Perform when it matters.
You’ve spent thousands on equipment and mastered your technique.
But under pressure, your scores don’t reflect your ability
What’s holding you back isn’t your technique. It’s your mindset..
You know this frustration
You can hit the target consistently in training.
You've got the equipment. You've put in the hours.
You know your technique inside and out.
But as soon as you step onto the competition line, it's different.
The pressure builds. Your mind races. Second-guessing creeps in.
You make small adjustments that throw everything off.
You leave frustrated, wondering: "Why can't I shoot in competition like I do in training?"
You've invested in every piece of equipment. Great gun, best glasses, all the gear.
But you haven't invested in the 20% that determines 80% of your competitive results: Your mental performance.
This is for serious competitive shooters
Not casual shooters who aren’t worried about stretching themselves. Not beginners still learning technique.
This is for you if:
✅ You compete regularly and have big goals
✅ You've invested significantly in your shooting
✅ You train consistently and know your technique
✅ You experience a gap between training and competition performance
✅ You're frustrated by inconsistent results despite your preparation
✅ You're ready to invest in the mental side of your game
You've already proven your commitment to excellence.
Now it's time to match your mental performance to your equipment and training.
Pressure-proven mental methods
For nearly a decade, I was Lead Psychologist for Great Britain's World Class Shooting Programme.
I've worked at three Olympic Games, multiple World Championships, and countless international competitions.
I've spent thousands of hours on-range with shooters who perform under the most intense pressure in the world.
Here's what I've learned:
Elite shooters don't have better brains than you. They don't have some magical talent for staying calm.
They have better mental systems.
They've trained their psychological performance with the same discipline they train their technical skills.
They know how to recognise pressure, refocus their attention, respond effectively, and repeat the process—shot after shot, round after round.
That's what I teach. The same method Olympians use, structured for competitive shooters at every level.
Download your free Mental Performance Guide.
A proven system
The 4R Performance Method is the foundation of everything I teach and forms the basis of The Shooting Mindset Academy.
It’s a robust, mental model, applied specifically to the psychological demands of competitive shooting.
The 4Rs show you how to:
1. RECOGNISE
Identify what's happening in your mind and body under pressure. No judgment. Just awareness.
2. REFOCUS
Direct your attention to what matters right now. Not the last shot. Not the score. Just this shot.
3. RESPOND
Take effective action despite discomfort. Trust your training. Execute your process.
4. REPEAT
Do it again. And again. Build the mental routine that works in any situation.
This isn't theory. This is what works when performance is on the line.
And it’s been shown to work for competitive shooters at every level.
Get the free guide + weekly mental performance insights
Paul Hughes
HCPC CPsychol
Lead Psychologist, British Shooting (8 years)
| Rio | Tokyo | Paris Olympics |
Current: Qatar Shooting & Archery Association
The Shooting Mindset Academy
Trusted by Olympic medalists and competitive shooters across 6 continents for over 15 years
Trusted by Top Shooters
Amber Rutter
PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC SILVER, MULTI-ISSF MEDALLIST
“Paul's methods have been instrumental in my ability to consistently hit world class scores”.
Guy Franklin
2023 World Sportrap Champion
“Paul has enabled me to create a calmness in my mind that allowed me to convert my ability into a winning score on the board, something that before I never truly believed that I could do.”.
Lucy Hall
PARIS 2024 OLYMPIAN, ISSF WC MEDALLIST, EUROPEAN SILVER
“Paul enabled me to make a seamless leap from Junior to Senior international Olympic Trap shooting”.
Aaron Heading
TOKYO OLYMPIAN, MULTI-ISSF INTERNATIONAL MEDALLIST
“Paul changed my view of psychology. Without judgement, he always understood what to say at the right time”.
You've invested in everything except this
Think about what you've spent on shooting:
£5,000-£20,000+ or more on guns
£1,000s on ammunition every year
Top coaching for technical skills
Travel to competitions across the country (or world)
Countless hours of training time
You've invested in world-class equipment. You've invested in technical expertise.
But here's the question that matters:
How many times have you missed out by ‘that one target’ because of your own mind?
What's the ROI on a premium gun if your brain folds under pressure?
The gap between your training performance and competition results isn't about equipment or technique at this stage. It's mental. And it's costing you podium finishes.
The mental game isn't optional for serious competitors. It's the difference between good and great.
Free guide: Why your same old stories keep getting you stuck
Choose Your Path
🎯 Start Free: Build Your Performance Mindset Guide
Understand why your brain sabotages your competition performance and what to do about it.
→ [Download Now]
🤖 AIME: Your Digital Mindset Assistant
High value mental training on demand, 24/7
📚 Self-Directed Learning: The Shooting Mindset Academy is undertaking renovation!
**** 👋 COMING SOON ⬇️ ****
Essential mental training programmes. Learn at your own pace:
LvL 1 4R Foundations|
LvL 2 Competition Ready |
👥 Starting in 2026: Intensive Transformation: Mastery Cohort
8-week intensive (online) with direct access to Paul and expert guest speakers. Limited to 10 shooters.
Next cohort: [Q1 2026] |
→ email paul@sportshootingpsychologist.com to hear about it first.
🚀 Bespoke Partnership: 1:1 Coaching
Personalised mental performance partnership. For serious competitors seeking rapid transformation.
Very Limited Availability
→ [Enquire]
Your mental method starts here
You've proven your commitment as a serious competitive shooter through time and financial investment.
Now invest in the 20% that determines 80% of your results.
The mental methods elite shooters use are accessible to you.
The question is: are you ready to do the work?
Join 1000’s of competitive shooters receiving weekly mental performance insights
“Paul is different from the gurus we sometimes find.
He’s to the point, cares about shooters, and brings with him a method that we all can implement.”
— Ramon Suarez, Owner of olympicpistol.com, Belgium