these hope-n-change times), but if you can manage it, I promise it’s worth every penny, and then some.
So whether you’ve never held a gun, or if you are an experienced shooter looking to up your game, this camp is for you. If you’re female, that is. I will be back next year for sure, and with a few more years of practice, perhaps I’ll be one of the women wearing the yellow instructor shirts.
P.S. I would like to thank Babes with Bullet’s sponsors. Their generosity makes it possible for Babes with Bullets to offer this high caliber training at well below market rates (see US Training Center or Gunsite’s prices for comparison). Smith & Wesson provides equipment, including the loaner .22 and 9mm pistols, Hi Viz donates fiber optic sights for the pistols, Safariland provides holsters, mag pouches and belts, Howard Leight provides loaner hearing protection, Otis Technology provides Elite cleaning kits for the givaway (yes, there are prizes!) and financial support, Insight Technology donates their M6X laser light for flinch and low light training, Atlanta Arms and Ammo provides 9mm ammo that campers can purchase (at very affordable prices) and USPSA helps fund the instructor airfare and promotes the camps through its magazine, Front Sight.
It’s been about a year and a half since I dove head first into the world of competitive shooting, and while I’m making some progress with my speed and accuracy, there’s something holding me back, and I can’t seem to shake it. I’m no stranger to the stress, anxiety and pressure present when participating in sports (especially since my nature is to be ridiculously competitive), but there is an element of practical pistol shooting that I have never experienced before, and it’s making me look like more like Jerry Lewis than Jerry Miculek when I’m shooting a match.
