Without fail, every time I play, several times I quickly pop someone’s shields after 4 good headshots with the pistol, and then I just can’t get the last shot (or it takes forever to do so). It’s so frustrating - like I literally feel slower and just off during that last needed shot…like victory is just out of reach. I don’t play more than a couple times a week so it very well may be lack of consistency/decrease in skill.
My gut tells me it’s mostly psychological, and that I get in my head after popping their shields and the desperation throws off my concentration. Another simple explanation is that players become more evasive after their shields are popped - thrusting, crouching, or jumping as a last ditch effort at survival, and that makes them a harder target than the first four shots.
Either way, I’m really curious what others think. Does anyone else experience this and, if so, why do you think this is?
Like you said, I’d chalk it up to psychology more than anything. Panic often slows things down and hampers performance, and while this is more powerful in real-world situations, a little bit of tension can go a long way in throwing off one’s aim. By the end of a firefight you’re often close to death as well, so you’ll want to get the killing shot off before they do - and as a result, it’ll be harder to pace shots and maintain accuracy.
And, of course, they’ll be doing everything in their power to not get killed, so they’ll be quite squirrely if they have the time to react.
Yes, I have had this problem in the past. It always happens in my toughest matches. If I hit the first four shots my muscle memory has already kicked in and I am expecting to hit the fifth, but as soon as my opponent thrusts or crouches out of the way my “mojo” is thrown off and its whif city as I pan past the person again and again until one of us gets the lucky fifth shot. Really bugs me but I’m sure I wouldn’t have the problem as much with more practice.