How to Maximize Your Flow State with Skeet Shooting Legend Vincent Hancock
Jul 10, 2024
01:07:12
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Three-time Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock shares his skeet shooting journey, training program, and the power of achieving a flow state in competitions. He discusses using WHOOP for performance optimization and insights on competing at the Olympics.
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Quick takeaways
Vincent Hancock started skeet shooting at a young age, won back-to-back gold medals, and has a rigorous training program.
Skeet shooting involves precision, adaptation, and achieving a flow state through mental conditioning and practice.
Balancing stress management, consistent sleep, and family time is crucial for optimal performance and well-being in shooting competitions.
Deep dives
Discovering Skeet Shooting
Vincent Hancock discusses his early introduction to skeet shooting, starting at a young age in Georgia with a BB gun and clay targets. He recounts his realization that shooting was an Olympic sport, spurring him to pursue it competitively. Winning Junior National Championships at 14 and his first event in the open discipline at 15 marked key milestones in his career.
Understanding Skeet Shooting Competition
Hancock delves into the technicalities of skeet shooting, outlining differences between skeet, trap, and sporting clays. He explains the competition format involving 25 shots at eight stations, culminating in a final shootout. Hancock highlights the challenge of shooting doubles in the final competition, emphasizing the need for precision and adaptation.
Achieving Flow State and Mental Preparation
Hancock elaborates on achieving a flow state in shooting, linking conscious competency to subconscious competency through relentless practice and mental conditioning. He shares his pre-shot routine focusing on simplicity and visualizing perfect rounds. Hancock underscores the importance of stress management, consistent sleep, and family time for optimal performance and mental well-being.
Managing Sleep and Competition
The podcast delves into the challenges faced by the speaker in managing workouts amidst a busy schedule, highlighting the impact of sleep on physical and mental performance. The speaker discusses supplementing sleep during competitions using melatonin and shares strategies for optimizing sleep quality and recovery, emphasizing the importance of hydration and avoiding heavy meals during travels.
Patriotism and Olympic Spirit
Reflecting on the Olympic experience, the speaker shares the profound sense of patriotism and duty instilled from a young age, triggered by witnessing the torch run in their hometown. The journey from youthful cockiness to humility through military service showcases a deep appreciation for representing the country in sports. The speaker emphasizes the honor of competing for the US and the unity and meritocracy epitomized by the Olympic Games.
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by Vincent Hancock. Vincent is a 3 time Olympic Gold medalist and former sergeant in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit who earned the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among other service accolades. He was the first person to win back-to-back gold medals in skeet shooting when he took home gold in Beijing and London. He is also the first person to win 4 World Championship titles in Men’s Skeet. Will and Vincent discuss how Vincent got started shooting (1:36), the sport of skeet shooting (3:31), getting recruited to the US Army Marksmen Unit (7:28), the process of competition (12:55), Vincent’s training program (15:11), the power of a flow state (18:26), how Vincent uses WHOOP (31:58), Vincent’s WHOOP data (39:49), competing at the Olympics (50:04), and what to expect in Paris (1:03:50).