Fast Back Focus with Clay Tryan

Beating Nervousness during Competition

When I first started roping I used to get nervous during competition because I just hadn’t competed enough. Practice and hard work will earn your way to the short go, but you have to compete enough to overcome nervousness. The more you compete, the less it will bother you.

Here are some suggestions for mental exercises in the practice pen that can help. When you rope a steer in the practice pen, make it count for something. If you’re practicing with another team, turn it into a match where the losers have to buy dinner or unsaddle the winners’ horses. When it’s just you and your partner see how many clean runs you can make in a row.

Many times I will back in the box and tell myself, “This is the last steer at the NFR and you have to be 5.0.” Sometimes I use the BFI instead and tell myself I have to catch and make a smooth run. Putting pressure on yourself in the practice pen will make you more comfortable during the real short round.

In reality the short round is just one more steer and it’s no different than the first steer. Now, with more experience, I’m almost more comfortable in the short go because I know I’ve roped well to get to that point.

Fast Back Ropes are hand made individually in Granbury, TX by legendary rope makers Al Benson and Curt Matthews. Known for their high quality and consistent feel, Fast Back Ropes are used by World Champions Speed Williams, Clay Tryan, Patrick Smith, Steve Purcella, David Motes, and others who are winning at all levels worldwide.

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