I used to shoot a fair bit, and my state of mind had a massive affect on my shooting ability. If I was in a bad unfocused state of mind, I struggled to shoot pop cans at 20 yards. If I was in the zone, "zenned" out so to speak, I could shoot 3" groups with a .22 at 100 yards... with iron sights. I eventually learned how to drop myself into my "zen" state. It starts with my breathing. Most of the time, we breath without being aware, just automatically doing it without thought. By making myself aware of my breathing, and then focusing on controlling each breath, I slowly reign myself in and "center" myself. Once I've achieved "control" of my body, I then start running through my shooting checklist. Relaxed muscles, properly couched cheek, proper body posture and positioning. Then I line up my sights, zero in on my target, all while maintaining controlled breathing. Once I'm close to lined up, only then does my finger drop to the trigger, making sure it's properly positioned so that the squeeze doesn't cause a misalignment when the round fires. I time my squeeze with the last exhale, a very slight pause, and then CRACK! The shot should surprise me if I've done everything right. I'm not saying I'm an amazing shot, and it's been years since the last time I went shooting, but I knew that if I wanted to I could have done very well in competitions. I'd like to get back into it and see if I ACTUALLY am good enough, but I've other hobbies occupying my funds and time. I'm still learning to achieve my zen in those hobbies.