Match Mentality: Becoming a Competitive Shooter

Match Mentality isn’t just about shooting—it’s about the preparation and the complicated feelings, emotions, and physiological changes that will occur during a competition. Technical training and talent go a long way in shooting sports, but mental fortitude, visualization, and a competitive mindset are the key factors that will enable you to carry through and actually win. The simple fact is that practical shooting matches are more than a test of your technical shooting ability. They assess the professionalism of your preparation. Ben Stoeger, the United States Practical Shooting Association National Champion and International Practical Shooting Confederation World Champion, demonstrates how to develop a stage plan, memorize it, execute it, and, on a deeper level, how to deal with pressure. Honing these skills—the mental game of shooting—is what Match Mentality is all about.