THE QATSPY® Quapaw Athletic & TOP-GUN Sportswear Performance Yarak Outfitters

INSIDE THE LEATHER HEALTH & FITNESS SPORTS PERFORMANCE

THE QATSPY® carries the A-2 and G-1 Leather Flight Jackets that also include the TOPGUN: Maverick G-1 Leather Flight Jacket with the authentic TOPGUN patches that are supplied to the TOPGUN School. We also carry the Indiana Jones-Style Leather Jacket, like the one we supplied to the movie studio.

By: Charles W. Boatright

TOP-GUN Situation Awareness/Scenario Based Training– The Cognitive Adrenaline Managing Process for getting INTO-THE-ZONE-Type Performance

People routinely face pressure situations like pilots, aviators, linemen, first responders, and athletes do who are accustomed to dealing with stressful situations; like a pilot or an aviator getting into the cockpit for a mission, or an athlete taking the field, or court for a big game, as they feel the butterflies. Even the person preparing to give a public speech or lecture to a large group experiences these same type of butterflies. We’ve all felt those butterflies leading up to game-time where our pulse elevates, due to the release of adrenaline into our system.

The release of adrenaline is a totally normal response, and what you want to occur to heighten your concentration and awareness is to focus on your instinctive training. Adrenaline actually hardwires our responses directly from our subconscious mind to eliminate delays and hesitation in our performance that we are relying on.

Remember what Sean Connery told Nicolas Cage in the movie THE ROCKNever hesitate!

Here is what can happen that causes your adrenal glands to overreact by dumping adrenaline into your system, blocking even your instinctive responses. This situation occurs when your training and practice don’t reflect or match the conditions to what you’re encountering during your performance or work. The number one tactic you need to initiate is to accept, adjust, and adapt to conditions. Conditions are always changing, but your objective will always remain the same.

I used to be a Grid Engineer for a utility that dealt with transmission lines, in Mississippi, where in addition to my line work, I also taught Fall Protection and Hot Line Work. Situational Awareness and Scenario Based Training were skills lineman had to have. You’re only allowed one mistake in both Fall Protection and Hot Line Work. Below in the photograph taken the last month that I worked before retiring in June of 2015, I’m the one in the middle on the double channel steel crossarm.

I’m the one in the middle on the Double Channel Crossarm working an energized line in June of 2015. What is interesting about the location is the line crosses the Tallahatchie River near the bridge where Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge in the Song by Bobby Gentry.

If we get confused or distracted, this type of situation can cause an adrenaline dump to occur that overloads our nervous system that throws our internal breaker, causing one to pause and reset in order to gather more information on how to respond. If you can’t reset quickly enough, a person will experience what is referred to as a panic attack. One source that can cause a panic attack is not being prepared for a real life experience under actual conditions. Athletes, as well as pilots/aviators, linemen and first responders, know all too well that nothing replaces actual experiences under actual conditions for confidence.

 

TOP-GUN: Situational Awareness and Scenario Based Training

The U.S. NAVY during the Vietnam War era lost more aircraft percentage-wise than that of World War II and the Korean War, where pilots and aviators regularly engaged in aerial combat. One reason that the U.S. NAVY discovered for the losses was the experienced pilots and aviators that retired who served during World War II and the Korean War. The experience gained in these two wars wasn’t adequately being transferred to Vietnam era pilots and aviators.

So the U.S. Navy established TOP GUN School based on  Situational Awareness and Scenario Based Training. These two aspects are used in TOP GUN School, originally located at Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California,  where the first TOP GUN Movie was filmed. Now, TOP GUN School is at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada.

Coaches and athletes can also use TOP-GUN Situational Awareness and Scenario Based Training in their regular practice and training sessions, like we did in lineman school. You have to set up situations where the athlete uses scenario based training, where they can developed adrenaline in order to be able to hardwire their training and practice sessions into their subconscious mind.

The Importance of the Subconscious Mind in Sports Performance

This is what I tell my golf students, that you might very well practice your golf swing and golf game for hours and weeks going through your swing thoughts in the backyard or on the practice range with your conscious mind. But, once you step foot onto the golf course, your subconscious mind will take over every aspect of your golf swing and golf game including your swing sequence. The subconscious mind will, in fact, override your conscious mind. Your golf swing has to be instinctive in order for you to be able to perform on the golf course.

