This past weekend, I was out at the Prime farm a little
before 7 am. The plan was to have a
relaxed fundamental drill day with a small contingent of the team which would
allow a lot more one on one time. I like
days like this because we can really focus on individual players and their
techniques, get into the minutia of body mechanics and work muscle memory. Not
only did we execute drills that emphasized quick target acquisition (short,
medium and long range) but also footwork, hand switching and plenty of
cardio. As we continued to perform these
drills, we did them at a relatively fast pace.
As we continued to push, I began to see a slight decrease in
performance. Every so slight… someone
wouldn’t keep their gun up, more cant to their gun than normal, a stumble from
a surefooted player or they would stop in the middle of a drill to check off on
something. Fatigue appeared to be setting in.
Or perhaps, it was already there….
World Cup is coming and there is no doubt, based off
Virginia Beach, it will be a dog fight.
So, we need to prepare for the scenarios we may find ourselves in. Playing tired can lead to mistakes and mental
errors. Sure, physical fitness training,
good sleep, even good solid field walking can and most certainly will alleviate
the issue. Bruce Lee use to say, “Knowing
is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough: we must do.” So let’s do that here. But understand that, being “tired” doesn’t
necessarily translate to just physical fatigue.
As stated earlier, that can be addressed through a proper regimen of
workouts. I’m talking mental fatigue.
The mind does crazy things when it is tired and obviously
paintball players (even though some of us may believe we don’t make mistakes
and are legends in our own minds) are not immune. Physical fatigue can lead to mental fatigue
and vice versa for that matter. Perhaps you had a particular stressful week at
work, maybe you received some bad news or finances are tight, family issues,
relationship issues, whatever the matter may be… these things can all lead to
mental fatigue.
One of the things you learn when training in gun defense
(we’re talking real guns here… the “bang bang” someone is dead kind) is you
want to train in a “real” environment if you can. When I can, I like to elevate my heart rate
to mimic the stress levels of a potential engagement. I will do a jog or wind sprints or even
jumping jacks to get the blood really pumping and then see if I can effectively
square a target. We want to make ourselves
uncomfortable so that, God forbid, if we do find ourselves in a gunfight, we
are not in too unfamiliar territory.
This is why I like to utilize drills that emphasize a
multitude of skill sets. As I stated at
the beginning, we did drills that emphasized, targeting, footwork, hand
switching, gun stability and cardio… but we did it all in the same drill. I like drills that have a lot going on
because they make the brain process a lot more than “hit the target” or “go
here and do this”. It’s not just
physical training but mental training. Any
drill that can mesh the two and can change in dynamic in the middle of it is a
great tool. Call it mental push- ups… or
don’t.
What are some of the drills you do that would fit in this
category? Can’t think of any? If you can’t, you should know that you are a
little behind the curve.
Try this one: Set up 3 targets in a “V” shape on one end of
the field. These targets will each be
assigned a number. For example, the back
left target of the V is 1, the point of the V is 2 and the back right corner of
the V is 3. Then, at the 50, set up two
cones about 30 to 40 feet apart from each other. What you will do is run left to right between
the two cones and vice versa 4-6 times.
While you are doing this, a teammate calls out one of the numbers. You must put a stream of paint on that target
on the run. This drill works cardio,
footwork, (horizontal movement), hand switching, target acquisition and
listening/comprehension.
See what I am talking about?
There are several others you can utilize that “train the brain” so to
speak. If you feel you have a great
drill that “trains the brain”, post it up.
Would love to know and understand what others do to improve their mental
strength.
“Excellence is an art
won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue
or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are
what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” –
Aristotle
“The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue;
courage is only the second virtue” – Napoleon
Ole Aristotle and Napoleon probably knew a thing or two about it, huh?
Be water my friends,
Bianca
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