Inevitably, all athletes end up in a slump. Some are longer than others, but all are frustrating. It can feel like you’re drowning, or worse about to become extinct and stuck in a tar pit! After my World Cup Silver in Australia last year, I hit a slump.  I tanked the very next match and then the next tryout. I felt like I had lost something and couldn’t seem to figure out what was keeping me from performing like I had the year before.  It’s common for athletes to have a bit of a dip after some success, especially if that type of success is new. This was certainly the case for me because it was my first World Cup medal.  What was uncommon was the length and depth of my dip.

I panicked and wasn’t sure of myself anymore. Did I really know what I was doing? Did I get that medal because I deserved it? Was I just lucky? I had so many questions and doubts that were eating away at my shot execution.  I had put too much pressure on myself.  Luckily I am surrounded by veteran shooters who gave me great advice.  One of our best and most seasoned shooters told me that it was normal to have success and then feel lost.  A lot of people feel like that afterwards, but what makes great shooters is the willingness to stick it out.  Junior shooters often go through this and then quit when the going gets tough because they don’t know how to work hard to overcome.  Many kids find success early and easily, but as they get older and have to compete against veterans, shooting gets harder.  Sure, they worked to get there, but not like they have to work to get to the upper echelon. I listened carefully to this advice, thinking I might be having my junior moment now. I started so late in the sport I never really went through these growing pains. 

So what exactly did I do to get out of my slump? I was patient, yet proactive. I sat on the range and studied my thoughts. I went over successful performances. I visualized, paying careful attention to feelings and hang-ups in my mind. I asked for more advice. Specifically I asked my coach how it was he thought I shot best. He talked about a specific mindset and drive he saw in me. Then I went back to the matches where I thought I had implemented that mental program and learned from them. I combed over my notes in my shooting journal and I made a decision one day that I had control. I decided that I had worked hard. All of my evidence and digging about indicated hard work and knowledge.  Was there really anything missing? No. I just had to decide it was time and get back on the proverbial horse. And I fine tuned the mental plan that got me ready to shoot well. 

All of this work paid off when I recently shot the Rocky Mountain competition in Colorado Springs. I placed third overall and shot a personal best in prone. I also shot two days of total scores that qualified me for more competitions this spring. It felt good to be back and have a confidence behind my shooting that wasn’t really there before. I’m not saying the slump was fun, but I certainly came out better for the learning experience.

If you’re struggling with a dip, I hope you can maintain perspective and talk to some folks around you who might have good advice.  Remember we all go through it and that there is an upswing waiting. You just have to remind yourself you did the work and give your mojo a little tune up!