This is the main reason that golfers find it difficult to take their golf swing and golf game from the backyard or the practice range to the golf course, even if it is within a span of 30-minutes or less. The golfer, once on the golf course, is relying solely on their instincts, instead of swing thoughts when adrenaline hits their nervous system. It is like a bypass switch that has been thrown that bypasses all of those hours and weeks in training and practice. Believe me, I’ve been there even on the first tee box.

Adrenaline bypasses the conscious mind and will engage the subconscious mind directly. The golfer has to use the TOP-GUN model of Situational Awareness and Scenario Based Training to be able to perform what they have trained and practiced. Adrenaline overload is what turned Dr. Jekyll into the Mr. Hyde’s character, that is totally unrecognizable.

Avoiding Adrenaline Overload

Situational Awareness and Scenario Based Training was developed by the U.S. Military to train their pilots and Navy Aviators, that athletes can use just as effectively. There are five (5) components that the athlete, and specifically the golfer, can use in their practice to develop a performance-type training:

FIRST– Expect pressure to occur on the field, court, or course. Don’t think that having adrenaline is an anomaly. If you can expect the unexpected to occur, you’ll be able to adapt and adjust to changes on the fly. Trust and focus on your routine and training, first and foremost. You don’t have to perform your entire routine in one maneuver or moment; just focus on the first element in your routine. This first step will kick in your instinctive process. My initial maneuver is to simply Preset & Sync my wrist action in the golf swing. This mindset is to create a simple procedure that can be repeated, over and over again. Also, accept variances; if you don’t get the results you like, chalk it up as experience.

Remember: Failures develop experience; and success produces confidence in sports.

Subconscious Rule No. 7– The subconscious mind always prevails in conflicts with the conscious mind.

SECOND– Develop your PERCEPTION, based on your Natural and Repetitive Routine and tasks. Don’t get out of your routine. Some people call it superstition, but I call it a major part of your procedure. If it is wearing the same pair of socks; guess what– that is what you do to establish your routine. Natural repetition, under actual conditions, will hardwire your routine into your subconscious mind.

Subconscious Rule No: 3– The Quicker and longer the subconscious mind believes and proves something, the harder it will be to alter this belief in any way.

THIRD– Use your COMPREHENSION to have a complete understanding of the application and fundamental principles; (e.g., your mechanics, techniques and instincts), without inconsistencies, hesitation, disruptions, or gaps. Your best process is based on performance-type practice under simulated conditions where your mind can’t distinguish between if it’s your practice or if it’s your performance. This develops a high degree of relaxation, confidence, and muscle memory.

Subconscious Rule No. 1: The subconscious mind does not and must not differentiate between visualizations (practice) and real situations (performance).

FOURTH– PROJECTION is the ability to mentally visualize an outcome of a procedure, prior to execution. This allows an individual to focus on a process and avoids cognitive overload of the ‘what IF’ situation occurring. I had an interview with Colonel George Robert Hall who was a Vietnam POW held at the Hanoi Hilton who used his love of golf to survive his harsh treatment for over seven-years.  

Subconscious Rule No. 5– What you expect tends to be realized.

FIFTH– FOCUS and TRUST your experience and instincts to allow your subconscious mind to take control of your performance to be IN-THE-ZONE.

Subconscious Rule No. 9– The greater the conscious effort reduces the subconscious intuitive response. IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T THINK!

Subconscious Rule No. 10– Suggestions and beliefs can be used to “program” the subconscious mind.

Subconscious Rule No. 4– The subconscious mind doesn’t distinguish between POSITIVE or NEGATIVE input, as your subconscious mind acts on this input with equal measure! HERE’S HOW- Let’s say, for example, you’re standing on a 185-Yard, PAR-3 tee box, with water on your left. Your last thought is to tell yourself that you don’t want to go left, and hit your tee shot into the water. GUESS WHAT– You just told yourself to hit your tee shot into the water.

A part of situational awareness training is to identify hazards and mitigate them, right from the start. Most professional golfers approach their golf shots by explaining that they take out, or rule out, for example, the left side and focus on what they WANT TO DO, and not what they DON’T WANT TO DO! Their last determination is what they want to do.

Subconscious Rule No. 4– Every thought causes a physical reaction. The subconscious mind can’t distinguish between a positive or a negative thought.

So golfers and athletes, in general- If you ever wonder why you did the very thing you told yourself that you didn’t want to do, THIS IS WHY!

The Best Example of Scenario Based Training

This is a 1963 Chevrolet Stingray Corvette where I wearing the TOP GUN: Maverick Authentic G-1 Leather Flight Jacket that we supply to the U.S. NAVY, U.S. MARINE CORPS, and the U.S. COAST GUARD. The plain G-1 and the G-1 TOP GUN Leather Flight Jacket we carrying in our Online Store.

