Accelerated Match Mode?

[Smitty79]

So far, I've built most of my training program working in Steve Anderson's holy trinity of:

Accuracy Mode - No timer. Mainly group shooting. Can you make the shot at all.

Speed mode - Don't score the target. Just trying to learn how to go faster. I'm a Production B shooter. In this mode, my goal is to hit the GM/M speeds in Ben Stoeger's Skills and Drills for standard drills. I can do this pretty easily for all drills without reloads.

Match Mode - Calling the shot or seeing an adequate site picture. When I train in this mode, I usually beat the "B" shooter times and score about 90% of points, including lots of head shots in Criss Cross (My favorite live fire drill)

Some other reading I've done state that you need to push the envelop to improve. The principle source is Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by K Anders Ericcson.

I feel like I should regularly practice in a mode where I go faster and I'm willing to live with 70 to 80%. I'm not going to "crush my self Image" if I don't shoot 90% of points. But I do want to feel what "A" speed feels like and how many points I can get. I'd do this by having a lower expectation for sight picture quality.

In dry fire, I cut my par time to a point that I can't get good hits on every shot and then work until I can. Then I cut my time so I can't again to push myself.

Is there a good reason not to do this in live fire?

Edited July 24, 2016 by Smitty79

[Hi-Power Jack]

Wow !!!

You're Way Ahead of me

Appreciate all the tips you've listed here - guess I should spring for a few bucks

and buy Steve's book on dry firing

To answer your question, though, (pls remember this is conjecture on my part,

since you're so far ahead of me) is it sounds like there's no good reason to

waste a lot of ammo with the live fire (unless you have a Lot Of Money).

Sounds like the dry fire should cover it ... IMHO.

[Smitty79]

Wow !!!

You're Way Ahead of me

Appreciate all the tips you've listed here - guess I should spring for a few bucks

and buy Steve's book on dry firing

To answer your question, though, (pls remember this is conjecture on my part,

since you're so far ahead of me) is it sounds like there's no good reason to

waste a lot of ammo with the live fire (unless you have a Lot Of Money).

Sounds like the dry fire should cover it ... IMHO.

I don't think that's true. Live fire is absolutely required.

You need it to figure out if a technique really works. I have somethings I decide worked in dry fire that just don't work with the gun is recoiling.

You need to know where the gun hits with certain sight pictures. Calling shots.

You do need to learn to control recoil.

You need to know your real level of skill. In practice, you can look at things that are hard to look at in a match. I can draw to 2 As at 7 yards in 1.2 to 1.3 sec. Shot to shot on a reload in Prez or 4A, I'm happy with 1.6. The place to pick up time is the RL not the draw.

I can't see my sights move very well in dry fire. If I was as good at live fire as I am in dry fire, I could shoot 2in groups at 25 yards. In reality, I make about 85% lower A hits in unhurried 25 yd shooting.

I think conventional wisdom is about 6 trigger presses in dry fire per press in live.

What I'm looking for opinions on is there a good reason to push speed beyond normal match mode to try to push the boundaries of my abilities.

[a matt]

I don't think it will be an issue. I would however never finish your live session on this, I would do match mode so you will feel positive when you leave your training time. Just pay attention to how it effects your shooting in your next local match, that shouks give you your most honest answer. Good luck!

[cjdaniel78]

I run larger multi- shot live fire drills in Match Mode. Criss-Cross, El Prez, etc., drills that have 6+ rounds and a reload. I am not interested in burning lots of ammo on a single run of a drill in speed mode when I can get better results with short, more focused, reps.

My times on these drills may not be as fast as if I rushed, but they're consitent, which helps match performance.

The important thing, no matter what your time on a any drill, is that the aggregate times are dropping.

[Matt in TN]

What you are doing is working. Changing it is the definition of inconsistent.

Insert Van Halen here... ;-)

[Smitty79]

What you are doing is working. Changing it is the definition of inconsistent.

Insert Van Halen here... ;-)

I don't know that this is true. I'm a low B class. I know that work helps. I'm trying to figure out if there is something I can change to get better faster.

[Racinready300ex]

How often do you dry fire? How long have you been working at this training? have you been B class the hole time? Just trying to get a idea of how fast you may currently be improving. Sounds like you are on the right track.

I would say yes you should be pushing in live fire, similar to how you are in dry fire. First go fast, then go faster until the wheels fall off. Ask yourself why the wheels fell off and how to get them back on with out slowing down. Now go faster...Repeat.

[Smitty79]

I've had a regular practice schedule for 18 months. I dry fire about 25 min a day. 5 drill sets a week are focused on classifier skills and 2 are focused on field course skills.

I shoot about a match a month. On weekends, that I don't shoot matches, I shoot about 300 rounds for practice. Practice is mainly doing standard USPSA drills from Skills and Drills.

I made B in April. If I had my head out of my @$$ and had my mental game right, I probably had the skills to make B last November.

[motosapiens]

in your 'speed mode', are you calling your shots? IMHO, it's no biggie if you have some bad hits in speed mode, as long as you see them. The way I have been getting faster is by hauling azz in speed mode, but only as fast as I can see the sights on the target. As i get faster at doing this, my match mode speed increases too.

[zzw26n]

subscribed ....

[Smitty79]

in your 'speed mode', are you calling your shots? IMHO, it's no biggie if you have some bad hits in speed mode, as long as you see them. The way I have been getting faster is by hauling azz in speed mode, but only as fast as I can see the sights on the target. As i get faster at doing this, my match mode speed increases too.

I believe I'm seeing my sights. I don't know if I'm calling my shots. I'm doing it at 7 yards and I think I'm seeing the fiber on brown.

I don't think I'm truly calling my shots in match mode. I believe I'm getting an adequate sight picture at trigger press. I am seeing my sights lift on most shots, particularly at speed. On slow shots, I still think I have a blinking problem.

Edited July 27, 2016 by Smitty79

[Norone]

I am at the beginning of changing pistols. Glock to 2011 and its not fun. But, I can say the faster I push the gun the better the feel becomes.
One thing I like to do to get my eyes really looking hard in dryfire is mixing modes in a micro-drill. Like the Burkett reload. Par time 1.00 and delay start. Accuracy only head shots on multiple targets til the buzzer sounds then mag in halfway. Next buzz mag in and speed mode the lower A of those same targets. Better yet is when you do match to speed and v/v. Its simply shifting gears and never using the brakes.

[SISIG]

in your 'speed mode', are you calling your shots? IMHO, it's no biggie if you have some bad hits in speed mode, as long as you see them. The way I have been getting faster is by hauling azz in speed mode, but only as fast as I can see the sights on the target. As i get faster at doing this, my match mode speed increases too.

Do you do this with live and dry practice? How do you section this in your dry fire/ live?