For those who aren’t pilots or aviators, the closest experience that I can give to use these five (5) components is a situation called Driving Hypnosis. This is where you are driving on a familiar scenic highway under normal conditions. During the drive, you don’t remember driving along certain stretches of the highway or past certain landmarks, but fortunately, Driving Hypnosis only lasts for a short moment in time.

But you still managed to navigate the traffic and roadway safely without incident, and where you were relaxed and enjoyed that short moment in time. While Driving Hypnosis is unsafe for driving a vehicle down the highway, it works great for driving a golf ball down the fairway and onto the green. This is what high- performing athletes refer to as playing IN-THE-ZONE.

Some athletes even refer to IN-THE-ZONE experience as an out-of-body situation, where someone else is performing, and they are just sitting back watching. Their conscious mind is totally disengaged.

Here are the 10 Subconscious Rules for reaching Top Performance, whether you are an athlete or a pilot:

1.   The subconscious mind does not and must not differentiate between visualizations (practice) and real situations (performance).

2.   Your subconscious feels that time passes faster.

3.    The quicker and longer the subconscious mind believes and proves something, the harder it will be to alter this belief in any way.

4.   Every thought causes a physical reaction. The subconscious mind can’t distinguish between a positive or a negative thought.

5.   What you expect tends to be realized.

6.   Finding proof of your beliefs strengthens them.

7.   The subconscious mind always prevails in conflicts with the conscious mind.

8.   An idea, once accepted, will remain firmly in place until it is replaced by another.

9.  The greater the conscious effort reduces the subconscious intuitive response.

10.  Suggestions and beliefs can be used to “program” the subconscious mind.               

Rule No. 2 is why pilots and Navy Aviators can respond quicker than they can think to respond. Like Maverick stated to Ice Man in the first TOPGUN Movie, “You don’t have time to think up there. If you think, you’re dead.

Below, I have attached three videos that I did for a local sports show last year, leading up to the US OPEN. I call it my Orange Bucket Drill and this is based on Situational Awareness and Scenario Based Training:

THE Orange Bucket Challenge Link INTRO

The Orange Bucket Challenge Walk-Through

The Orange Bucket Challenge Demo

WJTV-12 made an AD from the 3- Video Series Above

I did a 3- Part Video for WJTV-12 SPORTS ZONE Show, leading up to the 2021 US Open where I cover my golf training technique of taking my golf swing from the Batter’s Box to the Tee Box to hit more Fairways & Greens, in regulation or better. As appreciation for me doing this 3-part video series, the WJTV-12 production team put together a Television promotional that they ran and that I could use in my golf training business.

If you want to create course-like conditions during your practice sessions, just set up a camera or an I-phone and videotape your practice session. Believe me, you will create the adrenaline you will have out on the golf course during your training and practice sessions.

TOP GUN: Maverick Trailer Scheduled to be released May 27, 2022:

SHOP THE QUAPAW AVIATION TOP-GUN SPORTS PERFORMANCE YARAK OUTFITTERS:

This has the TOP-GUN: Maverick G-1 Leather Flight Jacket with the authentic patches of the TOPGUN School:

The TOP GUN CAP With Wings:

We also Carry the QUAPAW AVIATION TACTICAL SPORTS PERFORMANCE COLLECTION that includes the Authentic U.S. Military A-2 and G-1 Leather Flight Jackets that we supply to all SIX (6) Branches of the Military. This also includes the Indiana Jones-style Leather Jacket that we supply to the Indiana Jones movie studio and the Fonzie Leather Jacket of HAPPY DAYS:

Your Best Fashion is Your Health & Fitness

The best Fashion Statement that you can make is with your Health & Fitness, as everything you wear looks and feels better when you are in shape. Please visit The QUAPAW HEALTH & SPORTS HANGAR to drop LBS., inches, and years off your age. In the photograph below, I’m 64 years old, soon to be 65, and I feel and look like I’m in my mid-30’s. This includes my DELPHI DIET & FITNESS System Download and my GOLFER’S BRACHS-PALMER Technique:

If your DIET & FITNESS Program allows you to drop years off your appearance, in addition to LBS and inches, YOU need to stay with IT! If not, you need to try The DELPHI DIET & FITNESS System. Again, I’m 64 years old in this photograph taken on January 18, 2022 after we did a photo shoot. This was when the featured photograph was taken.